Shadow Lake Vampire Society - Wendi Wilson Page 0,19

unable to stop poking an anthill with a short stick. “Do you guys not get along with him?”

“We get along with him just fine, New Girl,” Micah said, brushing a hand over her dark, pixie-cut hair.

“What Micah means,” Ian cut in, “is that Levi is a friend, yes, but he marches to the beat of his own drum. And he likes to eat alone.”

He reached over to place a palm on Micah’s arm, but she snatched it away. Glaring at her slice of pizza, she seemed to be contemplating his death. Or mine.

I let the topic of Levi drop, and discreetly watched the teenagers around me. Lars was just as watchful as he’d been the first time I met him. His eyes scanned the mess hall repeatedly, even though our group was the only one there.

Ian and Naveen chatted in low tones, and though I couldn’t make out what they were saying, the conversation appeared to be light and pleasant. Miranda sat beside True, and they seemed to hit it off, talking about celebrity crushes and reality T.V. shows. Micah continued to glare at everything her eyes touched. Including me.

True tried to pull me into her conversation with Miranda several times, but anything I said fell flat. My mind was elsewhere, wondering where Levi was and why he liked to eat alone. And why did Micah get so defensive when I asked about him?

I covertly studied each person, noting how each of them possessed the same pallid skin and ethereal beauty. My eyes dropped to my arm, noting my own skin, not really tan even though spring had turned into summer. But these people looked like they never saw the sun. And yet, I’d seen them hanging out around camp in broad daylight.

Even Naveen, with his brown complexion, somehow looked… pale.

They must use some industrial strength sunblock.

As the dinner hour wore on, another thing occurred to me. They weren’t actually eating. Well, they were, but it seemed like the only time any of them took a bite of pizza is when either True or I looked at them. Like our gazes somehow reminded them to eat.

I shook my head to clear it. Paranoid Piper was really jumping to the front of the pack today. Of course, our gazes had nothing to do with their eating.

As we walked back to our cabin, I leaned close to True so she would hear my quiet voice when I asked, “Do they all seem normal to you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” I said, looking over my shoulder to make sure we were alone on the path. “I just get a weird vibe from them. Like…” I trailed off, unable to find the right words.

“Like there’s something almost otherworldly about them?” True supplied.

“Yes,” I replied. “Exactly.”

She shook her head and grinned. “It’s because they’re all rich. They live and play in high society, running in much different circles than you and me, Piper. That’s why they seem so different.”

“I thought you said everyone here came from messed up situations. Teenage mental cases, wasn’t that what you said?” I asked.

“Yeah, I know what I said,” she quipped. “And it’s still the truth. Those over-privileged, spoiled rotten brats of the world’s richest assholes are the craziest of us all.”

“I don’t know, True. I feel like there’s something else. Something I’m missing.”

“Maybe you should stop speculating about other people’s lives and worry about yourself,” a deep male voice said close to my ear.

I yelped in response, spinning toward that voice as True did the same.

We both froze, coming face-to-face with a scowling, yet insanely gorgeous, Levi Kass.

Chapter Eight

I nearly stumbled off the path as I stared at Levi standing only a few feet away. Where the hell did he come from, and why did he freaking sneak up on us like that?

With my heart still pounding in my chest, I took him in—short cropped brown hair, tight black T-shirt, expensive athletic wristwatch, shorts that showed off his muscular thighs…

I stopped there, feeling heat rush into my cheeks.

Embarrassed, I snapped my gaze back to his face. His scowl hadn’t changed, and his intense gray-green eyes were scrutinizing me as if he could decipher my every thought. Being this close, I could detect a hint of cologne, both masculine and musky.

Damn, he even smelled sexy. Yet, he was still scowling and acting like he wanted a reaction from me.

But what?

“Levi,” True said, cutting the tension. “Didn’t see you at dinner. It was pizza. You didn’t miss much. Woof.” Her