Inside the Fire Book One in the Warden's Series by Heather Glidewell Page B

things that just kept
happening. Life was simpler in El Paso it seemed. The most I had to
worry about was who would get in my way. There were no supernatural
creatures or boys with their own cooling systems.
    I went back outside the scene of the attack
and looked around. There had to be a reason she was in the yard. I
heard a branch break to my right and my head shot around. I could
have sworn I saw something moving but when I got to the location
there was nothing there. I looked around a moment longer and
unsatisfied with finding nothing that gave me insight I went back
inside.
    I was unable to go back to sleep after my
mother and my little talk. I understood what she meant when she
said that I had been raised on stories of Heaven and Hell. I should
not be surprised that there were other creatures out there. No
matter how vile they may be at least they were there. However, it
was a lot to stomach. The thought that vampires really existed. It
made the dreams even more surreal with the possibilities I could be
harboring some internal vampire radar. Still didn’t explain why my
blood was convinced Wesley was one.
    So there I sat in my pajamas on my bed with
my legs crossed around each other resting my head in my hands. All
I wanted was to just remember what I had done to stop the vampire
that morning. Why had my instincts taken control and blacked out my
memory of what I had done. It was bad enough something inside me
was channeling spirits, allowing them to use me as a vessel to
speak, now let’s throw in a vampire attack and make my life even
more messed up.
    Maybe this whole incident was a sign the
internal battle had begun and the darker side of me wanted its
chance to come out and make its mark on the world. So it began to
make me wonder if the me I had just grown accustomed to wasn’t the
me I would be when I got older?
    So many thoughts were running through my
head I hadn’t even noticed I had picked up my phone and was in the
process of texting Wesley. By the time I perceived what was going
on I had already hit the send button.
    Me: I’m no good for you. I will only drag
you down when you need someone to lift you up.
    Can I be any sappier?
    I looked at the time. Good lord, it was 5am.
I crossed my fingers and prayed he wouldn’t see the message. I knew
better though, so it was no surprise when my phone buzzed back at
me impatiently.
    Wesley: Let me be the judge of what is good
for me and what isn’t.
    Did this boy ever sleep? It was too late to
end the conversation there, I had just begun.
    Me: How can you love someone like me?
    I was tearing up, talking to him again was
making my heart pound and my fingers were ice cold. I had two
options right now, I could go my whole life without him and wonder
what it would have been like with him, or I could suck up my pride
and open the door to let him in.
    I had never been in love, but if this is
what love felt like it was ripping through me like I had been
stabbed repeatedly by an icepick. I looked down to see his message
back.
    Wesley: How can I not Dawn?
    I started bawling, my chest heaving in and
out, it was hurting so bad. I felt like a shell around my heart was
being broken, I felt more real and more alive. In such a short time
I had taken so many things from him and yet he still held on to me
like I was a lifeline.
    Me: How can you be so sure?
    If he was unsure of this then I would know
what I was feeling was nothing more than heartburn with a side of
apocalypse.
    Wesley: When I saw you I knew.
    With that I melted into a big glob of black
and white goop on my maroon bed spread. This had to be love because
the thought of being without him made my body tremble with a fear I
could not understand. My heart felt like it was about to explode
and my head was swimming.
    Me: How do you know?
    The pain was easing and nerves were setting
in, the cold tingle percolated in my finger tips and for the pure
Hell of it I willed it to escape. The ice burned with an intense
freezing