Saved at Sunrise

Didn’t want to see him, not now and maybe not ever. Even
     as the thought whisked through her mind, she felt her heart race with the lie.
    But she knew that at least some of the disappointment she felt was about Burnett.
     She hadn’t said good-bye because she knew he would have tried to stop her from leaving.
     Now she wanted to go to him and embrace him. Apologize for neglecting the courtesy
     of a simple good-bye.
    “Kylie.” Her aunt spoke again and gave her hand a slight tug. “Your grandfather knows
     what is best. Listen to him. We must go.”
    Kylie inhaled and tried to not let her emotions control her. But it seemed almost
     too late. Her head spun as too many feelings swirled inside her. Loneliness, regret,
     and anger at being lied to. “He knows what is best for him, but maybe not so much
     for me.”
    “You must trust him,” her aunt said, her grip on Kylie’s wrist tightening. “Come,
     please. We only want to protect you.”
    “I don’t need protecting from Burnett or Derek.” She spoke calmly. “And it appears
     he needs to trust me, as well. I didn’t tell anyone where I was. I gave you my word
     and I didn’t break it.” She heard the hurt resonate in her voice.
    “That’s not important,” her grandfather said, but Kylie disagreed. Before she could
     voice her feeling, he continued, “What is important is that they will try to force
     you to come back. If we leave now, we will avoid a confrontation.”
    “She’s around here somewhere,” Derek called back to Burnett. “I can feel her. Seriously,
     she’s here somewhere.”
    Kylie focused where she thought her grandfather stood. “No one will force me to do
     anything that I do not want to do. Not them … or you,” she added. “My plan all along
     was to go back to Shadow Falls. I told you that from the beginning.”
    “A plan that I also told you I do not agree with.” Her grandfather’s voice rose slightly.
    Kylie, lured by the sound of footsteps, looked over her shoulder again. She watched
     as Burnett drew closer. Proud, strong, a bit too headstrong. In so many ways, he reminded
     her of her grandfather. Inhaling, she glanced back to where she’d heard her grandfather’s
     voice earlier. “I came here of my own free will and when I choose to leave, I will.”
    “You are too stubborn for your own good.” Her grandfather’s voice boomed from nothing.
    “And I fear I might have inherited it from my grandfather,” Kylie snapped. Then she
     glanced back at Derek and Burnett.
    “Come with me, Kylie,” her aunt pleaded and she held tightly to Kylie’s hand.
    “No,” Kylie repeated and watched as Burnett drew closer. He stopped beside Derek,
     only fifteen feet away from Kylie. She longed to run to him and throw herself in his
     arms.
    “The pizza in the main house was still warm,” Burnett said. “Are you sure she’s here?”
    “I’m certain,” Derek answered. “And she’s upset about something, too.”
    Not seen or heard, but still felt, Kylie thought. How odd was that? Her aunt started
     patting Kylie’s hand as if the gentle touch would convince her. But Kylie was beyond
     convincing. “Please let me go,” she told her aunt. But her aunt held on.
    “Is she in danger?” Burnett growled.
    Derek closed his eyes as if internally trying to touch her emotions. When he opened
     his eyes, he looked at Burnett. “I don’t think so,” Derek answered. “She’s frustrated
     and I sense … loneliness. And … she’s feeling … something … something like being torn
     between two loyalties.”
    Tears welled up in Kylie’s eyes. Leave it to Derek to always get her emotions right.
     She knew her grandfather and aunt cared about her, knew they only wanted what was
     best for her, but how could she not make herself visible to Burnett and Derek? Why
     did she feel as if doing so would be seen as disloyal to her chameleon family?
    She’d tried to play by their rules; she had. But enough was enough.
    Burnett looked around and Kylie would swear he looked right at her. “Are there others
     here?”
    “I’m not sure,” Derek said. “I can only sense Kylie because…” He didn’t finish, but
     she knew the answer. He could sense her so well because he loved her.
    Burnett stood a little straighter. “Mr. Summers, I need to speak with you. Now!”
    “How do you know he’s here?” Derek asked.
    “If Kylie’s here, he’s around.” Burnett shifted his vision back and forth. “Show