us!”
“Don’t worry,” Kai assured. “Max can take
care of himself.”
“Kai, Max took care of us when we needed
him,” I reminded him. “We can’t let him down
when he needs us.”
“But what can we do without risking
ourselves?” he asked.
“We can’t worry about ourselves!” I
admonished. “Max wasn’t worried about himself
when he helped us. He was only thinking of us.”
“No,” Kai corrected. “He was thinking of
you .”
“He rescued all of us.”
“But he only did it for you. He would have let
the rest of us die if he didn’t know how much it
would hurt you.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Of course you don’t, Alice. You don’t see
him for what he is – a hunter. He may have fallen
in love with you, but he still hates vampires.”
I opened Max’s next email.
Really in trouble. Just killed two hunters.
Now the others are even more pissed. I need
you.
“He killed two hunters!” I shrieked. “They’re
going to kill him!”
I urgently opened the next.
I hope you’re around soon. I’m really
panicking.
I quickly sent a reply.
Max,
I’m here. Just woke up. What can I do? Just
tell me and I will do it.
Be safe.
Alice
My stomach twisted into knots. I felt
nauseous, and my arms started to feel cold and
shaky. I started to tremble, and the more I
thought about Max, the more terrified I became.
My stomach groaned, and I ran to the bathroom
to vomit.
I brushed my teeth and rushed back to my
computer. Max had not emailed, and I started to
gnaw my fingernails – a habit I picked up from
Jamie. Kai rubbed my shoulders, but it did little
to calm my nerves.
There was a knock at the door and I nearly
jumped out of my skin.
“It’s just Jamie,” Kai said reassuringly, and he
was right.
“Morning!” she sang cheerily. She was
beaming.
Jamie’s eyes sparkled when she smiled. I’d
never seen her light up like that. It was if
someone flipped a switch and she finally came to
life. I noticed something. She was pretty. She
wasn’t pretty in the way well-meaning people
say, “You’d be so pretty if you lost weight.” She
was really pretty. Actually, she was beautiful, in
my opinion. I’d never noticed it before. Yes, she
was overweight and she had terrible acne, but her
face was so angelic. It was radiant.
I wanted to ask her why she was so cheerful,
but I was so worried about Max I could hardly
think at all.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jamie asked me,
noting my pale, haggard appearance and my lack
of response.
“The hunters found out Max helped us,” I
said.
Her face fell.
“Oh, no,” she whispered. “Is he okay?”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “He emailed me
four times while I was asleep, and I wrote him
back a couple of minutes ago but he hasn’t
responded. I’m seriously freaking out!”
“Alice,” Kai said. “He’s probably driving.
He’ll write you when he has a chance.”
“He killed two hunters already!” I shouted.
“What?” Jamie gasped. “Why?”
“They probably attacked him,” I guessed. “It
was likely self-defense.”
“I guess so,” Jamie agreed. “What will they do
to him?”
“How should I know?” I snapped.
“Sorry!” Jamie shot back at me. “I was just
asking!”
“Jamie, don’t be upset with Alice,” Kai said
gently. “She’s just worried. It’s not your fault.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “He’s right; it has
nothing to do with you.”
“I understand,” Jamie nodded solemnly.
My computer dinged. Email.
Alice,
I can’t stop long. They’re close.
I’m in Alabama. I don’t want to come to you,
because I won’t lead them to you. But I need
help figuring out where to go and what to do.
I’ll stay here five minutes to wait for your
reply, but I don’t have much of a lead on them.
I have to keep moving.
Max
“What does he mean he won’t lead them to
me?” I demanded. “We have to help him!”
“He’s going
“Don’t worry,” Kai assured. “Max can take
care of himself.”
“Kai, Max took care of us when we needed
him,” I reminded him. “We can’t let him down
when he needs us.”
“But what can we do without risking
ourselves?” he asked.
“We can’t worry about ourselves!” I
admonished. “Max wasn’t worried about himself
when he helped us. He was only thinking of us.”
“No,” Kai corrected. “He was thinking of
you .”
“He rescued all of us.”
“But he only did it for you. He would have let
the rest of us die if he didn’t know how much it
would hurt you.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Of course you don’t, Alice. You don’t see
him for what he is – a hunter. He may have fallen
in love with you, but he still hates vampires.”
I opened Max’s next email.
Really in trouble. Just killed two hunters.
Now the others are even more pissed. I need
you.
“He killed two hunters!” I shrieked. “They’re
going to kill him!”
I urgently opened the next.
I hope you’re around soon. I’m really
panicking.
I quickly sent a reply.
Max,
I’m here. Just woke up. What can I do? Just
tell me and I will do it.
Be safe.
Alice
My stomach twisted into knots. I felt
nauseous, and my arms started to feel cold and
shaky. I started to tremble, and the more I
thought about Max, the more terrified I became.
My stomach groaned, and I ran to the bathroom
to vomit.
I brushed my teeth and rushed back to my
computer. Max had not emailed, and I started to
gnaw my fingernails – a habit I picked up from
Jamie. Kai rubbed my shoulders, but it did little
to calm my nerves.
There was a knock at the door and I nearly
jumped out of my skin.
“It’s just Jamie,” Kai said reassuringly, and he
was right.
“Morning!” she sang cheerily. She was
beaming.
Jamie’s eyes sparkled when she smiled. I’d
never seen her light up like that. It was if
someone flipped a switch and she finally came to
life. I noticed something. She was pretty. She
wasn’t pretty in the way well-meaning people
say, “You’d be so pretty if you lost weight.” She
was really pretty. Actually, she was beautiful, in
my opinion. I’d never noticed it before. Yes, she
was overweight and she had terrible acne, but her
face was so angelic. It was radiant.
I wanted to ask her why she was so cheerful,
but I was so worried about Max I could hardly
think at all.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jamie asked me,
noting my pale, haggard appearance and my lack
of response.
“The hunters found out Max helped us,” I
said.
Her face fell.
“Oh, no,” she whispered. “Is he okay?”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “He emailed me
four times while I was asleep, and I wrote him
back a couple of minutes ago but he hasn’t
responded. I’m seriously freaking out!”
“Alice,” Kai said. “He’s probably driving.
He’ll write you when he has a chance.”
“He killed two hunters already!” I shouted.
“What?” Jamie gasped. “Why?”
“They probably attacked him,” I guessed. “It
was likely self-defense.”
“I guess so,” Jamie agreed. “What will they do
to him?”
“How should I know?” I snapped.
“Sorry!” Jamie shot back at me. “I was just
asking!”
“Jamie, don’t be upset with Alice,” Kai said
gently. “She’s just worried. It’s not your fault.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “He’s right; it has
nothing to do with you.”
“I understand,” Jamie nodded solemnly.
My computer dinged. Email.
Alice,
I can’t stop long. They’re close.
I’m in Alabama. I don’t want to come to you,
because I won’t lead them to you. But I need
help figuring out where to go and what to do.
I’ll stay here five minutes to wait for your
reply, but I don’t have much of a lead on them.
I have to keep moving.
Max
“What does he mean he won’t lead them to
me?” I demanded. “We have to help him!”
“He’s going
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