Braced to Bite (Book 1: Half-blood vampire series)

Chapter Eleven

     My mind raced at the thought of getting back at the one who’d gotten me into this mess. If it wasn’t for him, I would be at cheerleading practice, leading a normal life. He deserved to get staked for attacking and changing a teenage girl, dooming her to an eternity of adolescent hormones and breakouts.

     “I don’t like the look on your face,” Thomas said, interrupting my thoughts.

     “Really? Well, I don’t like the thought of getting staked before being named Homecoming Queen, so we all have some adjusting to do, don’t we?”

     “Colby …” His voice was low and forbidding.

     “What did you expect, Thomas? That I would be thrilled with the news and gratefully follow you back to these elders like a sheep to the slaughter? Uh, I don’t think so. What do I have to lose? I either get killed by Chuck or one of your vampire police.”

     “Charles Winthrop is very elusive. I have been tracking him for the last six months and have come up with nothing. Finding him is a lost cause for you.”

     “Oh, is that so? Because you can’t find him no one can, huh? I got news for you, buster—I’ve seen him not once, but twice since he changed me. So if little ol’ mutant me can find him where big bad Terminator vampire can’t get a clue then maybe you need to find a new line of work.” I flounced back into my seat.

     Thomas blinked at my outburst several times before replying, “You have seen him twice and said nothing to me?”

     “Yeah, I guess we both have our dirty little secrets,” I retorted, my voice dripping with sarcasm. He doesn’t tell me about Jill and now he has the nerve to look hurt that I didn’t tell him about Chuck? I don’t think so.

     “Colby, this is an impossible situation. I can see you’re distressed …”

     “Hah!”

     “But you have to be realistic. Learning about the vampire way so you can defend yourself to the Tribunal is your only hope now. Not chasing down a rogue vampire you can’t possibly outwit.”

     He was using his soothing-an-unreasonable-child voice and just to add insult to injury, he thought I was too stupid to live if I chose to use my time finding Winthrop. I couldn’t believe I kissed him, and liked it. A lot.

     I stood up and calmly wrapped the pink chenille scarf my aunt had knitted for me around my neck. I picked up my gloves and pulled them on, tucking each finger in with flair. I grabbed my purse and looked down at him, trying to ignore how great he looked in his worn cotton pullover.

     “I am going after Chuck. Stay out of my way. I may not be Blooded, Thomas, but I am something you’re not. Desperate.”

     I meant to sweep from the room in a dramatic exit, but Thomas grabbed my wrist.

     “I still want to help you defend yourself to the Tribunal.”

     I used my vampire strength to pry his fingers off me and replied, “The trouble is, Thomas, I don’t trust you anymore. If the Tribunal decides I don’t get a license, then they send you to do the dirty work. So I have to ask myself: why would you want to help me when you’re only going to kill me in the end?”

     He acted as though I had slapped him. “I wish you no harm, Colby, I thought you knew that. But understand this: there are many ways to die and if the elders decide that is your fate, I would make sure it was painless for you.”

     I was so shocked to hear this revelation that I sat back down. “Would you really be my executioner, Thomas?” I asked incredulously. Who did this guy think he was, anyway?