Hiding From My Mate

I had to lie to Jane about my shoulder. If I had given her an edited version of what really happened it would only open the door to a zillion questions. I also didn’t think telling them my new boyfriend beat my old boyfriend into a bloody broken pulp would have been clever after the length we went to, to keep it secret. Billy and Joe had replaced everything in the diner by the next morning. We quit working at Luke’s after Sabrina’s attack and constant lurking around the place. My sisters’ and I always had to go out with an escort, which I didn’t mind because I spent more time with both Ash and my dad.“Josh and Jane, meet my family. You remember my sisters?” I spoke fast to save Josh before he shrunk an inch more.“Yes. Ann and Maria, it’s nice to see you again,” Josh answered politely.“That’s Billy, Ann’s boyfriend and Joe, Maria’s boyfriend.”“Lucky girls,” Jane muttered under her breath as her eyes travelled over Billy then Joe. Josh wasn’t too pleased about it, but he quickly hid

The thought of him being dead, never meeting him, didn’t sit well with me.“Things happen for a reason, Ash. We suffered what we did so that we could have each other. Tell me about your eyes, why silver?” I asked quickly changing the topic.He was quiet for a while before he answered me. He was still stuck in that sad pit. “Silver because I don’t drink human blood,” he said bluntly.“What!” I shot out of his embrace and stared at him, shocked.“Now I’m sure you won’t fall asleep.” His eyes darted to the ground and he looked so uncomfortable. “Why do mine turn golden?”“Because a part of you is still human and your blood keeps them gold.” That didn’t make any sense. “I don’t understand.”“Your human blood is feeding the part of you that has been changed by the venom inside you.” “Why the diet change? Apart from the ethical part.” I was glad his conscience trumped his pleasure principle. Otherwise this would have been a barbecue instead of a romantic getaway.His lips curved up into

I blinked my eyes open waiting for the pain to hit me. Nothing. I exhaled in relief.  I never want to feel that kind of pain again. Getting killed by Sabrina would have been far less painful than that.I pushed myself up on my elbows scanning the room to see where I woke up this time. I was in my room—correction, our room. The ‘our’ before room sounded so sweet, so together. I smiled thinking of all the other things I could put our before.In the midst of my daydreaming, I noticed I was alone. That was unusual. My sisters’ never left me alone when I passed out.  How long was I out for this time?I pulled the silk covers off me and got out of bed. Before I could touch the door handle, the door flew open startling me. Within a second I was off my feet and getting crushed between something. It took me a while to realize I was in Ash’s arms. The familiar musky woods scent gave him away.I hadn

“What?” I stopped. I couldn’t believe it. That meant my dad’s mind wasn’t the only one I read.Ash pulled me forward forcing me to walk. “After you eat and you get checked out, we’ll talk.”I wanted to talk about it right now, but I knew Ash wouldn’t say a word unless I did what he said. He was bossy and stubborn—not as stubborn as I was but close enough. * * * * “So what’s the verdict?” Ann stood by the door, far away from the smell of the raw meat. Maria sat across from me with Joe next to her.Billy and Dad had gone out. I asked Ash where they had disappeared to, but he wasn’t offering any explanations. That only meant they had either gone hunting for food or Sabrina.Ash brought another plate of peppered steak and replaced it with the empty one I had. I cut into it, relishing its bloody taste. Maria was getting used to all the

“Lee, how do you know this is the right way?” Ann asked from the back seat.I didn’t feel comfortable telling her that I was following Ash’s scent. I wasn’t comfortable knowing that either. I just picked up his scent, how, I don’t know. I followed it into the woods, driving slowly and carefully. “I think you’ve had enough shocks for today.”“Are we getting any closer?” Maria asked excitedly.I inhaled deeply—Ash’s scent was getting stronger. I felt awkward answering her. “Yes.”We drove for a few more minutes before I stopped. I could hear Ash’s voice but it wasn’t clear enough. I got out of the car and walked towards it.“Lee, are they here?” Maria whispered behind me.The voices were much clearer; Ash’s scent was stronger. “They’re here,” I answered enthusiastically.“We are going to get int