Saved at Sunrise

down. “It’s still early.” Their gazes met. “I’m sorry I said
     what I did. I just thought … I told you about my parents and … We don’t have to talk
     about that. Choose a subject and we’ll talk about whatever.”
    Ignoring the soft pleading in his voice, she went to the Walmart bag she’d dropped
     on the sofa. She pulled out one sheet, one blanket, and snagged the other pillowcase.
     “We have to be up at three thirty. Don’t bother me.”
    *   *   *
    She sprayed the bed three times with disinfectant, made it, and then used the old
     bedding to make it look like she was under the blanket. If he peeked in, he’d hopefully
     assume she was out cold—pun intended.
    It was, Della thought, the thing she hated most about being a vamp. Drinking blood
     she could handle, but when someone accidentally brushed up against her and flinched
     at her body temperature, she felt … like a monster.
    She knew why, too. It had been the thing that kept Lee from touching her after she’d
     been turned. You just don’t feel right, he told her. You’re cold. I think you’re still sick.
    A crazy thought came. Would Steve not like how she felt? She pushed the thought away,
     because seriously, it didn’t belong in her mind. Tilting her head to the side, she
     listened for the shape-shifter. When she’d been making her bed, she’d heard him doing
     the same to the sofa. He must be sleeping now, because she could only hear the very
     subtle sound of someone breathing.
    The conversation they’d had earlier about his parents floated through her head and
     whispered across her heart with a tug of emotion. He almost sounded resigned to the
     bad relationship with his parents. Or was he just pretending—like she so often did?
    Realizing she’d let Steve consume her thoughts, she blew out a deep whoosh of air.
     Then moving to the window, she quietly raised it. She stood there just a second, listening
     to the night’s song, before she climbed out. She perched on the ledge a long second
     before she took off.
    The dark, September air felt cool, cooler than her skin. Her hair whipped around her
     head and scattered across her face, occasionally obscuring her vision. A sound, a
     slight wisp of air came from her left. Was something following her? She raised her
     head to catch any scents. She didn’t sense any other creature, but with so much wind
     coming at her, she wasn’t sure if her sense of smell was accurate.
    Without slowing down, she glanced back. Nothing but the night chased her.
    She considered how close she was to the vampire compound and the rogue gang. Fear
     danced on her skin, but she pushed it aside. If it was them, she already had a cover
     for being there. Surely they would ask questions before they attacked. She hoped.
    In a few minutes, she spotted the lake that ran by her parents’ house and started
     descending. Her heart shifted from fear to something even more uncomfortable. Grief.
    She came down a block from her house at the neighborhood park. Her black jeans and
     black tank top helped her blend into the darkness.
    Moving in the shadows so no one would spot her, she saw lights on in her parents’
     dining room. Either her family was eating late, or they were playing board games.
     Her mom loved board games.
    Easing between the bushes and the house, the neighbor’s dog, the crotch-smelling canine,
     Champ, barked from the neighbor’s backyard. Then Della heard laughter.
    Her father’s laugh.
    Her heart gripped and her throat tightened. She hadn’t even seen him smile since she’d
     left for Shadow Falls. Easing in ever so carefully, she looked into the window.
    The scene looked like something from a movie on the Family Channel, a family spending
     time together. A family she really didn’t belong to anymore.
    Tears prickled her eyes when she saw them. Her mom, her sister, and her dad playing
     Scrabble. They looked so happy, so … complete. Didn’t they miss her, even a little
     bit?
    A twig snapped behind her, and her heart rose to her throat. Della swung around. Champ,
     the mix of Lab and German shepherd, stared at her, or was he staring in the window?
     His tail slowly started thumping.
    “How did you get out?” she whispered to the dog as she felt a tear slip down her cheek.
     He lowered his head, whimpered, and rubbed his snout against her knee. “What? No crotch
     smelling tonight? I’m hurt.”
    The canine looked up at her as if he actually missed her. How