Blood Dolls were a convenience.

I personally didn't care for any of it.

"Yeah, I got him one. But he'll be bringing his own entourage for his own needs as well, Carly. If I can smell that Jock on you-you know he will be able to as well."

"Michel knows I'm having this year to myself. Why am I restricted in it? Why is it that I can't enjoy myself like I asked? Why the h.e.l.l does he have to come here and interrupt me?" My voice was up.

"Michel has the right to check on you-that was part of the agreement with Father. He can't interfere with what you're doing-not as along as you're not breaking any rules set by Father."

"So how is me smelling like a human male I am friends with breaking the rules?"

"If you feed from him."

"I have not done that!"

Jared winced. "Okay...stop with the howler monkey voice. I believe you. But he might not."

"So?"

"So," Jared adjusted his hat, taking it off and then putting it back on. "He can request a tribunal test on you."

"What's that?"

"He can drink your blood-and that way he can know what it is you're doing."

Uh oh. "Would he know what I was thinking?"

"Luckily, no. But it's not going to be hard to figure out, Carly. I haven't tasted you and I can see it in your eyes. You like this guy."

"I just met him."

"You saved him. You feel a bit of ownership toward him. It's completely natural. Now, just think how strong that bond would have been if you'd given him blood."

It took all the strength I had at that moment to keep my face from revealing to him that that was exactly what I'd done. Instead I grabbed up my blood mug and downed half of it. It was warm and tasted okay. But it was like drinking diet soda compared to a real one. "I don't get what you mean. If I'd have given him blood, then it just would have healed him."

"Giving a human blood initiates a bond, Carly. You know that."

"No, it doesn't," I gave him an honest confused face. "Father said to make the bond we have to mingle our blood and then drink together."

"That's a familial bond between vampires. Between houses. Once that's done, neither can lie to the other. But if a bond is created between a human and a vampire-" he looked sad. "It can end badly."

I blinked. "How?"

"Because the bond is forged. If the human drinks the blood, the bond is initiated. That human will feel drawn to the vampire. And the vampire will be protective of the human."

"And then?"

"If there's no more contact, then it will eventually disappear. Some take longer, others it happens fast. But if the vampire drinks the human's blood-the bond strengthens. Either way, you do not want to do that."

"You mean like the blood bond I'm going to do with Michel?"

"Oh G.o.d no," Jared said as he sighed. "If you did that with a human nothing could touch that human by law because he'd be viewed as yours to do whatever you wanted to."

"Wait..." I had a vague memory of this. "That's what Michel did to me, isn't it?"

"Yes. He marked you by drinking your blood. And then he bonded with you as a human. He and Father worked it out that they'd wait until you were seventeen before you were turned."

"But..." my head was spinning. I knew this. I did. But I'd somehow-on purpose-forgotten it. "But if we've already been bonded, why are we being bonded again?"

"Because when you were turned by Father the bond was broken. If Michel had turned you-" he winced. "You'd have been his slave for all eternity. The bond would have become a chain, and Father didn't want that for you. So, he turned you so your new life became a simple Sire and Childe relationship."

I stood against the counter, looking at the coagulating blood in my mug. I'd initiated a bond by letting Brandon drink from me. As long as I didn't drink from him, then that bond would fade, just like I'd a.s.sumed it would.

So for his sake, and mine, I needed to stay away from him. But I'd already promised to be near him. "Look, Jared...I made a promise to him, as a friend. I'll go to the football game-just to see what it's all about. I mean, I never really had high school-not like this. It might be fun. Chalk it up to those experiences I wanted. We'll meet, have some fun and then I don't see him again. And then I'll-"

Uh oh.

The dance. I'd completely forgotten about the dance.

d.a.m.n it all. That was a week away, and there was no way I could turn the excitement I'd seen on his face to one of disappointment.

"What?" Jared said.

I gave him a pained look. "Uh...there's just one more thing I sort of promised I'd do."

He groaned. "Oh Carly...."

It was well past seven thirty before Brandon came into the coffee shop. Heather the Nut-Girl sat amidst her killer harem and glared at him. If she had any sort of power, Brandon would be little more than a puff of smoke. Heather had come into the coffee shop half an hour after I arrived. She'd seen me sitting at my usual table and positioned herself to face me the whole time. I had my tablet out, watching a movie. I didn't know which movie. I hadn't been paying attention.

The breeze that came in with him had a slight acrid smell to it-and it was chilled. Cold belonged to the winter, and that meant shorter days, and longer nights and evenings. Heat meant summer, and less time spent outside.

Cold brought back fading memories of hot chocolate and Christmas.

Summer gave me the memory of warmth, and laughter.

These memories were twenty years old. But still with me.

My heart fluttered when I sensed him. Was this curiosity? This need to know more about him? Or was it his alluring scent, the beat of his heart?

I'd dreamt of feeding from him. Those dreams made me toss and turn. Most of my waking evening was spent yawning and wishing I could take a sip of the coffee as it sat cooling on the table.

"I didn't scare you off," he said as he approached the table. I could still smell him over the coffee.

I looked up at him. "It'd take a lot more than having a crazy ex-girlfriend stalking me to make me leave."

His eyes widened and he immediately sat down, his book bag falling to the floor. "Is she doing that? Is she stalking you?"

"No," I smiled at him. "She's been staring at me. I think she's trying to intimidate me."

"If she gives you any trouble I want you to tell me."

"I can handle her. So, how was today?"

He shrugged. "Got another D. I just don't understand math. And this tutor isn't helping. Mom swears by him, but my grades aren't there."

"Look, I'm pretty good at math-"

"Are you home schooled? 'Cause I meant to ask you what school you went to."

"Yes...I'm home schooled. But if you want, I can help you with math?"

He moved to the chair beside me and put his book and notes between us. It didn't take long for me to become invested in the lesson-though I was pretty awesomely aware of his heart, and his scent. It was intoxicating. Like chocolate.

The problems he showed me were relatively easy and I discovered his largest road block was the way they were explained to him. I took a much simpler approach and within half an hour he had his homework done for the night.

He was putting his books away and mentioning coffee when I noticed Heather staring at us again. For a while she and her harem had ceased to exist. I leaned in toward him as he bent over his backpack. "She's so...intense."

"Who? Heather? Just ignore her." He glanced around. "No coffee today?"

"No. I didn't want any. But go ahead and get some if you want."

He stood and arched an eyebrow. "You're not going to run off are you?"

I could only laugh, and blush (what was with the blushing?!) as he stepped around the table and went to the counter to order.

I wasn't sure what it was I was feeling. Or why I was feeling it. Only that I was...confused a little. Don't get me wrong-other than drinking blood-I'm a perfectly normal person. Well, and the not aging aspect of my life.

What most don't know about me is that I was chosen for this. My father told me when I was old enough to understand. The Wyndham family chose me out of millions of possibilities in the world. I was hand picked, adopted, and taken in. I was enrolled in the best schools, given the best education money could buy. Allowed a limited range of freedoms, all within reason and always with Jared.

I was ten when I noticed Jared never changed. So many in my father's house had aged and grayed over those years. But never him.

He was constant.

That's where my normal life veered away. I based my 'normal life' standards on the movies I watched. Movies and television I wasn't allowed to see while I was human. It was only after I was turned that I was given freedoms I didn't realize were there.

In the movies, kids grew up in smaller houses, without servants. They did ch.o.r.es. They went to school. They went out on dates. Ate in fast food restaurants and met up with friends for 'drinks.'

I'd known none of this. I'd never had a group of friends.

Not even a boyfriend.

Because of my being chosen.

Chosen for a very special blood bond.

"So what school do you go to?"

Several seconds moved by before I realized the voice was close by. I heard her heartbeat and smelled cloying perfume. It obliterated her own scents. When I looked up from the table I stared at Nut-Girl.

Up close I could see she wore too much makeup. It caked around the corners of her eyes. Her lips had been lined with a colored pencil and then filled in, but the filling was long gone and only the line remained. It looked as if she'd had to draw her mouth on so she'd remember where it was. "I'm sorry?"

"What school do you go to?" she repeated, saying each word as if it had a period after it. "Are you stupid?"

"Are you?" I hadn't meant to sound like a smart-a.s.s. I did not like her.

"What the h.e.l.l is your problem? I see you in here every day, all by yourself like some loser and suddenly you're after my boyfriend."

"As I recall," I began, thinking this girl was in serious need of an att.i.tude adjustment. "Brandon said you weren't dating. You weren't his girlfriend. He wasn't your boyfriend. And it was you that ordered your goon squad to attack him."

Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared. I watched red flush her cheeks. "You have no proof they touched him."

She'd been standing over me, and I didn't like it. With a glance at the little group of boys by the window, I gracefully pushed the chair out behind me and stood to my full height. I was maybe a skosh taller but she made the mistake of bowing her chest at me and locking her gaze with mine.

Bad. Mistake.

I dropped my guard and let her see what she was dealing with. Quietly. Subtly. She was a bully and needed to be dealt with. Quickly.

There was a bit of satisfaction when her eyes widened to the size of baseb.a.l.l.s, her body trembled and I saw tears glisten in the corners of her eyes.

"Heather," Brandon's voice cut into my reveal moment. I smelled and sensed him before he was too close, blinked, and released her from my hold. She stepped back, almost falling into Brandon, who sort of helped her stay steady. He had a large coffee in his hand and very angry expression on his face. "What the h.e.l.l are you doing? Are you bothering Carly?"

"Carly?" Heather took another few steps back but never took her gaze off of me. She still had fear in her eyes, but I also saw a hint of defiance. "I'll remember that name."

"You should," I said. No. I did not like this girl, and I had very vivid thoughts of snapping her neck. "You already heard it yesterday." I held up my hand and waved at her. "Bye bye."

Heather's eyes narrowed. "Oh no you won't dismiss me, you n.o.body."

Brandon moved around Heather and stood behind me so he could set his coffee on the table. "You need to leave, Heather. Your cult of personality is awaiting your return," and he nodded to indicate the group on the couch. Though none of them were paying attention to her.

I heard her heart rate increase at a frantic level.

"You suck, Brandon Fleetwood."

"No Heather. You do. That's why we broke up."

I stared at the table. He did not just say that!

And on that note, she balled her hands into fists and marched off, knocking a few empty chairs out of her way.

Brandon settled back down in his chair and leaned against the wall, his left arm on the table holding his coffee. "I'm sorry, Carly."

I nodded, unsure of what else to say. "After what you told me last night, I can sort of see why she's the way she is. Though, I think making that remark really wasn't necessary. That was a bit more information than I wanted."

He sat forward and put a hand on my arm. A jolt of pleasant electricity shot through and I found myself leaning in to him. "Please don't think I always take cheap shots at girls. It's just that-"

When he paused I listened to his pulse. It quickened, and then it softened. Something was. .h.i.tting him emotionally. But was it Heather or me? "Brandon, was there something else about Heather you didn't tell me?"

"No, not really. Carly-I know we just met. And I'm sure you've got guys following you around all the time-"