Rylie Cruz 2 - How to Date a Vampire (22 page)

“When we get there, let me do the talking.
You tend to talk a lot and they won’t appreciate that.”

We hurried past a jazz band set up in the
middle of the space. The music reminded me that Jack and I had just
been sipping wine in the bar the night before. Would we ever share
time together like that again?

Once we moved past the music and he could
hear me again, I said, “I don’t care what they appreciate. Why do
you want to help me, anyway? Don’t you want to kill me along with
Jack?”

“Stop asking me that. I told you I’m a nice
guy. I haven’t tried one wrong move with you, have I?”

“No, but…”

“So I’m not sure where you got that idea
from.”

“Oh, I don’t know… maybe the fact that
vampires were fighting with us, threatening us, and kidnapping us.
Oh, and turning humans against their will.” I zipped around a
couple holding hands.

“Well, yeah, I guess there is all that, but
that’s not me. I’m not like that.”

“You hang out with those bullies, don’t you?
Your vampire family?”

“I have no choice. And I’m not like them.
Look, turning humans is frowned upon nowadays. Unless they want to
be a vampire.”

“Jack didn't want to be a vampire as far as
I know. Wait. What am I saying? Of course he didn’t want to be a
vampire. He didn’t believe that I was a werewolf until I showed
him. He didn’t know about vampires when this happened,” I said.
“Can you tell me if you have any idea why they did this?”

“It was an accident. Nothing more. I
honestly don’t believe it was planned; I know it wasn’t. I can tell
you that the boss is most unhappy with the way things went down.”
He paused. “I suppose if these guys could get rid of Jack, then the
little problem would go away.”

“Well, that's probably exactly what they
wanted, to get rid of him. They had Sophie doing their dirty work,
I guess.”

“They may try to convince him that he wanted
to be turned, then finish the job.”

“No way. They can’t convince him of that.
He’s very intelligent and not easily manipulated. This is making me
sick. My stomach is in knots and my head is spinning. I don’t think
I can hear anymore. I have to find him.”

“You really love this guy?”

“He means a lot to me, but that’s not all.
The fact that I feel responsible for what happened is another huge
reason why I want to find him.”

“You werewolves can be so
tenderhearted.”

“Whatever you say.”

“You’re cute when you’re feisty,” he
said.

I snorted. No comment for that
statement.

“So Jack's only half-turned? I never thought
that was even possible. I’d never heard of such a thing until this
happened. What does this mean for him? What will happen?”

“Nothing will happen. He’ll live just as he
is. Like he always has, only slightly different.”

“Slightly different, huh? I’d call that a
huge difference. Will he live forever?”

“No, he'll live longer, but not forever.
That’s if he is a living vampire. If he is fully turned, he’ll be
immortal.”

“What about the blood thing?”

“What about it?”

“The drinking of it…slurping, chugging it,
etc. Will he always want it?”

“Yes, he will. He will eat like a normal
human, but he will crave blood. More than likely, he will have to
succumb to the craving occasionally.” The words slipped out so
nonchalantly. I guess when you’ve been a vampire for more than a
hundred years, it’s not a problem.

“Great. That's not what I wanted to
hear.”

“We don't always get to hear what we want to
hear.”

“Yeah, thanks for that insightful little
tidbit. I wouldn't have figured it out without you.”

“You really are a pain in the ass.” He shook
his head.

“Yes, I usually hunt vampires down and
harass them. You caught me. It's certainly not the other way
around.”

“See, you're doing it again.” He pointed at
me.

“Doing what again?”

“Being a big pain in the butt.”

“I can't help myself. Plus, you make it so
darn easy.”

“You really are cute when you have that
smile/smirk thing going on.” Quinton winked.

“Are you flirting with me?” I scowled.

“Yes.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Oh okay, well…” I frowned. “Whatever.” I
glanced over at him again and he smiled.

That was the last thing I needed, a flirty
vampire.

“Well, is there anything else you'd like to
know? I’ll try to answer any questions.”

“Does he come with a user’s manual now?” I
sighed.

“I'm afraid not.”

Quinton was certainly trying to turn on the
charm, but I didn’t need him tagging along. Now that we were at the
French Market how could I know I could completely trust him. I
refused to allow him to lead me into their trap. That’s exactly
what these vampires wanted. But no way would I make it easy for
them. I’d never be able to help Jack then.

I had the map and I could search every
corner of the place if I had to. Quinton was probably lying at the
meeting Sophie had. This was my chance. Straight ahead was a crowd.
If I could slip into the crowd, I could lose him and go find Jack.
How I would find him, I didn’t know, but one problem at a time.

Now it was decision time. Which direction to
turn once I got past the crowd? To the left or right? I’d been to
the market several times, but with my mental clarity hampered by
the stress of the situation, making the right decision wasn’t easy.
There wasn’t much time for a mental debate. Since he said speed
wasn’t one of his strengths, I kicked it into high gear. I’d leave
him in my dust. Once I made it around the crowd of people, I turned
a quick right onto the next street. With any luck, my abrupt turn
would delay my vampire escort’s response time. I needed all the
extra seconds to escape that I could get.

Once I rounded the corner, I knew I could
outrun him. He kept mentioning for me to slow down, so for some
reason he didn’t want to run fast, or couldn’t run fast. That was
to my advantage. With my heart hammering in my chest, I ran as fast
as I could along the uneven pavement. He’d never catch me at this
speed.

The French Market was on the outer edge of
the French Quarter. Luckily, it was crowded and there were plenty
of buildings for me to tuck behind. And at that moment, I
definitely needed a building or two. On the other hand, with that
many buildings, it meant Jack would be impossible to find.
Sprinting and weaving around the crowds was getting the best of me.
And I thought I was in shape. I seriously needed to run more often
so I wouldn’t struggle when in live-or-death situations. In my
attempt to ignore my werewolf world, I had shut out all the natural
aspects of it.

People stared as I zigzagged through the
crowd, trying to lose my vampire escort. A couple of people groaned
and mumbled as I darted around them. I glanced over my shoulder.
They shook their heads in disapproval. My arms flailed about as I
sprinted along. I might run fast, but I never said I looked good
while doing it. I managed to keep my bag of food clutched securely
in my hand, which made me happy. I needed beef, quickly. My side
ached and my legs cramped. Much more at my current pace and I might
as well let the vampires have me. A metaphorical sign would be
attached to my forehead that read:
Here I am, come and get
me.

Putting as much distance between Quinton and
me was the best thing I could do at the moment. The continued pain
radiating in my side let me know my running would have to end soon.
Those romps through the woods with my pack that I’d continually
turned down didn’t seem like such a bad idea right now. If vampires
were going to force me to run marathons, I needed conditioning. Up
ahead was my turn. My breath came in quick pants.

People gawked. I guess it wasn’t every day
they saw a woman running through the French Market as if a monster
were after her. Little did they know that monsters really were
after me. since the vampires obviously wanted Jack and me dead. I
thought that constituted monsters; at least that was my definition.
My heart lodged in my throat. I couldn’t handle stress of this
magnitude. Would they call the police? What would I tell the police
if they stopped me? I was being chased by vampires? I’d be arrested
for being a complete freak.

Up ahead, I spotted an outdoor market. A
large crowd stood out front. People milled about, selecting their
purchases. Despite the open-air building, the air had become still
and I found it harder to breathe, as if someone had filled the air
with cotton. I stayed close to the people around me. I walked in
time with them, trying to blend with the shoppers. I figured I was
safe enough. The only thing that would give me away was if Quinton
picked up my scent. What special powers did he have, since speed
wasn’t one of them? Could he read thoughts? Going out into the
sunlight was obviously one of his abilities.

I hid behind a tall man with his arms full
of shopping bags. My panting grew louder. He turned around and gave
me a glare. Maybe he was a vampire, too. Heck, I could be
surrounded by them for all I knew. Sucking in a mouthful of air, I
tried to slow the hammering of my heart against my ribs. If I was
caught, I’d be toast.

After a couple of seconds, I figured I
couldn’t hide behind him any longer, I poked my head out from
behind him, looking to each side. I glanced around, making sure
Quinton wasn’t hiding right around the corner, waiting to drain
every last drop of blood from my body. Thankfully, he was nowhere
in sight. How many other vampires were around though? The place
could be full of them for all I knew.

My thoughts raced just as quickly as my
heart. Where was Jack? How would I save him? The Cruz curse had
struck again, this time with a vengeance. And even if I did find
Jack safely, he would never want to be with me after this. Yes,
just another day in the wacky life of Rylie Cruz. Werewolf
extraordinaire.

As I neared the other side of the building,
voices caught my attention, so I paused to listen and catch my
breath. They were nearby, but out of my line of vision.

“I didn’t think I needed the werewolf, too,
so I let her slip away. Obviously, she’ll be nothing but trouble.
But she’ll be around. She’s looking for her honey. Then we’ll take
care of her.” Sophie’s voice carried through the air. I’d recognize
it anywhere. The male voice, on the other hand, I didn’t recognize.
One of her minions, perhaps?

My stomach churned. What would the vampires
do to me if they caught me? They’d really be ticked off at me for
running off again. But why hadn’t she taken me when she had the
chance? Running away from Quinton, I hadn’t had time to think about
it. After some time of not hearing her voice, I took a few
steadying breaths. My heart rate lowered slightly and my panting
became less noticeable, but my stomach churned. I was a nervous
wreck. I was getting some crazy looks. My mind whirled with
thoughts. Jack had been kidnapped and I was planning his escape—it
didn’t get much crazier than that.

I couldn’t hide out in the shop any longer.
Time slipped away and every moment without finding Jack meant I was
closer to losing him forever. I’d have to make a run for it. I
dashed out among another group and made my way along the street,
trying not to run too fast. I'd get strange looks if I moved at
super-speed. If only I could kick it into overdrive though,
although it didn't help matters that I had no idea where I was
headed. What if Jack wasn’t even here? Quinton could have brought
me here to throw me off their track. I moved around a corner and
zigzagged through another group of people. They probably thought I
was rude for moving so fast, but I didn't have time to be Miss
Manners.

As I moved past another shop, I sensed
something. A feeling swirled around me. I recognized the sensation.
A vibe ran through my body—an energy that had me wanting to shift
right there and then. I'd never felt anything like it. Not even the
pull of the moon had made me feel that way. It was like an itch and
I couldn't scratch it. Then I realized the pulse against my chest.
The amulet pulsated with a low hum and vibrated against my skin. I
thought it might break right off the chain. Was it telling me
something? Sending me a message like Morse Code. But what? I had no
clue about this stuff. And no way to discover the answer. It was
almost as if it was warning me, pushing me to transform. I couldn’t
though. Not here, not now. I’d have to ignore the pull. Push it out
of my mind, or at the very least, put it to the back and deal with
it later.

But with each passing second, the urge grew
stronger. I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to suppress the urge.
The pull was a powerful one and the wolf in me wanted to break
free. Would I be able to control it? Without warning, I stopped in
my tracks. My mind no longer controlled my legs. I couldn't force
my feet to move forward, no matter how hard I tried. All I could
think of was shifting. It consumed my thoughts as if somehow the
wolf in me had the answers. Would I find Jack if I shifted? Or was
I reading too much into the feeling? Apparently, the stress was
getting the better of me. One of my mother’s massages might not be
a bad idea or an aura reading. It was as if nature was telling me
this was what I needed to do. But for what reason? I understood
when the lure of the full moon forced me into my beastly form, but
why now? What did it mean?

Chapter Twenty-Seven

How to Date a Vampire, Rule #27:

Never underestimate the power of a
vampire.

If I had to turn into my werewolf self, then
I'd have to find a place to hide. The last thing I needed was to
turn hairy in front of all of these people. I'd be on the eleven
o'clock news for sure with that kind of move.

With no other options, I decided I had to
fight the urge. I couldn't give in to the yearning just yet. Using
all the strength flowing through my veins, I finally forced my legs
to move forward amid some strange looks from the people around me.
As I made my way to the next shop, the feeling continued. Almost
like an anxious, panicky feeling when you know something bad is
about to happen, yet it was worse than that. I stopped, bending
forward and placing my hands on my knees. I let out a deep
breath.