Whispers at Moonrise

Lucas, he’d just shrugged and said, “Yeah, I heard.” Then he’d glanced at Kylie, not to stare, but to smile.
    That smile, with a devilish twinkle in his eyes, had all sorts of meaning, too. Kylie found herself blushing and caring a little less that she was the freak show while everyone downed their burgers and fries. Of course, that lasted for only a few minutes. Then someone else made some smart-mouthed comment about Kylie’s mind being off-the-chart weird.
    For all the times she wished her sensitive hearing would stay turned on, she now wished she could cut it off—permanently. One only assumed you wanted to hear what was being whispered behind your back.
    Staring at her hands resting on the table, she knew part of her bad mood was due to her hurting for Holiday. Kylie wanted to help her, but Holiday insisted on being alone.
    The computer dinged with an incoming e-mail. Kylie rushed over, praying it would be from her grandfather or great-aunt. She’d been checking obsessively, especially since her earlier e-mail had bounced back … meaning the address she had for them was no longer active.
    She dropped into the desk chair, her breath held, as she opened the screen.
    Not from her grandfather or aunt.
    She stared at her stepdad’s e-mail address and accidentally clicked it open. Then she accidentally read it.
    Hey, princess, I’m looking forward to seeing you Saturday. Miss you. Miss your mom.
    All the emotions over her mom and dad’s divorce came hurtling back. She jumped up so fast the chair slammed against the floor and broke into four different pieces. “Screw it!” she bellowed. Throat tightening with emotion, she stomped over and yanked open the fridge. She waited to feel the cool air hit her face.
    It didn’t feel cold, because she was too cold. She was a freaking vampire!
    She swatted a tear from her cheek and looked back to the computer. What if her stepdad started asking questions about her mom again? Kylie sure as heck didn’t want to be the one to drop the bomb that her mom was dating.
    Then again, he was probably going to find out Saturday anyway. She’d already gotten an e-mail from Mom asking Kylie if she minded if Creepy Guy—the one who wanted to take her mom to England and bang her senseless—came to parent day.
    Kylie had been a breath away from e-mailing her mom back and saying, Hell yes, I mind.
    But was it fair to rain on her mom’s parade? Shouldn’t Kylie be content that her mom was happy? Kylie just wished her mom could be happy back with her stepdad. Wished life could go back to the way things were before.
    For a second, she remembered how things had been. Her thinking she was nothing but human, her not knowing things such as vampires and werewolves existed.
    Her having never known Derek. Her never reconnecting with Lucas.
    Her, without Della or Miranda.
    Suddenly, Kylie Galen’s world before Shadow Falls didn’t seem so desirable. Well, except having her mom and stepdad together.
    Kylie heard Della’s mattress shift and her footsteps pad against the floor. Kylie did another swipe of her face, hoping to hide the watery evidence. Vampires didn’t cry.
    “There’s some B-positive blood that I brought you behind the milk,” Della said.
    “Thanks.”
    “How are you feeling?” Della asked.
    “Fine. Why?”
    Della moved in some more. “Because usually when someone starts ripping apart furniture, they don’t feel so well.”
    Kylie stared at the broken chair and didn’t reply.
    “Actually, I’m just surprised that you didn’t have any symptoms during the turning stage. I’m glad you didn’t, because believe me, it’s not fun.”
    Kylie reached for the blood. “You know, this probably won’t last.”
    “The blood?” Della asked. “I can get more.”
    “No, me being vampire. I’m not really vampire. I mean, I’m only part vampire.”
    “You look full-blooded,” Della said, and then, “How do you change it?” She moved to the kitchen table.
    Kylie opened the bottle and suddenly the idea of drinking the blood turned her stomach. Had she already changed into something else? Oh, great! If so, she couldn’t wait until breakfast when everyone would have another field day making fun of her.
    Closing the cap, attempting to hide her nausea from Della, she said, “I don’t understand how it works. How to make it happen, how to make it not happen.”
    She faced Della. “Am I still vampire?”
    Della nodded, and Kylie saw from the girl’s expression