Vampires Rule

New Monsters Check In

It was Friday night, and it looked like the whole school had shown up for the party that Meghan had told him about. One notable person was missing: Silver. There was a mountain of burning wood in the center of the field, a bonfire on the verge of being out of control. Some of the kids had parked their cars in a wide circle, spread out and facing the bonfire. Several radios were tuned to the same station. Music blared from all directions, and a few of the morons had left their headlights on.

Jack picked his way through the crowd, searching for a familiar face. He couldn't stop thinking about the werewolf boy he'd killed last night. This party was supposed to 'take his mind off' the tragic event. He hadn't meant to do it, but his intentions didn't matter now. The boy was dead. That kid wouldn't be getting a second chance, not like Jack.

Tucker Binn ran around the bonfire in a circle, swinging his sweatshirt over his head. He tossed it into the fire. His friends laughed and cheered him on. His happy, drunken gaze fell on Jack, and his smile died a quick death. Tucker tried to put on a brave face as he scurried away.

Jack looked down, checking his own shoes out. He desperately wanted to leave. He didn't belong in the company of normal people. If he spent too much time around them, he was afraid they would figure it out, his secret.

Jack glanced up and saw an old friend.

Summer strolled towards him, hands in pockets and an easy smile on her lips. The fire made her hair shimmer like spun gold. When she reached him, she placed a palm on his chest. Summer liked to touch people as she spoke with them. It didn't mean anything—usually.

Jack knew he should walk the other way, but the comfortable feeling her presence brought was impossible to ignore. All week long he had been drowning in the unfamiliar. It was nice to relax, if even for a moment.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I can still smell you a mile away." Summer leaned in, closed her eyes, and breathed deep. She exaggerated a sigh. "Miss me?"

"Sometimes."

"There's a simple cure for that. Come home with me."

He shook his head. "I can't. I'm not like you anymore. I've changed."

"I have the remedy for that." She playfully bit the air; then she performed a throaty laugh. "You and I were meant for each other. We'll die in each other's arms. Promise."

"I thought the whole point of being a vampire was not dying."

A few people danced into them, bumping Summer so hard that she fell against Jack. His hands automatically caught her and memories spilled forth, memories of how good it had been between them. She smiled up at him, triumph in her eyes. The manipulative girl knew she was on the verge of winning him over.

"Sorry," one of the guys muttered as he stumbled away, obviously drunk. A fourth person handed Jack a drink before giving one to Summer as well. Jack grabbed the paper cup with both hands, using it as an excuse to let go of Summer.

She sniffed the drink after the guy walked away. "Hmm. There's alcohol in this punch. Probably vodka."

"Block me so I don't have to be obvious about it."

Summer turned her back, shielding him while he dumped the contents of his cup and hers onto the ground. Vampires couldn't drink alcohol. Booze made them deathly ill. Although he was human for the moment, Jack wasn't prepared to take the risk. According to the Reign family, he was going to regain vampire powers. Perhaps he would also have some of the curses that went with it.