Immortal Hearts Page 0,62

finds out?" he continued to whisper. "Raven knows. You think he wants to be one of us?"

"I don't know."

"Of course you do. And how do you think he'll respond to taking a vampire to a dance?"

"Is that what this is about? My going to the dance with Billy?"

Valentine did appear hurt when Stormy reiterated that she had gone with my brother to the fall dance. "When he finds out about you, how do you think he'll really respond, Stormy?"

"He won't find out!" Stormy said.

"You have to be friends with our kind," he insisted.

She looked at me. "Raven isn't a vampire," she said. "And she's dating one. Plus her friends are vampires. I want to be like Raven. I am a vampire and have mortal friends."

She shot me a triumphant smile; I was so pleased to know that Stormy admired me in any way.

"Besides," she said strongly to Valentine, "you can't tell me who I can or can't be friends with. And if that's the way you're going to be - then you aren't a true friend."

She grabbed my arm. "We have to go find Alexander," she said, and led me through a group of dancers.

Just then Stormy spotted Luna standing by the bar.

"I need to talk to her," she said, storming over. I followed close behind.

"Hi, Stormy Girl!" Luna squealed when she noticed the young Sterling. She opened her arms for a warm embrace but Stormy faced her with her hands on her hips."I thought you were my friend," she charged.

"I am." Luna was overly sincere.

"But why did Jagger lure Raven onto the altar?" Stormy argued.

Luna laughed as if the event were as mundane as getting pizza. "You know my brother." Stormy wasn't softening. Instead she got angrier. "But you were there, too. Why didn't you stop him?"

"I don't know," she said. "It happened so fast."

"It did? It looked like it was something you both planned."

"Stormy," Luna said with an ultrasoft voice. "This wasn't about you."

"But it was. Alexander's my brother. And Raven? She is like my older sister."

Luna's blue eyes turned raging red. She quickly caught herself getting tense and tried to cover it up with a saccharine smile.

"Stormy," she began sweetly. "You don't understand. You're just a kid."

"I understand. Everyone says they don't trust you. And I have a sense of people not to trust. Jagger. Trevor. But you? I really missed the mark. You really let me down."

"I'm sorry, Stormy," she said as kind as she could. "I never meant to hurt you." I really thought Luna was telling her the truth, as if she hadn't thought out the ramifications of her actions that night.

Jagger noticed us talking, and Stormy's stance gave off the appearance of a girls' feud. "What's the commotion?" he asked.

I stared him down.

"It's okay," he said to me. "The offer isn't good anymore."

When Jagger looked at Stormy, she wasn't budging, either. She stared up at the Maxwell twin with vehemence.

"Why did you do that to my family and friends?" Stormy charged. "Isn't it enough what you have here? This club? If it wasn't for Alexander, you wouldn't be here at all. You should be thanking him, not trying to stab him in the back."

Both siblings were shocked at her words.

Just then Valentine stepped out from behind us.

"So this is why you don't like me?" he said to Stormy. His voice couldn't hide his sadness but instead gave it away. "Because of them?" t=" "W

"No - " she said to him, "it's not about them. I do like you. But I want to have more friends."

"It is their fault," he insisted. Now Valentine was the one squaring off at his older siblings. "You guys always have to make trouble. It's bad enough at home.

But here, too? Why can't you leave well enough alone? Alexander likes Raven. Let them be."

"I was just trying to help Raven out," Jagger answered defensively.

"Well, you weren't," Stormy said. "If you want to help her out, just be her friend. And Alexander's." I was so impressed with Stormy's arguments and sticking up for me in front of Jagger, I was speechless. But I'd let her take over for long enough, and it was time for me to step in.

"Having a dance club is nice, but not if no one here is your friend," I said to Jagger.

"I don't need friends," Jagger mumbled. But clearly he did. He liked being the popular one in town now that he owned the club. He gazed out at the crowd as if he was