At school, the rumor about my absence was that I had been out with mono. I knew that it was impossible, but everyone seemed to believe it, so I went with it. I definitely didn't want to get into the real reasons with anyone.

I was glad that I'd had plenty of space while I was gone, because I had no space whatsoever once back at school. Every time I turned around, someone was there to ask me about my absence or to tell me about someone that they knew who had mono. Popularity was suffocating.

During lunch, I avoided the cafeteria where most people were, but ended up wishing that I had gone there anyway. I was by my locker, reading the texts that I had gotten while I was in bed, when I became aware of two people looking at me from a slight distance.

Looking up, I saw Hailey and Emma standing at the other end of the hall staring at me and whispering to each other that I was poser and fake.

They didn't know that I could hear them or their predator heartbeats. My senses didn't know the difference between a physical or social threat, but they were screaming at me about those two. I would have to be careful, or I might end up acting on my reflexes.

I walked over to them carefully and asked, "What exactly is it that makes me a poser?"

They looked at me in shock.

Emma asked, "How did you know…?"

Hailey poked her with her elbow and whispered, "Shut up."

"You two were just discussing that I am a poser and fake, right?" I asked.

"What exactly doesn't make you fake or a poser?" Hailey asked. "You went from nothing, and I do mean nothing, to popular and homecoming princess in one night. The only reason is that you got dressed up and had the hottest date in the place."

"Oh, you mean when I took that crown that you thought was going to be yours? I didn't ask for that. The people made their choice."

"I've worked hard to become popular," Hailey said. "For years, everyone has loved me and wanted to be me. You don't know anything about what real popularity takes."

"Everyone seems to like me well enough," I said. "I can barely get any space anymore, because everyone wants to talk to me and be my friend. I'm here by the lockers to get some air. It really does get to be too much at times."

I can't believe she's taunting me.

"You think I'm taunting you?" I asked, as her face went white. "I'm not taunting you. I'm only sharing facts."

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

There's no way that she's reading my mind.

"Oh, but I am, Hailey. There really is a way, because it is happening."

Emma looked completely confused. Hailey looked like she might vomit, and her heart rate had increased significantly.

"You're some kind of freak," Hailey whispered.

"Is that all you have?" I asked. "Name calling?"

"I'll tell everyone what a freak you are," she said. "Then we'll see how popular you are."

"You think that people will believe you when you tell them that? They will think that you're the freak."

"Tell them what?" Emma demanded. "What are you two talking about?"

Hailey ignored her and tried to stare me down. "So tell me, where is your boyfriend? I haven't seen him around the entire time that you were gone. Did he figure out how pathetic you are and leave you? Is that the real reason that you were gone from school so long?"

It took every ounce of self-control I had not to attack her right there.

"He's traveling," I told her. "Don't try to change the subject."

"Get a life," she said. I'll get you later.

"When you do get me later, you had better stay away from my new car or you will regret it. I could overlook what you did to my old car, but not anything that happens to my new car."

"Emma, let's go," Hailey commanded. She grabbed Emma's arm and yanked her along as she stomped away.

As I watched them walk away, I knew without a doubt that they wouldn't leave me alone. I was sure that they would do something to me soon.

After school, Tanner was waiting for me at my car. "Nice plate. It's very clever: A Lexus, Alexis."

"That was my dad's idea," I told him. "But yeah, I like it too."

"So after a couple weeks, are you in need of some more blood?"

"You don't beat around the bush at all. Tell me what you're really here for."

"I see you're just as funny as ever. My football game is going downhill, and I could use some help."

"Find yourself a dealer to get your fix," I told him. "I can't use you as my volunteer anymore. Your blood makes me feel things that I shouldn't. Cliff is my boyfriend, I love him very much and I can't allow anything to come between us."

"It doesn't have to. I'm not looking for a relationship. I just need the fix for my game."

"Your blood does something to me that I can't explain," I said. "That's why I did what I did last time."

He smiled. "You mean when you threw yourself at me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," I told him. "It was only because of your blood. That's the problem."

"Where are you going to get the blood that you need now?" he asked.

"I'll either hunt animals or raid a blood bank."

I thought his eyes would bulge out of his head. "Seriously?"

"Of course."

"That sounds like a lot of trouble, especially when you have a more than eager human volunteer. No chasing and no raiding."

"It's actually quite a thrill," I informed him. "As for raiding the blood bank, I won't be the one to raid it. I'll get it from some other vamps."

"You've hunted? What was it?"

"You sound pretty interested, Tanner. Maybe I'll have to take you with me sometime. So far, I've only gone after a coyote. But I let it get ahead of me so it would put up a fight. Next time, I'll probably try something a little more dangerous."

"I'm impressed, but not sure if I want to try it myself. You know, if you really like a good chase, I could make it a challenge to get my blood. It could be a lot of fun. I may not be able to outrun you, but I have more mental capabilities than a forest animal."

My heart began to race at the mention of hunting a human, but I didn't want to acknowledge that to myself, much less him. I needed to focus on getting Cliff back and showing him that he was the only one for me.

"I've got your number," I said. "But I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."

He smiled. "I'll hear from you soon enough, Alexis." He gave a slight wave and walked away.

I sat in my car, deciding what to do. I missed Cliff and wanted to talk to him so much that I ached. I didn't want to think about him and end up depressed for another two weeks. I couldn't keep my mind off of him.

Why had I kissed Tanner? What had overcome me? More than anything, I wanted to go back in time and take it back.

Something caught my eye. It was shining on the passenger side floor. I reached across and picked it up. It was a fancy men's watch. Who wore those anymore? Everyone checks the time with their cell phones. I wondered if my dad had dropped it, and then a memory flashed of Cliff wearing it one day.

I held it close to my chest and hugged it. It was the closest thing that I had to him, and I had no intention of ever letting it go.

Suddenly, it felt like the car started spinning. All I could see was a blur of colors. When everything stopped moving, I was standing in a hallway, in what appeared to be a log cabin. I wondered if I was really there, or if I was having some kind of a vision. I reached to my left and touched a coat hanging on a rack. It was soft and made of a slippery material. It felt very real.

I walked down the hall as quickly and as quietly as I could. I peeked into a room when I reached an open door. It was a bedroom, and someone was in the bed. I tiptoed to the bed, and saw Cliff sleeping there. I stood there and just stared at him. I was too stunned to be able to think clearly. I couldn't decide whether I should wake him or let him sleep.

He started to roll around back and forth, looking like he was in anguish. "Why? Why would you do this to me?" he mumbled.

I jumped back, afraid that he had realized that I was there, but he was still asleep. I held my breath as I continued to watch him.

"How could you break my heart like this?"

A tear rolled down my face. "I'm so sorry, Cliff. I'm so sorry."

His eyes opened. I was so surprised that I dropped the watch.

Suddenly, I was back in my car. The tears that had started in a mysterious cabin continued to flow in my car at Delphic Cove High.

After I had cried my last tear, I was filled with a determination to work on my powers and gifts. I couldn't get back to Cliff without his watch, and I couldn't take back what I had done. But, I could do one thing. I decided to go and train myself to be better. That would be a lot better than doing nothing.

I drove to the forest to practice using my senses. There were a lot of unfamiliar sounds, and I wanted to learn how to focus and use my abilities to their full potential. I had a strong feeling that I would need them, and I wanted to be prepared for anything that came my way.

It was a certainty that I would be the one to rid the world of the Morettis, but I didn't know what that would entail. One thing that I knew was that I needed to learn how to use all of my gifts and abilities to their fullest extent.

I ran about two miles into the forest and climbed about half way up a tree. I sat quietly and listened, allowing the quieter sounds to fill my ears slowly as I tuned out the more obvious noises. Many strange noises filled my ears, and I picked one that I would search out.

I tuned out every other sound to the point in which I felt I had nearly become one with the unfamiliar noise. I jumped out of the tree and landed soundlessly on the soft ground below. I walked in a near crouch in the direction of the sound.

I went around bushes, over fallen trees, under low branches and basically through an obstacle course until I had found the source of the sound. I found a little family of mice building a nest within a small crevice in a dead tree. I estimated that this was about a mile and a half from where I had originally heard the sound.

Satisfied that I had been successful, I decided to try my skills a couple more times. Both times, I heard something that was over a mile from where I started. I found a bird cleaning its feathers and a couple of weasels wrestling.

Then, I decided to do the same thing with my sense of smell. There were a lot of unfamiliar scents in the woods, and at first it was difficult to separate them out, especially while sitting in a tree that had hundreds of scents in it alone.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, taking in too many scents to count. I held onto the inhaled breath and focused in on a particular group of scents. Then I exhaled and took another breath, focusing even deeper on that group of scents until I had narrowed in on one smell.

Without allowing myself to think, I went purely by instincts and followed the scent through the woods until I reached my destination. With my eyes closed, I traced the path of the scent that I was tracking. I opened my eyes when I knew that I was getting close, and found myself about twelve feet from a brown bear.

I jumped when I saw it, but quickly remembered that I was both faster and stronger than it, so then I had no fear. I thought about hunting it, but then I saw some cubs not too far away and decided to leave it alone. The cubs were pretty big, but I thought they still needed both parents.

I ran back in the direction that I had come from, and after a couple of miles, went up another tree to test my sense of smell again. I decided that it would be best to keep my eyes open this time.

I took in a deep breath and let thousands of different smells flood my nose. I focused in on a different group of scents this time.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and a cold sensation went up and down my back. I froze in place while all of my senses kicked into overdrive. Something or someone was watching me.

I readjusted myself on the branch while evaluating the situation through my senses. I had to decide quickly what to do. I could either sit where I was and see if whatever or whoever it was decided to move on, or I could act before it pursued me.

The hairs on my arm rose, and my senses went into high alert again. This told me that I was being watched intently, and probably not by a passerby. I was going to have to run or fight.

I took yet another deep breath to see if I could pick up a scent that didn't belong in the forest. I needed to know at least what I was dealing with before I decided what to do.

Could it be another vampire? I knew very little about non-royals except that they were bloodthirsty and liked to stay hidden. I hoped that it wasn't a werewolf, because I knew nothing about them except that someone had mentioned to me that they can kill vampires. I didn't know what I could do to defend myself against one, and they probably lived in the forests.

I didn't think that I could smell any type of wolf, but then again what did I know about the scent of a wolf? I also couldn't pick out any human smells.

Why hadn't I asked Brooke to teach me how to hunt and use my senses?

A chill ran down my spine again, and I could feel that whatever was watching me had moved closer. I listened for footsteps but didn't hear anything that was close by.

My instincts took over, and before I knew it, I had jumped out of the tree and landed silently. I stood in a half crouch and felt my fangs grow inside my mouth. My heart was racing, but not from fear. I took in every sound, every sight, and every smell. I knew that I was being watched from my right, and I spun around.

"I know you're there. Show yourself."

Silence.

"I said make yourself known."

Footsteps.

I turned slightly to my right again and saw a girl mostly behind a tree. I almost sighed in relief, but didn't dare let my guard down. I had no idea who she was or why she was so deep in the woods, alone.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

She stepped out from behind the tree and took a few steps toward me. She looked at me for a minute and then said, "I'm Clara."

"My cousin?"

She stepped closer, and I stared at her. She was beautiful enough to be a vampire, and she walked soundlessly. I felt no threat coming from her.

"What are you doing out here in the woods?" I asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied. "I wanted to meet you before I officially became your human family's exchange student. You didn't make that easy at all."

"I didn't know that you were looking for me. I would have gladly met up with you somewhere a little less secluded. You could have called my cell."

She smiled. "That would be too easy, and so human. I see that you are testing your senses. I'm glad that you're not waiting around for others to teach you. Experience is the best teacher."

"It's pretty difficult to get any information out of anyone around here," I said. "They seem to forget that I know nothing about vampire life."

"You and I will be spending a lot of time together so I'm sure that I can fill you in," Clara said. "I'm also a bit older than the others, so I probably have a better understanding than they do. They are still learning, really, so it's not easy for them to teach. They probably don't realize it, but they're most likely waiting for you to teach them."

"Why would they do that?"

"You are their princess. It's your destiny to be the wisest and most powerful vampire. Their senses know this, and it frustrates them that you don't know anything about being their leader. It's their place to take your orders, not to tell you what to do. It's definitely for the best that I'm here. Actually, the best would be for your parents to be here, but that will have to wait."

"When will I get to meet my parents? I've been searching to figure out who I really am, and they are my missing piece. I understand a lot more knowing that I'm becoming a vampire, but something is still missing. Once I meet them, I think I will finally know who I am."

"Has it helped spending time with Cliff?" she asked.

"Haven't you heard about Cliff?"

"You mean that he's off hiding somewhere?" she asked, as if he was just playing hide and seek a few feet away. "He's fine. I have no doubt about that. He's a thinker, so it doesn't surprise me."

I looked down at my feet. "I mean, don't you know what I did to him?"

"That you kissed that human volunteer that you were using? Yeah, I know about that. You're talking to a vampire who went through a really rebellious period. Believe me. I've done a lot worse than you will probably ever even think about doing."

"Then why were you sent here to be my warden?" I asked.

She laughed. "I'm no warden. I won't lock you up or tie you down. We come from a line of vampires who likes to learn things the hard way. You've undoubtedly heard about my father's rebellious ways. His brother, your father, went through a very defiant period himself. You'll have to ask him about that someday," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

"But that doesn't make it okay that I betrayed Cliff," I said. "There is no excuse."

"Aww, look at you. You totally love him," she said with a smile. "Not that I really had any doubts. I saw you two together as kids, and you two had each other wrapped around your fingers. It was seriously the cutest thing I have ever seen. I can't wait to see you two together soon."

"You saw us kids and thought we were cute?" I asked, confused. "How old are you? You don't look like you could be any older than me."

"Didn't anyone tell you how slowly vampires age?" she asked. "We practically stop aging after the transformation. A seven hundred year old vampire won't look much older than twenty."

"So how old are you?"

"I would have to look at a calendar to know for sure," she said. "The years roll on by, and age just doesn't matter after a while. I'm about 238 years old."

"That is so cool. You look like you maybe just turned sixteen."

She flipped her hair and smiled. "I know. It's so much fun. It can be a lot of fun to toy with the humans."

I smiled. "It does sound like a lot of fun."

"I think that we're going to get along just fine. Listen, I've got to get over to Brooke's house, because the story is that I'm supposed to go there. Your human parents are going to meet me there and then take me in as their foreign exchange student."

"Sounds good," I said. "I need to get back anyway. Last time I took off, my parents got all bent out of shape."

"It's too bad that we can't just tell them that you're turning into a vampire. It would make things so much easier."

I laughed. "Yeah, but then we'd have a whole new set of problems."

"True, true. Okay, so when I meet your family, remember that we've never met. I'm sure you're used to keeping things quiet. I'm not, but I'll be fine. I haven't spent a lot of time with humans in the last twenty or thirty years. It's nice to see the styles have improved."

"I wouldn't know, but that sounds good, I'll meet you later."

She surprised me by giving me a huge hug.

"Wh…what was that for?" I asked.

"You're my little cousin and I haven't seen you since you were three. Cliff wasn't the only one who adored you. After you were born, I went to the castle as much as I could. I missed you terribly, and have been working with your parents to find the Morettis. That's why I've been selected to be your 'warden' and trainer. I can't wait to finally get to spend some time with you and see what you're like now. I can see you haven't lost your spunk. See you at the Flemings'."

She ran off so fast that I almost didn't see her, which was odd because I could see the others when they ran. Perhaps it was something that improved with age or practice.

I was relieved that she was the vampire sent to watch and help me. She might just understand me, unlike everyone else.

I ran as fast as I could back to my car, grateful that I could find my way with these new senses. Without them, I would surely be lost before I was fifty feet into the woods.

When I got back to my car, I saw a bunch of missed call notices from my parents. Not wanting to deal with my mom, I called my dad back.

"Why do you make yourself so difficult to reach?" he asked.

"I went for a run to clear my head again," I told him. It was kind of true.

"We're supposed to pick up Clara in about a half an hour at the Flemings' house. Why don't you meet us there? We want at least one of you girls with us to meet her. Natalie is at practice and can't get away."

"Okay, I'll see you there in about a half an hour."

When I pulled into the driveway, my parents were waiting in their car. I got out of mine and tapped on the window to let them know that I was there.

"I'm glad you'll be able to be here to meet her," my mom said. "It would probably be awkward for her if it was just your dad and me picking her up."

"I wouldn't miss it," I said.

We rang the doorbell and Brooke answered with a smile. "I'm so glad that you guys could take Clara in for us. My parents are traveling, but they thank you very much. They regret that they can't be here to fulfill their duty as host parents."

"It worked out," my mom said. "I have always wanted to have a foreign exchange student, and with Alexis and Natalie getting along so well these days, the timing couldn't have been better."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, Mom. Let's go in and meet Clara. I can't wait to see what she's like."

Brooke gave me a look that told me she could tell I was putting on a show.

As we walked in, Clara stood up from where she was sitting and said, "Hello. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson. It's a pleasure to meet you."

My mom smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Clara. This is our daughter, Alexis."

"Hello, Alexis. It's very lovely to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," I said.

"We have a special dinner planned for tonight," my mom said.

"Speaking of which," my dad said, "we need to go pick it up. Clara, would you mind riding home with Alexis?"

"That sounds wonderful," she said. "We can get acquainted."

"Alexis, make sure that you get home by 6:30 please," my mom said. "Pay attention to the clock and don't be late. I don't want it to get cold waiting."

"Sure thing," I said. "See you then."

"Clara told us about you two meeting in the woods," Steve said after my parents had left.

"She surprised me, but I could sense her presence."

"Were you hunting?" he asked.

"Not this time," I said. "I was testing out my senses so that I know how to use them more effectively. I know that I'll need them when I have to fight the Morettis someday. I can't start preparing too early."

"That's the truth," Clara replied. "Those guys are fierce and they grow more powerful each year."

"Have you seen them?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. They love Europe, and they make their way over to England pretty frequently. They love to start fights with vampires to show off how strong they are. If they weren't so evil and trying to wipe out our family line, it would be very entertaining to watch them."

"Wonderful," I mumbled.

"Don't worry, Alexis. You will defeat them, and that is a show that I hope I don't miss."

"If they're so powerful, how will I ever defeat them?" I asked.

"All of your gifts and talents will have matured by then," Clara said. "I will be here to give you some real training in the meantime. You can still go and play in the woods if you want, but I promise you some real instruction. Don't forget that Cliff will be fighting beside you."

"I thought that the prophecy was that I was to be the one to defeat them?" I asked.

"You will ultimately be the one to win the battle against them, but Cliff will be there fighting alongside you. It's not known exactly how that will come about, but it will."

"Hopefully, Cliff won't be mad at me then."

"I'm sure he's not mad at you now. I've seen him many times since you've been living with the humans, and he has been miserable the entire time," Clara said. "That boy loves you, and he has a bigger purpose for his absence than to drive you nuts." She winked at me.

I couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, so is there any blood in this house?" Clara asked. "It's been a long day for me, starting halfway across the globe. I need a glass."

"I'll go get some," Brooke said. "Who else wants some?"

"I'll have some," I said.

"Me too," Steve said.

"Four bags coming up," Brooke said, and went to the kitchen.

"You guys just keep that stuff in the kitchen?" I asked. "That's so weird."

"Where else would they keep food?" Clara asked.

I shrugged my shoulders.

Brooke came out juggling four wine glasses, and we each took one from her before any spilled.

I sipped mine and nearly spit it out. "What is wrong with this stuff?"

Clara laughed.

"What's so funny?" I demanded.

"The bagged stuff takes some getting used to," she replied. "It's definitely not the same as the fresh stuff."

"No, it's not. It's horribly stale. How can you guys stand it?"

"It beats going out and needing to hunt humans like some animal," Steve said.

"I'm no animal."

"They've never had the fresh stuff, Alexis," Clara told me. "It's part of being raised with the royals."

"Is that part of the exposure process? One drop of this nasty stuff at a time?" I asked.

"That's how it's done at the castle," Steve said. "By order of your parents."

"Is there anything that can be done about this taste? Please tell me there is."

"You can either just get used to it, or you can add wine," Clara told me. "Sometimes the wine helps to bring out the fresh flavor."

"Can I have some wine with this blood, please?" I begged.

"No," Brooke said. "You need to get used to this stuff. If we give you wine, you'll start craving the fresh stuff, and we need to get you off of it."

I looked at Clara for some help.

We'll go hunting, don't worry.

I sighed with relief and grew excited about my new warden.

"It's our job to protect you," Steve said. "You