She gasped, then glanced down to think. "Probably the blond chatting me up."

"Maybe your blood tasted so good that he followed us that night to finish you off."

She gasped. "That's a horrible thought, but while we're talking about it, why didn't the werewolves kill us? They coulda jumped through the glass and ripped us to shreds."

"I haven't figured that part out yet, but I'm starting to put the pieces together." I swallowed hard. Could my crush be a vampire, or am I just blowing things out of proportion? As I thought about Jesse, something else dawned on me. "What if Jesse won't take his shirt off at the lake because there's no scar?"

"There has to be some sort of scar. He was bleeding all over the place," she said. "I saw the wound. It was real."

"I know, but he healed."

"Don't vampires heal right away?" she asked.

"Maybe he's different, not like a normal vampire. If he can walk in the light and eat regular food, maybe it also takes him longer to heal."

Julie slowly touched her chin. "I bet that's why he didn't want to go to the hospital or tell the police."

"When he was shot, he so sure he was gonna be fine. Anyone else would have been worried, thinking they were on their deathbed, but he knew better. He knows he'll never die."

She clutched her heart. "This is all so weird. Just listen to us. We sound like lunatics." She gripped my shoulders. "Give me more. Give me something I can sink my teeth into...uh, no pun intended."

"Do we really sound like lunatics? I don't think so. Jesse's mom tries to keep him isolated for a reason. That's why he's homeschooled."

"Maybe that's a flat-out lie. If he's hundreds of years old, he doesn't have to be schooled at all."

"That would be beyond weird."

"What if you're his bonded mate, like in vampire lure?"

"I don't believe in that. We just have an awesome connection." I tapped my chin. "It can't be forced or contrived. It's real. I can feel it."

"Are there any other hints we've overlooked?"

"Hmm. Well, he did compel a mountain lion. I watched him do it."

"You mean when he saved the kid at the zoo?"

"Exactly. Also, there's an ankh in his tattoo. Do you know what those mean? I know the Egyptians used them a lot, and Jesse said every symbol in his tattoo has a meaning."

Confusion crossed her features. "I don't know, but we can Google it."

Julie jumped on her computer and quickly typed the word in the search engine. I peeked over her shoulder and was stunned when I read the screen.

"Immortality," she said in a stunned voice.

I swallowed hard. "I need to see him."

"Are you kidding? What if he compels you to forget everything? He compelled Max and that big cat. What if he's dangerous, Taylor? You can't just waltz in there and tell him you know his secrets. What if he kills you?"

"What do you think I should do?"

"Break up with him before he a, sips on your vein for a nice, warm drink, b, makes blood your next drink of choice, and c, just flat out kills you."

"I can't give him up like that."

Her gaze narrowed. "Don't vampires use telepathy or something to control their victims?"

"I'm not a victim."

"You're letting him take drag you down a slippery slope, Taylor." She gripped my arm. "What if these recent attacks were him and not some wild animal?"

A chill shot down my spine. "I can't imagine him hurting anybody. You should see him with the animals at the zoo, especially the injured ones and the babies."

"Does any vampire really want to be the way they are? They're bloodthirsty and can't help themselves. We need to go to the sheriff."

"We can't."

"Why? Because you're trying to protect Sir Sucks-a-Lot?"

"Because they won't believe us."

"Still, we gotta try."

"They'll laugh at us. All it will do is make us look silly and alert any vampire living here that we know they exist. If we go to the cops, we might be putting ourselves on a hit list-just like Fred was."

She bit her lip. "Hmm. I didn't think of that. You're right. We can't let anybody know about this, especially when we don't know who is a vampire and who isn't."

"And we don't know who the werewolves are either."

"How did we end up in a town like this?" she asked.

"They're trying to blend in," I said, "and they're doing a really good job. The thing is, if there are vampires and werewolves here, there should be many more deaths occurring. They must be controlling the way they eat so they don't bring suspicion to themselves."

"So they're not dangerous because they're in Bloodaholics Anonymous."

"Obviously, one fell off the wagon," I said as I glanced down to see who had left a text on my phone.

"Who is it?" Julie asked.

"It's Jesse. He's at my house waiting for me."

"Your parents are gonna be gone all day. You can't face him by yourself. It isn't safe. Let me come with you."

"No. I need to talk to him privately."

"Then do it at McDonald's or something, in a public spot." When I didn't answer, she continued, "What if Jesse is the killer?"

"It wasn't him," I said.

"You don't know that," she retorted.

I reached for my purse. "If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it already. He's had plenty of opportunities."

"Don't confront him like this, Taylor. You were clueless to his lifestyle before, but now you know his dirty little vampy secret. If he's aware of that, he might take you out with one big, giant bite right there at the house."

"It's a risk I have to take."

"Fine, but at least take some precautions." She turned and left the room.

"If you're getting your father's gun, I don't want it!" I yelled.

She returned instead with a Bible and a wooden crucifix. "Here. Vampire repellents."

"Seriously?"

"Honey, this is just the beginning. I'm far from done. The Internet has hundreds of tips." She ran to the kitchen and came back with cloves of garlic.

"Seriously?" I repeated.

"I don't have any holy water, but I can get some at church this Sunday."

I tried to hand all the stuff back to her, but she insisted I take it.

"You know, we shoulda figured this out already. Jesse is too hot to be human. Guys like him shouldn't exist on this planet, let alone in the middle of the woods in Big Bear Lake. Who knew that vampires could come in fifty shades of sexy?"

"Right," I said.

"Just don't be seduced by his hypnotizing eyes. Jesse may be handsome and sexy, but remember that he's always out for blood. You shouldn't invite him in when you go home. Your house can be your sanctuary, so just stand in the doorway so he can't hurt you. Promise?"

"I promise. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Or slurped dry."

In spite of her warnings, I didn't think Jesse would hurt me. Then again, I wasn't sure who he really was or how everything would turn out. All I knew was that I needed to talk to him.

"Taylor, you haven't even asked what kind of hardware you need to take down that bloodsucker," Julie said.

"I have everything you gave me."

"Yeah, but those are just for protection. To destroy him, you'll need a wooden stake to pierce his heart."

"What!? I'm not killing anybody. Besides, if I did, his blue-eyed coven would come after me."

"Right. I didn't think about that. But if he comes after you, you'll have no choice but to stake the night-stalker."

"He walks in daylight, Jules."

"Oh yeah. But you can't just let him suck every single red blood cell out of your body," she retorted. "I bet he gets off on it too, the pervert."

"That's it. I'm leaving."

"That's it. I'm coming."

I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to be able to change her mind again. "All right. I guess in this case, I can use a third wheel."

"Let's find some more stuff. If we get the lighter fluid from the basement, we can fry the undead bloodsucker, burning him into a million ashes."

"I suppose that might work," I said hesitantly, not wanting to picture it.

I followed Julie to the basement door, and after she stepped in to head down the stairs, I quickly locked it behind her.

She pounded hard with her fists. "Taylor! Let me out."

"I can't believe you want to fry my crush!" I said.

"Let me out! You can't just leave me trapped down here!"

"Your mom will be home in less than an hour. You'll be okay. I need to do this myself."

Halfway home, I pulled off the side of the road. I couldn't stop gasping for air, and I felt like I was having a panic attack. Since I'd never had one before, I wasn't sure. I ran a hand through my hair and tried to think clearly, trying to come to terms with the fact that Jesse could be a vampire. Do I just have some sick imagination? Am I a mental case? If he was, in fact, a vampire, I would despise what he was, and I would never be okay with him killing people. But is it my right to judge him? Maybe he just feeds on rodents or shops at a blood bank. Maybe I'm just completely crazy. Or...maybe my heart is just as lonely as his.

I wanted to scream, so as I sat there in my car, that was exactly what I did.

Chapter 20.

My chest heaved, and I sucked in giant gulps of air as I pulled into the driveway. "Keep calm," I told myself.

As I walked up the sidewalk, he smiled.

My heart stopped. "Breathe," I told myself.

"Hey, you," he said.

"Hi, Jesse."

He wrapped his arms around me and lowered his mouth on mine. His warm lips were so enticing, so addictive. His gentle touch was like none I'd ever experienced.

But my feelings about him were all mixed up. I was aware of what he might be, but I didn't care. I couldn't stop, couldn't let go. I wanted to keep moving forward with him. I wanted him more than my next gulp of air. I felt myself sinking away from reality. Any normal girl would have run, but I couldn't. His lips felt so soft and warm, and I loved the way he tangled his fingers in my long, black curls. The thought of letting him go tore at my heart, and I simply couldn't. I simply wouldn't.

Still, I needed answers.