Crave (Harlequin Teen)

at a distance. Like your father said, they’ve probably got charms on them to dull their attraction to any vampire. And even if you do start to feel the bloodlust at some point, if you keep your distance and pay attention to your body, you’ll know if it becomes a problem. If it does, you call me or Nanna or your father immediately and go to the nurse’s station till one of us gets there. Okay?”
    I thought of how close Tristan sat behind me in algebra, and the pain in my chest and stomach that hit me every time he was near. Keeping my distance might be a problem. I’d just have to try to sort out my usual confused feelings around him from anything new that might come up. Like a sudden attraction to his neck.
    “Why is the Clann even letting us stay here? Wouldn’t they want me as far away from them and their kids as possible?”
    Her smile turned sad. “You know that saying ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’? I think it’s like that. They don’t want you to get too close or spend time alone with any of their descendants. But they also want to be able to keep an eye on you. Plus there’s the chance that one day you might decide to…help them out.”
    “Help them out?”
    “You know. Be on their side if there’s ever another war with the vampires.”
    The Clann thought I would side with them against my own father? I snorted. They must be insane. After the way the Clann kids had treated me and my family for the past five years…
    Well, not all of them had bullied me all the time. A memory flashed through my mind of emerald eyes staring back at me. Of strong, warm hands on my shoulders, stopping me from falling in algebra class, when he could have just let me do a face-plant onto my desk.
    “I guess it’s a good thing I don’t want to date anyone in the Clann anyways, huh?”
    Laughing, Mom picked up a hairbrush and began to tug it through my tangled hair, ignoring my facial expression each time she found a new snag. “Uh, yeah. Dating someone from the Clann could start another war. Lordy, I can see it now. The Clann would think you were stalking one of their own to drain them. The vamps would think you were siding with the Clann. It’d be mass chaos in no time.” She shook her head and grinned. “But we don’t have to worry about that, right? You’ve hated the Clann’s kids for years now.”
    I forced a weak chuckle and took the brush away from her before she could accidentally brush me bald. “Yeah. Right. They’re first-class jerks.”
    “Any other questions?” Her tone had turned bright and cheerful, like she had simply been helping me with my home work or something.
    I shook my head and tried to remember how to breathe normally past the lump in my throat. Why couldn’t I just go back to my life of a week ago, back when things weren’t perfect, but at least they were normal?
    “Aw, honey.” She patted my shoulder. “Please stop worrying. You’re going to be okay.”
    “How do you know I’ll be okay? What if—”
    “Because you come from my side of the family, too. And we Evans women are strong. With or without magic, we know how to kick butt in life.”
    “And throw a mean plate?” I managed to joke.
    She laughed. “Exactly. And speaking of which, aren’t you starving by now? Your Nanna made her special fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy just the way you like them.”
    I made my lips curve into a smile. “Sure, sounds great.” Why wouldn’t I be hungry? After all, just because normal life as I’d known it was over, that shouldn’t affect my appetite, right?
     
    I didn’t want to talk to anyone for the rest of the weekend. But Nanna said that my friends had been calling for me all week. So I made myself call Anne later that evening.
    After chatting for a few minutes, I thought I’d better warn her about the changes in my appearance. But when I tried to describe how different I looked, she just laughed.
    “Don’t worry about it, Sav. Every year I get the flu for a few days, and afterward I swear my head looks way too big for my body. Anyways, if you want to start coming early to school next week, I could help you get caught up on all the algebra homework you missed.”
    “Mmm, good idea.” I hesitated, curious to know if anyone else had missed me while I was gone, one boy in particular. But I couldn’t find a casual way to ask and not make a big deal out of it. And why would anyone other than my friends have missed me? So I gave up