Star, Starland Vamp Series, Book 1 (21 page)

I nodded with a smile, then slid my backpack out of the locker and darted up the stairs before Zac could catch me again. Upstairs, there were just a few lingering students so I darted under the bleachers without being seen, then pulled myself together, shaking, my muscles quivering and contracting until I was myself again. I quickly changed into my work clothes.

“Where the hell are my gym clothes?” I heard a guy bellow in a deep base voice throughout the gym. “Man, that’s the second time this week!”

Another guy laughed loudly. “Well, maybe you need to get a lock! Then no one will be able to take it!”

“Shut up, punk!” Guy number one said, stomping through the gym cursing as his voice faded away, probably going toward the men’s locker room again. “I want my damn stuff!”

I waited for a minute, then stepped from under the bleachers. When no one was looking, I put the guys missing stuff on a seat, then darted out the exit door into the parking lot.

“Shit!” Guy number one yelled. “Someone used it and it stinks! Great!”

Bystanders quietly laughed and so did I, as I forced myself to focus. I darted around the school to see if I could catch the vamp’s scent and spotted Annie.

“Found anything yet?” I asked Annie, still looking around.

Annie shook her head, her eyebrows pulling together as she thought. “I caught a scent, but it could have been from your guy yesterday.”

My head jerked up. “I’m not taking the chance. Let’s scope it out, but let’s meet back here in five minutes. I don’t want to leave Zac alone for long.”

“You got it,” Annie replied, going toward the right since I was going toward the left.

“And Annie?” I asked. As she turned, I looked her in the eye. “Thank you.”

Annie smiled, “Hey, what are friends for?”  Then she gave me a wink and darted around the corner. I was so very blessed in so many ways.

Now, back to business. I darted around the other corner, trying to catch a scent.

“Bill, I’m telling you, I feel great ever since yesterday!” Bud White, the security guard, was talking to a scrawny, younger security guard who was looking at him in disbelief. Obviously, Bud was never in a good mood, let alone for a whole day. I guess my suggestion lasted longer than I thought, but would probably wear off in a few days. But, then again, there could be worse things than spending the rest of your life happy.

I waited until they passed, then darted around the school. And around the corner, I caught a male vamp’s scent, when something hit me hard on the side of the head. I was dazed, but got up and saw him. He was a tall vamp with brunette curly hair and dark brown eyes. A guttural growl erupted from deep within his chest. 

“He’s
mine
!” the rogue vamp yelled through gritted teeth, his glowing green eyes boring into mine. Then he hit me in the chest with his fist, sending my flying into the parking lot, as I slid across the hard pavement, trying to regain consciousness. He was definitely one of The Others, rogue vamps who didn’t care about human life. Having completely lost their humanity, they cared for nothing more than self gratification and the kill. “Hey, you’re pretty!” he said with a half smile as he started toward me, arms outstretched, grinning seductively.

“I don’t think so,” I replied as I picked myself up off the asphalt. I was still feeling a bit dazed, but was healing quickly. “Who sent you?”

“Like I’m really going to tell you!” he laughed, rushing toward me again. I expertly dodged his attack and punched him on the side of his head, then turned quickly, giving him a flying side kick into his chest, crushing his rib cage. He’d be on the ground for a bit until he healed and could breathe again.

Lucky for me.

I placed a knee on his crushed chest and drew back my fist, ready to crush his heart for good. “Now, tell me who sent you!”

The rogue vamp was wheezing, trying to catch his breath, waiting for his chest to heal. “Go to hell!” he spat between breaths.

“Not on your life!” I replied, then ground my knee into his crushed chest, feeling ribs crack. “What’s the guy’s name? Who’s after the kid? Tell me now or you die!” I knew I had to act quickly. Bud would be back around with Mr. Chicken in minutes. I reared back my fist again, and let it fly toward his chest …

“Okay, okay!” The guy wheezed, holding up a hand as I stopped my fist in mid air an inch from his chest. “His name is Michaels!” The guy wheezed as I reared back my fist again. “But I don’t know who he works for!”

“What does Michaels look like?” I dug my knee deeper into his chest. Tell me now or you die!”

“Alright, alright!” the guy wheezed, weakly holding up a hand again. “He has brown curly hair, a power suit, an ear ring, a vamp …”

Great. The guy who went into the Mirage has a boss. I figured as much. Suddenly the guy threw me off his chest, sending me flying backwards into the wall of the building. The building rattled a bit, as dust shot out of the walls around me. I groaned, and within a second, he was gone.

Shit! Where in the world did he go? My head throbbed from hitting the concrete so hard, but would be completely healed in a second. Man, where was Zac? I had to get to him before the rogue vamp found him.

Quickly, I darted around the corner following his scent to the cafeteria. My God! Zac was having lunch in the cafeteria! There were a lot of humans in there, too. Surely the vamp wouldn’t do anything in front of them, but I wasn’t counting on it. I’m sure that idiot wouldn’t mind taking out a cafeteria filled with high school students to get his hands on a million dollars.

I knew I had to get Zac out of there before he did.

Quickly, I hotwired Zac’s car and pulled it around to the side of the cafeteria in front of the plate glass windows that covered two walls and gunned the engine. Soon, students were lining the cafeteria windows, looking to see what was happening. My head still hurt, but was healing quickly. If I had to, I’d bust through the plate glass windows to get Zac out safely. Let’s hope it didn’t come down to that.

“Hey, Zac!” I heard a student yell on the other side of the glass. Good thing vamps have super hearing. “Some chick has your car!”

Zac suddenly appeared in the window looking on in disbelief as I opened the passenger car door and motioned for him to come on. Then I gunned the engine again in anticipation.

“What the hell, Lisa?” He said, as he opened the cafeteria doors, walking casually toward the open door with his backpack slung over his shoulder.

And behind him, the rogue vamp was walking purposefully toward him. Zac didn’t notice.

“Come on, Zac!” I yelled as loudly as I could, gunning the engine again. “Run! Let’s go!”

“Not until you tell me what’s going on!” Zac yelled as the rogue vamp drew closer.

“Run! I’ll tell you in the car!” I was begging now, my breath quickening, ready to throw the car into park and take on a rogue vamp in front of many teenage witnesses if I had to. The rogue vamp grew close behind Zac as I gunned the engine. “Run, Zac!
Now!
”

Just then, a few of Zac’s burly football buddies stepped from the cafeteria onto the steps with worried faces, wondering what was going on, ready to intervene if necessary.

One side of the rogue vamp’s lips curled into a sneer as he drew near Zac, too close for comfort.

“Let’s go!”
I yelled at the top of my lungs just as a guttural growl erupted from the vamp’s completely healed chest.

A moment later Zac reached the open passenger door, got in casually, and shut the door just as the rogue vamp slammed his fists down hard onto the roof of Zac’s Shelby Mustang. I quickly gunned the engine, peeling out, leaving the rogue vamp sneering angrily in the parking lot with his fists balled. And in the rearview mirror, I saw Annie round the corner, eyeing what was going on.

What the hell?” Zac said, looking behind us, finally seeing why it was so urgent.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding as relief swept over me. Annie would take care of the rogue vamp and save the students. I feared that he would retaliate for not getting Zac by killing all the students in the whole school. An angry rogue vamp would do it and not think twice.

I sped through town, not caring about getting a speeding ticket. Luckily, I hadn’t gotten one yet.

“You
will
tell me what is going on!
Now
!” Zac yelled, as I sped out of town driving his car.

Ignoring him for the moment, I expertly pulled out my cell phone and dialed. “Rick? You need to get to the school. Now! Annie needs help with a rogue vamp,” I said quickly.

“Where’s Zac, Star?” Rick asked, already running.

“He’s safe,” I replied, and heard Rick let out a sigh. “He’s with me, but the other students are in danger. Annie needs your help … now!”

“I’m on my way,” Rick answered, then quickly hung up.

“Lisa or Abigail, whatever your name is!” Zac yelled, bracing himself in the passenger seat as I expertly turned corners. This car handled beautifully. “Stop the car! Now! We need to talk!”

“Not until you’re safe,” I said, not slowing down.

“Then find some place safe and pull over!” Zac yelled, on the verge of freaking out. I might have to knock him out just to save his life. But while I was contemplating it, he lowered his voice. “Abigail, pull over. We need to talk.” Then I looked into his pleading azure eyes. “Please.”

I let out a sigh and against my better wishes, I pulled off road onto a dirt road hidden within the forest. After driving a ways off road, I pulled under an old maple tree and threw it into park. I took a breath, then turned to face Zac, knowing what he was going to say.

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Zac got out of the car and sat on the hood without saying a word as I followed. It really was beautiful in the woods with Zac. Any other time, it would have been nice. Any other time. But a lump rose within my throat, because I knew it was over.

“Abigail,” Zac said gently, turning the full force of his azure eyes onto mine, causing my heart to flutter. “What’s going on? Tell me everything.”

“Are you sure you really want to know?” I softly asked, fearing the worst.

“Do I have a choice now?” He countered as his deep blue eyes flared. “Please, enlighten me.” I forced my eyes away from his, but when he placed his fingertip under my chin forcing me to look at him, tears were already staining my cheeks. “Oh, Abbey,” Zac said, taking me into his arms, letting me cry onto his shoulder.

This was a switch. I should be the one comforting him, not the other way around. But it felt nice to have his arms around me, holding me close, even if it wouldn’t last. The tears from all the years of pent up emotions fell drop by tiny drop onto his shirt. And a moment later, he was kissing my hair, and my forehead, then he gently kissed away the glistening tears upon my cheeks, then lightly brought his lips to mine.

“Don’t,” I stopped him, pulling away.

“Why?” Zac had a hurt look on his face.

“Because you’re going to leave me and I just couldn’t bear it if you kissed me, then left.” I sounded like a heart-broken school girl as my tears trailed down my cheeks.

“Shush,” Zac cooed, turning my chin with his fingertip again, until my eyes locked with his. His eyes were filled with love and concern as they probed mine, his eyebrows pulling together. “Abigail, I’m not going anywhere,” Zac said, then added. “Unless it’s with you.” Then his lips crushed down onto mine moving over mine with intense hunger, leaning me back onto the hood of the car. He held me tightly to his chest as he laid beside me, moving his lips hungrily with mine and his hand slid down my leg. Soon, I let my guard down, and opened my heart to him, as my passion met his, returning his his love as my hand moved down his back and pulled him into my chest. I hadn’t realized how much of my heart I had been holding back from him as my lips trialed down to his neck, kissing him hungrily, allowing him to catch his breath, then my lips found his again a moment later. His arms wrapped around me, arching my back, pulling me close, as he opened his heart and passion to me. Our souls caressed one to the other as our passion built and our lips and bodies hungered for each other.

Then a moment later, Zac pulled away, breathless.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, not knowing why he stopped. “I love you, Zac.”

“I love you, too, Abbey,” Zac said, then added. “But I want to be married to you first.”

I nodded, looking into his eyes. It was my belief, too, from long ago and still was. If I wanted to make love to him, then I wanted to marry him first. It seemed old fashioned today, but it was a moral I’d lived by my whole life, and I didn’t want to change it now. I was glad that Zac felt the same way.

He kissed me very sweetly one last time, then pulled me into a sitting position. I felt emotionally drained, but good at the same time. Then Zac took my hand gently into his. “Abbey, we have to talk.”

I nodded, knowing it was true, bracing myself for his reaction. “Where should I start?”

Zac dazzled me with his half grin as I pulled myself together. He’s the only person, whether human or immortal, that ever had this affect on me over the last 200 years. I dreaded this conversation, because it would either make or break our relationship. Now was the moment of truth … literally. But I knew I had to tell him everything. For his own safety, if not for anything else.