Page 20 of Wanted 3

Leonard followed us to the front door, his shadows dancing at his feet.

Jeremy knew better than to ask if he could join. He returned to his stool at the island. “I’ll just play fetch and train them some more,” he offered.

“Stay inside,” I ordered.

As he nodded, Leonard raised a hand. At once, a shadow dashed out the door and came back so fast, even with my vampire vision I barely noticed it.

“They detected something on the north side of the house,” Leonard announced.

"Shall we run?" Vlad asked, a grin on his handsome, chiseled face.

"Yes!" Despite the gravity of the situation, I looked forward to stretching my vampire wings, as it were.

And so we ran. The wind whipped through my hair and I relished my newfound incredible speed and dexterity. I felt like a superhero and I knew I would never regret my choice to turn. Not only was Vlad worth it all, but this, how I felt, this incredible euphoria, it was worth anything I might have left behind. I'd never felt more alive than now, and the irony was not lost on me. My life truly began the moment my heart stopped.

We circled the mansion a few times, ensuring nothing was out of place, just as a precaution, even though I knew Leonard and the shadows would watch after Jeremy.

Then, we ran.

After doing a complete inspection of the property, we paused by the rose garden.

"Nothing," Vlad said.

“False alarm?” I asked, not even a little out of breath.

“There are many creatures of the night,” he said. “Not all are friendly.”

"That's reassuring," I said dryly. "When this is all over, I'm gonna need some kind of crash course on this new life. Maybe ‘How to be a Vampire for Dummies’ or something?"

He chuckled but stopped abruptly the moment we turned the corner of the house to see the front door standing open, light from the hallway spilling out.

Then, I saw him.

Leonard, lying in the driveway, lifeless.

“Jeremy?” I screamed, dashing into the house. I hated to leave Leonard, but I had to save my brother.

Halfway to the kitchen, I drew up short.

Through the window to the backyard I saw Jeremy walking slowly towards the woods. He seemed hypnotized. Even his shadows behaved strangely, following him like lifeless snakes. I screamed his name, but he couldn't hear me through the double-paned glass.

I dashed to the back door and threw it open, my eyes easily adjusting to the darkness.

Jeremy had stopped before a figure standing at the edge of the trees in the moonlight.

My heart leapt into my throat. It had been so long since I’d seen her face, that smile.

“Mom?”

“No,” Vlad hissed, wrapping me in his arms from behind, holding me back. Then, raising his voice, he called out, “Jeremy, stop. That is not your mother.”

I felt sick. So, the creature could take on other forms? That would have been useful information to have. “Jeremy!” I screamed, “Come back!”

I jerked out of Vlad's arms and ran outside.

Vlad followed, his crossbow raised. “I can’t get a clear shot, not from here. Not without endangering Jeremy."

I flew as fast as my new powers would let me, toward Jeremy and the creature. It looked so much like her. Her long dark hair almost glowed under the full moon. Every feature, down to her favorite blue dress and her heart shaped face were exactly as I remembered.