Clide nodded and everyone left the room. He got up and went straight to the couch. He threw my stuff on the floor and turned on football.

This is going to be a long month and a half. I thought to myself.

I sat in a chair farthest away from the couch.

“So what should I know about you that won’t make this miserable for both of us?”

“I wake up screaming in the middle of the night.”

“What makes you stop?”

“Kai.”

“Well he isn’t here.”

“Then lets pray it doesn’t happen.”

“Agree. Anything else?”

“I can’t cook or do my hair by myself.”

“Well you need to learn your almost eighteen.”

“Are you going to act like this the whole time?”

“Are you going to whine and complain the whole time?”

“Don’t make fun of me.”

“Go upstairs and play with your Barbies.”

“I’m seventeen I don’t play with dolls.”

“Then leave me alone and do something girly.”

I stormed out of the room, grabbed some wine, and stormed in again. I sat back down and put the drink in front of me.

“Is this girly enough?”

“You aren’t allowed to drink.”

“And you aren’t allowed to boss me around.”

“I’m older than you by eight years that means you listen to me.”

“Your old.”

“Your young.”

I looked at the clock.

“You have to give me my medicine.”

“For what?”

“I’m depressed. Kai got me medicine for it.”

“Why can’t you take it yourself?”

“Because Kai got it in a shot because he was afraid that I would overdose and try to kill myself. So you have to give me the shot.”

“Your spoiled.”

“And you act like the average American: fat, lazy, and self- absorbed.”

“Watch your mouth.”

“I need my medicine.”

He quickly gave me the shot that I had been given the last four months. I have a feeling I’m going to need this now that Kai is gone.

“Happy now brat?”

“I hate you.”

“Go to bed.”

“It’s five in the afternoon I’m not going to sleep yet.”

“Now.”

“I’m hungry.”

“Then eat something.”

“I can’t cook.”

“Then don’t eat.”

“Why did he leave me with you of all people?”

I walked up the steps and got ready to go to bed. I sat in my room and waited for something I knew wouldn’t come. Turning off the lights I stared out the window until it was to dark to see anything but the stars. I crept out my room, down the steps, to the kitchen then out the back door. I laid on the soft grass and stared up at the stars. It was hot and muggy outside but I didn’t care. It was beautiful and I was away from Clide. I heard the door slide open then close and then he was in front of me.

“In the house now.”

“No.”

“Claire now.”

“You don’t own me I hate you! Get away from me freak!”

“Watch your mouth.”

“I don’t have to!”

He hit me in my face and I screamed in pain. I could feel the bruise it made and he probably broke my cheek bone. I rubbed my face to ease the pain.

“In the house now.”

I got up and ran to my room crying. Locking the door and window I ran to my closet and grabbed the box labeled ’Kai’.” I took a flashlight and opened the box but closed it and threw it at the wall. I screamed and started pulling my hair. If this was only the first few hours how was I to survive a month and a half? The doorknob turned and Clide walked into the room. He looked at me in then left the room. I threw everything I could find but stopped and leaned against the wall. Holding myself I rocked back and forth.

“Only a month Claire get a hold of yourself. He’ll be back he won’t leave you here with Clide. He loves you he’ll be back. He has to do something for your protection.”

I instantly felt better. Maybe talking to yourself does help sometimes. I ran my fingers around the tattoo on my stomach and started laughing. I could barely catch my breath because I was laughing so hard. I was already going mad. The rest of the night I stayed against the wall and eventually fell asleep. I got up and got dressed. I stared at my face in the mirror and ran my hand down my purple cheek. Going down the steps I saw Clide going into the living room. I brewed some tea and went to sit on the chair. I looked down hiding my bruised face with my hair.

“Listen Claire I’m sorry about last night.”

I looked up.

“Say that to my broken face.”

“Sorry broken face.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“What was with you last night?”

“That’s what I need my medicine for.”

“What does Kai do to calm that down?”

“He hold me and hums. I don’t know why but it makes me sleepy and I calm down.”

“You mean that stupid traditional Thailand song? It works on Paige too, knocks her out.”

“I hate her.”

“Me too.”

“Why does Cynthia act like a cat?”

“It was a trait from her human life.”

“How can you act like a cat?”

“Well you know those shows where kids are raised by animals when their parents abandon them?”

“Yah.”

“She was one of them. Her family had a bunch of cats and her parents left her when she was three. The cats raised her.”

“That is so weird. Wait how do you know that? Kai said know one knew her past.”

“She told Will and he told me.”

“Oh. Hey was Kai really my dad?”

“No he just needed you to think that. Your mom and him dated then when she couldn’t take care of you he did it. She needed him to fake being your dad for a while and get you a fake ID that’s why he has your birth certificate. Then they got a fake marriage sheet and a fake divorce sheet. They were never married and you were never his kid he just needed that excuse so that you wouldn’t love him as a boyfriend. It was Paige’s idea of course.”

“What was Will’s past?”

This could be fun.

“He was a scholar then he met Cynthia. He got a job as a researcher and tried to teach Cynthia to speak. He got her to act human but she still acts like an animal. He went back to being a scholar and then married Cynthia. As a honeymoon they went to Mardi Gras where they were changed by Dakota and trained to fight.”

“What about Maria?”

“She was my maid. I was of a higher class and she was an immigrant from Mexico. She was a nanny for my two sons. She was very independent. She fell in love with me and we got engaged. She was very independent and still is. If you try to buy her something she won’t take it. She doesn’t share the family money either she has her own. When she’s not at school she’s at work and not partying like the rest of us.”

“What about…Paige?”

“She was an average woman. She worked as a secretary in an office. She met Kai one day and they fell in love. They got engaged and had a son but it quickly died the following night. They never talk about it anymore. They got married and then found Logan. Paige still didn’t know Kai’s secret and he didn’t plan on telling her. She wanted to keep Logan but Kai knew she was a demon and planned on killing her. He took her away to kill her than fell in love with another girl. He came back and fell in love with Paige again and Logan was never harmed. Paige got cancer but he took care of her. They still have a fear of it coming back. Kai felt bad and told Paige what he was. Strangely she wasn’t scared and wanted to join him. He took her down to a ditch and changed her. Logan followed and held her hand the whole time. They went to Mardi Gras shortly after to teach Paige to hunt. There they met Dakota and she found an interest in them.”

“Kai never told me he had a son.”

“The only thing I know about the kid is that they named it Christopher after Kai’s middle name.”

“Is that why he yelled at the doctor for calling him that?”

“Most likely.”

I drank my tea then looked at Clide seriously now.

“Why does Kai lie to me?”

“He says it’s for your own good but I think it’s just hurting you.”

“I’m with you on that one.”

“Hey want me to show you something cool?”

“Sure?”

“Get dressed.”

“Kai said I can’t leave the house.”

“He won’t know.”

I got dressed and ran back down the steps. He picked me up gently and ran to the beach. He stopped at the water and put me down beside him.

“Put your hand in the water.”

I did and nothing happened.

“Get behind me.”

I did as he said and he stuck his hand in the water. I could see shapes coming in the water and when they came closer I saw what they were. Sharks. One bit Clide’s hand and he slung it out of the water. I could see the onyx blood running down his hand as he pulled the shark off and threw it back in the water.

“Is that why your family doesn’t go swimming?”

“Not when people are around.”

“If that thing hurt me Kai would of killed you.”

“He already will, have you seen your face.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Want to go home or stay here a bit?”

“Stay here.”

I sat down on the sand and played in the water while Clide sat farther up on the beach though to avoid getting wet.

“You know it’s strange how girls always have more problems then guys.”

“That’s insulting Clide.”

I got up and sat next to him on the burning sand.

“That isn’t what I meant. All the girls have a problem and the guys have to find something to calm down their rampage.”

“What do you guys do?”

“Kai hums to Paige and you, Will pets Cynthia, James takes Logan to a cemetery, and I just tell Maria she doesn’t have to go to work.”

“A cemetery? Who takes a girl like Logan to a cemetery?”

“James says she like to dance around the stones. She doesn’t let anyone around her except for James when she’s upset. I tried to get close to her once to calm her down and she tried to kill me.”
“I have occasional rampages.”

“Occasional? I hear Kai screaming at you everyday.”

“That’s not my fault!”

“What else do I need to know so that I don’t get killed when Kai comes home.”

“I’m suicidal.”

“Oh God.”