Dream of Me by Quinn Loftis
“We’ll see if you still say that when there are twenty-four inches of snow on the ground,” Sim replied, stopping at the door to go inside. She sat her boxes down and opened the door.
“Do you know them?” Sim asked, pointing at one of the picnic tables nearby. Underwear model, tall guy, and big guy were all sitting there, watching us. Underwear model guy’s stare was seriously unnerving, like I was prey and he was a wild animal.
“Um, no,” I replied as my cheeks turned red, giving away my true answer.
Sim blocked the door, her hands on her hips, waiting for a better reply.
“You cannot tell me guys that hot are staring at you like that and you don’t know them,” Sim answered.
“I bumped into the big guy earlier today,” I admitted part of the truth. I was not going to say anything about underwear model guy falling into my lap. That was just weird. Sim nodded and moved to hold the door for me. I saw her looking round me to check out the guys again before following me into the stairwell.
“But he’s not the one really staring at you. It’s the really cute guy. He looks very familiar.” Sim led us upstairs and stopped talking because she was deep in thought about something.
At least she had stopped asking questions. Maybe she knew the guy. She was from around here and maybe he was as well. Maybe she could tell me if he was really a player and if he was dating anyone. I stopped that train of thought. I didn’t want to know more about him. Well, I wanted to, but I shouldn’t want to. He was just trying to add girls to his growing list of conquests. I wasn’t going to be on any guy’s conquest list. I was here to get an education, get away from home, and grow up a bit—not to fall for some player guy that would add my name as another check mark on his list of women.
We set the boxes down in our room where Sim’s mother was unpacking and putting things away. Sim didn’t even seem to care as her mom went through everything. I was surprised. I really didn’t want my mom going through my things. Sim led the way back down and went outside again. The guys were still there, and I could feel underwear model’s stares on my back as we walked by.
“Are you sure you don’t know him?” Sim asked, turning back to look at him again.
“Really,” I replied, pulling her back around. I was going to stick with the I don’t know him bit and hope he went away. “I’ve never met him before.”
I followed behind Sim to make sure she didn’t turn back around.
“He’s really cute,” Sim added. “I wish I had a hot guy watching me like that. I mean it looked like he’s ready make out with you right here on the dorm lawn.” While my heart beat a little faster at that idea, I tried to keep my mind from wandering there. What would it be like to kiss him?
“He’s not really my type,” I lied. He was completely my type. He was anyone’s type, tall, dark, and handsome.
“You don’t like the ‘I’ve been taken away from heaven and planted here on earth’ drop-dead-gorgeous type? We’re in college. Time to explore new types, girl.” Sim raised her eyebrows as we approached the car. My face was already red. I couldn’t deny what she said, but how else could I say that I knew better than to be interested in him? I couldn’t let myself be interested in him. Guys like him were always trouble.
“Simardeep, what could you be doing to make your new friend blush that much?” Mr. Singh asked. My face reddened a bit more with embarrassment, though I would not have thought that was even possible. I didn’t need to discuss cute guys with my roommate’s father.
“I am being nice, Daddy,” Sim replied. “We were just talking about finishing all these boxes, and I made Mari run back down here with me. She’s just warm.” Sim lied expertly and winked at me when he wasn’t looking. Maybe Sim wasn’t as completely honest with her parents as it seemed before, when her mother was putting all of Sim’s stuff away.
“Well, if you ladies can take the top three boxes, I can get the rest,” Mr. Singh offered.
I grabbed the top two boxes. The less trips past underwear model, the better. Sim grabbed the other box and led us away as her dad piled the rest on the closed trunk before locking up. I looked back to see if we should wait for him.
“He’s fine,” Sim answered my unspoken question. “He walks slowly. My mom and I leave him behind all the time.”
I wouldn’t say that he walked slowly, remembering how he had bounded across the lot to me when I waited before, but I followed Sim anyway. She seemed to be in a bit more of a rush than last time. We flew by the guys, who were still sitting at the table, and up to our room without a glance back. Sim pushed me in first, and I set the boxes down on the bed. She snuck in behind me when her mother’s back was turned and slid the box she was carrying under my bed. She put her finger to her lips begging me to be quiet about it. Sim stood back up quickly and smiled at her mother as she turned around.
“I’ll go back down to get the door for your dad,” I offered as Sim’s mom started to hand her clothes to hang up.
I went back downstairs. It wouldn’t be a problem because I didn’t have to walk outside by the guys again. I could just stand inside the door and open it once Mr. Singh made his way there. He wasn’t far down the walkway when I got to the doorway. I leaned against the door and ignored the students walking by.
“Was she the one in the red shirt or white?” a familiar, nasally voice asked.
“White, with the short shorts,” underwear model replied as they passed by.
I looked at my shirt. It was white and my shorts were a tad bit short.
“Oh, you mean the hot one that ran into me today when we were looking for you,” a third voice added. None of the guys noticed me flattened against the doorway.
I might have convinced myself before that I wasn’t the one underwear model was looking at for his next girl, but it was going to be harder to convince myself of now. What did I do to be targeted? It was only my first day at Morton.
“Melissa is going to be pissed,” tall guy said as they walked down the hallway out of hearing range. They hadn’t seen me, but I had heard them. College was getting harder by the minute and I hadn’t even been to my first class yet.
I looked up and Mr. Singh was trying to get the door open. I reached over and pushed it open for him. He smiled, surprised to see me.
“Oh, Mari, thanks,” Mr. Singh replied as I took a couple boxes and led the way back to my room.
Sim was almost done unpacking with the help of her mom. It wouldn’t take more beyond the boxes we just arrived with. Sim took the top box from her father and opened it as I sat down on my bed to watch. They were like a well-oiled machine. Each person had a task, and they all moved around getting it done. For as much as they bickered, they were quite the family unit.
“Here,” Sim said, tossing me a booklet. “Look at the football team.”
I paged through it until I found the football team. Sixty-some faces stared back at me, all lined up together for a group shot. In a way they all looked the same to me. I didn’t know what I was looking for at first. Sim motioned for me to turn the page. I turned the page and stopped. Underwear model was staring back at me. Seth Sangre. He had a name. And he was their all-star quarterback. I smiled meekly up at Sim. Seth Sangre, the player and star quarterback, planned to make me another name on his list. Ugh. College was not off to a good start at all.
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Vampire Rule, Rule Series Book 1
Kasi Blake
Chapter One:
A BOY WITHOUT A HOME
The vampire stood in the shadows and stared up at the farmhouse he used to call home. No longer the bright sunny yellow his mom had chosen, the exterior had been covered with a muted olive tone. This small difference knocked Jack off balance. Had his brother sold the farm?
His gaze skimmed ove
A wild drum solo broke out in Jack’s pocket, startling him. He jumped backwards and tripped, almost falling off the porch before realizing it was only his stupid cell phone. An electric guitar joined in, adding to the horrible racket. He patted his pockets, frantically searching for the thing while he scanned the yard for movement. This wasn’t exactly the covert operation he’d planned. His fingers closed around cold metal, and he answered without checking caller ID. It could only be one of three people, his vampire friends.
“You’re going to die!” Lily shouted.
Jack flinched. With a jerk of his hand he put a few inches between the cell and his traumatized ear. Lily’s warning barely registered. His mind was focused on other matters. He was about to break into his childhood home, ten times in ten years. Although no one was around and the house was in a sparsely populated rural area, Jack tried to keep the noise to a minimum. He glanced around again to make sure Lily’s high-pitched freak-out hadn’t stirred up trouble. No telling what creatures lurked nearby.
“Hello?” Lily yelled, “This is serious! According to the cards you’re going to die within the next three hours.”
“Well, I already died once. What’s the big deal about doing it twice?”
Jack went to the front door and considered it from every angle. Under normal circumstances a vampire couldn’t enter a house uninvited, but as long as Billy kept something belonging to him and didn’t sell the place, Jack could go in whenever he wanted. He waved his hand over the doorknob and heard the lock click. Billy hadn’t moved. Relief and excitement flooded his system as the door swung open, silently inviting him inside. Cool. No matter how many times he used his powers, the same tiny thrill rocked his senses. A short-lived laugh escaped his dry throat.
“This isn’t funny, Jackpot!”
A scowl replaced the smile and he warned Lily, “If you don’t stop yelling at me, I’m hanging up.”
“You have to stay away from her.”
“Away from who?”
“That girl in the fuzzy pink sweater. She’s the reason you die tonight.”
Jack looked around the empty porch, confused.
Lily babbled on. “She has long hair, but the color is kind of hard to pinpoint. I’d say it’s either dark blonde or light brown. Doesn’t matter, I guess. She’s short and thin but not really skinny, and her eyes are deep blue. She’s not classically pretty, not to me anyway, and she’s definitely not your type. Just stay clear of her. She’s trouble.”
“The cards told you all that?” Dry amusement altered his tone.
“Don’t be a smartass. After I did the cards, I had a vision. This is serious stuff. When you see the girl—and you will—walk the other way.” There was a short pause. Sometimes Lily hesitated on purpose for dramatic effect. It made his skin itch. “No. When you see her, I want you to run the other way.”
“Whatever.”
“Promise me.”
He shrugged. “I promise.”
“Say it like you mean it.”
He rubbed his tired eyes. The house called to him. More than anything he wanted to go inside and take his annual trip through the rooms, mentally relive better days, but Lily was ruining everything with her kooky vision crap. His brother might show at any second, putting an end to his visit. Time slipped through his fingers like tiny grains of sand. Every muscle in Jack’s body tightened.
“I promise,” he said. “I swear on my grave. Okay? Do you need it in blood?”
“You don’t have to get snippy. I’m only trying to help.”
“You caught me in the middle of something important.”
“What?” He could practically see her twirling strands of curly blonde hair. “Where are you? What are you doing?”
He disconnected the call and returned the cell to his pocket. For a moment he stayed where he was on the porch and tried to picture the mystery girl Lily had described. His mind could only produce a vague rendition of a fairly pretty girl. Lily shouldn’t worry. He had no intention of taking a stroll in the sunlight or getting into a fight with a hunter. No way was he dying tonight, especially not because of some random girl.
He took a deep breath and entered the house. Each bittersweet step reminded him of what he’d lost. He’d give anything to have his old life back. Anything.
The foyer hadn’t changed. A pained smile stretched his lips thin when he noticed the yellowing wallpaper, cream-colored with tiny purple flowers. There was a small coat closet to the right and an arch next to it that led to the kitchen. His mother had put a small table on the left because his father wanted to drop his keys the second he entered the house. An arch leading to the living room beckoned to him, but Jack didn’t want to venture into there yet. The stairs with the handmade railing he used to slide down as a kid was directly in front of him. Maybe he should go upstairs, take a look at his old room.
His heart ached for his family. On an average Thursday night like this his mom would be in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner while his dad watched television, beer in hand. Depending on their ages, Jack and Billy would either be doing homework, wrestling in their shared room, or running around town with friends.
With the exception of Billy, the entire Creed family had been murdered by a psychotic werewolf.
Jack strolled through his former home, his fingertips skimming the tops of possessions, stuff that had been passed down to Billy. He loved touching tangible evidence that once upon a time he had been human. His brother had kept everything: Jack’s old baseball cards, his variety of sports trophies, and a photo of him the night of his Junior Prom. He picked up the frame and stared at the picture. The name of his date stayed just out of reach. He remembered his mom insisting on taking the photo. Guilt over giving her a hard time made his heart sink... another regret in a long line.
Jack tripped over a discarded book on the living room floor. A curse word slipped off his tongue. Billy wasn’t much of a housekeeper. There was an inch of dust on practically everything in sight, and Billy’s dirty clothes were scattered around as if he didn’t know where his closet was located.
A reluctant smile stretched Jack’s lips. It froze at the sound of footsteps on the porch. He sniffed. Billy was home. Now what?
Jack spun around in the center of the living room in a full-on panic, needing a quick place to hide. Although he could move faster than any human on the planet, he couldn’t make it out the back door without Billy hearing him. Besides, he couldn’t resist the temptation to see his brother.
A key rattled in the lock.
Jack held his breath.
The front door opened.
Jack zipped across the foyer and jumped into the coat closet. He left the door open a crack to allow him a narrow visual. For some reason Jack expected Billy to be a fifteen-year-old boy, but his brother had passed him in years and in inches. Jack silently calculated. Billy was twenty-five now. He had become a man, a pinnacle Jack would never reach.
Billy entered the foyer with a canvas bag slung over his shoulder and a handful of envelopes in his hand. He dropped the bag while looking at the mail. Piece by piece, he went through it, tossing each envelope to the corner table after giving it careful consideration. He stopped abruptly, lifted his head, and frowned. His eyes scanned the room as if he too was vampire and could sense his brother’s return.
Fresh from a fight, there was a rip in his jeans, a bruise on his cheek, and a bleeding cut above his left eye.
“Hello?” Billy called out, hesitant. “Is someone here?” He slowly revolved before saying a single word beneath his breath, a word that sent shockwaves through the vampire in the closet.
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Jack’s eyes widened. He caught an audible gasp with his hand and sank deeper into the tiny room, allowing darkness to temporarily devour him, but he still felt exposed as if Billy could see him through the door. Hiding in the closet had been a dumb idea. Hell, the whole breaking into his family’s home had shown a serious lack of good judgment.
If his vampire friends ever found out he’d risked exposure, they’d tear his head off.
Billy headed into the living room, and Jack released a slow breath between clenched teeth. Hissss. The scent of Billy’s blood pulled him forward until he had his face pressed into the crack. Tempting. Hunger pangs began deep in his stomach. The ache expanded like ripples when a stone is dropped in still water. His fangs slid forward, protruding from hidden pockets in his gums.
No, he was not going to hurt his brother. Jack shook his head back and forth hard, gasping for breath and trying to control the monster inside. He couldn’t hurt Billy. His hands clenched into fists. Resting his forehead against the door’s wooden frame, he regulated his breathing. It took a great deal of effort.
He silently chanted the words again and again. I am not going to kill my brother. I am not going to kill my brother. I am not going to kill my brother.
Or worse—change him into a vampire.
Billy returned to the foyer, shook his dark head and mumbled, “Okay. Have it your way, bro.”
The words sounded almost sinister.
Jack’s eyes popped open. Of course he had imagined the words, probably a hallucination brought on by lack of food. Billy thought he was dead. There was no way Billy knew he was in the closet. It wasn’t fair! Why did he have to lose his life? A murderous rage climbed to the surface. He tried to calm himself, taking several more deep breaths. He couldn’t afford to lose his temper, not when his brother was this close.