Heather

There was a knock on the open door. Dr. Gonazales didn’t wait for me to answer. "Are you okay?"

I started to say yes, but hesitated. "I don’t know." My neck still ached. I ran my fingers over it. "Something burned me."

The doctor set her bag next to me. "Vampire venom. Toxic stuff. But he didn’t bite you, so that’s good. If it gets into your blood stream, then you’ve got a bigger problem." She cleaned my neck with an alcohol swipe and spread sticky goo over the spot. "Keep this covered and dry for tonight," she said as she taped on a bandage. "It should be fine by tomorrow."

"I thought werewolves healed quickly."

"This is a supernatural injury. It’ll heal slower."

Just when I thought I’d get some use out of the whole werewolf thing, it failed me. Typical. "Is Xander going to be okay?"

"He ran off with the others, most likely making his injury worse. But he’ll be fine once I fix him up."

Mrs. Ramirez took a step into the room. "Girls, stay in the dorm. We’re under lockdown. Windows bolted. Curtains closed. No matter what you hear going on outside. Understood?"

"Absolutely, Ms. Ramirez," Serena said.

"Good." She left. A second later we heard her knocking next door, spreading the word.

Dr. Gonzales shut the window, clicked the lock and pulled the curtains tight. "You didn’t read the book?"

"What book?"

She stepped over to my desk and picked up the thin volume—The Werewolf’s Bible.

I shrugged. "It’s been a bit of a rough week." I probably should’ve put on gloves and read the damned thing, but no one expects a vampire invasion. "How come it hypnotized me so easily?"

"You met his gaze?"

I nodded.

Serena slapped my shoulder. "Next time, don’t do that."

"We’re not as weak as humans," Dr. Gonzales said. "It’s like when someone punches you when you’re not ready. It takes you by surprise. But if you are braced for it, it’ll graze on by. Just stay away from the window and never ever meet their gaze unprepared." She placed the book back on my desk. "Please try to read this. It explains a lot."

"Yeah, sure."

"I guess maybe we should get ready for bed?" Serena said when Dr. Gonzales left.

Bed? Was she kidding? Vampires attacked the school. One nearly killed me. Brent and Mr. Langdon and the rest were out there. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Fighting. Not to mention the adrenaline still working its way through me. "I don’t think I can sleep."

"It must be weird for you to see that. But really, it’s going to be fine. They can’t come out during the day, and the Cazadores will come soon and watch over us at night." She squatted in front of me. "Are you sure you’re okay?"

I pulled my hair back and saw my hands shaking. "I don’t know." I thought for a second. "What else can vampires do?"

"You mean besides controlling your body if you meet their gaze and drain all the blood from you?"

Holy shit. "Yeah, besides that."

"Some of them are said to have magical powers, not that I’ve seen it. Their saliva is poisonous to us, but usually if you’re close enough to find that out you’re going to be dead soon. You got lucky." She paused. "And they glide over the ground, so they don’t make sound. And they can glamour humans into thinking they don’t look nasty. Also, they can leap really high. And—"

I waved my hand through the air. "Enough. I don’t think my puny ex-human brain can take any more tonight."

Serena laughed. "Listen. How about you get ready for bed, and then we’ll watch a movie in my room? Something fun and silly."

I grabbed some pajamas, but kept looking toward my window. I didn’t dare go near it. That feeling when I looked at the vampire, like that thing had control over me, chilled me. It invaded my brain. I never wanted to feel that again.

I pulled on some shorts and a tank, and snatched a pillow off my bed.

"Sixteen Candles or Mean Girls?" Serena said as I walked into her room.

"Mean Girls."

"Done."

I snuggled down on her fluffy rug and hugged my pillow.

I swore I could hear Brent howling in the distance.

Mr. Langdon had been right. Too much of this was a coincidence. I come here and then the vampires.

As much as I didn’t want it to be about me, what if it was? Or what if I was the excuse?

What if Mr. Hoel was the rogue? And Callista was helping him?

I hoped I was wrong. That this blew over, but if it didn’t—then I’d made some pretty powerful enemies already. I was going to have to start watching my back.

The sound of scratching pulled me from my dreams. Little nails clawing. Followed by a very soft whining noise. How had I gotten back in my room? Were the vampires back? I looked at the window, but the curtains were still tightly closed. It was coming from my door.

No way they could get inside. Or so I hoped.

Maybe if I ignored it, it would go away.

More scratching and whining. That sounded dog-like. Or wolf-like.

I put a pillow on top of my head.

More scratching and whining.

I threw off the covers and stomped over to the door.

On the other side was Brent in wolf-form. He came up to my waist, and looked like he weighed a ton. Amber eyes stared at me.

I dropped to my knees and ran my fingers through his thick fur, searching for any signs of damage. "Are you okay? I was so worried—"

Shit. I probably shouldn’t have said that.

I stepped away from him.

He lay down on the ground and covered his face with his front paws and let out a pitiful whine.

I gave it my best guess. "You’re sorry?"

He sat up, and gave a soft woof.

Good thing Serena slept like the dead.

I didn’t know what to say. Now that I knew he was okay, some of my anger was back. The guy had been avoiding me after biting me.

But he did kind of save me.

He whined again.

"If you want to talk you should shift back to human. So you can actually talk."

He huffed.

"What? It’s against the rules?"

He yipped.

"Guess I’m not going to find out about what happened with all the vampires then, huh?" He tilted his head to the side. "Well, thanks for saving me. But you’re really giving me mixed signals. Ignoring me one second and ordering me around the next. I’m not sure why you’re here."

He started sniffing at my belly, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I tried to push him away. "I’m fine. Really. Just a scratch."

He tried to get between me and the door.

"You want me to let you in? It’s like four AM. I have to get up in a few hours."

He sat, and looked up at me. I took a step back to close the door, but he darted past.

I growled. How was I going to get a huge wolf out of my room?

Maybe having Brent there wasn’t a horrible thought. If there were vampires around, then he would offer a measure of protection.

Shit. That’s why he was here. To see if I was okay, and to keep watch.

I closed the door behind me. "If I let you stay, then there are rules. First, you will not—I repeat—will not be changing in the middle of the night. If I wake up with you naked in my bed, there will be hell to pay. Whatever it is that’s going on with us, we’re not at that part yet."

He tilted his head to the side and made a little coughing sound.

Was he laughing at me? "You should be thanking the Baby Jesus that I even let you in." Which wasn’t entirely true. He’d gotten past me fair and square. "Second thing, I’m going to sleep. You keep me awake and you’re out." I wasn’t sure I could follow up on that threat, but it was the best I could do right then.

He jumped up on the bed, circled around once, and then plopped down—nearly taking up the whole thing.

I shoved at him. "Scoot over." I crawled under the sheets. It was dangerous, just giving in like that. If I had more energy to think about the implications, I would have kicked his hairy tush out of my bed. But I didn’t.

Wolfy-Brent moved so that he surrounded me. His warm wolf breath hit the back of my neck. He whimpered and touched his nose gently to the bandage.

"Cut it out." I shoved at him again, but he didn’t move much.

Having him there should have weirded me out, but it didn’t. His breath moved in and out, lulling me. I didn’t have time to freak.

One second I was thinking about how warm and relaxed I was, and the next I was in Dreamville.