Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Preparations

 

The next two weeks passed by without any problems.  Alex ran me to school as usual and classes were the same.  I even made plans with Christine and some of the other girls to go to a movie after finals.  Jeff stayed away from me and ignored Alex and the others completely except that he glared at them when he didn’t realize I was watching.  I was still worried about his safety, but I now realized I could do nothing to help him.

 

Exam week was terrible; I hated exams.  I was stressed to the max, and I had to write four this time, one each day.  I spent each morning wring the exam of the day, and the afternoon was spent cramming with Alex and Lizzy for the next one.  It was hard studying with people who had photographic memories, which was a wonderful trait of being half vampire.  It was so annoying.  They were both great tutors, but they were slave drivers in my opinion.  There was never a moment’s peace until exams were finally over on Thursday.

“Thank goodness that’s over.  I only need one more semester of school and then I can graduate,” I said cheerily.

“How do you figure that?” Christine and Lizzy asked.

“I took a few classes during the summers when I was in New York so I could graduate early,” I smiled.

“No fair,” they whined in unison as I laughed.

            Alex, Will and Joel joined us when they saw we were walking towards the cafeteria to grab something to eat and just talk.  I realized that summer was here and we wouldn’t see as much of each other.  I wanted to see my friends as much as possible.  I really enjoyed spending time with these people.  I was stirred from my thinking by Christine.

“I can hardly wait until Saturday.  I saw the news and it’s going to be the perfect day!” she squeaked with excitement.  She was talking about the annual pool party; the twin’s birthday.

I smiled widely; I already had a gift for Alex that I’ve had since before Christmas.  Lizzy was a different story.  I was trying to think what I could do for her but I was coming up blank.  I figured I would try the direct approach and ask her.

“So Lizzy, what can I do for your birthday?  I want to do something.”

She shook her head at me. “I don’t want anything, Anna.  We can do something later, I promise.”

“But it’s not the same,” I protested.

“You heard me, we’ll do something later in August,” she said firmly. “Then we can have a big party, or go on a trip.” She smiled at me and I knew she was being sincere.  They all just wanted to keep me safe.  I then realized what I could get her, but I would need James’ help since I know none of them would let me go anywhere. 

Friday was a blur of preparations for the pool party; we all spent most of the day by the pool cleaning and setting up tables and lounge chairs.  The cool thing about working with vampires was that everyone moved so fast, set up was complete in about four hours; the finishing touches would be done in the morning.  We also set up a couple of volley ball nets in the back yard so our guests could enjoy a few games tomorrow afternoon.  I found out that there was a rivalry between a couple of students and every year they would work it out by playing volley ball.

 

There would be a DJ for the music and food would be catered by a local company in town.  The entire school and even students from the other schools in the area came to this party.  Good thing the pool was Olympic sized.  Some of the students from neighbouring schools were lifeguards and they would sign up for two hour shifts so that they could attend.  I was starting to get really excited.  Lizzy and I were in the back yard while Alex, Will and Stephan were in the front yard setting up lights along the pathway to the backyard.

“Lizzy, we need to figure out which suit I’m going to wear tomorrow,” I whispered I had learned that their hearing was impeccable and I didn’t want to let anything slip.

She winked at me and grinned, “We better go inside and pick out the right thing, I’ll get Cassy too.  She won’t want to miss this.” Lizzy whisked away. 

I walked slowly into the house and into the room I shared with Alex.  Cassy and Lizzy were already there going through my bikinis. 

“Well, what do you think Cassy? Did you guys pick one yet?” I asked.  She looked at me appraisingly, trying to decide which one would be best. 

“Go with the green one.  It’ll make your eyes pop and so will Alex’s,” she grinned, winking at me.

“I agree,” Lizzy said assuredly. “Now we need to get the accessories sorted out and everything hidden before the boys come looking for us and start asking questions.”

Lizzy promptly went to my dresser and examined my collection of shorts and t-shirts.  She picked a low rise mid thigh khaki coloured short with a black form fitting t-shirt.  Cassy was looking though my wraps and picked the black one with a tasselled fringe.  They put everything in a neat pile in the top drawer of my dresser.

“Now make sure you get dressed when he’s not in the room and whatever you do make sure he doesn’t see this until it’s too late,” Cassy said pointing to the dark green string bikini in the drawer.

“I just hope it doesn’t fall off.  I’ve never worn one that skimpy before,” I confessed looking down at my feet.

“It’ll be fine.  Just don’t dive into the pool and you should be good.”Lizzy smiled.

“Don’t forget to keep a leash on Will, George and Stephan,” I laughed.

They nodded giggling.  It was going to be a fun day and I couldn’t wait. 

 

James arrived around five o’clock to see me.  We walked to the garden so that we could talk privately.

“I got what you asked for.  This is a great idea for a gift, Anna, I’m sure she’ll love it,” James smiled as he handed me the framed portrait drawing of Lizzy, Alex, Will and I.  I had given James a picture of the four of us from the Christmas party and he taken it to a friend to sketch a few months back.  I had originally planned on keeping the portrait but then decided it would make an awesome birthday gift for Lizzy.  However, I needed to get it framed which was where James came in.  This was a gift that she wouldn’t expect.  I liked that idea.

“What did you get Alex?” he inquired.

“I got him an eclectic note book with matching pen.  He’s always writing stuff on pieces of paper and losing them,” I replied.

“That’s a good idea.  Here I got this as well.” He handed me a small box.

“What is it?” I questioned curiously.

“It’s a hat pin with his family crest.  I found it a while back but I haven’t had time to give it to him or you.  I did some research on his mother’s background and found she was from Ireland, originally.  I thought this should come from you since I know how much you care about him,” he smiled knowingly at me and put an arm around my shoulders.

“Thank you James, you didn’t have to do this. I know he’ll love it,” I said beaming up at him.  We sat in the garden and talked about the past few months.  I was glad he was here; James and Max were definitely father figures to me and I trusted them both implicitly.  I was lucky to have them in my life. 

“Anna, I need to get going.  I have a few contacts who’ve found out some information that I need to pass on to George about that prophesy, or legend, whatever you want to call it.  I found out that the original document is currently at the Smithsonian Institute for verification of authenticity and translation.  We may be able to see the original document.  I still have to make a few calls, but this could make things much easier for us,” James said quietly.  “However, if your father realizes that we know this, we’ll never get near it.”

“Why is it there though? I don’t understand.  It seems like a lot of trouble for one legend.” I looked at him questioningly.

“The document is quite extensive and it’s more like a history of the family line.  It apparently traces back to early Roman times.  It was written in Latin and Egyptian which is interesting considering the family is Spanish.  The Reyes family name can be easily traced back to the early 1700's but before that I’m not sure what they went by.  The name could have changed depending on the time period.  It means ‘king’ and was a name given to those who were considered regal or powerful.” I was getting a history lesson from James on my father’s family name.

“Well let’s get back to the house and let George know.  Maybe we could all take a trip to the States together,” I remarked knowing that it was wishful thinking.

“Anna!” Cassy called. 

“We’re in the garden,” I answered without yelling. Kowing that she could hear me. 

“Could you help me with a few things for the party tomorrow?” she asked as she entered the garden.

“Sure,” I picked up the bag with Lizzy’s and Alex’s presents and started to walk towards her. I turned quickly.

“Thank you for all your help James.” I threw my arms around his neck and gave him a quick hug and kissed his cheek.

“No problem kid,” he replied, hugging me back.

I jogged to Cassy’s side as she started walking towards the pool while James made his way to the house to speak with George.

“So what are we doing?”

“We need to make sure that the lights work and I’m also keeping you away from the twins.  If they figure out you have gifts for them they’ll bug you until you spill your guts, and with their talents it’s impossible not to cave.  Even after years of trying to surprise them they usually figure it out,” she said shaking her head.

“So in other words we need to hide these were they won’t look for them, just in case right?” I asked.

`“You got it,” she replied smiling.

“Where did you have in mind?”

“In plain sight; the twins know that this area is now off limits.  Will and George are keeping a close eye on them so we’re safe to add a few finishing touches.  This will really surprise them, it’s a first you know.  So please don’t let on that you got them something.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll just whine to Lizzy about not letting me go shopping for her present.  That’ll work I’m sure.”  We laughed. 

The lights looked magnificent in the twilight.  Blue and white twinkle lights lined the path to the pool and all the decorations matched.  I saw a few bags of streamers that still needed to be hung.  We would be busy in the morning.  It was weird I had hardly seen Alex all day, just in passing.  I wasn’t used to not seeing him at home I mussed. 

“Anna, are you in there?” Lizzy called.

“Yes.”

“Alex, Will and I are going hunting, we’ll be back later tonight, Alex told me to let you know that he’ll come down in a few minutes to say good night.”

“Thanks.  Are you trying to see the extra stuff we’re doing, Lizzy?”

“Would I do such a thing?” she asked innocently.

“Yes!” Cassy and I replied in unison.  We all laughed.  I walked to where Lizzy was standing to the left of the path to the pool.  I shook my head at her.

“What? You can’t blame a birthday girl for trying,” she grinned, rocking on her heels trying to play innocent.

“I’m still ticked at you for not telling me what you want for your birthday or letting me go shopping to try and find something.  You two are being very difficult about this you know” I pouted.

“Well it’s too late now,” Alex said out of nowhere.

I jumped. “Where did you come from?” I whirled around meeting his eyes and promptly bumped against his chest and almost fell over.  He caught me in his arms, chuckling softly.

“You did that on purpose,” I glared up at him.  His smile widened and I could do nothing but smile in return.  I slid my arms around his neck and stretched up on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. He moved quickly enough so that our lips met instead.  I inhaled sharply, and sighed melting into his embrace.

“Would you two give it a rest?  We have things to do and you won’t be gone that long Alex,” Will complained.

Alex tightened his embrace for a few seconds then gently set me down.

“I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” he promised.

“Have fun.” I smiled up at him.

“I’ve hardly seen you all day, that’s hardly fair you know.” he complained.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get to see me lots tomorrow.” I smiled at him.  Lizzy and Cassy stifled their laughter quickly by coughing and Alex looked at them questioningly with a raised eyebrow.

“Get going, that way you’ll be home sooner,” I reach up and kissed him quickly.

“Try to get some sleep.”  He smiled softly as he tenderly brushed my cheek with the back of his hand.

“I will,” I said as he and the others left for their hunting excursion.  I walked back to the house with Cassy and we made a light dinner, and settled down in front of the TV for the rest of the evening.

Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Enrique Reyes

 

In the morning things got a bit more interesting.  Max knocked on the door before he entered Alex’s room.

“Anna we need to talk.” Max said quietly motioning me to follow him down the hallway.  I nodded and followed him, Alex was right behind us.  When we entered the kitchen, everyone else was there waiting for us.  Max motioned us to sit down.

“Anna, you need to know that there is a problem,” Max said quietly.

I watched him and the others intently as he started to explain.

“This is going to be a harder fight than any of us had suspected as your father has some unexpected connections that we did not know about.  Apparently, your father has connections with an old Vampire clan.  They’re sending a few reinforcements to help him, which will complicate things.  Our sources told us they are mainly coming to witness, but if he needs help they will not hesitate to intervene,” Max stated.

“What do we do?” I whispered feeling dread settle into my belly.

“We will set a time to meet with your father and we will try to stop this,” Katie stated simply.  I looked at all of them seriously.

“He won’t stop.  He made that clear with my mother’s death.  The only thing to do is face him on my birthday.  We can only try to keep him at bay until then.  Have you found a place that we can meet him where no one else might be hurt?” I asked.  I was coming up with a plan.  I could see it forming in my head.  Alex put a hand on my shoulder looking at me questioningly.

“Yes, we have. Why Anna?  What are you thinking?” George asked.  He always seemed to know when I was hatching a plan; it was rather strange.                         

“I’m going to call him,” I stated, knowing it was the right thing to do.

“Are you out of your mind?” Alex spun me to face him, his eyes frantic.

“No, I’m not out of my mind.  If wants me then he’ll have me but on my terms, and my terms only,” I said smiling reassuringly at him.

“You can’t mean that!” Alex and Lizzy exclaimed, confusion in their eyes.

“Yes, I can.  I will tell him where and when we will meet so that everyone at school or elsewhere will be safe.  That way he can make all the plans he wants while we’re listening.  All I have to do is tell him when and where,” I looked at everyone confidently.  “Don’t worry, we’ll be ready, my birthday is only two and a half months away.  It’s June now, I think he can wait a bit longer,” I stated, trying to hide my fear, but also, strangely certain this would work.

“She’s crazy” Cassy said quietly.

I smiled at her, “Not crazy Cassy, realistic.  He’ll find me one way or another, but if I give him a specific time and place he’ll wait, he’ll plan, and he’ll get cocky.” I was sure of this.  I didn’t know why, but I was.

“Wow! She’s amazingly clever, she’s figured more out in a few minutes than we did in months,” Stephan said admiringly.

“Well, I’ve been running most of my life, so I kinda know how he thinks,” I replied grinning.

“When do you want to make the call?” asked Katie.

“Do you have an untraceable phone?” I looked at Max.

“Yes,” He pulled a phone from his pocket and tossed it to me.

“Well then, let’s get this over with,” I said confidently.

“Anna, you don’t have to do this right now,” Alex said, concerned.

“There’s no point in procrastinating Alex.  This is the only way I can protect everyone.” I looked at him squarely.  He had not seen this side of me before and I could see the turmoil in his eyes.

“Anna, please be reasonable,” Alex’s eyes were pleading.

“No, this is the way it’s going to be.  It’s got to by my way Alex.  I want to face this head on and give us some time to prepare.”

“You won’t be able to stop her Alex, her mind is made up.  She’s right though, things will work out.  I’m not exactly sure how, but they will,” Cassy said confidently, she had a sense that what I was doing was right.

I looked into Alex’s eyes asking him to trust me, and he finally gave in.

George handed me a piece of paper with the phone number I needed.  I dialled the number quickly not wanting to prolong this any longer than necessary.

“Hello?” a deep voice with a Spanish accent answered.

“Hello Enrique, this is Anastasia.”

“How did you get my number?” he asked, surprised.

“I have my ways, now listen up.  You want me. Correct?” I stated confidently.

“Yes, I want you to come home.  I want you to be with your family,” he cajoled trying to make me believe that was all he wanted.  He was extremely manipulative and shrewd .

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear.  YOU killed the only family I had.  I have no family. I have no home. YOU took that away from me. You have nothing that I want,” I said flatly.

“Then why the phone call, my daughter?” he asked sarcastically, any hint of niceness gone.

“Because I don’t want anyone to get hurt.  I will meet you, but only on my terms.  You will do what I say or I will disappear and you will never find me; not even with your vampire friends,” I stated matter of factly.

“You’re very well informed for a seventeen year old girl,” he seethed, his anger palpable through the phone.

“You have no idea.  We will meet on August eighteenth at a place of my choosing.  I know I don’t care who you bring with you, I don’t care how many weapons you bring, but if you go near the town or the school again you will never find me.  Am I Clear?”

“Quite. Where is this place you want to meet?”

“It’s a clearing about the size of the sky dome.  I’ll text you the coordinates exactly one month from now.”

“Why not give me the coordinates now?” he asked curiously.

“You need to earn that trust.  One wrong move and I’ll know about it.  By the way, I can tell you’re trying to trace this call.  Bad boy, now you won’t get the coordinates until August.  Cross me again and you’ll be sorry.” I laughed without humour.

“I will have you Anastasia, you belong to ME!” he yelled , trying to claim me.  I laughed into the phone.

“I belong to NO ONE!  You’ll find that out soon enough though.  By the way, the only time a claiming can happen is on the eighteenth of August.  If you knew anything about the legend at all you would have known that.  But I guess you don’t know your history that well after all.  Bye, Enrique,” I said sweetly, snapping the phone shut.

Only then did I take a deep breath and slide to the floor shaking.  Lizzy and Alex were immediately at my side comforting me with their presence. 

“You’ve got guts.  I’ll give you that,” Alex said shaking his head admiringly.

“She’s as stubborn as hell.  She’s worse than us at Christmas,” Lizzy laughed.

My brain was still going like a roller coaster so I got to my feet slowly and walked out to the deck.  Suddenly it dawned on me: I needed to see that prediction, I needed a copy to study.  The answer to my problem could be in the prediction itself.

“Max,” I spun around running back into the kitchen.

He looked at me bewildered.

“Is it possible to get a copy of the prediction?” I asked, breathless.

“Your father might have a copy with him. Why do you ask?” He took in my eagerness.

“I need to see it in its original form so that we can translate it literally and figuratively.  I’m not sure, but I think the answer is in the prediction itself,” I was so excited that I was almost bouncing. 

“Well, we could see what we can find.  The original version as far as I know, is still in Spain.  George, do you want to take a little vacation?” Max grinned.  George grinned back.

“Hmm, that is indeed an interesting thought.  Cassy and I haven’t been there in a while.  This could be a graduation present perhaps.”   George enjoyed a challenge that was obvious.

Cassy and George walked out of the room to start planning their trip.  Stephan watched me for a moment, his expression unreadable.

“I’ll go to your father’s room at the hotel and see what I can find.  Anna, I hope you’re right about this,” Stephan was hopeful but still cautious.

“Thank you, Stephan.” I looked at him warmly.

“Well, all we can do is get back to normal for the next little bit,” Lizzy said as she walked to the window. 

“You cause an awful lot of excitement Anna, I’m not sure I’ll make it to our birthday let alone yours.” She shook her head as she gazed across the back yard.

“You didn’t tell me your birthday was coming up,” I looked at her and then to Alex.

“It’s the day of the pool party silly.  That’s how we celebrate.” Lizzy grinned.

“Well now I need to go shopping again.” I mockingly complained.

“Oh no, you don’t!” they all said in unison.

“What do you mean?  I have to get you both a birthday present.” I looked at them in astonishment.

“No. You’re not going anywhere. You’ll just have to make do with whatever is here,” Alex said sternly, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared down at me.

“Oh really?  And you’re going to stop me?” I stated defiantly crossing my arms across my chest and glaring back at him.

“Yes I will.  You’ve done enough for one day to almost drive me over the edge,” he growled, something I had never heard before.  It made my heart race; I wasn’t scared, but I couldn’t explain the reaction I was having to his commanding tone.  But I was still angry at being told what I could and could not do.

“OOoo! Scary Alex, you can growl,” I snipped sarcastically, rolling my eyes at him.  I turned and walked out onto the deck. 

I heard the growling sound intensify, Alex was clearly annoyed.  I half smiled to myself with the revelation that I could provoke him.  Whatever, I thought. I do what I want. I shook my head and headed down the stairs to the lawn.  Just as I stepped onto the grass I found myself in the air with Alex wrapped around me.  He had come out of nowhere.  We tumbled to the ground as he crushed me to his chest for a few seconds before pinning me to the ground beneath him.  My eyes were wide with wonder and astonishment, but there was no fear.

“You were saying?” he growled menacingly into my ear.  He almost did scare me when he sounded like that.  But, although his face was stern with anger, his eyes were full of love.  I knew he wasn’t going to hurt me, ever.

“You still aren’t that scary.  You put on a good show but your eyes gave you away,” I smirked.

He leaned forward until he was just an inch from my face, his eyes taking on a cruel edge and he smirked knowingly.  Then he was tickling my side and I burst into laughter as I squirmed trying to get away from him.

“Please stop!  I give in,” I begged giggling.

“NO.”

“Please, please I’ll do whatever you want, just stop.  Please.” I was almost breathless with laughter, tears trickling from my eyes.  He looked at me and could not hide his feeling for me.

“No presents and no shopping until after this mess is over with in August,” Alex demanded seriously.

“No fair,” I complained.  With that he flipped me onto my stomach in such a swift movement I was helpless to defend myself as he got my shoes and socks off and began tickling my feet.  That sent me over the edge.  I could hardly contain myself. 

“OKAY, I PROMISE!  NOW STOP IT OR I”LL THROW YOU OFF!” I yelled squirming.

Alex flipped me back over and sat on my hips, grabbing my wrists and pinning them over my head.  He leaned in and brushed his cheek against mine as he whispered, smiling seductively, “I win.”  His lips lightly traced under my jaw and down my neck where he kissed the base of my throat and then placed his ear to my chest so that he could listen to my pounding heart.  He chuckled quietly.

“What’s so funny?” I asked breathlessly.

“It was so easy to get you to cave,” he purred.  “I guess I now have a weapon against you and now I can get you to do whatever I want, within reason of course,” he grinned.

“Hey now! Tickling is unfair.  That’s clearly taking advantage,” I pouted.

“Anna, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you stay right here.” He looked into my eyes and smiled softly, then brushed his lips to mine.

I was amazed that he had successfully distracted me out of my bad mood.  Of course I found his kisses intoxicating, my heart was pounding and I had butterflies in my stomach.

“I hope you really mean that,” I said in an almost inaudible whisper.

Max and Katie had been watching us play fight from the patio and wisely broke out intensifying romantic spell, bringing us back to reality.

“Anna, I thought you could fight?  Are you going to just let him win?” Katie chided.

I looked over Alex’s shoulder at her and winked.   She had distracted Alex perfectly allowing me to hook my foot around his ankle, then I bent my other knee and pushed as I jerked my arms to the side.  I had unbalanced Alex enough to roll him onto his back where I then pinned him to the ground.  He looked at me startled and I giggled.  I heard Lizzy and Will snickering from the kitchen.

“Do you want to play now?” I asked in a teasing tone.

He tried to dislodge me so I shifted my weight slightly pinning him more tightly to the ground.  I couldn’t win a strength contest, they ALL had me beat there but I could use what I knew to my advantage.  He got an evil glint in his eyes as the corner of his mouth twitched upward and I knew I was in trouble.  In one fluid movement he was on his feet and I was over his shoulder as he trotted towards the trees at the back of the yard.  Will was bellowing with laughter as I realized that we were headed for the pool.

“Don’t you dare!” I said worried.

“Don’t do what?” he asked mischievously.

I locked my arms around his waist; I wasn’t going in unless he was.  He rounded the corner and in two strides we were in the air and over the deep end of the massive pool.  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath just in time as we plunged into the sparkly blue cold water.

Lizzy, Will and the others came around the corner as we surfaced.

“I will get you back for this.  You just wait.  I’ll bide my time,” I seethed at him.  He looked at me crinkling those beautiful emerald eyes and laughed heartily.  Everyone else was laughing too, and I had to join in; I could help it.  It really was funny.  The next thing I saw was Will tossing in Lizzy, who landed within inches of Alex. Then Will jumped in before he got thrown in.  Max got tossed in by Katie, and as she reached to help him out he pulled her in.  That was when the water fight started and lasted for a good hour.  Everyone was soaked and laughing.  We all needed a release from the stress of what had already happened today and what we all know was coming.

Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Jeff you’re an Idiot.

 

The next week at school went by quickly and true to Tisha’s words Jeff’s actions had made him a social leper at school.  No one from that group of friends spoke to him except Joel and Dwayne.  Friday had finally arrived and we were getting piles of home work because June was just around the corner which meant finals were only 3 weeks away.  I was walking down the hall towards my locker when Jeff approached me.

“Anna?”

“What do you want Jeff?  I have to get to class,” I said, my voice emotionless.

“Please, I’m sorry about the way I acted.  I admit that I’m jealous of you and Alex and I know you’ve made your choice.  I know now I should have spoken up a long time ago, and I won’t bother you anymore.  I know you don’t want to be friends right now, but maybe in the new school year you’ll reconsider,” he shrugged and looked at his feet. 

I felt really bad for him; he looked so dejected and really, he wasn’t a bad looking guy.  I just didn’t know him well enough to know if he was my type or not.  I looked at him as I thought about my response.  After all, I didn’t want him to get his hopes up for the wrong reasons.

“Jeff, you’re a great guy and I’m sure you’ll find a girlfriend soon.  I admit that I think you are attractive, but I just fell for a different guy.  You need to understand that he’s good to me, and so is his family.  I don’t think I could ask for more.  In fact, I think I’m lucky to have met so many wonderful people here considering that eight months ago I was a stranger.  Everyone has made me feel so welcome that I feel like I’ve lived here for years instead of only a short time,” I tried to explain to Jeff how I felt to him.

He nodded sadly, his shoulders hunched forward.

“Thanks Anna.  I’m glad you’re happy here.  I just wish...”he trailed off and dropped his head dejected as he turned and walked away.  My heart ached for his sadness, but what could I do?  He wasn’t the one for me and every fibre of my being told me that.  I shook my head slowly and turned to open my locker.

“You okay?” Lizzy asked quietly as she placed a supportive arm across my shoulders.

“Yeah, Jeff just looks so sad.  He apologized to me and I just feel so awful for him,” I looked at her sadly.

“He’ll get over his crush soon enough.  Don’t worry,” she said smiling softly.

I nodded and smiled back at Lizzy appreciative of her understanding.

“Well Anna, we better get to class.  She’s going over exam material today.”

We both dashed off to class. 

I spent the weekend with James it was a nice change; I missed his house by the water.  We spent all weekend doing yard work and getting the dock ready.  He was planning to put the dock into the water next weekend when Will and George were home.  Things had been unusually quiet lately which worried me.  We hadn’t heard anything from my father or his men in a while and I wasn’t sure what that meant.  I asked Alex and Will what they thought and they both said he was waiting, but for what we didn’t know.  We weren’t even sure if he had figured out which school I had been attending yet and I was lost in my thoughts when Christine called out of the blue.

“Anna,” she said shaken.

“Yes Christine, what’s wrong?” I asked with concern.

“I just thought I should let you know that there is a guy who is showing a picture of you to the local kids and asking questions,” she sounded worried.

“Did they ask you anything?  Did you tell them anything?” I demanded.

“No, of course I didn’t, but I think that someone else might have told them something.”

“Who?” I asked, feeling the panic rising in my stomach.

“It was Jeff.  They gave him money, Anna!  I don’t know what this is all about but these guys looked kinda creepy,” Christine reported anxiously.  I could tell by her voice that she was scared.

“Thank you Christine, I’m glad you told me,” My mind was going at a thousand miles per hour; I had to think, I had to tell the others.  I had to confront Jeff.  Damn, I was in big trouble especially if he told them who I lived with.

“Are you in trouble Anna?” Christine asked concerned breaking into my whirling thoughts.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.  Do you have Jeff’s number?  I have to talk to him,” I snapped, extremely annoyed.  She gave me his number quickly and I thanked her again and hung up the phone.  I looked at James and he saw the expression in my eyes and immediately got on the phone as I dialled Jeff’s number.

Jeff picked up after one ring.

“Hello”

“Hello Jeff this is Anna.  I need to talk to you do you have a minute?” I asked mildly, keeping my budding anger at bay for the time being.

“Yeah, what do ya want?” He sounded edgy and anxious.

“I need to know who paid you for information about me?” I demanded.

“How the hell did you find out about that?” he asked shocked.

“It doesn’t matter.  Who was it?”

“Some Spanish guy, he gave me twenty bucks to tell him what school you went to.”

“Did you tell him the truth or did you lie, Jeff?  It’s important,” I asked urgently.

“I told him the truth.  Why?” he asked starting to sound worried.

“You IDIOT!  Now they can find me!  Damn it!  If you want to get yourself killed then go ahead and speak to them again.  Those guys are very bad news and you’ve just told them how to find me.  I know you’re pissed at me, but that doesn’t give you the right to tell complete strangers where to find a fellow classmate.  You are such and idiot it’s amazing you’re still walking on two legs!” I screamed at him.

“Sorry, I didn’t think it was such a big deal!” he snapped.

“Well, it is a big deal, Jeff and you could get yourself killed because of this.  Now I have to figure out how to protect a mindless fool on top of everything else.  Damn it.”

“I’m sorry Anna, I needed the money and I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong,” Jeff said shakily.

“That’s right Jeff, you didn’t think! Did you tell them anything else?” I demanded.

“No, I swear! I didn’t tell them anything else,” Jeff was starting to sound scared.

“Jeff, I would suggest that you stay away from me and never tell anyone anything about me or any other student ever again.  You just might have gotten me and everyone I love killed, you stupid idiot!” I snapped the phone shut in frustration.

I turned and focused all my energy on the dock; on moving it.  I concentrated as hard as I could, filtering the anger into energy.  As the waves of energy started to ripple off me, James stood stock still watching me.  I reached out with my mind and lifted the dock into the air, slowly moving it into position, then lowered it with perfect control.  Then I tried something different.  Usually I could move large things, but I had never tried more intricate movements. I tried to hook the dock to the platform using my mental ability and I managed to get the side closest to me attached because I could see it, but I couldn’t latch the far side. That’s when I learned that I had to be able to see what I wanted to do.  If I couldn’t see the object, I couldn’t move or manipulate it.  I walked down the wooden walkway to the dock and manually attached the far side.  I felt better after the exertion of using my gift; not really tired, but happy that I had done something productive instead of destroying things like I usually did when I was angry.  I was clearly gaining better control over this aspect of my abilities which gave me some hope despite the serious complications that had transpired.  As I had been latching the dock, James had called Stephan who arrived only minutes later.

“What’s going on?” he asked us concerned.

“Jeff went and told one of my father’s thugs where I go to school for twenty bucks!” I snapped, scowling.

“Oh, shit!” he swore rolling his eyes.

“No kidding.  The idiot is going to get himself killed, as well as me and everyone else I know because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut!” I said bitterly. I was so angry I started shaking.  I was loosing control again and I need to focus on something.  I looked around and through the red haze of my anger I focused my energy on the wood that needed to be staked.  I moved each log into place in a matter of seconds.  Stephan and James watched me carefully knowing that my anger coupled with my increasing abilities was very dangerous.

“Alex will rip him apart.  You know that Anna,” Stephan said angrily.

“Jeff is an idiot!  Alex needs to stay in control; and I need him and his sister to keep me calm.  My temper is causing me issues as you can see, and I need to be able to focus on something productive so I don’t hurt anyone.  The problem is school.  We have finals in three weeks and I need to be in class,” I replied thinking more clearly now.

“I know it will be more dangerous for me and, once my father figures out who’s helping me it’ll be dangerous for you and everyone else I care about.  This is going to be one dangerous game and I really don’t know what we can do to win it.”  I looked at each of them, my fear growing.

“We can take care of ourselves Anna.  What’s important is your safety,” Stephan said reassuringly.

“I need to get you back to our house as soon as possible.  Alex went crazy when he felt your fear and anger and he and Lizzy are heading here now.  George is already watching your father; he’ll be back at the house shortly too as we’ve managed to bug your father’s room, car and cell phone, thanks to James. We can monitor him and all of his men safely from the house.”

“James, are you going to be okay here?  My father will try to kill you if he finds out that you’ve been helping me.  Not only that but he may realize who you are to me, and if I lost you James, I don’t know what I would do,” I said looking at James, the love I felt for this man who had taken me in evident in my voice and eyes.

“I’ll be fine kid.  Stephan get her back to your place now.  That scum bag could be on his way here.  Anna, pack your stuff, move it, now.” he commanded as he gently placed his hand on my cheek, the look in his eyes tempering the gruffness of his words.  I gave him a quick hug before running into the house and gathering my things.  I was ready to go in less than ten minutes, my packing slung onto my back.

Stephan swung me on his back quickly.  He stopped and looked at James for a brief moment, a knowing look passed between them. 

“I’ll get her there safely I promise,” he said to James. 

“I’ll call you as soon as I’m at the house.  I love you,” I said looking at James, tears in my eyes.

“I love you to kid.” I could see the torment and frustration in his eyes, and I saw him grab a small remote from the hood of his truck before Stephan took off.  It felt like we were flying.  Alex was fast but this was unbelievable. Stephan moved with such speed and agility that I was breathless with the sensation of his movements.  The trees blew past us as we reached the Worthington house in minutes. He didn’t stop until he had me safely inside.

“What happened?” Alex demanded angrily as I jumped down from Stephan and ran into his protective embrace.  It was only then that I slowly started to relax as Alex’s arms tightened around me as he felt my fear.

“Your friend Jeff spilt the beans for a twenty,” Stephan said sarcastically. 

“That idiot! Is he trying to get killed?  Is he trying to get her killed?” Alex spat keeping me cocooned safely within his arms.

“Apparently he is,” Stephan replied mater of factly.

“He didn’t realize what he was doing, Alex.  Stephan, is it possible to protect that idiot?” I asked my voice trembling slightly.

“We can’t protect everyone Anna,” Lizzy said quietly as she entered the room with the others.

“I know that, but I don’t know what to do.  Exams are in less than a month.  How can I go to school and avoid my father and his men?” I asked the fear and frustration showing in my voice.

“We keep doing exactly what we’re doing,” Alex said gently as he stroked my hair, my arms, my back, trying to calm my fears.

“That’s right,” Lizzy stated.  “You keep going to school until there is no choice but for you to stay here until finals.”  She started pacing, thinking to herself.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Max questioned with quiet concern.  Alex looked up from his ministrations.

“Our fear is that people will talk if she isn’t there and Jeff will probably go running to her father for more money.” He was angry, that was evident, and I started thinking about the situation again and how hopeless it seemed.  I started shaking in Alex’s arms, the tears about to spill over. He tightened his arms around me trying to comfort me as he could feel my anguish. 

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me again, but I can’t stop that can I?” I stated heartbroken.

“Unfortunately, no you can’t,” George said quietly as Cassy squeezed my hand.

“We’ll do our best.  We can’t make you any promises though,” she said quietly.

“I know.  I’m glad I have all of you on my side, but I don’t think I could bear it if anything happened to any of you,” I chocked as the tears finally spilled over a product of my anger, fear, and frustration.

“We need to make some plans.  I’ll coordinate with James,” Max stated as he left the room.

“Are you okay?” Alex whispered into my ear.  I buried my head in his chest and managed to choke out “No.” I was so confused with anger and fear that I didn’t know what to do so I just clung to him in desperation.  He swung me up into his arms and walked outside taking me to the hidden garden; one of the few places he knew I felt safe.  He kept me cradled in his arms protectively as we sat on one of the benches.

“Anna, you know I won’t let anything happen to you.  I don’t think I could live without you now,” he confessed gazing at me lovingly.  I looked back at him, the tears still running down my face, my voice shaking with emotion.

“Alex, I don’t know what I would do if anything were to happen to you, James, Lizzy or the rest of your family.  I know how I react when someone slanders you or your family, what do you think I would do if they really tried to hurt one of you? If I got angry enough, I might kill!”

“Don’t worry about that now, whatever happens will happen.  We can only wait for your father to make a move.  Until then we have plans in place and we will do everything to keep you and James safe,” Alex said reassuringly.

I sobbed quietly as he rocked me back and forth in his arms.  I was afraid for myself, my loved ones and my friends, but at the same time I knew that I couldn’t let my fears rule me.  At that moment I decided to let all my fears go.  I vowed that I would not cry again until this was over, I would be strong, I would put up my protective walls, and I would be fearless once again.  I would deal with each situation as it evolved, but I wondered how could I keep my father away for just a few more weeks?  My thoughts swirled around like a tornado.

Alex stroked my hair until he sensed I was finished.  He kissed my forehead gently.

“Are you ready to go back inside?” he asked quietly.  I nodded my head buried it in his shoulder.  He stood up in a fluid movement without jostling me at all and walked back to the house, carrying me straight to his room.  The others watched worriedly as we passed them in the kitchen.  They knew I was scared and they weren’t sure how to comfort me, only Alex could do that now.  Alex set me down on the bed gently. 

“I’ll leave you a moment for some privacy to change while I get you something to eat.  Don’t worry, I’ll be gone less than five minutes Anna,” he said softly caressing my cheek with his hand.

“Thank you,” I choked out.

He was gone in a flash.  I went to the washroom to wash my face and got changed.  Then I went back to sit on the bed.  Alex was back with a small plate of food and a glass of water.

“Thank you Alex, I’m sorry for being a mush puddle but I needed to get that out,” I said quietly.

“You don’t have to apologise Anna, we know that you’re scared and we, no I, want to protect you.  I want to keep you safe, for myself,” Alex said looking at me lovingly.  “I’m actually afraid to let you see what a selfish creature I am.  I’m more vampire than human, you know, but my sister is the opposite.  I’m not sure what I would do if anyone were to harm you Anna.”

I raised my hand and touched his face my love for him shining in my eyes.  I leaned forward and kissed his lips gently then I settled back down on the bed and curled up falling asleep immediately.