Northern Bites (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Vol. 2) (29 page)

“I know exactly what you want.” Dante looked down at
the bulge in his pants and grinned.

I propped myself up on my elbows. “Get over yourself.”

His grin widened. “I’d rather get over you.” He leaned beside my ear. “Over and inside of you.”

A raspy breath left my lips at the same time my eyes rolled back
in my head.
Fuck me, Dante. Fuck me hard.
I didn’t have to say the words. He read my thoughts. Dante went for his zipper and this time I didn’t clench.

I jumped in the shower first thing before breakfast the next morning. It looked like a rash had spread over my cheeks. I put on my clothes as soon as I’d dried off and stared at my reflection in the mirror while I
yanked a comb through my wet hair.

You’ve got a sick mind
, I told my reflection.
Sick, sick, sick.

Once downstairs,
I shoved a piece of bread into the toaster and poured myself a glass of orange juice. I pushed aside a stack of magazines on the table and took my first bite of toast.

On my fourth bite, I heard Mom shuffle down the st
airs. “Good morning,” she said, sleep clinging to her words.

“Good morning.”
I bit back into my toast.

She shuffled to the kitchen in her robe and slippers. After she prepared her glass of ice and soda, she returned to the table
. Mom moved a stack of unopened mail aside so that she could take the spot in front of me.

I crunched down on
each bite of toast. Mom sipped her soda, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She looked at me, looked away, then quickly looked back. “Are you feeling okay, sweetie? Your face looks a bit feverish.”

“I’m fine
,” I answered, feeling my cheeks get hotter.

“Are you sure you aren’t coming down with something?”

“Yeah.” Nothing to worry about, Mom, just a case of crazed vampire lust. According to Valerie it couldn’t be helped. Then again, maybe I was just a normal eighteen-year-old with raging hormones. At least I practiced safe sex. It didn’t get any safer than fantasy.

I grabbed my red scarf and wrapped it loosely around my neck before we headed out. Now that Mike’s jacket was no longer in my locker, the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach wasn’t as pronounced when I spun the combo on my lock.
I still felt it when I went to history class.

During lunch hour I checked the library hoping I’d find Noel behind a row of bookshelves, but no such luck.
I really
really
didn’t want to check the cafeteria. If I saw Henry I might combust on the spot. How could I have a normal conversation with him without blushing my cheeks off?

Guess I’d have to wait until film class to see Noel. I took my sa
ck lunch into an empty classroom and pulled out a peanut butter sandwich. Bread and peanut butter was starting to get old. I’d spread a thin layer of blueberry jam on it to try for a different taste. I usually went for strawberry or raspberry. As I ate, I started on my class readings. I hadn’t missed too much the week before.

As usual, I went to film class early. I hoped that today Noel would, too. She didn’t. In fact, she didn’t show up at all. Weird. Dante was back in town, which meant Noel had to be back. She probably felt tired, but I wouldn’t think she’d want to miss any more school.

As soon as school ended, I tried calling her, but it went to voicemail. I sent a text while I waited by the pick-up lane in front of the office.

Hey. Missed you at school. Everything OK?

When I looked up, I saw my mom parked along the curb. I stuck my phone in my pocket and made for the car.

“Hi
, honey, did you have a good day?” she asked before I’d buckled in.

“Yeah.” It took me a moment to notice that she’d put on a pair of jeans and a nice sweater. “You look nice. Is Dad coming over?”

Mom sniffed. “I haven’t heard a word from him.”

What is it then? A date?
My mom didn’t appreciate jokes like that so I kept it to myself. I didn’t have to wait long. Mom had never been the secretive sort, except when it came to Agent Melcher. “Your grandmother called.”

“Oh?”

“She arrives in Anchorage this Thursday.”

I turned in my seat. “Isn’t that a bit early?” Like two months early. After Gramps retired, he and Gran became snowbirds
. Unfortunately, Grandpa didn’t stick around very long to enjoy his retirement, but winters in Florida certainly agreed with Grandma. She’d made a vow never to set foot in Alaska before the month of May.

Mom nodded solemnly. “You know how she likes to meddle. She thinks I’m in need of her
advice.”

“Can’t she give it over the phone?” I loved Gran and all but in small doses. When she smelled trouble I swear she made it worse.

“She’s given me an earful over the phone for hours every day,” Mom said tightly. “Now she’s on a mission to straighten out this mess with your dad.”

I nearly laughed. The only thing Gran would do is send Dad running for the hills. I was so lost in thought I didn’t notice Mom pass up the fast food chains until we were halfway home. I almost said something then decided
against it.

The moment I walked into the house I felt a sense of space and order. The countertops were cleared, the carpets vacuumed, everything
was put in place and clean. Mom had gone to town.

A feeling of panic shot through me. “Gran’s not staying here, is she?”

I swear my mom’s look of horror mirrored my own. “No. No. Thank God.”

“Okay.” My shoulders relaxed.
Guess it was a good thing I hadn’t talked my mom into letting me live in Grandma’s apartment. I’d be moving right back out. My mom had her issues, but she left me alone for the most part, unlike Gran who got her kicks giving orders. As if I didn’t get enough of those in my life.

21

Noel didn’t return to school Tuesday or Wednesday. Nor did she return my calls or texts. By Thursday I’d stopped expecting her and that’s when she walked into film class and slid into the seat beside me without a word.

“Hi,” I said.

Noel turned her head slowly. “Hey.”

That’s it? Hey? “You never returned my call
s,” I said.

Noel studied the surface of her desk. “I’m sorry. I had family stuff to deal with.”

I didn’t know much about Noel’s family since she always shied away from the subject. I only knew she didn’t live with her family. “I hope it wasn’t anything too serious,” I said. It wasn’t exactly my most hospitable voice, but I felt hurt that she didn’t trust me enough to talk about it.

She
merely shrugged and stared sullenly down at her desktop.

My parents are getting a divorce!
I wanted to yell.
My drill sergeant of a grandma gets in this afternoon, and I get to spend the rest of senior year being bossed around whenever she’s near.

Noel wasn’t the only one with family problems. If she didn’t want to talk about it, neither did I. So maybe I was being
overly sensitive. But I thought we were friends. More than friends—blood sisters.

Noel took out a spiral notebook and began tracing the letters of her name over and over.

“Dante said things went great in Fairbanks,” I said.

She
stopped tracing. “Yeah, we got some good leads,” she said without looking at me. “He asked a lot of questions about you.”

I momentarily forgot Noel’s
sulky behavior. I wanted to ask what kinds of questions but I resisted the urge. Two could play the silence game. I pulled out my own notebook and straightened it on top of my desk.

Mrs. Campbell walked in and glanced at the big round clock on the wall.

“How did it go in Sitka?” Noel finally asked.

I
snorted. “Jared tried to kill us and Valerie took off.” I enjoyed seeing the shocked look on Noel’s face right as the bell rang.

Mrs. Campbell walked to the front of her desk. “Last week we watched
Apocalypse Now
. Today we will be watching
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse
, Eleanor Coppola’s documentary about the making of the film.”

Noel and I faced forward the rest of the period. As soon as the bell rang at the end of class, Noel turned to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t return your call sooner. Things have been
…well, crazy, but it sounds like you’ve been through all kinds of crazy, too. Can we talk after school?”

So now she wanted to talk?
“Can’t, my grandmother’s coming to town.”

“Tonight?”

“She’s staying with us all evening. What about tomorrow night?”

Noel looked at me funny. “Are you going to Marcus’s?”

“The palace? I’m done with that scene.”

Noel nodded once. “Well, call me when you’re available, I guess.”

I accompanied Mom to the airport to pick Grandma up. We waited in the t
erminal until Gran walked out holding an oversized aqua purse. She wore khaki capris and a silk scarf tied fashionably around her neck.

She stopped in the middle of the terminal when she saw us and threw out her arms. “My darlings!”

Oh, and dramatic, too. Sometimes I wondered if Mom and I were really related to her.

“Hi, Mom,” my mo
m said, walking up to Gran and giving her a hug. “Did you have a good flight?”

“Every year I forget how long it is,”
she answered. She turned to me. “And let’s take a look at my granddaughter. Oh my, you’re so pale.” She turned to my mom. “The two of you should come out and see me more often.” Gran took both our arms and steered us toward the escalators leading down to baggage claim.

She
pointed out her luggage as it passed on the carousel. I pulled each of her three heavy suitcases off. I took two, mom took the extra one, and we rolled them through the terminal. Grandma froze in place as soon as we stepped through the sliding doors into the parking garage. “Oh dear,” she said.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I’d forgotten how cold it was this time of year.” She shivered for emphasis.

I laughed.

“I told you to wait until summer,” Mom said.

“My dear,” Grandma said, turning to my mom aghast. “You wouldn’t have lasted the spring without me.”

Welcome home, Gran.

She wanted to drop her things off and freshen up at her apartment first. I still found it comical that I’d tried to snag the place for myself. Grandma had her own vehicle she kept garaged during the winter. She said she’d drive herself over for dinner.

“Are you sure?” Mom asked.

Grandma gave her a look of exasperation. “I will see you at five.”

Mom sighed when we got back inside the car.

“I’ll help you make dinner,” I said.

“Thanks.” Mom didn’t usually want my help. I think today she wanted company more than the actual help.

The moment we returned home I got to work on the mashed potatoes. Mom was on her own with the turkey. We’d stopped at the bakery for a loaf of fresh bread
and lemon meringue pie—Grandma’s favorites.

“I don’t know how she eats l
ike this and stays skinny,” Mom said, setting the temperature on the oven.

I stood at the sink, scrubbing the potatoes. “I’m guessing it has something to do with her inability to sit still. She’s probably the only seventy-
two-year-old whose metabolism hasn’t slowed down.”

Mom laughed and then nodded at the
potatoes. “You know she doesn’t like skins.”

“
That’s where all the nutrients are.” Plus it meant I didn’t have to peel them. “You can blame it on me if she complains.”

Mom sighed and got the turkey out of the fridge. Once the potatoes were clean
, I got started on a chopped salad with lettuce, celery, apples, and walnuts.

She
surveyed the kitchen. “We’re going to have a lot of food for just the three of us. Maybe you should invite Dante.”

I didn’t grimace the way I would have before. A smile crept slowly over my lips. “I’m sure Gran would
love
that.” She was something of a flirt—a charming one, at least, not the embarrassing kind.

Mom and I looked at each other and started laughing. “I think I’ll save Dante for another night. Who knows what Gran’s got up her sleeve?”

Mom nodded thoughtfully. “Good point.”

It was a good thing I didn’t invite
Dante. Grandma arrived full of energy and ready to draw up battle plans as I suspected. I tried to stay out of the conversation as much as possible. It was up to Mom to stick up for herself. Gran had surprised us both by urging my mom to sign the divorce papers and move on with her life. Her advice could have swung in either direction, and for some reason I thought it would swing in favor of a fight to win Dad back. Grandma did love herself a battle. But that’s not what she said after passing the salad bowl to me.

“He’s obviously moved on. It’s
high time you did the same.”

Mom’s jaw dropped. “You think I should give up on twenty-one years of marriage? How can you say that?”

“Honey,” Gran said, lowering her fork. “Things between you and Bill haven’t been good for a while. The first thing you ought to do is put this house up for sale. It’s much too big for just the two of you, anyway. Soon there will only be you.”

Mom pushed her food around her plate with her fork. It was a real shame she couldn’t
enjoy the fruits of her labor.

“Aurora, why aren’t you eating any turkey?” Grandma asked
suddenly.

“She doesn’t eat meat,” M
om answered for me. I appreciated the firm tone of her voice, especially since my mom had never been a big fan of my eating choices.

“Since when?” Gran demanded. She turned back to me, sucking in a dramatic breath. “My dear, I didn’t want to say anything
before, but you do look rather sickly since the last time I saw you.”

“Well, it is the middle of winter,” I said. I’d always been better than my mom at answering
Grandma’s jibes. My diet was the same as it had been last summer. Grandma hadn’t noticed anything to complain about then, well not with my looks anyway.

Thankfully,
Grandma let me off the hook. “Yes, winter is dreadful. Don’t remind me.” She turned back to my mom. “It’s simply no good staying in this house. Until you move out, you can’t move on.”

Mom sat listening with a frown on her face for most of it.

Before Grandma left for the evening she invited us out for dinner the next evening. More of a summons, if you asked me.