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  “Hang in there, Ethan. It’s all going to be over soon.” I sounded so calm and collected; all the while, I was screaming on the inside. It took mere seconds for the metal tip to protrude out of Ethan’s back, but for me, the seconds felt like they had dragged on for hours.

  Hunter helped me steady Ethan’s shaking body, while Sophie used pliers to cut off the tip. As the arrowhead fell to the ground, I tugged at its smooth, round tail, pulling it out in one swift move. An agonizing groan escaped Ethan’s throat as blood began to spill from his wounds.

  In an attempt to stop the bleeding, Sophie applied a wad of gauze from the first aid kit over each end of the gash. As soon as she touched Ethan with the material, the white fabric turned bright red. Ethan’s body relaxed, folding over in my arms.

  Suddenly, everyone was yelling at once.

  “He’s not going to make it!”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “He needs a hospital!”

  “Someone do something! Please!”

  Sophie looked over at me, her eyes filling with hope. “Dawn, you’re a Born. Just a drop of your blood can fix him,” she whispered in my ear.

  I stared back at her, letting the information sink in. I had never healed anyone with my blood before. Sophie noticed my hesitation.

  “There’s no time! He’s losing too much blood,” she cried frantically, handing me a pair of sharp medical scissors.

  Not needing to be told twice, I picked up the scissors and made a small incision on my arm. Bright red blood flowed to the surface of my skin, pooling around the cut. Quickly, before the wound had a chance to close up, I closed my eyes and pressed my arm to Ethan’s lips.

  At first he was still, but then his lips began to move and he started to drink. It was a strangely unnerving feeling. Being brought up under President Alastair’s strict code of conduct, I had never taken blood from a human, nor given my own blood to one. I knew my father would not approve, but this was a matter of life or death. Ethan got hurt trying to save me and I had a duty to help him.

  With each draw of blood, Ethan’s grip on my arm tightened. My head became lighter, until finally, the world around me began to dissolve. All of a sudden, I was in the gazebo in front of the inn, whirling about the structure in a beautiful green gown. Blood rushed through my veins and into my head, mixing with the sound of the water from the creek. The very same creek that had dried up in the early 1900’s. I continued to spin over and over again, until everything became one big blur. I welcomed the haze that followed, wanting nothing more but to plunge into its depths. But before I could fully surrender, arms reached for me, shaking me awake. The dimness fell away and I was back in the meadow, surrounded by the recruits, their expressions full of concern.

  No one spoke about what had just transpired. Instead, we all focused our attention on Ethan. He was slowly gaining consciousness, color returning to his face, his previously vacant eyes filling with life. Sophie and I worked to clean and dress his still raw, but healing, wound. Though she didn’t ask, I could tell by the way she was looking at me that she wanted to know what happened to me in the midst of “donating blood” to Ethan. I’d like to know the same thing, I thought, trying to ignore the tension creeping up my spine.

  Later that evening, I found myself alone with Ethan. After the terrifying ordeal with the crossbow, Brooke, Sophie, Hunter and Seth had requested to spend the night away from the cottage. I sympathetically agreed. Hunter and Brooke headed to the diner—he to meet an old friend and she to get together with her cheer squad. Sophie went to the library to visit Peter, while Seth needed to talk to his parents and come up with yet another creative excuse for being away from home. He also admitted that he missed his video games but, more than anything, I could tell that he was guilt-ridden over hurting Ethan, and needed to escape for a while.

  I convinced Ethan to forgo driving home in the dark, requesting that he spend the night at the cottage instead. I wanted to keep him overnight for observation to ensure that his injury would heal without any complications. It was only as I leaned against the railing of my bedroom balcony, hearing him approach, that I realized we were completely alone. He was wearing a pair of pajama bottoms I had found in one of the cottage drawers, his torso entirely bare, save for the dressing over his wound.

  “Does it hurt?” I asked, looking directly at the bandages and not allowing my eyes to stray elsewhere.

  “Just a little bit. It’s healing very quickly,” he said, patting his chest. He broke into a tender smile, closing the distance between us. “You saved me.”

  “Actually, you’re the one who saved me,” I replied. “Without thinking, you jumped in front of an arrow that was heading my way. You’re definitely the hero tonight.”

  “Still, if it wasn’t for you…” he trailed off, moving even closer. The bright white moonlight reflected in his eyes, bathing them in a milky glow.

  He put his hand on my shoulder, pulling me into a tight hug. I stood still, desperately trying to ignore the feelings his warm breath stirred inside me as it caressed my cool skin. I knew I should pull away from his embrace, but instead, I remained motionless, my body tightly pressed against his. When we broke apart, he looked at me with an even greater intensity.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, slowly inching his face toward mine. It was hard to tear my gaze from his full lips, but suddenly, I pushed him away and stepped back.

  “You’re under my spell!” I blurted out.

  He laughed and nodded. “A little bit.”

  “No, I mean, you drank my blood. Sometimes, when a human drinks blood from a vampire, they can experience really strong feelings toward that vampire,” I explained. “Back in the day, some vampires fed humans their blood just to enslave them.”

  Ethan laughed again, this time even more joyfully. “Do you really think you’ve put me under some vampire spell, Dawn?” he asked teasingly.

  I didn’t. But the alternative was alarming.

  “Just—I mean…” I looked down, embarrassed. Somehow, I had lost all ability to form coherent sentences.

  “You’re right. Your blood.” Ethan winked. “That must be it.”

  Taking advantage of a break in the tension that the playful banter caused, I excused myself, quickly escaping from the balcony. I busied myself with preparing a bed for Ethan to sleep in, then found other tasks to do around the cottage. I managed to avoid him for the rest of the night. Ethan, exhausted from the day’s ordeal, drifted into slumber the moment his head touched the pillow.

  After ensuring that he was sound asleep, I crept out into the cool summer night. I didn’t bother with shoes, desperately yearning to sink my toes into the moist grass outside. My head pounded; thoughts of the past day darted though my mind at a million miles a second. I was thankful for the stillness of the night, hoping to drown my mind in its silence.

  There was no denying that I felt a strong attraction toward Ethan. Everything about him was so magnetic, so inviting. But, as I ventured away from the meadow, walking deeper into the dark forest, my thoughts drifted to someone else. Someone extremely complex and remarkably frustrating.

  Why did Sebastian have to barge in on every pleasant though I had of Ethan?

  Why did everything about the handsome, dark vampire have to so mystifying—so complicated?

  And most importantly, Why did I care?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Ethan awoke shortly after the gang’s return from town the next morning. From my position on one of the living room couches, I could clearly hear each of his movements as he shuffled around the creaky, top floor of the cottage. First the bedroom, then the bathroom, then finally the narrow, wooden stairs joining the two floors. He strode into the large, open concept living area, calling out a husky “Good morning!”

  I returned his greeting, silently hoping that the rest of the group would be just as courteous. Seth simply nodded his head in Ethan’s direction, too absorbed in his breakfast of warm garlic bread and Blood Cola fo
r proper manners. Sophie was resting in an armchair with a new library book and also failed to respond. Instead, she glanced at me inquisitively over the top of her thick novel, her big brown eyes studying me intently. I could tell she was trying to gauge if anything had happened between Ethan and me the night before. I immediately shot her what I had hoped was a very clear “Of course not!” look.

  Ethan made his way to the leather couch, almost tripping over Brooke who was sprawled across the living room floor, colorful cosmetics strewn all around her. She was painting flowery patterns on her bright purple nails. As she caught sight of Ethan’s shirtless torso, she dropped the nail brush and gasped.

  “Wow!” she exclaimed, looking him up and down.

  Ethan smiled uncomfortably, sinking into the couch across from me. He had removed the bandage from his chest, exposing the area where the arrow had entered the day before. I was startled to see the effect my blood had on the injury. The wound was complexly healed, leaving behind only a slight, reddish-pink scar.

  “Battle wound,” he said jokingly when he noticed my gaze.

  I quickly averted my eyes. “Uhh, Brooke, why don’t you find Hunter and see if he has a clean shirt Ethan can borrow,” I ordered.

  Brooke didn’t move. Her eyes were still fixed on Ethan, her mouth slightly agape. The nailpolish continued to drip from her brush, creating colorful stains on the hardwood floor. I gently extended my foot, nudging her in the ribs with my toes. My touch had the desired effect, causing her to snap out of her Ethan-inspired trance.

  “Aww, do I have to?” she whined, but complied.

  As I watched Brooke disappear out of the living room, a question I had put off asking in the midst of yesterday’s excitement entered my mind once again.

  “Ethan,” I began carefully. “How did you get to be so fast?”

  A flustered look crossed Ethan’s face.

  “And so strong?” I added, remembering the power he had seized me with.

  “I–I’m not sure,” he stammered. “Adrenaline?”

  Something about the way he spoke made me feel like there was more to the story than he was willing to let on. Of course, humans had been know carry out impossible feats in times of danger, but what I had personally witnessed when Ethan grabbed me, had little to do with adrenaline. His speed and power was not that of a normal man.

  My face must have betrayed my thoughts as Ethan continued to explain. “Or, it could be vitamins,” he offered. “I always take my vitamins.”

  I looked at him curiously. In the past couple of years, pharmaceutical companies had made progress in the development of new medicines and healthy living aids, but I was certain that no amount of over-the-counter vitamins could have made Ethan as astounding as he had been the evening before.

  Sensing my disbelief, he quickly added, “Also, my Mom is a doctor. She’s obsessed with making sure I’m fit and healthy. Plus, I have been doing martial arts for quite a few years. I also know my way around at a shooting range,” he explained, looking at me anxiously. “You look like you’re not buying it,” he finally said, sighing dejectedly.

  “It’s just that…” How could I express that what I had witnessed yesterday was a feat impossible for any human? The agility. The strength. “It’s just that you—”

  “Here you go!” Brooke materialized in front of us, waving one of Hunter’s many t-shirts in my face. I relaxed, thankful for her sudden appearance.

  “If you ask me, it would be a pity to cover all this up.” she said, motioning to Ethan’s chest as she handed him the black shirt. The name of yet another one of Hunter’s bands was scribbled in stark white letters across its front.

  Ethan put the shirt over his head and stood up. “I should probably get back to the diner. My shift will be starting soon.” His voice was cooler than the usual warm tone I had grown accustomed to, making me feel extremely guilty about our conversation.

  Suddenly, an idea dawned on me. “You know, if you’re really as good as you say you are,” I began in a lighthearted manner, “you should come by and help out with the training sometime.”

  “Really?” he asked, a tiny spark of light igniting in his eyes.

  “Yes, really.” It’s not like I hadn’t already broken a few of my father’s rules, I thought. What harm could one more do? “You already suffered the first—and hopefully the last—casualty of the mission so—”.

  “Yes, yes, yes! Please do!” Brooke squealed, wasting no time. “It would be so awesome to have you as our teacher,” she said excitedly. “Maybe you can help spice things up a little. Dawn is too much of a boring goody-two-shoes. Always all work and no play.”

  Ethan laughed. “I’d love to!” he exclaimed. “Although, I doubt Dawn could ever be boring,” he added, winking at me.

  Over the following week, Ethan spent all his free time training with us. He was talented, knowledgeable and a very patient teacher. Seth and Hunter were thrilled to have another guy in the group. Losing to Ethan instead of me in a sparring match was somehow easier for them to bear. Brooke and Sophie were also pleased to have another guy in the group, albeit for much different reasons. They spent every break fawning over his muscles, hair, dimples and voice.

  I was also grateful for his presence. I blamed myself for the fact that, after almost two weeks of training, the team was still showing very little progress. Whenever I started to think that my efforts to revamp the team were in vain, or that I would fail my father’s mission, Ethan quickly swept in and cheered me up. Everything about him was irresistibly charming, yet so effortless and simple.

  The more time we spent together, the harder it became to fight the strong emotions I was developing toward him. Especially, since it was evident that those feelings were reciprocated. Working in close proximity to one another was becoming more difficult with each passing day. We ignored the mounting attraction between us for almost an entire week, until, one night, the situation finally reached a climax.

  We were alone in the meadow behind the cottage, working under the light of the moon to compose new combat techniques for the trainees. Despite being one of the most skilled humans I had ever sparred against, Ethan was no match for me. Every time he charged in attack, I easily swiped his leg with my own, flipping him over on his back.

  An hour into our sparring session, as I once again successfully threw him to the ground, he was ready to retaliate. He grabbed my arm, pulling me down with him. I landed directly on top of him, my body pinning his to the grass. Lying against him, I suddenly became aware of everything about him—his heartbeat, the smell of his skin, his smooth, full lips nearly brushing against mine.

  As Ethan moved even closer toward me, a thunderous crack sounded from deep within the forest. The noise startled us both, breaking our trance. I immediately pushed myself off of him, rushing after the sound. I squinted into the darkness, barely able to make out a distorted shape deep within the foggy forest. The entity stood frozen for a while, looking like it was about to rush toward me, then sprinted through the forest, disappearing into the trees.

  On the ground, at the site where the figure had been lurking, I found a large, heavy, branch. It lay torn from the trunk of a thick maple tree, as if someone—or something—exceptionally strong had ripped it away in anger. Feeling extremely uneasy, but grateful for the interruption the being had provided, I returned back to Ethan. To my relief, the moment had passed and we turned in for the night.

  The day following our almost-kiss, things between Ethan and I were tense. We awkwardly avoided each other all morning, until he finally had to go into town for his shift at the diner. I was thankful for the distance between us, fully immersing myself into my work with the recruits. Things had taken a turn for the worse.

  Much like the heavy storm clouds that had assembled over Angel Creek, the trainees were in dark, foul moods. Out of the blue, they seemed to have regressed to their former states of being. I caught Hunter attempting to take a sip from Mr. Johnson, the notorious town drunk whom he had some
how successfully lured to the cottage. Seth, on the other hand, stayed in his bedroom, refusing to come to training because his online game character was dumped by his virtual girlfriend. Brooke was sulking because the current Angel Creek High polls showed that she was behind her Prom Queen rival, Christy, by ten percent. Due to her immense fear of thunder, I couldn’t even get Sophie out of her room.

  Even if I succeed in assembling the foursome, I knew that forcing the team to train while the members were in such negative states would only do more harm than good. I gave the recruits a day off, also allowing myself an opportunity to get away from the cottage and clear my head. I stormed into the forest, weaving through the trees without a particular direction in mind. Hot, heavy summer rain had started to fall, complementing my desolate mood. I picked up my pace until I was running in full sprint, my feet matching the swiftness of the thoughts darting through my mind.

  I had grown up thinking there was no obstacle that I couldn’t overcome. If something was hard, I only worked harder until I had it under control. I knew that if I wasn’t successful in accomplishing this mission—a task that was supposed to be so simple—I would be a failure. Perhaps not in anyone else’s eyes, but certainly in my own. This was my chance to show my father that I was his daughter, strong and capable of the lifestyle he had trained me for. A chance to make him proud. And I was failing.

  I increased my speed, the trees around me melting into one another as I sprinted by. The warm raindrops were no longer able keep up with me. I ran until my both my body and mind were completely depleted, finally collapsing in front of the grand white mansion I had visited on my first day in Angel Creek. I gasped, partly horrified by the realization that I had run all the way to Sebastian’s house, partly ashamed of my tear-streaked face and rain-soaked wardrobe.

  My shame deepened, turning into mortification, when Sebastian appeared in front of me.

  “Are you alright?” he asked.

  “No!” I shouted back over the loud rain.