"Are you coming or not, Adam?" Erin called from the bottom steps. I groaned, annoyed, and raced out of the bedroom to the staircase with my suitcase in my broad arms.

Downstairs, Erin's father poked his head out of the kitchen doorway on one side of the large foyer with my father over morning orange juice and waffles. I slammed fists with Erin and wandered into the kitchen, standing at the island countertop. Erin's and my dad's eyes roamed in my direction, and we casually sat on the stools.

"Hey, dad," Erin plucked the carton of orange juice from his dad, staring curiously at Jessica and Hannah at the table as he sucked it down fast and stuffed a pancake from the counter in his mouth.

"Are you ready to go?" My father asked me with a shy grin. Everyone watched me as a dizzy hunger filled my gut and stabbed my chest with a powerful force. Mr. Sanchez shifted his eyes in my direction.

"You okay, Adam?" He asked me. I looked at him, puzzled and starved, almost like I was about to hurl as I did in the woods the other night. I was so hungry I could eat one pancake my father prepared, but I didn't know I would vomit straight blood afterward until it was all out of my system. Unsure how to respond, Erin saved me from disaster in front of our fathers.

"I'm a little hungry," I said as my stomach rumbled.

"Why don't you eat a few pancakes? I made them for you," my father said. I nervously looked away from the stack on the counter, and Erin and his dad swallowed air in fear.

"I-I'm not feeling pancakes," I said. It wasn't so much a lie, anyway. Erin's father glared at Erin, and Erin nodded.

"Dad, we'll talk in the car," Erin said. He looked back at me and grinned, his brown eyes glowing yellow for a second.

"I'll feed the boys on the way there," His father stated, relieving the awkward elephant in the room.

"Alright! More for me," Erin said, shoving a pancake hole in his mouth.

"Manners, Erin," He said.

"Yes, dad," Erin replied. Erin's brown eyes landed on me as I sunk onto my stool.

Jessica groaned, rolling her eyes as she wandered out of the room and out the door to the car. Erin wrapped his arm around me as he yanked me into his side.

"We're going to have some fun," Erin said. I grabbed my suitcase handle and walked with Erin to the doorway. I didn't know how to feel about this. My best friend was a werewolf. I was a vampire, and we were on this trip to protect my family from the other vampires and me. This was going to suck.

∆∆∆

   The morning sun beamed down at us from the morning sky. Erin and I sat in the care of my best friend's dad, the werewolf King as he drove, while Jessica sat in the front seat with headphones in her ears.

"Dad, I was about to tell you about Adam. I was just a little distracted—"

"Erin, I'm not interested in hearing it. You should've told me when you realized he was a vampire fledgling."

"We're sorry, Dad."

"You're sorry," I corrected him. Erin sighed deeply. Mr. Sanchez glared at Erin, his eyes sparkling gold in the mirror.

"You need to defend him at all costs. He can stay here at the safe house on the border of Oregon. It's only time before his hunger grows out of control and he bites his sister or dad." Daniel returned his gaze to the highway. I leaned against the window and sat back.

"That's something I'll work on with him. Dad, have faith in me. I can sense it, and so can Jessica."

"Don't bring me into this," Jessica said, plucking an earbud from her ear.

"Most vampires lack Adam's competence and power. I can sense it. I know you can sense it, too." Erin remarked. Mr. Sanchez ran a red light, and the car stopped slowly. He tapped the steering wheel nervously.

"I know. Which worries and concerns me, too."

"Mr. Sanchez, I'm alright." I attempted to persuade him, but I couldn't even convince myself, and my stomach grumbled as I thought about it.

With a shake of his head, Mr. Sanchez showed his discontent with the circumstance. "No, Adam, you're not. Your hunger will only intensify in the coming days."

"Dad, what am I supposed to do? Continue to invite him over, hoping his father or sister won't notice his fangs?" Erin enquired further. Daniel inhaled deeply, and his golden eyes turned brown again. He stepped on the throttle and eased the automobile forward.

"Exactly."

"Look, he's my best friend. I would do anything for him." 

Daniel grumbled and turned up the stereo with a few decibels, saying nothing. Erin put her hand on my shoulder. "Hey, you sure you want to stay at my place tonight?"

"Positive. My father's chill with it." I replied with a sigh of relief. "Plus, I'm exhausted."

"Sure. Sure."

Erin's father approached the front entrance to the cabin and pulled into the opening of the parking lot and the closest parking spot next to our house. Erin, Jessica, and I stared at the old, run-down building, looking more like a two-story college dorm room. Erin, Jessica, and I got out of the car, and as I slammed the car door, Mr. Sanchez rolled down the window.

Erin yelled, "I'll text you when I want to leave this dumpster, dad!"

"You better," he replied. "Do you have the credit card?"

Erin dug into his pocket and pulled out a stack of credit cards and cash. "Good," his dad said. "Take care of Adam."

   I adjusted my bag on my shoulder. "Thanks, Mr. Sanchez," I yelled at him.

"Stay safe, and stay with them at all times. I texted Jeremy, too, in case anything goes wrong." Three of us groaned in unison.

"Bleh," Jessica gagged.

"Okay, got it, dad," Erin faked a smile. "Stay together," Mr. Sanchez yelled one last time.

Mr. Sanchez pulled away in front of the old cabin village in the woods and straight down the dirt road, down a few buildings, pulling into another nearby lot to the side of the dusty road. The ancient ground belonged to the werewolf pack. A group of Erin and Jessica's family members peeked out of their homes to greet Erin and Jessica.

Erin sniffed the fresh air. "Home, sweet home," Erin said, pushing open the door. I second-guessed myself.

"Come on, Adam," Erin called, messing with the sunglasses on his shirt and pulling them to his face. "We don't bite." Sure, he didn't. I yanked open the door and walked past him into the long hallway. I had no choice.