Locking my diary away, I take a break from planning what I was going to do next and decide to relax in front of the TV. Passing Mum and Dads room, their hushed argument instead gets my attention and I listen in.

“Just take the kid, I’m not leaving them in the house alone!” Dad snapped.

“She’s an adult and…”

Oh god. They’re talking about Logan and I, being alone.

Opening the door they both jump and crossing my arms I only glare.

“Ellie, everything alright love?” Dad is being nice. Too nice.

“Whatever this is all about, forget it.”

“Want to come to the shops with me? I need to get some more groceries.” Mum finishes getting ready and picking up her bag, I understand now. Dad doesn’t want her going alone and doesn’t want to leave Logan and I here.

“God no, but Logan loves doing domestic duties!”

They both look at me doubtfully, yet it is the easiest solution to their sudden parenting dilemma. Finding Logan in the kitchen, he was more than willing to get away from Dad for a few hours too.

I phone up Vesna and get filled in on Alfie. His demon side has only come out twice and they’ve had to keep the Trackers away from his enclosure as he doesn’t seem to like them very much. Getting off the phone, I tune in to some reality TV and Dad ends up coming to join me even though he is on his laptop the whole time.

This is normal.

Nice.

I used to be able to veg in front of the TV for hours, days if there was something really good to watch. Now I was just getting fidgety. The urge to go back to planning my own attack on Selene became consuming and so I started channel surfing to try and distract myself.

“Put down the remote. How about we go do some training?” Dad gets up and stretches, taking the remote from my hand he turns off the TV.

“I guess so?” I follow him down the back and I wonder just how out of shape I am sparring with Dad gets me sweating before his breathing has even become disturbed.

“Ellie, slow down. You give it your all too soon, pace yourself. Demons feed off your energy, if you’re pumped and ready to go so are they. If you take this slowly and calmly, you can get control of the fight a hell of a lot quicker.” He guides me through a few more exercises and as we take a break, I realize we haven’t even argued this whole time. “You’re so much like me kiddo.”

I take it as a compliment.

For a bit of fun, he takes out two swords and I easily twirl it in my hand, getting a feel for it.

Only then the feeling hits.

Whenever danger is near, our body seems to react to it. Maybe it’s a change in the air or our blood responding to the demon it attracts, but I lower the sword to my side and look towards the door.

“Do you feel that Dad?”

He nods, and I follow him out into the backyard. My mind is telling me vampires, but that’s impossible. It’s just gone mid-day and they can’t be out in the sunlight.

“Stay close.” Dad whispers, crouching low we move around to the side gate. He is tall enough to peer through the gaps at the top and seeing nothing, he carefully unlatches it. Slowly we creep along the side of the house, careful not to knock over the bin. The feeling is getting stronger and just when we’re about to give up, an old white van comes flying around the corner. Its tires spin as it’s pushed to its limits down the street, the scent of burning rubber tainting the breeze as it comes towards us.

Dad puts his arm out, blocking me and it comes to a stop in front of our house.

We watch as the rusty door grinds open, and as the body is dumped on the footpath – my heart stops. Dad isn’t affected like I am, and if vampires are going to be dumping people so publically and at our house, they have some explaining to do. He runs after the van as it squeals into gear, and throwing the sword manages to knock out one of the blacked out passenger windows. The screaming from inside tell us someone just met the sun and the van swerves onto the street with the driver clearly distracted from his duties.

Reece.

I run into the garage and finding the shot gun hidden in the rafters, quickly load it and as the driver gets some control back, I take aim. Hitting the side of the van, not the tire has a decent result as sunlight can invade the darkness of the back only it doesn’t stop them and taking another shot, I get the back of the van.

They’re gone before we can do much else and dropping the gun on the lawn, I sprint over to Reece. By now neighbors have started to emerge from their houses. Thankfully it’s a weekday and most people are at work. The few old couples emerge bravely and a Mother holds her child as she takes a few hesitant steps onto her porch.

He’s barely breathing and hardly recognizable as dirt and blood cover his face. “Reece, Reece, it’s Elise!”

His eyes are so swollen he can barely move them let alone try and open them. Moving his arm over my shoulders, I manage to start lifting him and try and get him inside as best I can. Dad distracts the neighbors from coming over, talking instead about hooligans and asking if the police should be called due to the gun shots. Hopefully no one knows those noises came from our place and luckily the trees that act as a separator between properties stopped them from seeing me moving Reece.

The second I open the front door, Dad is there. He helps me get him into the kitchen and once he is laid out on the tiles, the extent of his injuries is revealed.

“Dad, what do we do?” I try to keep my emotions out of it. The prospect of him going from Missing to Deceased hadn’t really upset me. Now I might actually witness that transition, I don’t think I can handle it. “Reece, you’re safe now!”

I pray he can hear me, taking his hand – all my first aid training didn’t prepare me for this. Dad is on his phone to Mum and he throws it on the counter once he’s done, running upstairs he comes back down with the first aid kit.

“How do you know his name?” Dad asks. I hate that a tear finds its escape as with one, more will follow. I don’t even know him, or really like him – but he can’t die. Not like this.

“He is the Slayer I met at the academy.” I manage to get out and Dad nods as he seems to remember. Taking out a needle, I say nothing as Dad injects him. The worst cut is across his abdomen and Dad makes me apply pressure to it before he takes over and starts to do what he can to stop the bleeding.

From the lash marks that cover his arms and chest, I don’t want to think about what he had been through. All I manage to do is hold his hand, and Dad goes about cleaning up the numerous cuts with the same care and ease as any doctor. A bullet is pulled out of his arm, and the worst cut is stitched up. I do everything Dad says, passing him antiseptic, bandages and anything else he tells me. Most of the wounds had started to seal themselves and getting up, I get some warm water and a cloth and start to clean up his face.

“Victor!” Mum yells, frantically running to find us, she absorbs it all in a heartbeat. “I’m so glad you’re alright!”

“We’re fine, there was no attack to us. This poor guy got dumped, god knows what they’ve been doing to him.” Dad sits back and I don’t stop from cleaning away the dried blood.

“Shit, that’s Reece!” Logan adds to the conversation. I don’t hear what they talk about, until Mums hands are on my shoulders guiding me up.

“Come on, we’ll get him comfortable. Your Dad did a great job love. I’m sure he’ll be fine!”

I feel numb.

He can’t die on my kitchen floor.

Looking down, my grey sweatpants are tainted with red stains and the white tank top has suffered the same fate. My hands start to tremble and she sends me into the bathroom to clean up. By the time I’m done, Dad is on the phone to the Treaty Keepers in his office, Mum has giant pot of soup in the making in the kitchen and Logan is just sitting at the dining table.

“Is he… Did he die yet?” I manage to get out.

“No Ellie, he is the room at the back if you want to go check on him?” Mum smiles sadly, and I go down there nervously.

She had done a better job at cleaning him up than I had. His ruined clothes are gone and his chest isn’t looking as wrecked as it did barely an hour ago. A few of the marks have gone from cuts to pink lines, yet some of the bandaged ones have red staining through the wrapping. He is covered by the blanket from the waist down and carefully I sit on the edge of the bed.

I hate this life.

If I had gotten into college I’d be at school now. Learning, planning my escape.

Instead I’m here wondering about vampires and praying my brother isn’t in the same state somewhere with no one to help him.

“You ok?” Logan walks in, frowning as he looks at Reece’s hand in mine.

“Yeah, just didn’t expect to see him like this.”

He nods, sitting in the chair beside the bed. Water is on the bedside table and I can imagine Mum playing nurse and trying to get him to drink. She has patience like that. I just want to slap him to try and wake him up.

“Someone knows something. I think Jordan was right when he was worried about all of us being followed. You should go Logan, you don’t need to get involved in this.” I put Reece’s hand back at his side and ever so slowly, his fingers twitch a little.

“I think it’s a bit late for that,” he argues, yet the more I stare at Reece’s the hand, I see it move again. I wasn’t imagining it.

“Reece? Can you hear me?” Taking his hand, I lean closer and slowly his eyes twitch as he tries to open them. His fingers curl around mine and Logan leaves to get Mum. “You’re safe.”

He groans and lifts his free hand towards his head. Slowly his left eye manages to squint open, the bruising on the right keeps it closed. “Bun…ing?”

I nod, relief washing over me. Surely this means he is going to survive?

He goes to lift his head up from the pillow before wincing and dropping back down, his head rolls to the side. He tries again, and I grab another pillow from the cupboard. Helping him lean forward, the extra pillow lets him sit up slightly and Mum walks in with Logan.

“Reece? I’m Mrs. Bunting, you’re safe now dear.” She takes my spot on the bed, looking over him with care before resting her palm on his forehead. “Here, try to drink sweetheart.”

Mum is in total mothering mode as she helps him with the water. She should have been a nurse; humans would thrive under her care. She sends Logan and I away and Dad goes in a second later.

“Do you really think that attack was connected to you?” Logan asks as we go into the kitchen.

“He was dumped at our house. Coincidence?”

“Good point.”

I stir the soup on the stove, inhaling the aroma’s deeply and my stomach churns with hunger. Just as I’m considering a sample, Mum and Dad reappear, the looks being shared between them as pleasant as they had been this morning about going shopping.

“Ellie, he asked for you.” Mum ignores Dad, and takes over with the soup.

Suddenly everything feels awkward.

Logan follows Dad outside and Mum is looking at me like she knows something I don’t want her to. “Why?”

“You know each other, he is a bit out of it at the moment and must want a familiar face around. I’ll bring some of this in soon.” She pats my arm before picking up the ladle and now I don’t want to see Reece. Taking a deep breath I go back in and he points at the door.

“Close it?” He nods and so I do as he asks, lingering by the bed. “Seriously, if you wanted to see me again you could have just sent a text like a normal person.”

It’s a lame attempt at a joke, but it works as the corner of his mouth curls slightly.

“Not my style.” He croaks, coughing. I close the distance I was trying to keep between us and help him have another drink.

“How you feeling?”

“They gave me blood.” He wheezes, wincing as he holds his side near the wound Dad stitched up.

“What?” I’m not sure I heard him right.

“Before I came here. In the van. They gave me vamp blood.”

Of course they did. What better way to totally screw over a Slayer than by turning them into what they are made to destroy.

“Are you sure?”

He nods, opening his eyes all I can see is fear.

“It doesn’t mean anything.”

His grip on my hand tightens, “I can feel it.”

“Did you tell my parents?” He shakes his head and now I know why he wanted to speak to me. Shit.

As his body began to repair itself, all I could wonder was it the Slayer in him healing or the vampire?

“We’ll keep you asleep until it passes.” I decide, wondering if that would work. To become a vampire, they feed on you – you feed on them and then you need to die for the vampire blood to take over. Your first taste of blood is what decides if you get to become one of them or return to normal.  If you don’t feed by dawn and can fight the vampire urges, survival is possible. So where was he up to?

Had he died in the van, the kitchen… I go to pull my hand away, only I can’t.

“Reece, let me go.”

“I get it now. What draws them in to us.”

“Let me go. You can fight this!” Despite the state he is in, I can see he is playing into it. He doesn’t have the strength of an injured Slayer, it’s all vampire.

“What’s the point? Really? I watched them torture and kill my friend, for days they did the same to me. I kept fighting, and now – I don’t know why I did. They always win and to survive in this world, you need to pick the right team.”

The numbness I felt at seeing him so beaten earlier returned and I only stood there staring as he seemed to sniff the top of my hand before inhaling deeply. The second he turned my hand over and licked my wrist, disgust tore through me as I realized what was happening.

“I bet you taste as good as I know you feel.” His voice was low and seductive, yet it had no effect on me. My fist collided with his jaw and he dropped my hand, grunting as he held the area I punched him. Now when he looked at me, his bloodshot eyes merged in with black pupils, making his eyes look completely demonic and the anger was written all over his face. “Why did you do that?”

“Why do you think?” I snap back, shaking my head I had to go and tell everyone what was happening. We could keep him locked in here and wait for it to leave his system. Well, that was the plan only I’d barely taken two steps before he had tackled me onto the floor. I didn’t get a chance to try and kick him off me. He pinned my arms down with his knees as he sat over my back and leaning down, his head was buried into my hair as he inhaled again.

“Mu..” His hand covered my mouth before I scream for help and he quickly flipped me over. Humans, not even us – move that quickly.

“You don’t even want to fight this war Elise, just imagine the fun we could have.” He purred, moving in to kiss my neck, my stomach churned. “You smell, amazing.”

“Unlucky for you, I only date guys who aren’t demons!” I hiss as he uncovers my mouth. I spit in his face, and the distraction helps.

‘It’s not Reece; it’s the demon trying to take over,’ I keep telling myself, with my hands free I punch him again and shove him off me. I barely get a chance to stand, we he pounces again. His eyes are wide and crazy – desperate, yet bringing my foot up as I fall he is rolled over me and straight into the wall. This time I can get up, not hesitating in punching him again.

Dazed, he looks around confused and slowly his pupils retract so his humans eyes return.  “I’m sorry about this.”

“What?” He asks, not sounding like he did a second a go and as I take another shot, he slumps down to the carpet unconscious. The door bursts open behind me and Logan runs in with Mum and Dad.

“Elise! What is going on!” Mum screams, running over to me she helps me stand. Looking at Reece, she freezes and her mouth slowly drops open in shock. “How did I miss that?”

“Miss what?” Dad and Logan ask at the same time.

“I did too, don’t worry. Can we save him?” I ignore them, instead helping her lift him back on the bed.

“Maybe. It’s going to be hard since the demon will be tempted by our blood. Victor, go get the restraints from the shed.”

“You mean he’s a vampire?” Logan asks, completely dumfounded.

“Not yet, but if he gets even a of blood – then yes.” Mum answers calmly, looking at Reece with obvious pity.

“Shit.” Logan says what I’m thinking and we all stand in silence until Dad comes. One he has been handcuffed, Dad puts silver chains over the curtain rod so he won’t be tempted to try escaping that way and as we walk out into the hallway, Logan stops me. “You’re hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.” I keep walking and go  to the upstairs bathroom. He’s right, a nice little bruise has made itself at home on my chin from where I hit the ground and a slight cut has a tiny trickle of blood running down my forehead. I hold onto the basin for a second, staring down into the drain as I try to process everything.

Someone out there is watching us; I know it.

Reece didn’t luck out in a fight, they chose him. That’s why they killed the girl and not him.

He was dropped here on purpose.

All  sorts of our kind were gathering here, even the supernatural were coming looking for something.

Just what had Jordan led us into?

“Elise?” I jump at hearing Logan behind me and turning, he instantly looks at the cut on my forehead. “Sit down.”

“I’m fine. Back off.”

“You’re bleeding with a Slayer on the verge of becoming a vampire downstairs. Sit the fuck down and let me help you.” He snaps, pushing my shoulders down so I’m sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

He had a point.

Taking the face cloth, he wets it under the tap before gently wiping up the blood and applying a little pressure to stop it from bleeding further. He tilts my chin up so I have to face him and once again my alarm bells start ringing.

We’re too close.

He squats down in front of me, inspecting my chin bruise before dropping the cloth back into the sink. He’s done, he doesn’t need to stay there. Shoo!

Logan finally stands and extends his hand to help me up, not that I needed help. Hesitantly I take it, not missing the way it swallows mine in such a fitting way.

This isn’t part of any of my plans.

Dam him!

He couldn’t have just left me alone after our first meeting, he couldn’t just let me ride off into the sunset or kill him in a parking lot…

“My Dad is down stairs.” I remind him, not missing the second of hesitation that passed over his face.

“I know.”

“You can let go of my hand now.”

“I know.” Yet neither of us move.

“You’re an idiot.”

He smiles, “I know.”

The bathroom is too small. Being out in the middle of the desert would still feel claustrophobic. It only gets worse as he steps closer so we are flush against each other. I have to look up otherwise I’d be pressing my nose into his chest and slowly his free hand goes around my waist.

Things are happening quickly yet I feel like someone has hit the pause button. I’ve never been so alert as I was in that moment. The drip of the tap, the sounds of Mum serving the soup, Dad thumping around outside. It’s all so crystal clear and yet with each second it all falls away as once again we’re barely inches apart with his head lowering towards mine…

“Oh just kiss me already!” I groan irritably, unable to fight the temptation any longer.

And he does.

Logan’s lips crush into mine, clearly  just as impatient as I had been. It’s deep, needing and more arousing than anything I had ever experienced before. Both his hands now held me against him, not that I have any intention of moving.

That was until what we were doing actually registered through the haze of pent up frustration and lust.

I’m kissing Logan.

 Breaking away, he paused trying to make sense that we’d stopped. A rather impressed grin took over and his eyes were practically glowing with excitement. “How was that Bunny?”

I don’t want him to see how affected I am, and pushing him back I shrug and turn to walk out, planning on hiding away until all of this is a distance memory. He laughs behind me and I hate that he have that effect on my emotions. It’s Logan for crying out loud!

“Ellie, Logan – lunch!” Mum calls up from the kitchen, completely unaware of what just went on. My lips are still tingling and I resist the urge to touch them, quickly going downstairs. I grab a bowl and decide to hide out with vampire boy who is still knocked out. It’s better than facing Logan after that.

Why do I do these things?

Why couldn’t I be less impulsive like my Mum?

If I was a guy, I’d be telling myself to keep it in my pants. Sitting against the wall, I enjoy the silence. It’s hard not to think of this room as a tomb and from the kitchen, I can hear them talking and laughing as if everything was right in the world.

“That smells good. Can I have some?” Reece startles me and I nearly pour the lot all over the floor.

“You want this?” I ask doubtfully.

He goes to move, pausing as pain has his gasping. Going to move his arms, he starts to panic as he realizes he is tied up and this time it’s the human not the vampire waking up.

“What the fuck?” I slowly stand, knowing he has little chance of being a threat right now. “Elise, why am I in your house chained up?”

“You really have no idea?” I don’t buy it, yet if he is faking it now – he deserves an Oscar.

“I, no. Is that soup?”

As if on command his stomach growls and I look into the still warm bowl before back at him. “Yeah. Here.”

I offer him a bit and slurps it off the spoon. In two seconds I turn away as he spits it out before looking back at me in horror and fascination. “You, you smell delicious…”

“Save it. You’re in limbo Reece, the vamps who took you got you filled up on their blood.”

He wasn’t kidding now. The look that took over had me feeling cold and his fear filled the space like a toxic fog.

“You’re lying. I know you have a sense of humor, but this is too much El!” He is nearly hysterical at this point, rambling a string of words that I can’t keep up with. I put down my soup on the bedside table and grab him by the shoulders, forcing him to stop and tap his cheek a few times, deciding I’ve punched him enough.

“It’s going to be OK, we’re all here to help you.” I want him to believe me and seeing the tears falling down his cheeks, I understand how Mum can be so kind and gentle. The urge to hug him has me letting go and his cuffed hands grab at mine. I’m not sure whether to call for assistant or fight him off, but I’m compelled to stay where I am. “Can I call anyone for you?”

“No, there is no one. Who is we?”

“My parents and Logan. The Tracker?”

“I didn’t think you liked him?” He asks suspiciously.

“I don’t. Most of the time, but he helped my Dad with something and hasn’t left yet.” And I just kissed him upstairs about half an hour ago, but let’s not get into that – you could turn into a vampire tonight.

“Oh, so you two weren’t when we…”

“No. We were… stress relief. I don’t sleep around.”

He nods and from where he holds my hand with both of his, he draws tiny circles in my palm distracted. I really wish I could tell him it was going to work out, and clearly his mind is going more into the this is the end mode as he finally speaks. There is an urgency to his tone, pleading with me.

“Elise, we don’t really know each other and given our, history, I hope it won’t stand in the way of what I want to ask you now. Can you do one thing for me?”

I look at him cautiously as the door is opened behind me and not sure where is going to go with this I don’t even turn to look who it is as I nod.

“Kill me. If for a second it looks like the demon might win, kill me. I can’t be one of them, I can’t!” He lets my hands go and winces as he moves on his stitches.

“I promise.” A couple of my own tears appear, and I wipe them away hoping he doesn’t notice.

I don’t move until he falls back asleep and turning, Logan is sitting against the wall where I had been. With a sigh I sit beside him and he hooks my arm with his. I rest my head on his shoulder and we just stay there.

“You know, I’m not going to let you forget that kiss.” He whispers after a few silent minutes.

“Go write about it in your diary.” I throw back at him, but my usual venom isn’t there.

We go quiet and once again Logan breaks the silence.

“Did you mean it? Could you kill him?”

“I don’t really have a choice.” It weighs heavily on my mind, none of us deserve this and we really shouldn’t have the additional burden of killing our own kind. A whole year I got by without getting too involved. Sure I had to stake the odd over friendly vampire and a couple of demons, but I avoided the drama and all of this.

Logan takes my hand and despite everything, I’m glad he’s here so when I wake up alone in my bed, I wonder if I dreamt it all. Checking down stairs seems like the most likely way to confirm reality and if I had dreamt it all, I was going to be waiting for those blood suckers.

Sure enough, Dad sat in the corner of the room on watch with Reece out cold on the bed.

“Hey Princess.”

“How is he?” I hesitate by the bed, not wanting to get too close.

“Gave me another shot of morphine, keeps him quiet. Your Mother was too much for him so I took over her watch.”

Right, the whole slayer blood thing and sure enough, now his eyes opened to meet mine. Most of the bruising was gone and it was hard to remember the night we spent together seeing him like this.

“Guess even what’s in yours is enough to wake up the demon.” Dad muses, not looking away from the newspaper in his hands.

“Elise? Help me, I’m so hungry.” He begged, reaching out to me.

At least exorcisms are over within minutes. This was pretty much the same thing only it would go on all night.

Leaving him, I sit on the floor beside Dad and we start to discuss what’s been going on.

“We won’t be staying here much longer. Jordan was heading North, so will we. There is something drawing everyone in around here and that’s a sure sign to get the hell out of Dodge.”

“But we’re Hunters. Shouldn’t we stay and fight?” To hear my Dad say we’re running was – weird.

“In any emergency, you always make sure you’re alright before helping others. What good are we if we’re well, dead or in the same jam?”

Made sense.

“Harry was already going North. He is going to let me know what’s going on up there and the big guys are keeping an eye on everything too.”

“This is more than just finding Jordan isn’t it?”

“Now it is and I might have realized too late if you didn’t help out Ellie.”

“Save the spill Dad, coffee?”

“That’ll be great.”

I leave him and go into the kitchen. I nearly drop a coffee cup and as it clatters on the bench, I pause, wondering if I had just heard something else. Silence. Shrugging I keep going about making us coffee, until I hear Logan my Dads name.

My heart is pounding hard against my chest and I’ve never moved so quickly as what I did in that moment. Pausing in the doorway, I scream as Reece’s cuffed hands are around Logan’s neck and Dad is a motionless heap on the floor.

“G-gun!” Logan tries to fight him off, but Reece is making it impossible and looking down beside Dad, the revolver sits there. Making a dive for it, Reece is suddenly there and Logan is wheezing where he had just been standing. I feel the cold metal in my hand as he grabs me by the hair and yanks me up, pushing me down onto the bed. I manage to keep hold of it, and staring into the obsidian eyes of the vampire side of Reece, I cringe as he pins me down.

“Let me have a taste, just one little bite…”

“Reece, please!” I beg, my hand is shaking as I manage to raise the gun to sit against his temple.

“Pull the trigger. I dare you!” He mocks.

“ELISE!” Mum yells, yet she doesn’t come into the room. Looking towards the door, it’s like she stuck outside and looking back at Reece, he smirks.

“How about one little kiss for old times’ sake?” He claims my lips roughly, and I can’t push him off.

I don’t want to do this.

I can’t do this.

The  gun is too heavy in my hand and victory lights up the darkest center of his eyes. Then I feel it. He bites my lower lip, not enough to cause any damage, but enough that I can’t deny the metallic taste of blood slipping into my mouth. His tongue traces along my lip, against my tongue and he lets go, taking a breath and savoring the red liquid that covers his own mouth.

Logan chooses then to attack, only Reece knocks him flying across the room and I hold the gun with both hands in front of me.

“Now that is a flavor I could get used to!” He grins, and spying the gun, he isn’t bothered. “Go on, do it. I dare you!” He doesn’t think I can do it because I’m the Hunter that can’t; that won’t.

“Reece, I’m so sorry.” Tears blur my vision, all of this is my fault. If he was never linked to me, maybe this never would have happened.  “Forgive me.”

He only laughs and as quickly as he moves to take it off me, this is the chance I've been wanting to prove everyone wrong. I am a Hunter, and I can.  Closing my eyes, I pull the trigger.