Born At Midnight

"Not too far," Lucas said. If he was aware of her sudden insecurity, he hid it wel .

"They're actual y in a creek bed right outside the property line of our camp," he added without looking at her. "But there's this part of the fence that's been cut that we can slip through."

"I didn't think we were supposed to leave the campgrounds."

His focus shifted from the trail to her. "It's only a few feet off the property. Hey, it's up to you." He came to a complete stop. "You seemed interested the other day on the hike. I just thought..."

Kylie swal owed hard and glanced from side to side.

His nostrils suddenly flared as if trying to catch a scent. "You're afraid of me again? Damn, I thought you got over that."

"I have," she stammered, and wondered when he noticed her lack of fear. "I just ... I'm remembering the snake the other day," she lied. The suspicion in his gaze faded, and he almost looked relieved. "Don't worry, I can smel those things a mile away, and I'm faster than any water moccasin." He started walking again.

She fol owed.

They walked without talking for a few minutes. The woods seemed to swal ow their footsteps. His pace was fast, but not so fast she couldn't keep up.

"Have you figured out what you are yet?" he asked.

"No. But there's more than a good chance I'm just human."

He stopped abruptly and looked back at her.

Kylie held her hand up in front of her forehead. "Don't do it. And don't say it. I know I don't read like a human. But frankly, I'm tired of everyone checking out my head. It's as bad as guys staring at my boobs."

The moment the last sentence spil ed from her mouth, she wished she could suck it back in, especial y when she remembered him checking out her boobs the night she'd passed out.

"Sorry. I guess I can understand how that might get to you. Having us ... stare at your pattern al the time." He grinned. And damn if it wasn't the kind of smile that made a girl melt. They stood there studying each other and then it became downright awkward. He final y shook his head and started walking again.

They had walked another forth of a mile when she noticed a Band-Aid on his arm. "Did you ... give blood?" She pointed to his arm.

"Oh, yeah." He looked at the Band-Aid as if he'd forgotten it was there, ripped it off, and tucked it inside his jeans pocket. "I helped Chris with his drive."

"Chris, the vampire?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said as if it was no big deal. And she recal ed Derek acting the same way.

"You don't find it ... strange?"

He arched a brow. "Strange?" He studied her as if he didn't get her question.

Kylie realized the stupidity of her question. Lucas turned into a wolf. Compared to that, drinking blood probably seemed like nothing. Then he answered, "People donate blood al the time, Kylie."

"That's to save someone's life," she said, just to prevent the awkward silence.

"And vampires die if they don't drink blood."

Kylie wasn't sure if she'd known that, but hearing him say it had her head swimming. "Can't they survive on...?"

"Animal blood?" he finished her question. "They can and do drink animal blood, but to maintain proper nourishment, they need some human blood in their diet. It's the same as donating to the Red Cross."

Without meaning to, she let her next thought slip out of her mouth. "Sick people don't drink it. It's injected into their veins."

"Does it real y matter how it gets into their system? Personal y, I don't see the difference."

She gave his analogy some thought and felt smal and inconsiderate.

"Aren't you rooming with a vampire?" he asked.

"Yeah." But somehow in her mind she'd separated Del a the friend from Del a the vampire.

"And she hasn't asked you to donate yet?"

"No." And Kylie knew why, too. Del a knew how Kylie and even Miranda felt about the whole blood issue. For some reason Del a's angry retort from this morning rang in her head. You still think we're freaks.

"Al the vampires are supposed to get someone to donate. If they fail, they don't participate in the rituals."

Kylie remembered Del a hadn't gone to her regular early morning meeting today-then there was the argument Del a had with another vampire. The memory of Del a standing up to Fredericka flashed in Kylie head, then came the flash of how she'd protected Kylie from her cousin, Chan. Del a had been wil ing to go the limit for Kylie, but Del a hadn't even felt comfortable enough to ask Kylie for blood. You still think we're freaks.

Del a's accusation rang again in Kylie's mind.

Kylie didn't consider Del a a freak, but in truth, she hadn't accepted her for who she real y was, either. Sum it up and it meant Kylie hadn't been much of a friend.

The realization hurt like a punch to her stomach.

"Is it safe?" Kylie asked.

"What?" Lucas asked.

"Donating blood to the vampires. Is it safe?"

"Of course it is. Holiday wouldn't al ow it if it wasn't."

Opening herself up to accepting Del a took Kylie down other mental paths. "What's it like?"

He shrugged. "It's just like they do it at a doctor's office."

"Not that. I mean, changing into a wolf. I heard some others say it was..." She tried to think how to put it.

"Scary?" he asked, and arched a brow.

"And painful," she answered, deciding not to try to sugarcoat it.

"I think it looks worse than it is." He didn't talk for a few minutes and then started again. "It's sort of like a real y sore muscle being massaged. It both hurts and feels good at the same time."

"So it's not like Perry when he changes?"

"No, it's not like that. A shape-shifter's body changes on a whole different cel ular level and speed. When we change, you can see the process as the body takes on the new form."

"It doesn't sound fun."

"But it is. It's exhilarating." His eyes lit up and Kylie didn't doubt he was tel ing the truth.

"And what's it like afterward? When you're changed, do you ... are you stil you?"

"Am I stil me?" he asked, not understanding.

"Do you think like a human, or do you think like a wolf?"

"I'm not human, Kylie," he answered. "I'm a werewolf."

She felt her face flush. "I just meant-"

"I know," he said, and let go of a deep breath. "When I turn, I have very heightened senses and instincts. To hunt. To mate. To protect what's mine. They could be cal ed very humanlike instincts. However, in werewolf form the instincts are harder to deny."

So maybe his kil ing her cat hadn't been out of meanness, but more from his instinct to hunt. Until that thought hit, she hadn't realized she'd been trying to find a way to forgive him.

The silence grew awkward.

"And when you're not turned, what are your gifts?" she asked.

"Heightened hearing, smel , strength, and agility."

"So it's the same as a vampire?" She recal ed Del a pointing out that vampires were the more powerful species, not that Kylie honestly believed her. Del a was biased. Then Kylie suddenly remembered one of Del a's gifts. "Can you hear my heartbeat?" Could he also tell if she was lying?

"Depends. Our strength and senses increase the closer we get to a ful moon. But for the most part, our hearing is tuned to listen for intruders moving in and not so much for things such as heartbeats."

She recal ed he'd jumped out of the tree the night of the campfire. It struck her as odd that he could do that but a wolf couldn't. Then again, she supposed there were lots of benefits to having fingers and thumbs.

"The fence is right here." He pushed the loose edge of the barbed-wire fence back, and motioned for her to slip between him and the opening of the wire. "Be careful not to get your shoulders cut."

The gap was smal . Kylie squeezed by him and her breasts brushed up against his chest. The warm and tingly sensations shot through her so fast that she started to jerk away.

Before she moved, he must have sensed her tension and he pul ed her against him. "Careful." His head lowered and his gaze met hers. They were so close that his nose brushed up against hers. "You're going to cut yourself on the wire."

She nodded and slipped through. The fence could have been wired with electricity for the tingles running through her body. As soon as she was clear, he stepped through and dropped the wire. Their gazes met again. Somehow, she knew he was thinking the same thing she was-about how close they had been to each other. She could stil feel the blood flowing to her cheeks.

"It's this way." He motioned her along, but she saw him take in her face-no doubt she was blushing. In just a few minutes, they got to the creek bed. He studied the water. "The water's up a bit," he said. "Usual y, it's only trickling down. The tracks are right across the stream. It's only a foot deep, but you might want to take your shoes off if you don't want them to get wet."

Kylie sat down and removed her tennis shoes and socks and rol ed up her jeans. He stood over her and watched. She looked up. "You're not going to take yours off?"

"Wet shoes don't bother me."

She stuffed her socks in her shoes and set them away from the water. The splashing sound of water fil ed her senses. Looking toward the stream, she asked, "Is the waterfal close to here?"

"It's a mile, but on camp property."

"Have you ever been there?" she asked.

"Once," he said.

"Was it as scary as everyone makes it sound?"

"A little," he said. "But I didn't see any shadows." He chuckled.

Was that because he couldn't see ghosts?

"You ready?" he asked, when she sat there thinking.

"You bet." Standing up, she dipped her toes in the creek. "It's cold." She smiled.

"Yeah, but in the afternoon when the sun is at its hottest, it feels great. Up about a half a mile there's a place that's deep enough to swim in. I try to go there at least once a week."

She got a vision of him swimming, and remembered her dream.

He stepped into the water and reached back and took her right hand in his. She looked down at his fingers locked around hers, her mind stil trying to push the image of the two of them standing in waist-deep water, her breasts pressed against his chest.

"The rocks are slippery," he said, fol owing her gaze.

"I think I can handle it." She pul ed her hand free.

"When you fal on your ass, you'l be sorry."

"I won't." She smirked at him. But on her very next step, her foot and her pride hit a slick spot and without warning her legs slid out and up and she landed on her butt with a big splash.

"Crap." The cold water soaked through her jeans to her butt. Laughter, very deep and very contagious, rang out. He stood over her, his arms crossed over his wide chest, his blue eyes dancing with humor.

"Stop it." Almost laughing herself, she cupped her hand, caught a handful of the water, and tossed it at him. He laughed harder, but then offered her his hand. She took it this time.

She was on her feet and went to take another step when she slid again, only this time she didn't go down alone. She landed on top of him, her face buried in his shoulder. She raised her head, and watched the cold water rush over his shoulders. Then she saw him looking down at her, stil smiling. And looking good doing it, too.

"That's what you get for laughing at me." She grinned.

His chest expanded beneath her as if he took in a deep breath. And suddenly she didn't even feel the chil of the water-al she felt was the warmth of his body against hers.

"And this is what you get for laughing at me." He pul ed her up a few inches until his lips touched hers. She didn't try to stop him. Oh no, she actual y climbed up higher on his chest so the kiss wouldn't be awkward. His hand moved up to the back of her neck. He shifted her head slightly so her mouth was more accessible to his. The slightly rough texture of his shaven cheeks felt wonderful. His tongue moved inside. Slowly at first, then without hesitation. Warmth built inside her and she couldn't seem to get close enough to him. Everything felt different from the kisses and caresses she'd experienced with Trey.

More, her instincts seemed to scream. She wanted more.

She ran her fingers through his damp, dark hair, loving how the strands felt. Loving al the emotions swirling through her, over her, making her feel so alive, so new.

Her breasts pressed against his chest felt ful er, and maybe it was the dream driving her, but she wanted to feel him touch her. It wasn't until she heard voices nearby that she came to her senses. She pul ed her mouth from his and pushed up a few inches off his chest. His eyes opened and he stared at her with a hooded gaze. She saw the wildness in his eyes, a hunger like she'd never seen before. More than anything, she wanted to be the one to feed his hunger and taste the wildness. Then the voices drew closer. And right then, everything she felt was just too much. She moved off him, as unsure of these new emotions as she was of her ability to stand up on her own two feet. "We should ... I heard..." She stood.

"They're not coming this way," he said. He sat up and glanced up at her through his dark lashes. Exhaling, he scrubbed his palm over his face.

"Damn," he muttered, then looked back up at her. "I probably shouldn't have done that, should I?"

"Probably not," she agreed, even thought she wouldn't give the moment back for anything.

He slung back his wet hair, sending the drops of water reflecting off the sunlight spinning out. "Then forget it happened, okay? Just forget it ever happened."

"I don't think I can forget." She'd be remembering this kiss and this moment years from now. Because as much as she liked kissing Trey, it was as if this was her very first grown-up kiss. Her first real taste of passion. This kiss, the thing she'd felt was somehow more. And God help her, because while she wasn't ready for "more," she stil wanted it. And that, she supposed, was the true meaning of passion. Aware of the awkward silence building between them, she looked around. "Where are the tracks?"

"There." He pointed her to the edge of the creek.

She moved over there, slowly. Staring down at the prints, she pretended an interest in them. He suddenly stood beside her, casting a long shadow. When she looked up, she caught him staring at her chest.

She glanced down and saw that the water had made both her satin bra and white tank top practical y invisible. Her nipples, stil tight and tingling, pushed against the fabric.

She crossed her arms.

"You should wear my shirt." He tugged his wet blue T-shirt up. Kylie watched as his shirttail shifted upward, exposing a very hard abdomen. The hem of his shirt inched higher, and she took in the cutest inny bel y button she'd ever seen. And then his chest. Solid. Hard. A few drops of water glistened against his skin. Her heart beat to the sound of passion again.

Realizing she stared, she turned away. "Maybe you should just promise not to look and keep your shirt on."

"I might be able to do that. But the six guys that are about to arrive in less than thirty seconds might not be so cooperative. Then I'l have to teach each of them a lesson."

"I thought they weren't coming this way?"

"They turned around." He started putting the shirt over her head. She raised her hands and helped him. With the shirt in place, he offered her half a smile. His gaze lowered to her chest.

"Much better." He reached out and brushed a wet strand of hair off her cheek. "You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?"

The voices were at the bank of the creek now. Not that Kylie cared. Every instinct she had was zeroed in on the man standing in front of her and the compliment he'd just given her.

He made her feel beautiful. He made her feel sexy.

"You ready to head back?" Lucas asked.

She nodded, but right before she turned, she heard her name.

"Kylie?"

Damn if she didn't recognize the voice, too.

She looked back to the bank and found herself staring at a very puzzled-looking Trey.