Superiority Complex

"Silas! Open up," I yelled, banging hard on my stepbrother's door. I could hear him curse, probably mad at being interrupted in the middle of... well, that! But at the moment, I didn’t give a damn what he thought of me. Usually, I would choose to ignore something like this—I didn’t like to get involved in Silas' casual flings.

I had known right from the day we met that he was a playboy. And why wouldn’t he be? He was the most attractive guy in his college, with a wealthy father to support him, and girls tripping over him. But boy, did he have bad taste! Why would he choose to go back to Tammy after what she had done? I had at least thought he was smart enough to learn from his past mistake. Tammy wasn’t a good girl—why couldn’t he just stay away from her?

In my anger, I didn’t even wonder how I knew Silas was with Tammy. Maybe it was the scent; that girl wore way too much perfume! I didn’t stop banging on the door until I heard shuffled footsteps approaching. The door was yanked open, and I was faced with an irritated Silas. Hair messy, half-naked, and looking so damn intoxicating... If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was an incubus.

"What is it?" Wow. What’s up with that cold tone? Was he really that mad at being interrupted?

"It’s Tammy again, right? I can’t believe this, Silas! Did you forget what she did last time? How can you still be with her?"

"I had no idea my relationship was any of your business."

"Don’t be so cold! I’m only looking out for you. Out of all the girls, why do you have to go for that one?"

"If only I could get the girl I want, then I wouldn’t need a distraction, would I?" Silas could be ruthless when he wanted. His words slashed at my heart. I remembered Deric’s words. I didn’t know whether or not to confront Silas about it, and I doubted this was a good time.

Before I could say anything, Tammy came out of the room and wrapped her arm around Silas’ waist. There was a taunting smile on her face as she watched me. "Silas, baby, please come back to bed. We still have a lot to do."

This woman! Just seeing the expression on her face made me want to step forward and grab her by the neck. Who the hell did she think she was playing with? How dare she act coy with me after putting my life in danger? Now that I thought about it, there had to be a reason why she had directed me to the Night Dweller. Had she been hoping I’d end up attacked by someone? Or was she trying to show me where my stepbrother spent his time? For someone considered very smart, Silas sure made dumb decisions.

I looked away from Tammy and at my brother. He still had his eyes fixed on me, his gaze thoughtful as if he was trying to figure something out. I didn’t give him time to come to any conclusion before turning around and walking downstairs. "Whatever. Do whatever the f*** pleases you. I don’t give a s***." I had to stop worrying about him. He was an adult, and I was sure as hell he could take care of himself. I was the one who needed a break. I’d expected to come home and meet my mom. I’d actually hoped to tell her how my date went and everything, but of course, she wasn’t home. She was probably out with Bill again—for like the hundredth time this week.

"You’re on your own, Kerry. Just look out for yourself for now," I chanted to myself as I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I frowned slightly as the metallic smell of blood hit me. I stared at the countless bottles stacked in the back of the freezer, wondering how I could smell it. Could it be that it was going bad? I’d have to remind Bill to take it or possibly throw it away. What poor animal did that blood come from, I wondered. Or maybe it wasn’t from an animal at all. After seeing Silas in a human feeding bar, I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of all vampires feeding on humans. Terrible.

"Kerry." I was startled by the sound of someone behind me. I turned to see none other than Silas’ hookup. The girl was still wearing nothing but her underwear. Did she think she had the right to walk around our house like that? It was so infuriating!

"Don’t call my name!"

"Listen, kiddo, you don’t have to be so aggressive towards me. Trust me, I’m on your side. Anyway, I need to apologize for what happened last time. You see, I meant no harm by calling you to the Dweller. I was just worried about Silas. I would’ve called to tell you he was alright, but my phone died. It was just one big misunderstanding. Nothing you should be so hung up about."

"Do you think I believe a word you say? You probably wanted me to get in trouble! You knew very well that humans were being fed on in that bar, and yet you called me without any warning! I don’t like you. I never did."

"Unfortunately for you, sweetheart, I don’t need you to like me. I’m with Silas, not you. He doesn’t care about you as much as he used to. I should thank you for that."

"What does that mean?" I asked, confused by her words. Tammy smiled at me as she drew closer. I willed myself to hold my ground, not wanting to show her I was intimidated by her presence. She was dangerous—I could feel it. She reached out a hand and twirled my hair between her fingers. I wanted to slap her hand away, but suddenly my body felt too heavy. I couldn’t even lift my arm. I looked up at Tammy in shock and saw her eyes had turned a dark red. She was using her power on me! Just when I thought I couldn’t hate this girl more.

"A vampire like him can never be with a pathetic human like you. We vampires are superior, so don’t even dare think you have a chance with him. He is mine, so you better learn to stay away."

Tammy let go of my hair, and with one last evil smile, she walked back upstairs. Only after she disappeared did I finally regain control of my arms. I took a shaky breath, trying to calm my racing heart. No vampire had ever used their power on me—except for Deric, of course. Seeing how easily they could control someone made me even more fearful of vampires.

How the hell did Tammy know Silas had feelings for me? Did he tell her himself? Maybe it was obvious to everyone but me. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t even going to try fighting for him. Perhaps if he had been anyone else but my brother, I would’ve considered it. But now that our parents were legally married, there was no way I was having an incestuous relationship with him.

I put the water back and hurried upstairs, not wanting to run into Silas or Tammy. I got into my room and slammed the door. When I turned toward my bed, however, I was so shocked I nearly tripped over my shoes. "What the hell?"

"Hi." Matt. Why was he in my room, on my bed? My eyes swiftly went to the pile of underwear I’d forgotten to sort out that morning. It happened to be right beside him. My face flushed red.