Jaren’s door and told me I had to go with him. I had felt a strong pull to go with him, but I was able to deny it. The monster inside me must have saved me.
We tossed our bags into the back of the truck, and Jaren helped Kaitlynn and me up. I felt a flutter in my gut, similar to the one I felt every time Jaren touched me. My heart cracked a little more, remembering the way we were, and the way we could be right now if I wasn’t a freak of nature.
He jumped into the truck’s bed. The way he smiled at me reminded me of the wooded pond he’d taken me to last week.
Wow. It had only been a week ago when we stood near the waterfall and said we loved each other. I’d give up anything so I could go back in time and be like that with Jaren, even for one more moment.
His eyes remained on mine, and I wondered what he was thinking.
I ached to touch him and because I thought I shouldn’t, my eyes burned with unshed tears. I turned my head and looked out at the blacktop behind us. It resembled my new life now: bleak, lonely, and fractured.
11
You’ll Have to Earn It
When the truck stopped, I jumped out of the bed on my own. I couldn’t keep myself composed much longer if Jaren’s touch sent another thrill through me.
“You’ve been driving around, making your rounds of the airstrip,” Mirko said, brainwashing our driver.
The plane faced the runway, already angled for takeoff. Its door opened, and the staircase unfolded, touching the ground. The plane was smaller than the commercial crafts I’d flown on before, but was bigger and looked sturdier than what I’d earlier imagined we’d be taking. At least something was going right.
A short, dark-haired man stood at the top of the metal staircase, just inside the cabin. Mirko climbed the stairs first and spoke to the man in another language. It made me wonder if the man was a vampire, too. Once inside, they turned toward the front.
Kaitlynn gasped as she stepped in.
I sped up, pushing Jaren against the railing so I could go around him.
I gasped, too. It was beautiful. White leather seats and a couch . Even a large flat screen stood on a polished mahogany cabinet. I walked along the aisle, touching the cabinet and the table across from it.
Jaren came in next. “What does Garwin do?” His fingers glided along the polished wood, same as mine had.
I smiled.
“Brooke!” Kaitlynn called. I followed her voice toward the back of the plane. I passed another flat screen and found Kaitlynn looking into her reflection in a stainless steel stove.
“Wow! This is nice!”
“I know, right? And we get to fly in it.” She turned to me and grinned.
Jaren turned on the TV and sat down on the couch.
Mirko came out from behind a door that concealed the cockpit. “Nice, huh?” He relaxed on the couch next to Jaren and grabbed an iPod from the side table. “Check this out.” He touched the iPod and the flat screen turned off.
“Sweet,” Kaitlynn said.
“For sure. And we’re about to take off, which should be smooth as butter.” Mirko glided his hand through the air in imitation.
I felt a slight jerk and then speed. I knew when we left the ground, but it was absolutely smoother than any plane ride I’ve ever experienced.
“Impressive,” Jaren said. “Have you flown on it a lot, then?”
“Some. It belongs to the Društvo. I do a lot of work for them, so I’ve used it here and there.”
“Who’s that?” Kaitlynn asked. I appreciated I wasn’t the only one asking all the questions.
“Društvo?” Mirko asked.
Kaitlynn nodded.
“That’s what we call the group of humans Garwin and Slatki’s mother belong to,” Mirko said, pointing to me.
I didn’t know if Slatki was supposed to be an endearment or to grate on my nerves. “What’s it mean?”
Mirko grinned. “You’ll have to earn it.”
Jaren opened his mouth, but I had more important details I needed to find out.
“So, what are you?” I asked and then blushed. “That came out wrong.
We tossed our bags into the back of the truck, and Jaren helped Kaitlynn and me up. I felt a flutter in my gut, similar to the one I felt every time Jaren touched me. My heart cracked a little more, remembering the way we were, and the way we could be right now if I wasn’t a freak of nature.
He jumped into the truck’s bed. The way he smiled at me reminded me of the wooded pond he’d taken me to last week.
Wow. It had only been a week ago when we stood near the waterfall and said we loved each other. I’d give up anything so I could go back in time and be like that with Jaren, even for one more moment.
His eyes remained on mine, and I wondered what he was thinking.
I ached to touch him and because I thought I shouldn’t, my eyes burned with unshed tears. I turned my head and looked out at the blacktop behind us. It resembled my new life now: bleak, lonely, and fractured.
11
You’ll Have to Earn It
When the truck stopped, I jumped out of the bed on my own. I couldn’t keep myself composed much longer if Jaren’s touch sent another thrill through me.
“You’ve been driving around, making your rounds of the airstrip,” Mirko said, brainwashing our driver.
The plane faced the runway, already angled for takeoff. Its door opened, and the staircase unfolded, touching the ground. The plane was smaller than the commercial crafts I’d flown on before, but was bigger and looked sturdier than what I’d earlier imagined we’d be taking. At least something was going right.
A short, dark-haired man stood at the top of the metal staircase, just inside the cabin. Mirko climbed the stairs first and spoke to the man in another language. It made me wonder if the man was a vampire, too. Once inside, they turned toward the front.
Kaitlynn gasped as she stepped in.
I sped up, pushing Jaren against the railing so I could go around him.
I gasped, too. It was beautiful. White leather seats and a couch . Even a large flat screen stood on a polished mahogany cabinet. I walked along the aisle, touching the cabinet and the table across from it.
Jaren came in next. “What does Garwin do?” His fingers glided along the polished wood, same as mine had.
I smiled.
“Brooke!” Kaitlynn called. I followed her voice toward the back of the plane. I passed another flat screen and found Kaitlynn looking into her reflection in a stainless steel stove.
“Wow! This is nice!”
“I know, right? And we get to fly in it.” She turned to me and grinned.
Jaren turned on the TV and sat down on the couch.
Mirko came out from behind a door that concealed the cockpit. “Nice, huh?” He relaxed on the couch next to Jaren and grabbed an iPod from the side table. “Check this out.” He touched the iPod and the flat screen turned off.
“Sweet,” Kaitlynn said.
“For sure. And we’re about to take off, which should be smooth as butter.” Mirko glided his hand through the air in imitation.
I felt a slight jerk and then speed. I knew when we left the ground, but it was absolutely smoother than any plane ride I’ve ever experienced.
“Impressive,” Jaren said. “Have you flown on it a lot, then?”
“Some. It belongs to the Društvo. I do a lot of work for them, so I’ve used it here and there.”
“Who’s that?” Kaitlynn asked. I appreciated I wasn’t the only one asking all the questions.
“Društvo?” Mirko asked.
Kaitlynn nodded.
“That’s what we call the group of humans Garwin and Slatki’s mother belong to,” Mirko said, pointing to me.
I didn’t know if Slatki was supposed to be an endearment or to grate on my nerves. “What’s it mean?”
Mirko grinned. “You’ll have to earn it.”
Jaren opened his mouth, but I had more important details I needed to find out.
“So, what are you?” I asked and then blushed. “That came out wrong.
Similar Books
