WITH A SURGE OF ADRENALINE, I MANAGED TO break free from Angel's iron grip. I was on the verge of making my grand escape, ready to zoom down the stairs in a lightning-fast blur, when – BAM! Angel's fist collided with my face, sending me tumbling down the stairs like a rag doll. I hit the first floor with a bone-rattling thud, the wind knocked out of me, my vision swimming with little birdies. Just as I was about to slip into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness, Kylian, and his band of buffoons arrived at the scene. “Thanks, Angel,” Kylian said, gratitude oozing from his voice like slime from a slug. “I'm grateful.” I almost choked on my spit when Angel, my temporary arch-nemesis, suddenly transformed into my unexpected savior. He stood between Kylian and me, like a human shield, his stance as protective as a mother grizzly bear defending her cubs.“What is the meaning of this?” Kylian demanded, his voice ringing through the air like a toddler's tantrum in a quiet library. I couldn
I THROW MY HANDS UP IN DEFEAT, acknowledging my true nature as if I’m a clumsy waiter carelessly spilling a tray of drinks. “Alright, you got me,” I confess with a sheepish grin, my fangs gleaming in the dim light. “I'm a vampire, okay? But trust me, bud, Jaja's not the appetizer you're looking for.” Angel's eyes widen, his own fangs glinting in anticipation like a child stepping into a candy store for the first time. “Is that so?” he growls, eying Jaja like she's a Thanksgiving turkey, fully-cooked and ready to be devoured. “Hold it!” I exclaim, trying to stall the inevitable as I mentally scramble for a solution. “I'll tell you everything you want to know about being a vampire, I promise.” Angel snorts, his voice as rough as sandpaper scraping against a cheese grater. “You can't even handle seven measly humans, and you expect me to believe you can teach me the ropes of being a vampire?” With that, he trails his tongue over Jaja's neck, leaving behind a glistening trail reminiscent
MAMA’S FACE POPS INTO MY HEAD EVERY night, like a late-night TV show, just as I’m about to drift off. I see her smile, all soft and gentle like a moonbeam, and her eyes, full of love, like a mug of steaming hot chocolate. But then, the memories come flooding back, and bam! It’s time for another guilt-marathon. That day started like any other. Mama – bless her soul – was facing down two monsters, Alzheimer's and cancer. Her skin was as pale as a ghost, and her once-lively hair clung to her head like soldiers in a war. But her eyes, man. They still had that spark, like she knew something the rest of us didn’t. “Can you come with me to the store?” Mama asked in a voice as delicate as a butterfly’s wing. There I was, hooked on my game, fingers moving over the controller like a piano virtuoso on energy drinks. My buddies egged me on through the headset, and I was this close to the taste of sweet, sweet victory. “Mama, can you hang on a sec? I'm in the middle of something,” I s
TIME FLEW BY LIKE PAGES FROM A CALENDAR caught in a hurricane, but that guilt just wouldn't quit. It was my shadow, my constant reminder of how badly I'd messed up. I was a sad excuse for the dude I used to be, crushed under the weight of my guilt like a bug under a shoe.I started spending all my time in my room, getting real cozy with the darkness. I'd lie in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling, replaying that awful day in my head. Guilt wrapped me up tight, like a burrito of bad feels. Dad tried to help, but I shoved him away. I didn't deserve his love, his forgiveness. I was the reason Mom was gone, and nothing he said could change that.It all started with me slacking off at school, neglecting my friends, and feeling downright miserable. Then, some so-called “geniuses” told me that drinking would make everything better. I figured, why not give it a try? Before I knew it, I was hooked.I began to spend my days hanging out with my new best friends: booze and poor choices. My lif
PEERING INTO ANGEL'S EYES, IT WAS LIKE looking into a sad, deflated birthday balloon of his soul. And boy, was he in a pickle! “Listen, pal,” he said, desperation leaking from every pore, “I need your help! This whole vampire thing is ruining my life and I wanna be the boss of it, not the other way around. I’m sick of being a fanged horror story.” I gave him the old once-over, feeling sympathy for this guy, all twisted up inside. He saw himself as a total monster, leaving chaos in his wake like a clumsy bull in a china shop. He thought he was cursed to leave bloody fang marks everywhere he went. Talk about a recipe for guilt! “I hear you,” I said with a sigh, feeling his pain down to my toes. “You’re carrying a ton of baggage and the past is hanging onto you like a leech on a swimmer. But, you know what they say—even the darkest night has to split when the sun comes up. There’s always hope, even for the vampire who lost his way.” I patted his shoulder, all friendly-like. “You h
CHLOE WAS STRETCHED OUT ON THE HOSPITAL bed, staring at her phone like it was her ticket to a candy paradise. She was hooked on Candy Crush, with the bright colors and shapes practically exploding right in front of her face. Meanwhile, Scarlett was chilling in a chair, scrolling away on her phone and diving deep into the wild world of social media. As Scarlett checked out her newsfeed, a whole lot of birthday love was being sent to Jaja, who was pretty much the social queen at school. There were tons of pictures from Jaja's awesome birthday bash, showing all the fun and laughs going on far away from their super quiet hospital room. Scarlett and I took in every single photo, practically tasting the excitement and feeling the good vibes. It was almost like we could hear the laughter, feel the warm hugs, and smell the yummy birthday cake — we felt like we were right there with Jaja and her friends. But no, here we were, stuck in the most boring place on Earth — a hospital room. As Sc
CHLOE'S LAUGHTER RANG OUT LIKE A BELL. “Werewolf and Vampire hunters? You've got to be kidding me! Are you guys pranksters or something?” Kent's brow furrowed, his voice dropping an octave. “We're not here for laughs, girl. We're all business.” Ben, standing tall and stoic beside him, offered a firm nod of agreement. Chloe shrugged, her amusement waning like a birthday balloon with a slow leak. Kent leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a mix of urgency and curiosity. “Haven't you heard? People have been dying under suspicious circumstances – bites on their necks and not a single survivor… except for you.” Chloe's face paled, her lower lip quivering like a sapling in a storm. “I-I'm not sure what happened…” she stammered, shaking her head in confusion. With a compassion that belied his no-nonsense demeanor, Kent softened his tone. “For your safety, and the safety of Shadowvale, we need you to tell us who – or what – bit you.” His gaze locked onto Chloe's, unwavering and int
AS CHLOE, SCARLETT AND I SHUFFLED TOWARD Chloe's uncle's car, I leaned in and whispered, “Hey, what was all that about?” Chloe scrunched her face up like a crumpled paper bag. “Huh?” she said, rolling her eyes like a slot machine. “You know exactly what I mean,” I hissed through gritted teeth. Chloe, Scarlett, and I piled into the back seat of Uncle Mike's car, while Emilia whined her way to the front seat like a siren in a traffic jam. Finally, Uncle Mike's wife joined him in the front, and the car growled to life like a hungry bear waking from hibernation. I leaned in close to Chloe, dropping my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Alright, spill the beans. Why did you tell those men that your brother is a vampire?” Chloe and Scarlett shot me the kind of look you'd give someone who just claimed they could talk to houseplants. “I don't know what you're going on about,” Chloe replied, her voice dripping with confusion like honey from a beehive. “Why would I say that? That's just…