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  The week of my birthday arrived quickly. Uncle Tyler came, but only brought James and Bryson. Albert and Dean had gone camping in the mountains somewhere, so it was only Jason, James, Derek, Bryson and me. I had started getting along better with Jason lately. The one time he had started making snide remarks, I had just rummage through his thoughts for ammunition, I reminded him of how low his self-esteem was in his bedroom activities. Needless to say he had been very nice to after that. I think he respected me more after I put him back in his place.

  Once all the boys had arrived we all sat around the campfire and heard of James new girlfriend. I was laughing at some comment Derek had made when I saw my dad coming out of the back door.

  “Dad” I yelled as joy filled me. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed him. With enough force that we both fell to the ground from impact I hugged him. It was a silent moment that neither one of us had to say “I missed you”.

  “What have you been eating, your solid as a rock” My dad said pulling away to inspect me over.

  “Everything” Uncle Allen yelled from the bar-b-q pit causing my dad to chuckle. We began talking about what we had both achieved in the month of absence. I had finished school but dad had…

  “I started dating,” he stated causing me to look at him wide eyed

  “Her name is Mia. She’s in real estate and very nice.” He continued when I didn’t say anything to his announcement. Once he figured out I was going to keep with the old saying “if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all” routine he scowled at me. “Lana, don’t start” since I really didn’t want to “start” as he so put it, I decided a change in subject was in order, I didn’t want to fight about the fact he had started dating once I left home after all these years being single.

  “So when can I come home?” I asked straight forward.

  I watched his face change to one of complete sadness. As I was waiting for his answer I was suddenly hit in the side by a flying purple water balloon Derek had thrown. Happy for the distraction and not really wanting to hear what bad news my father was going to say, I began running after Derek who was heading towards the trees. After tackling him to the ground I began tickling him till he yelled “MERCY!” I quickly stood up, knowing once I let him go he would retaliate and finished the race to the trees.

  We were playing like ten year olds at a park.

  “You couldn’t catch me if you tried,” I yelled changing direction so I was running towards the group hoping to lose Derek in the chase.

  “Look out everyone. Here she comes ! ! ! ” Jason yelled out a warning. Everyone who lived with Uncle Allen hit the ground knowing I would just plow through them if they didn’t. The large tree next to the house was my goal if that meant plowing through all my family then so be it, I had yet to be caught by anyone and I wouldn’t start today.

  “Not Fair!” Derek yelled from below like a five year old, as I jumped up on the nearest branch and started climbing my way up.

  “You’re just to slow,” I teased. He kept trying to jump high enough to grab a branch, but he couldn’t quite reach the lowest one. He looked like a toddler trying to reach the cookies on top the refrigerator.

  “Fine you win ! ! ! ” he yelled eventually coming up with a master plan. I knew from his thoughts he had a stash of water balloon close to the tree I was now in.

  “Admit it Lana, that’s not fair,” he said kneeling down to grab a balloon.

  “Haven’t you noticed life’s is full of unfairness?” I asked still taunting. While his concentration was on looking for more ammo, I leapt of the branch, landing farther away than I had originally planned. Derek grunted at me as he tried several times to hit me with colors of the rainbow balloons.

  “I don’t know why you just don’t give up Derek,” Jason called from the campfire. “You’ll see, one day,” Derek seethed. His pride had sufficiently been wounded enough for today. I watched my dad approach the tree I had just climbed, he looked dumbfounded for some odd reason, shrugging my shoulders I moved on towards the campfire, a lot of the males of this family always seemed to be surprised when I jumped in that tree like it should be impossible or something. Uncle Allen finally informed us that dinner was ready; of course I had to wait until everyone got what they wanted from the buffet. It seemed my eating habits had grown since I had left my fathers.

  I waited patiently until everyone had gotten their fill, then I grabbed my three full plates, devouring everything I had chosen. My dad came to sit next to me after we were all through with our food, the campfire was warm and little sparks of amber looked like fireflies dancing in the distance.

  “You’ve learned a lot from your cousins,” he said after a few moments of silence.

  “Not really. We just horse around most of the time,” I said smiling into the flames still proud for my unbeaten record.

  It was getting dark when Quinn finally arrived. Dad, Allen and Tyler all went to greet him. Jason, James, Bryson, Derek and I all stood in a line, like we were in the army awaiting inspection.

  Quinn came over to our little line after his greetings from the older crew, he looked everyone up and down without saying a word, like a general looking over his troops. When he got to me he stopped, like I had a feeling he would.

  “Lana, you look lovely,” he said taking my hand and kissing my palm. I smiled at him but didn’t say anything; I was mildly embarrassed by his general’s approval and compliment.

  Once Quinn went back over to the adults, we fell out of line and resumed our former positions by the fire.

  “You going to changing in the house again?” Jason asked with a big grin.

  “No, ill change out here with you guys” I I said standing up, I had been having an internal war with myself about where I would change, but I would always be apart from the Pride if I changed in the house for fear of modesty.

  We all watched the sun set before starting the process of taking off our clothes. These guys knew, after living with me the past month, that I would kick their ass if they said a word about me or my undressed state. Of course they all still stole a look, when I unhooked my bra.

  “What? You all act like you haven’t seen breasts before you sick perverts,” I said kneeling down smiling trying to lighten the mood a little since everyone seemed so tense, probably remembering what happened last month when we did this.

  I was a lot faster than the rest of the Pride. Even Quinn took about 4 minutes to change completely where it only took me seconds. The hunt went smoothly as Quinn ended up killed two large bucks for the Pride. Due to my voracious appetite, I had to wait once again.

  While waiting, I smelt something strangely familiar off to the east. The odor was strong enough to know I smelt a vampire. I growled in the general direction of the bastards. My growl had warned the others something else was here, just as we all tensed a female vampire came swooping down out of a tree landing in front of me. She had spiked black hair, lots of leather and a burning hatred in her eyes as she looked at us all.

  “Who is your Pride master?” she demanded in a deeper voice then I would have given her, Quinn roared his reply. I kept a very close eye on the vampire as she went over to him.

  “Your Pride master?” she asked not seeming to believe it as she looked from Quinn to me.

  “I figured that one there would be leader.” the vampire addressed Quinn and pointed her perfectly painted red nail at me. I gave a low growl in warning.

  “Lana Stop!” Quinn commanded through thought. Immediately I silenced the growl and continued to watch.

  “I am here to talk to you about your comrade, Bill,” I looked at my dad begging to dispose of her as I had Byron. I had a very bad feeling about all of this. Turns out I was right, for her next words had me wanting to rip her head off as well.

  “You understand he is being tortured for information
about Byron’s death since that was his last mission. As you can tell, I was given this address. So, if you want to live through this night, you will give up the one who killed him,” she told to Quinn. Apparently Bill hadn’t given her my name.

  “Lana, Stay calm,” my dad said in thought. My panic was turning into outright anger causing my fur to stand up. The vampire began watching me more closely.

  I didn’t do anything; I just stood there trying very hard not to shake with anger and even harder not to disobey Quinn’s order.

  “You see,” the vampire bitch continued,” I caught a strange scent on Bill when we picked him up. It is not one I recognize, and since none of you smell like it, I am wondering if Bill is lying” I knew she was trying to get someone to speak. When no one tried to change to even breathe hard she seemed to make up her mind with a nod. I watched her move in slow motion towards Quinn; I had what felt like forever to intercept her before she could touch him. I felt my teeth sink into the flesh of her leg and pulled making her fall inches away from Quinn. I kept pulling her back away from the Pride. “I will kill you for this” she hissed as she turned her torso over and grabbed for my front paws. Her eyes were burning red with anger and vengeance. I bit down harder until I hit bone making her scream like a banshee. “Why aren’t you burning” she yelled hysterically. I had forgotten that little tidy-bit. When a vampire’s eyes glowed red they had the ability to burn what they are holding. Since I felt no pain, or burning of any sort I chalked it up as another superstition.

  She kept looking at my paws and then to me wide eyed, well I had her attention now.

  “You will die if you kill me,” she said in a voice cold enough to melt an ice burg. I so badly wanted to kill her, but Quinn’s order telling me to stop earlier had me hesitating. Would I bring more death upon my loved ones if I killed another Vampire?

  “Lana, you have to let her go,” Quinn thought to me.

  “No one will be safe in this Pride if you kill her,” Dad added. I had my answer, maybe my father was a little telepathic too. I slowly let go of her nasty leg and began backing up, her eyes had stopped glowing once she realized I wasn’t being burned now they were just the color blue.

  “Who are you?,” she asked eying me very carefully as she maneuvered herself up. Why was this vampire still here?

  “You smell like a tiger, but I don’t understand what you are,” she sounded puzzled, almost intrigued.

  “I will bring Bill here tomorrow so you can see he is alive in exchange for you to reveal yourself Siberian.” I didn’t want Bill to die but I still had no idea how to change back once I was in this form without sleeping. But knowing what would happen to another if I didn’t at least try I nodded my head at the vampire bitch.

  “Wonderful,” she said as she gave a little clapped like an adolescent child.

  She began to turn away hopefully to take her leave but then stopped to turn her head to me once more. “Know this, if you leave, I will kill your Pride and Bill as well,” I nodded my head confirming my understanding.

  “What a good little kitty,” she said patting me on the head. Giving a low growl I pulled away from her hand, I did not trust her even for a split second.

  “Well, see you tomorrow night,” she said winking at me before jumping into the trees disappearing from view. Quinn began leading us back to the house with his head lowered as if defeated. Once we got back to the clearing, everyone started to change back; I tried several times and failed once more.

  “Lana you need to change back so we can talk about what you just did,” Quinn said rubbing my shoulders. He was quicker changing back to human form then he was to change into feline. As be rubbed my shoulders and fur I began to calm down bit by bit causing me to lie down on the ground and close my eyes. I didn’t fall asleep but I felt light headed all of a sudden causing me to open my eyes in panic, only to discover I had changed back to human and was now laying naked on the ground with Quinn’s hand on my lower back. I turned my head to look at him but he was otherwise occupied by staring at my naked ass.

  “I do believe it is rude to stare” I stated trying not to die of embarrassment.

  He just grinned but removed his hand. We both stood up, he was also naked, so I had to clear my throat several times and keep my eyes locked on his.

  “I want everyone gone tomorrow night,” I stated in a stern voice.

  “Now wait a minute, I’m the Pride master here,” he said teasingly proving to me that he didn’t take me seriously.

  “Be a good one then, and tell everyone to leave,” I said looking him straight in the eyes, letting him know I meant it. The smile he had been wearing slipped a little.

  “I was going to do that anyway.” He stated crossing his arms over his chest. I had to read his thoughts; he was planning on staying with me to confront the Vampire.

  “Quinn, I don’t think that is a good idea,” I said shaking my head back and forth, not caring if he got pissed for me reading his thoughts.

  “I’m not leaving you here to deal with that thing,” he said in a firm tone leaving no room for an argument. He knew more about the vampire world then I did so maybe it was a good idea.

  We all made our way into the house to get dressed, I hurried knowing I needed to talk to Quinn about what had just happened and get as much information as possible about Vampires.

  When I came downstairs I felt the tension the house. All of my cousins and Uncles had already packed their bags and were placing them by the front door. Derek stopped when he saw me.

  “Why did you have to do that?” he said yelling at me. It took me a moment to get over my stunned reaction to his yelling at me.

  “I wasn’t about to let her kill Quinn. She would have killed him the minute she touched him,” I stated calmly

  “Why can’t you burn like the rest of us? Why are you stronger, quicker, and faster,” he asked trying to conquer his anger.

  “I don’t know,” I retorted.

  “DEREK!” Uncle Allen yelled causing my ears to ring.

  There were no further comments and the family left quickly. Other than my father, Derek was the only one to give me a hug before leaving even though he had just got done asking some very good questions I didn’t have answers for. He left with his father and brothers and they gave me accusing frowns of disapproval. Dad wanted to stay, but Quinn told him it wouldn’t be safe and that he needed to leave. After much debate of the subject Quinn had to order my father to leave. After a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek plus a small warning growl to Quinn as was his fatherly justice he left.

  I sat down at the kitchen table with a thud and began with my questioning.

  “What do they want with Bill?” Quinn sat down at the table with me.

  “They are using him for his ability I imagine. It’s just another way for them to have an edge.” Yeah that made sense I guess.

  “Do you know why I don’t burn like everyone else when they touch me?” I asked hopeful for some answers. Quinn raised an eyebrow.

  “You think I know? Hell babe, that’s giving me a lot of credit,” he said with a chuckle. “You know you saved my life tonight right,” he said giving me a look that sent my blood on fire.

  “Yes, I know,” I said diverting my eyes. I wanted to look anywhere other than the hunk of a man sitting across from me. I was feeling that this was not a good place to be, alone in a big house with a gorgeous man. A man that made every nerve in my body screams for his touch. I felt my face turning red from the naughty thoughts racing through my mind. Quinn began sniffing the air.

  “Now you wait a minute,” I said standing up and holding out my hand as if to stop him. He slowly stood up and stalked around the table till he reached me.

  “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do, trust me,” he stated looking a little sad at my scared state. I let out a breath I hadn’t real
ized I had been holding when he began walking back to his chair.

  “Thank you by the way,” I said after a very uncomfortable silence.

  “For what?” he asked leaning back in his chair.

  “For bringing me here, even though I didn’t want to come,” I said. He chuckled,

  “Well, I didn’t think you would want to live with me.” He said causing me to laugh.

  “You wouldn’t want me living with you. I am pretty hard to handle. Even all the guys here couldn’t keep up with my eating habits, or my playfulness,” I said smiling as I thought about my cousins.

  “Well, I’m not just anyone,” he said in a low voice leaning over the table closer to me.

  “No, you’re the Pride Master,” I reminded him in a sarcastic voice as I leaned back in my chair, all the while trying very hard to hide my smile. I was having fun playing around at least until he didn’t say anything back and just kept staring at me. Now feeling uncomfortable once again I mumbled “I think I’ll go take a shower,” getting up, man it was hot in here, but I doubted it had much to do with the heating unit in the house. A shower seemed like a safe place to go at the moment, a really cold one.

  When I got to the top of the stairs, I looked behind me and saw that Quinn was following. I figured that since his room was also up here, he probably wanted to rest, so I paid it no attention.

  “Good night” I yelled down the hall as I entered my room. I heard Quinn’s bedroom door close but got no reply. Shrugging off the feeling something was amiss I closed my door so I could undress. The minute the cool water touched me it felt like my skin was sizzling until the fire was put out. I bowed my head directly into the water’s path, closed my eyes and braced my hands on the wall, letting the water release the tension I had been carrying for what felt like forever. I was so lost in my solitude that at first I thought I imagined the feeling of someone touching my butt intimately, until I heard a growl causing me to quickly turn grabbing the hand that I now knew belonged to Quinn.