Vampires Rule (13 page)

Silver was sucking his soul out.

****

Jack woke covered in sweat, pulse racing,
throat closed so he couldn’t scream. It took him a moment to
remember how to breathe. He sat up in bed and looked around the
lamp-lit room. Scattered remnants of white material caught his eye.
He’d ripped his sheets to shreds. He didn’t have to wonder what
sort of werewolf power he was going to get anymore. The invisible
claws had become part of his anatomy.

Silver talked in her sleep, and he turned
into a werewolf in his. They made quite a pair. He grabbed his cell
before remembering the note he’d written her. He couldn’t call and
tell her about his dream. He couldn’t ask her what she thought
about him tearing his sheets apart. The last voice in the world she
wanted to hear belonged to him.

Blanca hissed at him from a far corner in the
room. No wonder she didn’t like him anymore. She probably smelled
the part of him that was changing into a werewolf. Vampires kept
cats for one reason: to warn them when werewolves were nearby. Poor
thing was probably more confused than he was.

“It’s okay, Blanca.” He leaned off the bed,
rubbed his fingers together to attract her attention. “Come here.
I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Jack?” Billy tried to twist the doorknob,
but it didn’t budge. He banged on the door. “Jack, why is this
locked? Are you okay? Let me in.”

Jack got out of bed and headed for the door.
His hand touched the knob before he remembered the sheets. He
couldn’t let Billy see those. Billy wouldn’t wait for an
explanation. His kid brother would run a stake through him or shoot
him before he could utter a single syllable in his own defense.

“Jack, what is going on in there?”

“I’m trying to sleep,” he mumbled. “What do
you want?”

“I heard you yelling and thought you were
being killed. Let me in.”

“Just a second.” Jack raced to the bed,
gathered the tattered fragments with both hands. He wadded them
into a loose ball and shoved them into the closet. Billy kept
knocking, demanding immediate entrance. A white corner peeked out
from under the closet door. Jack opened it again, kicked at the
sheets until he got them completely inside.

He hurried to his bedroom door and opened it
with a tired sigh. “I had a nightmare. Okay? I’m sorry if I woke
you, but everything is fine in here.”

“Woke me? I thought you were getting killed
in here. A normal person might hear screams and think someone is
having a nightmare, but in this family a scream usually means that
person is getting his throats torn out.”

Jack couldn’t argue with the logic of it.

Billy put a hand on his shoulder. “You sure
you’re okay, kid? Your face is pale and sweaty.”

Jack shoved the damp bangs off his forehead.
He desperately wanted to confide in his brother. If Billy wasn’t a
hunter, maybe he would be able to trust him with the truth.

“When did you get home?” Jack asked. He
leaned back against the door, arms folded. “Did you catch anything
tonight?”

Catch or kill? Whatever.

“I’ve been home a few hours, and I really
don’t want to talk about hunting with you. I’m afraid you might
have a conflict of interest if I decide to hunt something you used
to hang out with.”

Did that mean Billy knew his friends were
still in town?

Billy asked, “How are things going at
school?”

Jack quickly went through a list of things
that had happened since he’d joined the Jefferson High student
body. There wasn’t anything he wanted to share with his brother. He
couldn’t tell Billy about losing his temper and getting into a
fight on his first day. He couldn’t tell his brother about getting
detention or about the new werewolf boy, but he had to say
something.

“Do you know a teacher named Jersey
Clifford?” Jack asked.

“Never heard of him. Why?”

“He says I look familiar.”

Billy frowned. “Maybe he was reading
newspapers back when you died, and he has a good memory. What did
you say to him? I hope you didn’t make him more suspicious.”

“I didn’t say anything. Don’t worry about
it.”

“What about Silver? Have you been hanging out
with her?”

He didn’t want to talk about Silver. A flash
of her in the forest, terrified and running from him, sprang to
mind. Had he dreamed of her before? Is that why she seemed familiar
when they first met?

He wished he could call and ask her about
it.

“I’m not talking to her anymore,” he
admitted.

“Why not?”

Jack groaned. “Mind your own business. I
won’t ask about your hunting anymore if you don’t question me on my
personal life.”

“Hey, let’s not forget I’m letting you live
with me even though you were a vampire. I opened my home to
you.”

“This is my home as much as it is yours. In
fact, being the oldest son, it should belong to me.”

“I called in a big favor to get those papers
for you so you could go to school. If you want to continue to live
here, I suggest you watch your mouth.”

Jack shoved Billy and his brother flew
backwards, smacking into the wall.

“Don’t you forget I’m older than you!” Jack
yelled. “I am the firstborn. Not you. Me.”

Billy took a swing at him, but Jack ducked.
The fist flew over his head. The breeze disturbed his hair. Billy
grabbed him around the waist and dropped him to the floor. They
rolled around in a tangle of arms and legs, both of them trying to
hit the other. They tumbled into Jack’s desk and knocked over the
chair.

Jack got Billy beneath him. A loud snarl
erupted from his throat. It sounded like a wild animal, a cross
between a mountain lion and a bear.

Billy froze, his eyes widening in fear.

Jack jumped to his feet and ran. He kept
going until he was outside. Although he tried to use vampire speed,
he still didn’t have that power. He stopped in the front yard and
took a deep breath of fresh, cold air. The chill cooled his
anger.

He looked up at his bedroom window and saw
Billy watching him. At least his brother hadn’t gone after a wooden
stake or a gun... yet.

The thrill of being back in school had worn
off. Jack emptied the coffee pot into his mug. He’d brewed it last
night after his fight with Billy. Exhausted, he rubbed his eyes
while sitting alone at the kitchen table. Maybe he should skip
school today and try to work things out with his brother. Billy had
locked himself in his room. That’s why Jack hadn’t slept. He was
afraid to let down his guard in case Billy decided to grab a stake
or a rifle.

After a long, silent debate, he decided to go
to school. Facing Silver on two hours of sleep was better than
staying at home, possibly blacking out and getting killed by his
brother. With a tired sigh, Jack rose from the table. He dragged
himself up the stairs and knocked on his brother’s locked door.
“I’m taking your car. I need to go to school.”

No response.

Jack spoke louder. “Is it okay if I take your
car?”

He pressed his ear to the door, listening for
movement. Minutes passed. He waited, impatiently tapping his foot.
Was Billy asleep? The thought of his brother getting rest when he
couldn’t, sparked his anger. He kicked the door. “Billy!”

“I don’t care what you do.” Billy’s muffled
words floated through the door.

The sound of Billy’s voice startled Jack. It
was close, too close. His brother was standing on the other side of
the door, face pressed against the wood. Once again Jack asked if
Billy would come out and talk to him, but Billy refused. His
brother told him to go to school, a harsh command. Under other
circumstances, Jack might have argued with Billy, told his brother
he didn’t have the right to order him around, but there wasn’t
anything more to say, so he left.

He drove on automatic. Nothing registered.
His eyes drifted closed a few times, but he jerked awake before
hitting anything. Part of him fantasized about driving into a tree
and killing himself. A vision of what his funeral might be like
danced through his mind. He wondered if Billy would care. Would his
brother mourn him? Would he feel bad for pushing Jack away or would
he spit on Jack’s grave?

He made it to school alive, slid his
brother’s four-door between a truck and a compact. Groups of
students stood around talking and laughing, not a clue about the
upcoming war. He envied them for their ignorance. A few of them had
cigarettes dangling from their fingers and from their lips. The
smell of tobacco reminded him of his friends, but he refused to
dwell on those memories. Last night, about three in the morning,
he’d had an epiphany. From now on he was living in the present.
Leave the past in the past.

He didn’t recognize any faces in the parking
lot, and he didn’t feel like making new friends. Some of the
students stared at him as he walked by. As the new kid he was still
a phenomenon. He should have worn sunglasses. At least they
wouldn’t be able to see the dark circles beneath his eyes.

When he got inside the building, he went
straight to his locker. Too bad he couldn’t remember the
combination. His tired brain refused to function. Jack spun the
lock around three times before trying a series of numbers that felt
right to him. Wrong. He tried again, different digits this time. It
didn’t work. He had to have his books. If he couldn’t figure it out
on his own, he would have to go to the office, and starting his day
in a possible conversation with Principal Hardwick didn’t sound
like a good idea to him.

He groaned and rested his forehead against
the locker with a loud thump.

“Problem?” Meghan appeared at his side.
“Allow me.”

She rotated the lock a couple times before
dialing it to a series of numbers. She pulled on the metal door,
and it opened. Relieved, Jack grabbed two books: Math and Biology.
He also removed a notebook and three pencils.

“Thanks,” he said. “Wait a second. How do you
know my combination?”

“It was with list of classes, and I was
blessed with a photographic memory.”

“Well, thank you again. I appreciate the
help.”

She smiled sweetly and moved closer to him.
“Have you heard about the bonfire party yet?” He shook his head,
and she added, “It’s going to be Friday night in the field on the
edge of town. You know, the one next to the cemetery. Everyone will
be there. How about you?”

Next to the cemetery he’d been buried in?

“I think I’m busy that night.”

“Really?” She pouted. It reminded him of
Summer. “Can’t you change your plans? I was looking forward to
getting to know you better.”

Before he could politely but firmly put her
in her place, Silver came into view. He had been dreading this
moment. No doubt she was going to tear him to pieces for putting
that note into her pocket. He hoped she wouldn’t cry or make a
scene. If she started with the tears, he would have to give in and
tell her the truth, regardless of the consequences.

Silver walked past him without a glance in
his direction. She went straight to her locker, retrieved her
books. Apparently she wasn’t going to confront him. Part of him
wished she would. He wanted an excuse to make up with her.

Meghan asked him out again. “Would you please
go to the party with me? Pretty please with pink sugar on it?”

He answered her in a loud voice, hoping
Silver would hear him and get jealous. Maybe she would confront him
then. They’d work it out. His powers could return at any second,
and he would be able to protect her from his old gang.

“Yes, I will go to the party with you,
Meghan.” He watched Silver over the other girl’s shoulder. “Thank
you for asking me.”

Silver shot a dirty look his way. She grabbed
a passing boy, one of the big guys who had been sitting across from
her in Study Hall his first day. She shared a dazzling smile with
him, and Jack experienced a rush of anger.

“Are you listening to me?” Megan’s smile
faltered. “Did you hear a word I just said?”

He blinked at her. He could either stand
around, flirting with a girl he had zero interest in, or he could
put an end to this silly game and talk to Silver. It was an easy
choice to make. Misery was a mild word for how he felt about losing
Silver. Still, talking to her could put her in danger. He reminded
himself he was staying away from her for her own good. His former
friends might decide to kill her if they caught him with her, and
he didn’t know when his powers would actually return.

But he had cool new claws. If Cowboy and
Summer caught sight of them, they’d leave him alone. They’d be
worried that a scratch from him could kill them. They’d clear out
of town so fast he’d forget what they looked like by sunrise.

The large boy put a hand on Silver’s waist,
and Jack lost the tenuous grip on his temper.

The bell rang. Megan flipped her hair and
smacked him in the face with it as she stormed off. He barely
noticed. His eyes were on Silver and her groping friend. The
hallway emptied fast. Silver and the guy started for one of the
nearby rooms, but Jack blocked their way.

“What do you want?” Silver asked with a deep
scowl.

“I just wanted to meet your friend.”

“Why?”

He ignored her. His eyes narrowed on the
boy’s ruddy face as he said, “I’m Jack. And you are?”

The boy with the huge shoulders and enormous
teeth smiled. He offered his free hand to Jack. “I’m John.” His
smile faded a bit. “Hey, aren’t you the guy who almost broke
Tucker’s finger?”

“That’s me.”

“Tucker is a friend of mine.” The smile
vanished completely. “What is your problem, dude? Huh? Why did you
jump him like that? Are you crazy or just stupid?”

Jack gestured to John’s other hand and said,
“He touched Silver.”