Chapter 1

Caprice POV

“Rule number one,” Elena said. “Whatever happens tonight, we leave together. No matter what.”

I laughed. “That's your rule? I thought it would be something smart, like no tequila.”

“Tequila is rule number two. Rule number three is don't let me sing.” She cranked up the radio. “Oh my God, I love this song!”

“Too late.”

“I sing great!”

“You sing like a cat in a blender.”

“Rude. Also true.” She sang louder anyway. I drummed on the steering wheel and let her.

I was driving too fast. The summer between high school and college was supposed to be reckless.

“Tell me this isn't the best summer ever,” Elena said.

“It's pretty good.”

“Pretty good? We're about to crash a UMBC party. We start there in the fall. This is scouting.”

“Scouting for beer.”

“Scouting for everything. Admit you're excited.”

“Fine. I'm excited.”

“Good, because I need you tonight. Nobody else gets my jokes.” She bumped my shoulder. “Don't ever ditch me, okay? Not in college. Not ever.”

“Where would I go? You're the only person I actually trust.”

“Aww. Say it again.”

“No.”

“Fine. But if I meet a cute guy, you're driving home alone.”

“Then I'm leaving the keys in the ignition and taking a nap in the back seat.”

“You wouldn't.”

“Try me.”

I cut across two lanes and flew past a line of slow cars. Elena grabbed the door handle.

“Okay, new rule!” she yelled. “We got there alive!”

“Relax. I've got this.”

“You always say that right before something goes wrong.”

“Name one time.”

“The fence. The mall parking garage. That one time with the goat.”

“The goat was not my fault.”

“The goat disagrees.”

I laughed so hard I almost missed our exit.

************

The beach was packed. A volleyball net at one end, kegs at the other, and a bonfire about to be lit in the middle.

“Well?” Elena said. “Tell me I was right.”

“You were right. It's going to be epic.”

“Beer first.”

“Obviously.”

“And if some hot guy talks to me tonight, you're not allowed to roll your eyes.”

“I make no promises.”

“Caprice.”

“Fine. I'll roll them quietly.”

We filled two cups. Someone turned the music up, and people started dancing in the sand.

“Hey, lovelies.”

The guy was blond, tan, and built like he lived at the gym. His smile was perfect. He was probably a jerk. Most hot guys were.

“Heyyy,” Elena said. She was already gone.

“Don't,” I muttered.

“Don't what?” she whispered back. “He's gorgeous.”

“He's a stranger.”

“So is everybody. That's the point of a party.”

“You two are new here?” he asked.

“Freshmen,” Elena said. “Well, almost. We start in the fall.”

“Perfect. Then I'm your welcome committee.” He held out his hand to her. “Wanna dance?”

“Yes,” Elena said, before he finished.

She turned to me and whispered, “Rule number one. I'll be right there. Promise.”

“Go! I'm fine!”

He led her away. I could dance alone, or I could watch people-watch. I picked the second one.

Across the bonfire, one guy wasn't dancing either. He wore sunglasses. At night. I couldn't see his eyes, but I knew he was looking at me.

He started walking. Not at me. Around the edge of the party. He stopped ten feet away, just outside the firelight.

I blinked, and he was gone.

I wanted to find him. It felt like a hook behind my ribs. I circled the restroom building and found nobody.

“Looking for me?”

I spun around. He was right behind me. Dark hair, sharp jaw. He smelled like spring water and pine.

“Where did you come from?” I asked.

“Does it matter?”

“You were across the bonfire a second ago.”

“You noticed. Good.” His voice was deep and warm. “Most people don't.”

“Most people don't stare at strangers from the dark.”

“You were staring back.”

“I was not.”

“You came looking for me. Admit it.”

“I came looking for the bathroom.”

“Liar.” He smiled. “Look at me.”

I did. I couldn't help it. His eyes were glowing silver.

“What's wrong with your eyes?”

“Nothing is wrong with them.” He stepped closer. “I'm going to kiss you.”

“No. Back off. I don't even know you.”

“You don't need to know me. You only need to stay still.”

And I did. My body wouldn't listen to me. His mouth came down on mine, warm and demanding. My head spun like I'd had ten beers, but my cup was still full in my hand.

His hand slid onto my bikini top. The jolt cut straight through the fog.

I dropped the cup and shoved him. “Stop!”

“You will not resist me.”

My arms went limp. He lowered me onto the sand.

“Please,” I said. “Don't do this.”

“Be quiet.”

“Let me go. Somebody will hear me.”

“Nobody will hear you. Nobody is looking. Stay where you are.”

“I'm begging you.”

“I said quietly.”

No. No, no, no. I'd had sex exactly once, years ago. My second time was not going to be behind a bathroom with a stranger.

Something inside me snapped awake. I shoved everything I had. He wasn't ready, and he rolled off. I ran.

“Elena!” I plowed into the crowd. “Elena!”

The music swallowed my voice. He stood at the edge of the dancers, watching me. Calm.

I found her at the volleyball net, kissing the blond. I grabbed her arm.

“Caprice? You're pale. Are you okay?”

“No. Move.”

“What the hell?”

“We're leaving. Right now. Questions later.”

“Caprice, seriously. We just got here. What's going on?”

“Elena, please. I'll explain in the car.”

“Explain now!”

“Get in the car! Please, I'm begging you!”

My face must have scared her. She ran.

I'd lost my tote. I didn't care. I dropped my keys, picked them up with shaking hands, and hit the fob.

And he was there. Right behind Elena.

I screamed.

He spun her around. “Sleep.”

She dropped like someone had cut her strings.

“Elena! What did you do to her?”

“She's sleeping. She'll wake up when I allow it.” His eyes slid to me. “No human can resist me. Very few others can. So tell me. What are you?”

“What are you talking about? Get away from her!”

“You walked away from me. Humans can't.”

“Then maybe you're just bad at this!”

“Answer the question.”

“I'm nobody! I'm a girl who wants to go home, and I'm taking my friend with me!”

“That isn't true. Nobody resists me.”

“Then I guess you're not that special!”

“Careful.”

“Or what?”

The blond walked up. “Hey. What's going on here?”

I stumbled toward him. “Help me. Please. This creep did something to her, and he tried to attack me.”

“She's resisting my compulsion,” the creep said. “That's impossible. Be careful. She isn't human. I don't know what she is.”

I froze. They knew each other?

The blond chuckled. “Man, you need to learn subtlety.”

“You're not listening. She isn't normal.”

“I don't care. Leave them alone.”

“You said it yourself. She's something else.”

“And you're making a scene. Go.”

The creep didn't move.

“Leave,” the blond said. “Now.”

His voice came out deep and booming, like thunder rolling across the lot. Every hair on my arms stood up.

The creep cursed. Then he left.

The blond lifted Elena, put her in the passenger seat, and buckled her in.

“Sorry about that. My friend gets a little carried away.”

“A little?” My voice cracked. “He put her to sleep with one word!”

“She'll wake up soon. No harm done.”

“No harm? He attacked me!”

“And he's gone. Get her home safe.”

“Don't tell me what to do.”

“Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart.”

He shrugged, like I'd complained about a spilled drink.

I slammed my door and floored it.

********

Elena didn't move the whole way down the road. I kept checking her chest. It rose and fell. She's just asleep, I told myself.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking. He'd done something to my brain. And I had almost given in. Almost.

I turned on the radio and breathed until I could think. Then I shook her. “Elena. Hey. Please wake up. Come on.”

Her eyelids fluttered. “What happened? Was I sleeping?”

“Yeah.” I let out a breath. “Some creep went after me. Then he went after you. Some kind of hypnosis. He knocked you out.”

“Oh my God.” She touched her forehead. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“I'm fine.”

“You're shaking.”

“I'm fine, Elena.”

“Caprice. Look at me. What did he do?”

“He kissed me. I didn't want him to.” My throat tightened. “I couldn't move. I wanted to say no, and I couldn't.”

“That's assault. We should call the police right now.”

“And tell them what? That a guy stared at me and I froze?”

“Yes! That's still a crime.”

“I barely saw his face. It's my word against nothing.”

“Okay.” She reached over and squeezed my arm. “I'm sorry I wasn't there. I broke rule number one.”

“You didn't know.”

“I should have. I'm supposed to have your back.” She winced. “My head feels so foggy. Who got rid of him?”

“The guy you were kissing.”

“Seriously? He's a hero.” She smiled, still half asleep. “I'm finding him tomorrow.”

“No.” It came out too hard.

“Caprice.”

“Promise me you won't.” I gripped the wheel. “Stay away from that guy.”

“Why? He helped us. He carried me to the car!”

“He was friends with the creep, Elena. He knew him.”

“Maybe they just went to the same school. That doesn't mean he's dangerous.”

“Do you remember what he said to him? Do you remember anything?”

“I remember dancing. Then nothing.” She stared at me. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because he made that creep leave with one word. One.” My voice dropped. “Normal people don't do that.”

“Okay. Okay, you're scaring me.”

“Good. Maybe that means you'll listen.”

“I'll listen. I promise.” She leaned her head against the window. “Did he say anything to you? The creep?”

“No.”

“You're a terrible liar, you know.”

“I know.”

“Tell me tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Rule number one,” she mumbled, eyes closing. “We leave together.”

“We did.”

“Always.”

I watched the dark road. His voice was still in my head, soft and certain.

“I don't know what I am,” I whispered. “But he does.”