quite sure what to do about it.
The day passed painfully slow, but when the last bell finally rang she bolted out of her class, eager to have her first day behind her.
Back at the Drake House, a handful of pack members had gathered in the dining hall for a brief meeting, Raven among them. He had managed to make it through the day without hurting anyone and had actually spent most of his time with Eli.
Eli had ordered a new Xbox game and had been eager to show Raven how to play. Raven didn’t quite understand the pack’s obsession with this time-stealing past-time, but he made an effort to learn—mostly because Eli was determined to beat him, and he was more determined not to allow it. This at least helped the day pass quickly.
Jordan rushed into the room and threw his backpack on the table. “Sorry I’m late. I thought I would wait for Rose, but she never showed.”
“What do you mean she never showed?” Raven asked in alarm, rising from his seat.
“She never reached the parking lot. I guessed she got a ride home from Eli.”
“I didn’t bring her home,” Eli said, also standing. “She was supposed to call me if she needed a ride home, and she didn’t. I’ll just call her.”
Raven paced nervously as Eli tried to reach Sophia on her cell phone.
“That’s weird. She’s not answering.”
Raven, in a mad dash, bolted through the room and out the door.
Charity threw her hands to her mouth. “Raven!” she called in alarm. “It’s daylight! You can’t go out there! Levi, do something!” she squealed, grabbing his shirt in her hands.
Eli was the first to react, running through the facility after his friend, but Raven was already out of sight. Vampires were known, after all, for their amazing speed. Eli gathered up a group and went after him.
Raven bolted through the forest with fervent speed. Even though the thick forest filtered the sunlight, he could still feel the pain as it began to penetrate his clothing and skin, slowly draining his strength. He ran faster. Nothing would keep him from reaching her. He didn’t stop running until he approached the school parking lot, which by now was empty. He paced anxiously, trying to catch even the slightest scent of her.
He finally stopped, calmed himself—and listened. He picked up on it right away—a rustling in the forest. It was her. He ran with speed and stealth, making no sound as he moved in and around the trees.
“Stop crying! No one is coming to save you! If you would have stayed with me none of this would be happening—and breaking my nose was a bad idea and one you’ll regret.”
Kyle was dragging Rose by the arm through the forest. She tried to use her strength to break free, but it only angered him more. He’d shown up after school, pressing what she thought was a gun to her back and demanding she come with him. No one seemed to notice or even care, which puzzled her. She was a new student after all, but everyone was either on their cell phones or iPods, not giving her the least amount of concern, or maybe they really didn’t notice. Either way it didn’t matter anymore, she may die soon, and she’d not even had a chance to really live. She didn’t know Kyle’s plans, but it couldn’t be good. After all, besides being mean, she knew he was also reckless and impulsive.
“Kyle, let me go. Please let me go,” she pleaded, fear shaking her to her core.
“After how you treated me—I don’t think so. You’re coming back to Atlanta with me.”
Her eyes widened in alarm. “Kyle, no!”
She struggled and fought until he pushed her down and pointed the gun at her.
“Are you gonna make me do this?” he shouted, his eyes were wild, and his hand shook slightly as he held the gun to her face.
“No!” she screamed, squeezing her eyes shut, too scared to even move for fear of angering him further.
Suddenly, she thought she picked up a sound but before she could make sense of it something that resembled a brick wall slammed into Kyle with great force, sending him sailing ten feet into the air and then crashing hard to the ground. Raven stood there, teeth clenched, this time picking him up and slamming his body into the closest tree and letting him fall to the ground again where he lay unmoving.
For a moment she lost herself, staring at the beautiful man in awe with his black hair and blacker eyes. He was magnificent. Her eyes trailed down to his rock hard arms and then she remembered the women wrapped around those arms just yesterday. As his eyes finally met hers, her anger returned.
“Sophia!” He rushed to her side and began helping her to her feet. “Are you all right?” he asked, pulling her to him.
She let him take her in his arms, snuggling her face against his chest as she breathed in his amazing scent. But, remembering her previous irritation with him, she jerked away from his touch. “I’m fine.” She knew she should forgive him, but her pride was damaged. And she was nothing if not stubborn.
Eli, Levi, and Charity burst onto the scene.
“Rose! Are you all right?” Eli asked, taking his little sister in his arms. She clung to him and cried. He ushered her immediately away.
Charity watched as Hector came up from behind them and grabbed the little twerp, Kyle, and carried him away without a word. They would have Raven remove Kyle’s memories of Rose later.
Raven stood there motionless and numb—right before he collapsed.
“Levi!” Charity called.
Levi collected Raven’s limp body in his arms and carried him all the way back to the Drake House.
Chapter Seven
Levi laid Raven on his bed and Charity covered him with the blanket. “We need to get someone to feed him so he can begin to heal,” Charity said to Levi. “Where is Doc?”
“He’s on his way. I’ll call Irena and get her to handle getting someone to feed him.”
“There’s no time. I’ll do it.” She sat on the bed and began rolling up her sleeve.
“I don’t think so!” Levi snapped, pulling her from the bed. “We’ll get someone else!”
“Fine!” she snapped back, “But we better hurry. He looks bad.”
Raven’s head turned as his eyes opened slightly. “No feeding,” he mumbled.
“What?” Charity asked. “You have to feed in order to heal.”
“No feeding,” he said again, this time weaker.
“Tell me why,” she demanded, leaning in closer.
His voice was just a whisper, but with her new keen hearing, thanks to her growing babies, she managed to hear his feeble word. “Rose.”
Charity stood tall—her crystal blue eyes boiling with rage.
Charity burst into Rose’s bedroom without so much as a knock. “What have you done?!” she demanded, her face red with restrained anger.
“What?” Rose asked in confusion, her head still a blur from her ordeal in the forest.
“Do you even understand what you’ve done? Raven could die!”
“What?” She stood in alarm. “Raven—die? But how?”
“The sun hurts vampires—zaps their strength, sending pain shooting through their limbs. Direct
