A sophomore boy held the door open for her, making a grand, sweeping gesture that brought the first true smile to her face. With few students in the halls, it was far easier to move as she gathered her things from her locker and strolled to homeroom.

***

Devon stood silently in the shadows, leaning against the cool wall as he watched her move slowly down the hall. Her head was bent forward; her golden hair cascaded in thick waves to the small of her back. Though he couldn’t see her face, the utter perfection of her beautiful, delicate features had been burned into his memory last night. Cassie, he recalled the small girl from last night calling her.

Sighing softly, he stepped away from the wall as she disappeared into one of the near empty classrooms. He didn’t know what he was doing here, he had never stepped foot in a high school before. He had never had any intention of ever doing so. But for some reason, somehow, he found himself standing amongst the stark, foreign halls.

Well, he knew the reason, and it was her.

Ever since he had first laid eyes on her, first smelled her, he had been inexplicably drawn in. He had been passing through town, heading for the woods in search of food, when he had caught her scent. The blood flowing through her veins was strong, its fragrance deliciously alluring. It had reeled him in like a fish on a hook, snagging hold of him and refusing to let go. She had been a bright beacon against the dark night encompassing her.

Though he hadn’t fed off a human in a very long time, he had been unable to resist the appeal of her enticing aroma. He was so ensnared by it that he hadn’t been able to wander far from her since he had first seen her. Somehow, strangely, she was a shining light against the darkness residing in him, and he had to get closer to her. Though he had not wanted to come here, he’d had to see her again in order to try and figure out the strange hold she had over him, or to see if he had just imagined it. He had neither figured it out, nor had he been imagining it. In fact, her pull over him felt even stronger today. Hence, why he was here, and why he had stood outside of her house last night for a bit.

There was a wealth of sadness in her, a longing and need that called to him. It touched something in him, sparked to life something that he had thought cold and dead centuries ago. Hell, she touched something that he hadn’t even known he possessed. It had taken him awhile to name the strange emotion building inside him, and it had shocked him when he finally recognized it as hope. Seeing her again now, he felt the strange hope once more, and a strange spark of life that kept him rooted in place. She made it damn near impossible to even think as he struggled with the astonishing feelings threatening to consume him.

He had not felt like this since Annabelle. Had not felt this pull, and need, and… obsession? Yes, it was definitely obsession he felt for this girl, but it was different from what he had felt for Annabelle. This felt good, it felt right. This girl affected him in such a different way than Annabelle had. He had simply had to have Annabelle, had to possess her, had to break her, but this girl…

This girl he wanted to protect and hold and cherish for some unknown reason. This girl made him feel oddly alive again, almost normal, almost human even. He didn’t understand her hold over him, but he could not fight the sensations pulling at him. No, this girl was completely different than Annabelle. With Annabelle it had been a game, one that had changed him forever.

But last night, when this girl had turned to him, his heart had leapt in his chest, or at least it had felt like it for a moment. He had not thought of his heart or the missing beat of it in centuries, because he had not felt anything in the region of his heart in years. However, he swore he could hear it beating now, could almost feel it pulsing blood through his deadened veins once more.

This girl was beautiful, spectacular, perfect, but it was not her looks that captivated him. It was the splendor of her wounded, bright spirit. Though she radiated loss and loneliness, he also sensed a steel rod of strength and pride running through her.

Looking upon her, seeing her, he instantly felt as if he were complete, as if he had found his home. Somehow, in her, he had found the one person that could make everything all right. He knew with absolute certainty that she could ease the aching loneliness that had eaten at his soul for centuries. That had nearly destroyed him time and time again. He did not understand his strange reaction to her. In all his many years, he had never felt anything like what he suddenly felt for her. After all of his time on earth, he had never expected to be shocked or thrown off balance again. He had thought that he had seen it all, that he knew it all.

He had been wrong.

He was completely thrown off balance now. He was unsettled and enchanted by this girl, a teenage girl no less. He needed to know more about her, see more of her. He needed to understand the strange effect she had upon him. He needed her to ease the ache that filled his deadened spirit, and he knew that she could do it.

He watched silently as the halls began to fill up, the chatter and laughter grew louder as students milled about. Lockers opened and slammed as they prepared for the day. He found himself oddly captivated by the simplicity of their lives, amazed by the easy flow of their days. It was something that he had never witnessed before as he tended to stay away from humans, and the allure of their warm blood, and pumping hearts.

Though he had control over his baser, more murderous instincts, he felt it best to avoid temptation as much as possible. And humans were a great temptation, no matter how much control he had now. Even after all of these years, he could still clearly recall the taste of their warm blood, recall the thrill of the hunt, and remember the surge of power that their deaths had brought to him. However, no matter how much of a temptation their blood was, he had been drawn here by her, and he was loath to leave her now.

Slipping from the shadows, he ignored the startled looks his sudden emergence caused the students closest to him. He sensed the fear, curiosity, and lust that followed his movements. Ignoring them all, he became intent upon his goal as he made his way toward the offices he had seen at the front of the building.

If he was going to stay close to her, and get to know her better, than there was only one thing he could do. He glanced around the crowded hallways, ignoring the fluttering beat of the hearts surrounding him as he took in the people that he would be spending the rest of the day with.

CHAPTER 4

Cassie played idly with the pages of her notebook as the principal droned on about the daily announcements. She honestly didn’t know if she was going to make it through this day. She was wound tight as a spring and about ready to snap. Closing her eyes, she folded her arms and dropped her head on the desk, stifling a yawn. Chris shot her a questioning look, but she ignored it as she allowed her eyes to drift shut.

The morning announcements finally came to an end and attendance began. Cassie shot her hand up, not bothering to lift her head when her name was called. Chatter started up the minute that attendance was over. Homework was discussed; plans for the weekend were made in the few minutes left before the day started.

“You ok?”

Cassie opened her eyes, her lids felt like lead as she met Chris’s worried gaze. “Fine, just a little tired,” she assured him.

The class suddenly quieted, a strange silence settled over everyone. Cassie frowned at the startled look that came over Chris’s face. He froze where he was, his hand tightened upon her desk as his eyes became riveted upon the front of the class.

A feeling of foreboding stole through her. The strange tingling sensation once again raced down her spine. Her already frayed nerve endings leapt to blazing life, seeming to sizzle and crack with electricity. She remained frozen, unable to lift her head to see what had captivated everyone’s attention; she was certain she already knew.

She just wasn’t certain how she was going to deal with it. Swallowing heavily, she tried hard to rid her throat of the fierce lump that had lodged itself there. Taking a deep breath, she gathered all of her courage, and whatever strength she had left, to lift her head. Her eyes instantly found him at the front of the classroom. Her heart leapt like a trapped bird in her ribcage at the sight of his powerful body that seemed so out of place in the classroom.

Her classroom!

It took her a moment to truly comprehend that he was really there, that she had not fallen asleep, and that she was not dreaming about him. She had to be awake though, for she could never dream anything so wonderful, or so frightening. She also never would have dreamed that he was a high school student. He seemed far older than her, or any of her other classmates. He exuded a raw power and confidence that none of them possessed. Yet he was standing there as if he truly belonged; standing there as if he didn’t look as out of place as a platypus would.

Even Mrs. Mann looked slightly flabbergasted as he spoke softly with her, and extended a slip of paper to her. Cassie stared at the paper as she struggled to get her wildly spinning mind focused upon something other than the snapping of her body, and his startling presence in her normally calm day.

With a bolt of certainty she knew that she was never going to have another calm day again.

He turned slowly away from Mrs. Mann, his bright emerald eyes instantly latching upon her. Cassie inhaled sharply, tears once again flooding her eyes as a sense of peace and rightness stole through her. She wanted to cry, wanted to sob with the joy that suffused her entire being. She wanted nothing more than to go to him and bury herself within his embrace.

His gaze did not leave hers; his eyes were bright and fierce. He did not look at anyone else in the class as Mrs. Mann cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. But everyone’s interest was focused upon the stranger in their midst. Few new students ever moved to their small town, let alone one that was as strangely fascinating, and magnificent, as he was. He would be the center of attention for the rest of the year.

“Class, I would like to introduce you to Devon Knight.”

Something flickered in his eyes; a small smile curved his full mouth as he finally turned his gaze to the rest of the students. That strange sense of loss suffused her again as his gaze left hers, but she found herself finally able to inhale once more. With the connection broken, panic set in as a crushing sense of being trapped descended upon her. She could not be stuck here with him; she could not be forced into a destiny that she did not want again.

And she did not want this, whatever it was, she told herself fiercely. Even though she secretly feared that she did.

“You are lucky Devon; we have plenty of people in this class who would be more than happy to show you around.” Cassie slid further down in her desk, trying hard to become invisible as Mrs. Mann’s gaze scanned the classroom. The last thing she wanted was to be chosen for this task. “Melissa, would you be willing to show Devon around?”

Relief and disappointment crashed through Cassie in fierce waves that left her shaken and unsettled. Melissa stiffened slightly, her shoulders tightened in front of Cassie. “Of course,” she replied pleasantly.

The bell rang, but nobody leapt to their feet as they all remained focused upon him. “Have a good day everyone,” Mrs. Mann announced loudly.

The enrapt trance seemed to snap as everyone moved into action. Melissa turned to Cassie, a strange gleam in her onyx eyes. “Would you like to join us?”

Cassie opened her mouth to answer, but no words would come out. She snapped it closed, and shook her head fiercely. She lurched to her feet, knocking her chair back. Both Chris and Melissa studied her in surprise as she scooped up her bag, and flung it over her shoulder. “Cassie…”

“I have to go, I’ll see you later,” she interrupted abruptly.

Her gaze darted back to the front of the class, where he was standing patiently, his eyes still focused on her. Cassie bent her head, afraid to stare at him much longer in case she got sucked in by him again. If she did, she knew she would never escape. Keeping her head down, she joined the crush of students pushing into the crowded hallway.

She hurried down the hall, barely acknowledging the greetings she received. Pushing her way into the bathroom she ignored the girls huddled by the window smoking cigarettes. They didn’t acknowledge her presence either. Turning the faucet on, Cassie eagerly splashed her face with cold water. She was trying hard not to spill the tears that burned fiercely against the backs of her eyes.

She would not cry, she could not cry. If she did she knew she would never stop. Turning the water off, she placed her hands on the edge of the sink, gasping in air as she struggled to keep control of her wildly swaying emotions. She wanted to sob over the events that kept throwing her life into a fierce tailspin. That kept knocking her off balance and taking things from her. She wanted to sob for the joy and electricity that still sizzled through her, making her feel whole and alive in a way that she never had before. She wanted to sob in order to purify her spirit of the turmoil that plagued it.

She did not know what was going on, but she wanted it to stop. She wanted it to end and for him to go away so that she could feel normal again. “Are you ok?”