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.The salty tears burned along my cheeks as he swept them away from the new wounds Keira inflicted on my face with her nails."Thanks," I muttered.I looked down to see my arms scratched and bloody but beginning to scab and heal already.My dress on the other hand was ruined."Oh no.My aunt is going to kill me," I whined stepping back to peer down at the ripped lace and frayed bow.There was a long gash across the entire front of the dress baring my thigh below.“You still look gorgeous.I had to keep myself from pouncing you when I saw you.No one has looked more beautiful than you tonight.”“Thanks, but she’s still going to kill me.”“Your shoes are fine,” he smiled.I still heard blaring music behind the closed doors down the hall; buzz still hummed loudly in the background.Looking around the halls, I realized Mike wasn’t there.“Where’s Mike?”“He ran off.”“And you let him?” I pressed baffled.“I saw his face.He was scared shitless when you attacked Keira.He threw the picture at me and took off.Coward,” Kellan scoffed with amused disgust.“I guess I did look pretty scary.I even shocked myself,” I acknowledged.“Scary? No.Sexy? Absolutely,” he grinned, displaying his dimple and melting my heart in unison.Something about his trademark was irresistible.“Lexi?” my mother called stepping out into the hall searching for me.“Lexi! What happened?!” she yelled at my side in half a second despite me being a minimum ten yards away.“I’m fine, Mom.Keira showed up with Mike.I sort of attacked her and Mike ran off,” I explained.“Attacked her? Lexi, you could have been killed!” she freaked.“No, Sharon, I don’t believe she would have been,” Al stated strolling casually in the same door he exited.“What do you mean?” she pressed.“Sharon is everything okay?” my aunt called rushing over with Beth and my dad when they caught sight of me.“Lexi, what happened?!” my dad exclaimed.He got down on his knees and began examining me as he did when I got hurt as a child.“Lexi attacked and single-handedly took down the vampire radical,” Al announced.I grew nervous with the new awed, wide-eyed glares I received from everyone in unison.I began fidgeting with my hands.“Um, Lexi, why don’t I take you to clean up a bit so your parents can talk to Al,” Aunt Claire prompted.I nodded in agreement.Kellan kissed my forehead, “I’ll see you in a little bit.”I smiled slightly and followed my aunt back to the lobby where the elevators stood.She pushed the button as the front desk attendants stared on in horror, no doubt attempting to guess my shaken fate.I didn’t even want to guess the terrors sprawled out in their minds.Once inside the elevator, Aunt Claire pulled me in and squeezed me with all her might.She didn’t say anything probably realizing that I needed comfort, reassurance without words in this moment.And I was grateful for that moment.Chapter 25“Well, we can’t salvage the dress, but I do have a backup I bought just in case of a blood shed emergency,” she smiled encouragingly.Inside the closet of her suite, Aunt Claire retrieved a red mini-dress.It was a strapless dress that fell mid-thigh on me.The bust was overlaid with matching red lace and ended empire with a coordinating red ribbon lining it, below the ribbon, a layered chiffon type material merely grazed my skin to my hips where it fell into the perfect A-line design.Luckily Ryan had made an appearance at the party and fixed my hair and make-up.Oddly he didn’t ask a single question regarding the event that lead to my disheveled mess of cuts, tears and dress destruction.Once I was all cleaned up, my wounds healed, revamped to return to the party, I was finally able to return the smile my aunt lovingly projected.Mike was gone, I’d killed Keira and Al dispensed of her, Jason’s jaw dropped over me, Jenny turned green with envy, Mel still loved me as her best friend, my dad was beginning to accept the new me, I was learning to love my previously absent aunt and, best of all, I had a boy – no, scratch that – a man named Kellan whom, though he lied about Keira, clearly cared about me in a way no one ever had, and I was anxious to return to him now all tidied up.“Let’s go Miss Fierce,” Ryan called.“You look like a sexy cougar in this dress.I’m loving it, and I’m guessing everyone else will too.”As I re-entered the party, Mel ran up to me exclaiming, “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! You had me scared to death that something happened to you!”“I’m good.Just a little blood… I mean a drink mishap,” I caught myself just in time.“Well I love the new dress.It’s hot!”“No you did not just pull a Paris! I’m definitely fining you for that one.”“Yea, yea.Put it on my tab.” We broke into unified laughter.Glancing around, I realized no one missed me in the time I was gone.I was thankful for Caleb’s presence; Mel certainly would have been aware of my absence sooner had he not been distracting her.“Lexi, do you mind if I have a word with you?” I was surprised to see Al there requesting my presence.“I’ll meet you on the dance floor in a bit,” I told Mel turning back to him.Suddenly nerves flooded my stomach.“I know Kellan told you about me, and I don’t want to take you away from your party, but I would like to talk to you about a position within the ranks of the vamp army [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]