Blood's Fury (Deadly Beauties 1)

"You should be. It's unnerving. Just be careful, and try not to walk home so late. Why did they make you shut down alone?"

Because I'm the new girl and a sucker.

"Because the other girls wanted to go to the dock party."

"Ah. Well, personally, I feel no party gets going good until close to midnight."

"Midnight, eh?" I ask, feeling all the more relaxed now.

Not immortal, just a bad boy human. Crap. I think that's even worse.

Midnight is the showing hour, and all blood drinkers loathe it because they're forced to reveal the monster they are. It's when their fangs show against their will, and their eyes glow their true color, even though they're not ready to show themselves.

"Well, it was odd but nice meeting you. Sorry I wasn't better company," I murmur as I start off the sidewalk and down my gravel path to my house.

"You live here?" he asks, seeming surprised, possibly a little confused.

"Yeah, why?"

"It's just… what made you choose this house?"

It was the first affordable house I found that was far away from my overbearing, paranoid, ridiculously protective mother.

"It was cheap, I needed something close to town, and it's small. Why? Is something wrong with it?"

He shakes his head, obviously hiding something. "Not at all. A friend of mine lived here a while back. I didn't realize she was selling it."

"I bought it from a woman in her early thirties. Jessica… Richards? I think."

"Sounds about right," he murmurs to himself, staring at the house as though he's looking for something... someone.

He seems confused.

"Were you close to her?" I muse.

"Not really, it's just odd this place made it back on the market without my knowing."

Okay. I'm curious now, but I'd rather talk about something other than the prior owner of my house.

He concentrates on the house for a second longer, giving me a chance to examine him better under the moonlight. He's so much hotter than I initially thought now that I can truly gawk at him.

"I should get going," I str

ain out, knowing Mom would kick my ass for speaking to a dark-haired beauty in the middle of the night. "It was nice meeting you…"

"Kane," he says softly, giving me his delicious, dissolving smile once again.

"Nice to meet you, Kane."

"I'm sure you'll see me around. Especially since you work at the diner. It's my main source of nourishment."

Butterflies ruffle through my stomach, and I smile involuntarily.

I don't know if I should stay or go. Now that I finally believe he's human, I'm almost considering going to the dock party.

"I should head on before all the booze is gone. I'll see you around, Alyssa," he says while turning away, making me sick at my stomach.

"How did you know my name?" I release in a crackle.