Braced to Bite (Book 1: Half-blood vampire series)

Chapter Six

“Hello, Colby. Surprised to see me?” He smiled in delight, like a child who was allowed to play with a school chum an extra hour.

     I stood my ground and repeated “He can’t hurt me” in my head until I felt myself relax a little. He’d done his worst to me and I was still here, so I let go of the rest of my fear.

     “Who are you and what do you want?” I was surprised how annoyed I sounded. At least I didn’t sound scared, which was how I thought it would come out.

     “Oh, forgive me. Where are my manners? We have not been formally introduced.” He bowed with flourish, as though we were meeting in a renaissance courtyard and not in a modern-day cul-de-sac.

     “I am Lord Charles Winthrop, at your service, and the reason I am here should be obvious. I have come to take you home.”

     “Oookay then. Listen, Chuck—”

     “The name is Charles.”

     “Whatever. Listen, I’m not going anywhere with you.”

     He seemed genuinely surprised. “But we’re family! My family has always lived together.”

     “Dude, I already have a family. And the guy who bit me and threw me into the ravine is not a part of it, get me?”

     “I’m sorry about losing my temper and throwing you into that gully. I was angered that you struggled so. But my dear Colby, we are family. I am your Creator and your allegiance is to me.”

     “Wow, you are so not getting it. You’re not my anything. I don’t know you, I don’t like you and I have a family who loves and cares for me. So take a hike. Beat it.”

     He was getting angry again, but then so was I. How dense did he have to be? I was never going to hang with him, ever. Couldn’t he see that?

     “I’m afraid this won’t do at all,” he said through clenched teeth. He looked at my house and caught a brief glimpse of Great-Aunt Chloe walking by the window.

     “Don’t even think about it,” I said in my most menacing tone. “You get within so much as ten feet of anyone in my family, I will stake you so fast it will make your head spin.”

     He laughed at me, so full of self-assurance. “Dearest Colby, you wouldn’t hurt me.”

     I stepped closer, until we were practically nose to nose, which meant Chuck was not all that tall. I looked deep into his eyes, making sure I had his complete attention, and whispered, “Watch me.”

     His face lost all amusement. He growled and tried to slap me but I was too fast. I dodged his blow and kicked him in the groin, again. He buckled forward, gasping.

     “I wish you would quit doing that,” he said with a moan.

     “I meant what I said, Chuck. Stay away from me and stay away from my family or your immortal days are over.” I started to leave.

     “Do you really think those Tribunal Investigators are going to help you, Colby?” he managed to get out.

     Despite myself, I turned back to him.

     “Oh yes, I know all about Thomas and Carl. They have been chasing me for awhile now. They are never going to give you one of these.” He held out his hand and showed me a large old-fashioned ring that looked a lot like a class ring.

     “What’s that?”

     He laughed at my naïveté. “Why, it’s what you need, my dear. It’s the reason you will live with me.”

     “Why do you want me to come with you so badly? And don’t give me the family line again. I know families who are glad to live hundreds of miles from each other.”

     He stared at me hard. “You are different. You are strong. There is something special about you.”

     He turned to leave. “And, Colby, dear? Kick me again and I will rip off your leg.” He said it so casually I shivered. Then he disappeared in the light fog that was always present in the autumn evenings in our neighborhood on the Plateau.

     As if in a daze, I walked back inside my house and straight up to my room. I picked up Thomas’s card, took a deep breath and dialed the number. He picked up on the first ring.

     “Thomas here.”

     “Hello? This is—”

     “Colby Blanchard.”

     Well really, who else would it be?

     “Yes, I was wondering if maybe you and I could talk a little more about, well, uh, about my circumstances.”

     “Sure. Shall we say about an hour from now?”

     Wow, that was quick.

     “Great, how about we meet at the Krispy Kreme at the bottom of the hill from my house?”

     “Are you sure you want to meet in public?” he asked uncertainly.

     “Actually, I insist on it. Oh, and no Carl please.”

     He chuckled into the phone and my toes curled in pleasure.

     “That would be fine. See you then.”

     I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I put down the phone. I was smiling! I was completely crushing on this guy—this vampire. I had to snap out of it. The last time we spoke his buddy wanted to kill me, and the only other vampire I knew was the nut job who wanted to be my family but also threatened to tear off my leg. I had no reason to assume that Thomas wasn’t just as whacked-out as the rest of them.

     Still, I dressed with extra care. Low-slung jeans, scoop-neck sweater, cute half boots and matching scarf. It said “interested” without trying that hard. I added a swipe of pink lip gloss with blusher, popped on my Foster Grants and was out the door with time to spare.

     I borrowed the car from Dad with only a short amount of resistance. Once I mentioned feeding, he couldn’t give me the keys fast enough. He was dying to know how his invention would hold up to practical application. He even wanted to come along but I convinced him I couldn’t eat with anyone else watching. I was too self-conscious. It must have been the oddest conversation between daughter and father in the history of mankind.

     When I arrived at the Krispy Kreme, the parking lot was pretty deserted. It was more of a hangout on Friday and Saturday nights, but on Monday things were pretty lame. I waited in my car until exactly the appointed time. I opened the door and was overwhelmed by the scent of doughnuts, which normally would have been a good thing. But with my new olfactory superpowers, I wasn’t sure this was the best place to meet Thomas after all.

     He arrived right after me, dressed in a forest green sweater that hugged his shoulders (yum) and faded, fitted jeans (yum, yum) that hugged his thighs. Seeing Thomas in 501’s made me want to ban baggy pants from the face of the earth. I was pretty into him and somehow, I didn’t care that he was a vampire. After all, so was I.

     “Hey,” I said as he slipped into the booth across from me.

     “How are you doing?” he asked, his eyes reflecting concern. “This can’t be very easy for you.”

     And the prize for understatement of the year goes to … the hunky vampire in the doughnut shop.

     “Well, I admit it isn’t easy finding out you’re a vampire.”

     “Colby, you’re not a vampire.”