From Dead to Worse

came to the full realization that Sam had walked into a situation in his own backyard, a situation he had no stake or interest in, and that he’d almost died as a result. And why had Eric been in the parking lot back of Merlotte’s? To talk to me. And then Felipe de Castro had followed to talk to Eric . . . though I wasn’t sure why. But the point was, them being there at all was my fault.
    “Oh, Sam,” I said, almost in tears, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know Eric would wait for me, and I sure didn’t know the king would follow him. I still don’t know why he was there. I’m so sorry,” I said again. I would say it a hundred times if it would take that tone out of Sam’s voice.
    “It’s not your fault,” he said. “I asked Eric to come here in the first place. It’s their fault. I don’t know how we can pry you loose from them.”
    “This was bad, but somehow you’re not taking it like I thought you would.”
    “I just want to be left in peace,” he said unexpectedly. “I don’t want to get involved in supernatural politics. I don’t want to have to take sides in Were shit. I’m not a Were. I’m a shapeshifter, and shifters don’t organize. We’re too different. I hate vampire politics even more than Were politics.”
    “You’re mad at me.”
    “No!” He seemed to be struggling with what he wanted to say. “I don’t want that for you, either! Weren’t you happier before?”
    “You mean before I knew any vampires; before I knew about the rest of the world that lies outside the boundaries?”
    Sam nodded.
    “In some ways. It was nice to have a clear path before me,” I said. “I do get really sick of the politics and the battles. But my life wasn’t any prize, Sam. Every day was a struggle just to act like I was a regular human, like I didn’t know all the things I know about other humans. The cheating and infidelity, the little acts of dishonesty, the unkindness. The really severe judgments people pass on each other. Their lack of charity. When you know all that, it’s hard to keep going sometimes. Knowing about the supernatural world puts all that in a different perspective. I don’t know why. People aren’t any better or worse than the supernaturals, but they’re not all there is, either.”
    “I guess I understand,” Sam said, though he sounded a little doubtful.
    “Plus,” I said very quietly, “it’s nice to be valued for the very thing that makes regular people think I’m just a crazy girl.”
    “Definitely understand that,” Sam said. “But there’s a price.”
    “Oh, no doubt about it.”
    “You willing to pay?”
    “So far.”
    We chugged up my driveway. No lights on. The witchy duo had gone to bed, or else they were out partying or casting spells.
    “In the morning, I’ll call Dawson,” Sam said. “He’ll check out your car, make sure you can drive it, or he’ll get it towed to his place. Think you can get a ride to work?”
    “I’m sure I can,” I said. “Amelia can bring me in.”
    Sam walked me to the back door like he was bringing me home from a date. The porch light was on, which was thoughtful of Amelia. Sam put his arms around me, which was a surprise, and then he just snugged his head in close to mine, and we stood there enjoying each other’s warmth for a long moment.
    “We survived the Were war,” he said. “You made it through the vampire coup. Now we lived through the attack of the berserk bodyguard. I hope we keep up our record.”
    “Now you’re scaring me,” I said as I remembered all the other things I’d survived. I should be dead, no doubt about it.
    His warm lips brushed my cheek. “Maybe that’s a good thing,” he said, and turned to go back to his truck.
    I watched him climb in and reverse, and then I unlocked the back door and went to my room. After all the adrenaline and the fear and the accelerated pace of life (and death) in the parking lot of Merlotte’s, my own room seemed very quiet and clean and secure. I’d done my best to kill someone tonight. It was only by chance Sigebert had survived my attempt at vehicular homicide. Twice. I couldn’t help but notice that I wasn’t feeling remorseful. This was surely a flaw, but at the moment I just didn’t care. There were definitely parts of my character I didn’t approve of, and maybe from time to time I had moments when I didn’t like myself much. But I got through each day as it came to me, and so far I’d survived everything life had thrown at