Looking up, her cheek resting against her mother's shoulder, Keegan said, "I hope Rourk and I will be as happy as you and dad."

Her mom slid from the bed, her warmth leaving Keegan's side. She reached over and pulled the blanket up as she had done many times when Keegan was a child. "That is the beauty of our kind. You will be. He's meant for you."

Keegan grabbed her pillow and tucked her arm under it, then rolled to her side. "Do you think Rourk will get me a ruby engagement ring?"

Her mother laughed, "I guess we will have to wait and see."

Another sign that her parents belonged together was her mother's engagement ring. Her mother had an unusual name, even for an elfina"Emerald. The day they met he handed her a box that contained a stunning antique emerald engagement ring. He said when he saw it he knew it was for her, and at the time, he wasn't even aware of her name.

Ever since Keegan was a little girl, she had dreamed of her wedding day. One thing she knew for sure was she wanted a ruby engagement ring with diamonds on the sides in an antique setting. She hoped Rourk wouldn't mind. He probably intended on giving her a diamond like everyone else.

But, maybe not. Maybe he would know exactly what she wanted. She was imagining scenarios of Rourk proposing to her as she drifted off to sleep.

Keegan woke the next morning realizing she had slept like a rock. Just thinking this brought a smile to her face. She loved metaphors. Rocks don't sleep, but were always charged with energy.

Remembering that tonight was the party at Patrick's, she jumped out of bed and into the shower. Her brother banged on the door after some time and told her to stop singing. So she just sang even louder.

To pa.s.s time, Keegan walked through the woods, taking some more pictures and enjoying the sunshine. She knew it was just a matter of time until fall ended and winter crept in, making it too cold to be outside taking photographs.

She loved their land. Her parents had purchased the seventy acres of untamed wild before Keegan was born. It was mostly wooded and surrounded by farmland, so the seclusion was absolute. Her father's security measures meant it was safe for her to wander freely. Even though she made fun of Thaddeus and Sam for spending so much time in the woods, she was guilty of it herself.

Keegan spent much of the afternoon lounging around her room with the television on while she chatted on Facebook with friends. All everybody could talk about was the party.

For dinner, Emerald made stir-fry, cooking a wok for Keegan with only vegetables, and piling a second wok with beef for Thaddeus and Richard. Her family's idle chitchat made her antsy; the day had seemed to drag on eternally.

Lauren and Anna showed up around seven to help her get ready for the party, toting make-up bags in their wake. She had to admit they both looked hot. Lauren was wearing a black and white polka dot strapless dress with a fuchsia sash tied at the waist. The short dress accented her long legs and the dark color was a stark contrast to her pale skin. Anna wore black skinny jeans with a gorgeous floral tunic that showed off her long neck. She refused to conform to the "dress to the nines" theme.

Keegan took a bunch of photos of them to post on Facebook and Tumblr later. With Anna's wildly colored make-up and Lauren's smoky eyes, they were made to be photographed.

Keegan decided on a green, one shoulder chiffon dress with black heels. She let Anna do her make-up but made her promise to not get too wild. Lauren put Keegan's hair up with loose curls falling down around her face.

"Your lips and eyes stand out even more than usual with your hair up," Lauren said, fluffing the curls around Keegan's face.

"Aw, thank you, but I think all the credit goes to you and your magical skills," Keegan responded, happy with the girl who was staring back at her in the mirror.

Lauren laughed, gesturing to herself dramatically. "I am quite magical."

Standing up, Keegan paused so Anna could run a blusher brush over Keegan's cheeks one last time.

"Anna, you should change into flats," Keegan said, frowning up at her friend. "You already tower over me as it is."

"Sure, blame me for your diminutive stature. If I didn't know any better, I would think you were secretly a pixie."

"As if!" Keegan laughed loudly.

Once they were all satisfied with their looks, it was time to go.

CHAPTER 5.

Initially they were going to take Lauren's car, but Keegan's father offered to drive them. Keegan didn't know if it was because he was worried they would drink or he just really wanted to do something for his daughter. He dropped them off, fashionably late, of course. By the time they arrived, the party was in full swing.

Patrick's house was in a big suburban neighborhood. It was a nice two story brick Colonial with lovely landscaping and enough s.p.a.ce between the houses to justify a party. All the windows were alight and the solid thump thump of the music's ba.s.s could be heard from the sidewalk.

When they walked through the door the first thing they saw was Patrick, obviously drunk and with his arm around some blond chick. He saw the girls walk in and sauntered over to them, leaving the blond pouting.

"You guys are going to catch this house on fire," he said loudly, throwing his arms around Keegan and Lauren's necks. The blond chick did not appear to be thrilled by the statement, her glare speaking volumes down the hallway.

Lauren and Anna looked at Keegan who just rolled her eyes, grabbed them by their arms and pushed past Patrick. He was officially off her list.

The speed at which Lauren found Josh was astonishing. No sooner had they found the ma.s.s of the party dancing in the living room then the two of them were off making out in a corner.

The music was blaring too loud for conversation. The room smelled like liquor and sweat as partygoers rubbed against one another in the dimly lit room. One of Keegan's favorite songs came on, so she grabbed Anna and they went out and lost themselves on the dance floor.

Halfway through the song, Patrick danced his way onto the floor and screamed over the music, "Hey, I thought you were coming here to see me?"

Shooting him a disgusted look, Keegan turned away and pulled Anna further across the room. Guys are such jerks. She couldn't wait until she turned 18 and didn't have to deal with them any longer. She wondered what Rourk was doing at that very moment and whether he might have been at a party with a girl.

Why is she doing this to me? Rourk moaned inwardly. She seemed to be thinking of him often these days. It was driving him crazy.

He was playing "Left for Dead" on his Xbox 360 and the urge to throw his controller at the wall was mindless. He tried to continue slaying zombies but couldn't stay focused. Frustrated, he tossed down the controller and got to his feet, just like a puppy dog obeying its master. At least, that's what he felt like.

He closed his eyes to get a grasp on where she was. He liked the hunt and tried to figure out her location from her surroundings. Grabbing his car keys, he headed for the truck and set off in search of her.

The house was so loud he could hear the music from a block away. Once he was in front of the house, he closed his eyes but didn't like what he saw. What is she doing at a place like this? he thought. There are so many drunk kids acting like fools, and she's dancing like she doesn't have a care in the world.

Rourk watched as a blond kid approached Keegan. The kid was obviously drunk, and it appeared he was trying to get her to dance with him but she turned away. The kid grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around, causing anger to surge up inside Rourk. When she pushed the kid away again, it was none too gently, and Rourk didn't bother to suppress the smirk on his face.

Next, an orange-haired lanky boy approached her. She looked excited to see him. He started dancing with Keegan and her friends, but Rourk wasn't sure if the kid was really dancing or just playing around; he looked like an imbecile. Unfortunately, he could tell Keegan liked the guy just from the look on her face.

His heart slammed in his chest and adrenaline raced through him. He couldn't stand the thought of Keegan having a crush on someone. There was no getting over the effect the girl had on him. Even with all his training, he was not prepared for the feelings she evoked in him. Turn and leave, he kept telling himself, but his legs wouldn't cooperate. He was captivated by her, and not just by her beauty; there was something more.

Keegan was relieved to see Donald approach them. She was getting sick of Patrick constantly annoying her with his disgusting beer breath and too-friendly hands. She smiled as Donald danced up to her and Anna.

"Where did you learn to dance, Donald?" she said, trying to suppress the giggles his gyrating instilled in her.

He grinned broadly, his chest puffing out like a rooster as his hips shook. "On TV, I practice at home in front of the mirror."

Keegan laughed. She never quite knew if he was being serious or just trying to make them laugh, but he was dancing like a crazy person and she seriously hoped he was messing around.

Keegan noticed Anna had left her for Xavier, and they were deep in conversation in the corner of the room. In the meantime, Spencer and Sam approached her and Donald and they all danced together.

Keegan yelled in Spencer's ear. "Does Donald know he dances like a crazy person?"

Spencer laughed, "The insane thing is he really thinks he's a good dancer."

They glanced over at Donald; he had sweat pouring down his face. He was dancing away not paying attention to anyone. They all shook their heads and laughed.

The guys eventually moved on trying to flirt with other girls at the party.

Keegan felt left out. Lauren and Josh were still in the same spot, lips locked, while Anna was flirting relentlessly with Xavier on the couch. She wanted to leave, but knew she couldn't without the others. Gazing around at everyone, Keegan felt like they were all having more fun than her so she decided to go outside and get some fresh air.

Keegan stepped outside into the still night, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. The porch was empty, the single lamp of the porchlight illuminating the white railing and the mismatched furniture. She leaned her elbows on the railing, taking a deep breath. Someone in the neighborhood had a fireplace going; the smell of burning wood filled the air. Keegan squinted out into the street, the light at her back inhibiting her from seeing very far, and noticed someone standing across the street. She couldn't make him out because of the glare from the street lights, but it was obviously a man. Instead of being chilled by a stranger watching her, she had an odd urge to walk over and talk to him, but she knew she couldn't do that; her father would kill her if she talked to a stranger in the middle of the night. Why is he just standing there? She wondered.

Rourk couldn't believe it when she walked out the door. The light of the porch gave her a kind of halo as she gazed out across the street, her auburn hair like fire when lit from behind. She looked amazing in the dress she had chosen for the party; her bare shoulder was delicate and pale. When she kept looking in his direction, his heartbeat sped. It was the closest he'd ever been to her and he wondered why she was outside all alone by herself at night. Didn't she know it wasn't safe?

As if she could read his mind, Keegan turned around and went back inside the house. Thinking of the blond boy, Rourk thought maybe she would have been safer outside. This is getting ridiculous, he told himself. He needed to stay away from her. He couldn't keep stalking her for another two years. Rourk found some relief in knowing he would be 18 in less than a year and then he could follow in his father's footsteps and join the military. He needed to be away from her until it was time to meeta"seeing her like this couldn't be healthy.

The girls called Keegan's Aunt Katrina to pick them up. They each had a couple of drinks and Keegan didn't feel like listening to her parents' lectures. Plus, Aunt Kat was cool. She had an open-call policy. If they were ever in trouble or just needed a ride home, they could call anytime day or night. As long as they were not in danger, she would not tell anyone's parents. Katrina was a terrible liar and Keegan was convinced her mom knew every time.

Kat was a mind reader so she always knew if the girls had done anything majorly bad. She pulled up in her dark green Subaru Outback and had Cash Cash blaring. The girls piled in the car, talking a mile a minute.

"I love picking you guys up," Aunt Kat said. "It reminds me of all my crazy times as a teen. Of course, you guys are mild compared to me and Keegan's mother."

The girls laughed, the three of them piled in the backseat together.

"I doubt my mom was all that crazy," Keegan said.

Kat smirked as she pulled away from the curb. "Oh, you'd be surprised."

"Tell us some stories."

"No way, I keep your secrets and I'll keep hers as well," Kat said sternly, her eyes twinkling at them in the rearview mirror.

Kat pulled into the driveway at Keegan's and said, "Hey Anna, maybe you should get it over with and put the moves on Xavier and see what happens."

Anna's mouth gaped open. "There is something funny about you, Kat. I was just thinking the same thing."

Kat just gave her a mysterious smile. "Get out of here. Have a good sleepover, and I'm glad you called. It makes my day when I can help you guys."

The girls blew kisses to her as they ran up the doorstep.

The next day everyone headed home at lunchtime. Keegan was already dreading the rest of the afternoon. Today would begin her training with her brother, and she was not looking forward to getting her b.u.t.t kicked by a twelve-year-old.

CHAPTER 6.

They had trained as a family for as long as Keegan could remember. She just never took to it, which seemed to disappoint her parents. Unfortunately for her, now she had to focus and practice for real.

Thaddeus decided since she was rusty they should start with swords, her least favorite. Keegan tried to protest but knew it was useless, and being left- handed left her at a disadvantage in most things, not to mention her lack of coordination. Grabbing the training swords, they went over the same kata for what seemed like a thousand times. It was no more than drawing the sword, a single strike and re-sheathing it. At first, she was bored and just wanted it over with, but soon the movement became almost relaxing and the motion seemed fluid as her mind cleared.

"Keegan, we're done," Thaddeus said, leaning to pack away the tools they had worked with.

"Huh? We just started," Keegan protested, the tip of her sword resting on the ground.

Thaddeus looked at her funny. "Check out the clock."

Keegan was surprised when she looked at the clock and saw how much time had pa.s.sed. It hadn't felt like any at all.

Weeks pa.s.sed between school, training, taking pictures, and hanging out with her friends and the time seemed to fly by. Her father was gone again. She had no idea where he went; just that he was gone for weeks and sometimes months at a time. Eventually, he showed up and often with a new scar.

Keegan walked through the door one day and saw her father sitting at the table in front of his MacBook.

"How was school?" he said, giving her a big smile through his beard.

Keegan tossed her backpack on the floor, crossing the kitchen to search for a drink in the fridge. "Same as usual, nothing too exciting."

"Come have a chat with your old man." He patted the table next to him.

"Dad, what do we have to talk about? I know you're not going to tell me where you've been." Keegan grinned, looking back at him over her shoulder with her face in the refrigerator.

"You would just think it was boring if I did." Richard shrugged.

"Uh, huh. I'm sure a secret mission to save us from destruction would be boring. Do you want a drink?" She grabbed a couple of sodas and sat across from her dad.

"Your brother told me you are making great progress."

Trying to hide her surprise, she shrugged. "I don't really care what he thinks."

"Then why are you trying not to smile?"

She was quite amused at the sheer pleasure she felt from those simple words.

Keegan's mother came through the door, arms laden with bags of groceries. "Richard, would you mind getting the rest of the bags from the car?"