CHAPTER THIRTEEN PART ONE

No one moves. No one speaks. They all turn their heads left and right as they share a look of amusement. I expect insults to be hurled my way, dirty looks. Maybe even an attack or someone throwing something at me. Instead, they do something far less predictable, as far from what I expect as they can all get. They laugh, sharing amused looks, and even Shep cracks under the pressure and smiles.

"What's so funny?" I ask, crossing my arms. Anna places a hand on my shoulder, laughing, "Oh, you, my dear, you will fit in around here just perfectly." As everyone around me laughs, it becomes contagious, and a slight smile makes its way onto my face.

I can't help feeling something strange that I have only ever felt with my grandparents. I think almost, maybe, no, at home with these unique individuals. I let out a sigh and listen carefully to the stories around me as all my worries drift away for this brief time of respite.

After dinner, Shep walks me to my room, "Tomorrow I need to go out to the fields...so I'll be waking you up early, have sweet dreams, Darlin. Feel free to dream about me cause Lord knows I'll be dreaming about you. Unless you want to forgo your stance on never again and join me?" A little flare appears in his eyes. Yes, take me back to your room.

A wave of heat flashes to my face, "You're funny," I roll my eyes and ignore his comments. He opens my door for me. I slip into my room; it's only then that I realize just how tired I truly am. Shep follows me inside.

"Also, stop calling me Darlin. I hate it," I half-heartedly whine before face-planting into the soft pillows on the bed. "No, you don't. You like it. You find me sweet and endearing" I grunt in opposition. Hands gently work to remove my shoes. The blanket is pulled over me. I feel a gentle touch as he brushes my hair behind my ear. A gentle touch as his lips touches against my cheek. "Dream of me, I'll be dreaming of you. Maybe we'll meet in the middle."

I was taught to always be on alert, but I find myself sleeping so soundlessly. It's effortless without much thought, that feeling of safety. Dare I say that I have never felt safer...no that isn't true. I must just be so tired that I cannot think properly.

As night changes to day, I dream of the white doves. The Eye has sent hunters after me. They all have weapons; knives, swords, guns, and even an ax. They stare at me from afar. Until like one mechanism, they charge me together, and the doves each come to perch on my shoulders. One on each side, waiting protectively, they give me comfort. It's like they are a gate, and I am the gatekeeper.

I jolt from my dreams at the sound of a throat clearing. I wipe the crust from my eyes, my vision slightly disoriented by the light. Then, gaining clarity, I look up. To find a man standing above me, the one and only Shepard Greybane. He smiles, a hint of a smirk on his face.

"What?" I question, wanting to know what could be so hilarious as to scar his face with that look, which would cause him to wake me from my oh-so-peaceful slumber. "First in your class, vampire hunter, huh?" He asks, looking at me doubtfully.

"I am," I look at him, annoyed. I'm not a morning person. So what's he getting at? "It's just that you had an awfully easy time falling asleep under a house full of people you've never met before for a vampire hunter that's supposedly first in her class." He looks at me like he's daring me to argue.

"Oh, shut up," I throw my pillow at his face. He catches it, "Hmm, I guess they don't teach you to throw over at Infiniteye." Annoyed, "Get out!" I reach for another pillow.

He laughs and turns to leave. Just as the door closes, a pillow smashes into it, doing nothing to silence the laughing on the other side. "Get dressed, will you? We're going to the fields...remember?" He yells through the door.

"Stupid Lycan thinks he can tell me what to do," I glare at the door and march to the closet. With a pair of jeans and a shirt in tow, I run to the bathroom and change my clothes. Brushing my teeth and hair. When I'm done, I march out, wiping my tired eyes. Shep leans against the wall, "Not a morning person, are you?"

"Shut up," I groan. He pats my head, "Come on sleepy head let's get you some food." He follows me downstairs. My mouth twinges upwards into a smile as I take in the sight of Anna. She's dressed from head to toe in blue. She raises her arms in welcome, "There she is, my sweet little fawn. I take it you slept well? My Shepherd should have seen to it." She gives Shep a knowing look.

He looks nervous, "Well, we should be going before everyone's up," he clears his throat and slips out the door. He kisses Anna on the cheek on the way out. "Wait what about breakfast?" He's out the door before I can get an answer. Anna smiles warmly, touching my shoulder as I pass by, "Don't worry he'll feed you."

"I hope so!" I follow him outside. I don't know how I didn't notice before, but Shep's steps are almost double of mine. He's fast. I reach for the truck door handle. Before I even realize it, he's at my side of the truck holding the door open for me. I stop, and think before I speak trying to choose my words carefully, "Just because you're nice to me doesn't mean you're going to change my principles."

With an honest look in his eyes, he asks, "Haven't I already?" Maybe. I ignore the question and climb in. We drive in silence, neither of us wanting to talk. The ride consists of us taking turns glancing at each other for the short drive. He pulls up next to the diner and glances over at me. "Do you have any food allergies?"

"Why do you want to poison me?" I ask playfully. "You're funny you must be a comedian in another life. I'm serious though, anything you can't eat?" He asks. "Just cantaloupe." He grins, "Wait here. One order of cantaloupe coming up," he winks and heads into the diner. People pass by the truck and whisper as they catch sight of me. This town is no ordinary place. Yet, I guess anywhere I'll still stand out.

Shep gets back in the truck and holds out a brown paper bag. The scent of bacon fills the truck. I peek inside the bag and look at the tin foil-wrapped breakfast sandwiches. Yum. "No cantaloupe huh?" I question. "No but Sandy did throw in one of her blueberry muffins, she said you are a fan of them." I huff, "Of course she did." He drives the truck back towards the house but takes a left turn down a side road that leads us out to the fields.

He stops the truck next to a car-sized pile of hay and gets out. I watch him from the truck as he works hard, knowing exactly what needs to be done and executing it without hesitation. He gathers and ties the hay into blocks. I get out of the truck, bring the food along and wander around. I make sure not to go too far from him. It's so bright and sunny out. The warmth feels nice. The beauty of this place could take anyone's breath away.

"Here, mom packed this," Shep lays out a red blanket on the ground. I sit down and pull a sandwich out of the bag. It melts in my mouth as I take my first bite. "Well at least the food here's good," I remark. He sits down beside me and takes a breakfast sandwich for himself, taking a bite. "You're right, it is good." I let out a sigh as I look off into the distance. "You seem like you've got the world's weight on your shoulders and no idea what to do with it," he observes.

"Am I that obvious?" I ask. He looks at me as he hesitates, and tries to choose his words carefully, "Is it because of your parents?" "What do you know about that?" I ask harshly. Pain and resentment in my words. He looks pained, "I have exceptional hearing," he trails off. I put two and two together. He heard the others and me talking. He knows the truth.

"Does anyone else know?" I ask cautiously. He shakes his head, "Vampires are weak during the day. Their abilities are like humans they wouldn't have heard." I stand and turn away from him as my body quivers in unshed tears. Tears I refuse to allow. A gentle touch on my shoulder catches me off guard. I glance back at him. I ask the words that weigh heavily on me, "Are you going to tell them?"

He reaches out and touches my head, "I'd never. Even though I think they deserve to know. That's your burden to bear, and I won't take it from you unless you ask me to." With a nod in his direction, we both sit back on the blanket. After a moment of silence, I break through the tension. "I was raised by my Grandparents, my Memere and Pepere.

They were great, but I always felt like something was missing. Everyone told me that vampires killed my parents and that my Uncle Jonas was so traumatized that he became locked in his mind. He lives in a Psych Ward and hardly ever speaks or moves now." I don't know why I tell him this. Maybe some part of me thinks that I need to justify why I haven't told them, that I need to explain what my life has been like to lead me where I am.

"I'm sorry that your life has been so difficult. No one deserves to lose the ones they love, especially not when they're so young. I believe that your Uncle will come back to the world someday. He has a lot to live for," he says in a comforting tone. His words touch me someplace deep. I feel my eyes water and furiously wipe a few droplets away. "You know I didn't know hunters could cry," he comments. I scoff, "I wasn't crying."