Covet (Clann)

excuse to see a certain tall, blond and handsome guy?” Grinning, I bumped a shoulder against hers.
    “Puh-lease. Actually, I just wanted to save time by being here so you wouldn’t have to call or text me later all ticked off because I didn’t tell you myself.”
    “How in the world are the Keepers going to make me mad at you?”
    “Because it’s a secret I swore to keep, even from you.” There was something in her tone, a note of pain that combined with a strange sense of loss she was projecting. It socked me in the chest and squeezed my lungs.
    How could she not want to do whatever it took to stop that pain and get Ron back?
    “Does this Keeper stuff have anything to do with why you two broke up?” Maybe Ron was so obsessed with finding a way to end the Keepers’ curse that Anne had gotten tired of it and broken up with him?
    No, that couldn’t be the reason. Anne was just as obsessed with perfecting her overhand volleyball serve and her skills as the junior varsity Maidens’ star setter.
    She surprised me by nodding and swallowing so hard I heard the gulp in her throat.
    So that was it? She’d broken up with Ron over his Keepers obsession?
    I searched for something to say to make her feel better. “Well, you know, nobody’s perfect. Everyone’s got a weird hang-up or two. Have you tried searching for Keepers with him? You never know, it could turn out to be a bonding hobby or something.”
    Lips pressed together, she shook her head. “I already told you, we don’t have to hunt for them. And trust me, this is not the sort of thing you ‘take up as a hobby.’”
    Fine. I was just trying to help.
    Irritated now, I stayed quiet, listening to the nighttime sounds of the forest…an owl hooting somewhere off in the distance, the slight breeze rustling through the pine trees all around us. That cool wind brought with it the familiar scents of pine and dirt and unfamiliar smells of the wild things that lived in these woods.
    I heard the breathing first, loud and heavy, almost like a warning. I froze.
    “Anne, did you hear that?”
    She looked at me. “Hear what?”
    “Breathing. Loud, like something big’s coming—”
    And then I saw it, its black fur catching and rippling in the edges of the car’s headlights as it padded out of the woods on silent paws that were as big as my hands. Its yellow eyes, their pupils vertical slits instead of rounded, watched us as it slunk ever closer.
    Holy crap.
    The last time my heart had raced this fast, Nanna had been hanging in midair, held captive by the power of the Clann in the Circle.
    Tonight had to end better than that. I would do whatever it took to make sure of it. Dad said vampires were immortal unless we were staked through the heart, decapitated, or set on fire. As long as I kept my neck clear of that thing’s claws, I should be all right. Anne, on the other hand, was all too human. I had to get her somewhere safe.
    The inside of the truck cab. Surely it couldn’t get through the windows or windshield.
    Scared to make any sudden movements, I eased a hand out to touch Anne’s shoulder, hoping this would keep her calm. “Anne? I don’t want you to freak or jump or anything. But listen to me very carefully. I swear to you on Nanna’s grave that there is a huge animal over there.”
    She glanced in the right direction. “Mmm-hmm, I see it.”
    “Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. I want you to very carefully ease your feet up onto the truck. Move super slow and quiet, and maybe it won’t attack. I want you to head for the back sliding-glass window and see if you can get it open.”
    “It’s already unlatched. I thought I might need fast access to my bow and arrows—”
    Was she thinking about shooting it? “Forget about the bow and arrows for now. I do not want you to play the hero. I want you to get inside the cab of your truck so it can’t get to you.”
    She turned to me with a half smile. “Oh yeah? And what about you?”
    Frowning, I kept staring at the monstrous beast. It had stopped at the opposite side of the road a few yards away. No telling how far it could leap, maybe right into the back of the truck with us. “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me. I’m a vamp, remember? As long as it doesn’t cut my head off—”
    “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. Just let me get my bow and arrows and I’ll take care of it.” Anne hopped up to her feet, moving way too fast.
    I hissed, “I said move slowly ! And you will not get