I moved as if propelled forward toward the chain-link fence separating the game area from the throngs of people. Couples, players, cheerleaders, band members, all moved back and forth in the small corridor between the edge of the stands and the fence.

With a glance around, I found a small s.p.a.ce between two girls at the fence and watched as the two teams moved along the field. I recognized the colors from Brandon's jacket. Blue and gold. The other team was black and red.

"Who's winning?" I said aloud, wondering to myself than actually asking anyone.

And to my surprise, the brown-haired girl to my right answered. "Eh, they are. But no one ever beats the Rockets. They kick b.u.t.t."

I grinned at her and she glanced at me and then did a double take. "G.o.d-where the h.e.l.l did you get those?" Her dark eyes were wide as she grinned. "I want some of those."

"Where did I get what?" I put my hand to my face.

"Those fangs. Those look professional."

Fangs?

Oh c.r.a.p.

I immediately put my hand to my mouth and realized my blood teeth had slipped down. It had to have happened when I smelled everyone. I concentrated on them and willed them to retract. In an instant they were gone and I put on a frown for her. "Fangs?"

She nodded and pointed to my mouth-and did another double take. "Did you take them off?"

"Take what off?"

"Christ-I coulda sworn you had on a pair of killer fangs. d.a.m.n girl," the brown-haired girl said as she laughed. "I'm embarra.s.sed now. Been watching too many vampire movies."

"Really?" I grinned at her. "You like them?"

"Well, yeah. Vampires are kinda s.e.xy, don't you think? But mostly I've been watching shows like True Blood and Vampire Diaries."

I must have looked confused.

"Oh girl-you've never seen them?"

"No. But I don't watch a lot of television. I do like movies though."

"Got Netflix?"

"Yeah?"

"Throw Vampire Diaries in your cue. You won't be disappointed. They have the nomming kinda vamps." She stuck out her hand. "I'm June, by the way. June Starr."

June Starr. I loved the name. I took her hand in mine. "Carly Piper."

"That name is kicking. Do you go to Lakeside?"

"No. I'm home-schooled. I came here to watch a friend play."

"Oh one of the football players?" she looked out at the field. "Who?"

"Brandon Fleetwood."

June turned a shocked look to me. "Nooooo way. You're friends with Brandon? Can you introduce me? He's like...the school untouchable."

I didn't understand a lot of what was happening on the field. A part of me was aware of Brandon getting closer and then farther away as he moved away, but I was now riveted to June. "Untouchable?"

And then her face grew even more animated with surprise as she backed up and jumped up and down. "You're her! That's you!"

I reached out and grabbed at her wrists and pulled her back down to earth. With a glance around I moved in close. "What are you talking about?"

"You...you're the girl that's got Heather all p.i.s.sed off. Oh man, you're a hero around here, did you know that?"

"Uh...no?" I wasn't sure I liked the way this was sounding. "I don't really know Heather-you are talking about Brandon's ex-girlfriend right?"

"Ha! Not ex to her. That b.i.t.c.h thinks she's got a market on Brandon. That's why he's untouchable. Any of us come near him, she sics her little harem on them."

"They beat up girls?" I was thinking back to when her harem attacked Brandon.

"Oh nothing like that. They just start spreading rumors about the girls being wh.o.r.es or something equally nasty. So most girls don't want that and stay away. Poor guy's alone most of the time." She put her hands on her hips. June was dressed in an old brown pea-coat with a multi-colored scarf draped around her neck. I glanced down at her boots and admired them for a few seconds. "But yeah...we heard he was looking at a new girl. A girl who doesn't go to Lakeside. Someone outside of Heather's circle of influence."

"I don't understand her," I finally said as a buzzer honked somewhere. The opposite side of the stadium erupted in cheers and I looked around.

"They won," Jane informed me. "I guess with a home school environment you don't get much football or social interaction?"

"No. None. So when I met Brandon at the coffee shop-"

"Oh...!" She leaned in and glanced around. "Do you know anything about Brandon beating those guys up?"

Players were coming off the field just behind Jane where a door in the gate had opened up. My gaze went to the helmets as they came off. I could feel him near me-I just couldn't tell- "Carly!"

I jumped and turned.

He ran up and put his arms around me, bending down with his shoulders encased in hulking plastic pads. He smelled of human sweat and soap. He was...divine.

"Hey June," he said as he noticed her behind me. "You showing Carly here the ropes?"

I glanced back to see June looking sh.e.l.l-shocked. Her eyes were the size of golf-b.a.l.l.s and her mouth was open. I reached over and pushed her jaw up. "Yeah, she's been helping me." I looked back up at him. "I'm sorry I was late. Family stuff."

"Is your brother here?"

"No, he's taking care of it. But I'm here."

"Will you stay? I have to shower and get changed. I'll be back out in about twenty?" The look of need in his eyes stole my breath away and I nodded. He leaned down and hesitantly kissed my cheek.

Then he was gone.

"Uh oh."

I turned to look at June. "What?"

She was looking past me and up. I followed her line of sight and saw none other than Heather standing up in the bleachers, sporting her cheerleader uniform, pom-poms, and a glare.

"You know..." June said. "I think we should go for cover before she sets you on fire with her foul personality."

Jane grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the flow of outgoing people traffic. We took a short cut to the left and moved under the bleachers toward another series of fences. Just beyond the stands was a thin woods that separated the stadium from the neighborhood on the next street over.

She made a straight line for a group of people huddled on the far side of the fence. I glanced back, wondering if Brandon would know to find me this far away.

"Don't worry about Fleetwood," Jane said as we neared the group. "He comes over this way after a game to get away from her. Takes the path along the woods home."

He does?

As we neared the group I felt something brush against my outer senses. Something familiar...and dangerous.

I smelled...blood.

Vampire blood.

I came to a stop just outside the little group as Jane shouted out her arrival. A tall, dark skinned young man turned and grinned down at her. "Oh Jane-you're just the person that needs to go see this guy. He's right up your hormonal track."

"Oh?" she moved in quickly.

The boy turned and looked at me and waved before he stepped to the left. A few of the others also turned to see Jane and then focused on me. And then the sea of kids parted.

They revealed to me what I already guessed at.

Michel stood in their center, Dockal at his side. She had her arm around one of the younger males, her eyes black and focused in on his neck, but she hadn't attacked yet. And I knew she wouldn't without the okay from her Sire.

He'd changed clothing somewhere. His leather was gone, as was his blood-stained white shirt. He'd shed it all for jeans, boots, a soft white shirt beneath a plaid-lined hoodie and denim jacket. With his hair pulled back in a ponytail, he looked like a student.

Almost.

His skin was too pale. His eyes too fierce. And his lips too red. He was a sight to behold, and I was sure the thundering of hearts I heard belonged to the girls, and the guys, who found Michel utterly...irresistible.

"Ah...I see we have another to join us. And your name is..."

I almost spoke, until I saw he was focused on June.

No!

"Oh wow," June said. "My name's June." Her gaze was locked onto Michel's face and I knew at that moment he was delving as deep as he could into her mind. He wouldn't be able to get full thoughts from her until he actually tasted her blood.

And I didn't want him doing that. June was a nice person, and didn't deserve to have someone as base and vile as Michel messing it up.

"June, what a lovely name. Please, come closer."

She nearly flew at him, whether from Michel's power or June's own admitted love of all things vampire. Though right now, Michel didn't look as goth as he could. He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. I saw him take in a deep breath. He was smelling me on her.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

"I see you've made a new friend here tonight, haven't you June."

"Where is she?!" A woman's voice shrieked behind me. Everyone looked past me as I turned to see Heather marching forward. Still dressed in their cheerleader skirts and tops, she lead a posse of her team mates toward us.

And Michel.

This situation was getting worse by the minute.

Heather stopped just in front of me, hands on her hips. Her little group fanned out behind her. What-were they planning on beating me up?

She reached out with her index finger and poked it into my chest. "You-owe me an apology. In fact, you owe the whole school an apology."

Before I could answer, the tall dark skinned boy that'd greeted June earlier stepped forward. I glanced back and noticed everyone that'd been paying attention to Michel was now watching this little scene.

And Michel?

Standing still where he'd been, his expression unreadable.

"Heather-exactly how is she owing the whole school an apology-much less you?"

I glanced up at him. He winked at me.

"Step back, Bogart," Heather said as she gave him a less than friendly glare. "In case you didn't notice, Brandon wasn't on his game tonight. He was distracted. And she's the distraction." She nodded at me. "And she owes me an apology for hitting on my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Bogart laughed. "You serious? Brandon's not your boyfriend."

The ground vibrated under my feet. Three of Heather's harem came running up, all dressed in their letter jackets and jeans. I remembered they hadn't played tonight because they'd been suspended for attacking Brandon.

"We got a problem here?" Jack asked as he stood beside Heather. I knew him. He'd been the one to do most of the kicking and stomping on Brandon. The friend with the darker hair, Paoli, came up behind him and then a third. I recognized him from the coffee shop but didn't know his name.

"There's no problem," one of the group said as he stepped back. He had a shaved head and several silver hoops in his ear. I wasn't sure if he was older or the same age. "Heather came up hara.s.sing the new girl. Said it was her fault the game folded." He snickered. "Looked to me like the team just sucks."

"Shut the f.u.c.k up, Johnny," one of the girls said. "You were suspended anyway."

He shrugged. "So?" Then he pointed at me. "She doesn't even go to this school."

"Games aren't restricted to just the students and families," a male voice said to my right.

I turned to see Brandon approaching. He was freshly dressed, his wet hair over his face. He wore his letter jacket and a very unhappy expression. When he moved through Heather's group to stand beside me, I felt a wave of relief. It wasn't that I was really frightened of them.

I was more worried about Michel behind us with his little demon Dockal. Out of all us here, he could do the most damage. And I would feel a lot better about Brandon's safety with him beside me.

He put a hand on my shoulder and I stepped away, hoping to make it look like a friendly gesture. I was aware Michel was watching, and after the display earlier with Craft I didn't want him anywhere near Brandon. I was already sure Michel recognized Brandon's scent. But would he be able to tell my blood was a part of Brandon?

I wished at that moment that I'd paid a lot more attention to the rules. I'd only worried about myself mostly, memorizing what I thought they wanted me to memorize when it came to my destiny. I'd always a.s.sumed the trouble the rules were made for wasn't for me. I believed I was above it all.

Funny how arrogance can make us believe the stupidest things.

Heather was the pivotal point of this little scene. She was the one I needed to take out. So, as I moved away from Brandon I stepped in front of her. "I owe you nothing. Outside of your little group of admirers you're nothing more than a spoiled girl who thinks she can have whatever she wants." I leaned in closer. "Get the h.e.l.l out of my sight. I don't go to your school. You have no power over me. And you sure as h.e.l.l don't have any claim to this man," and I nodded to Brandon. "Or anyone else."