my eyes.
“Are you going to let him bite you?” she asked, one dark brow arched.
“What? No! Why would I do that? Why would he?”
“Isn’t that some kind of sexual thing with vampires?” she asked. “Like they bite each other to get off, or something?”
“Shut. Up,” I groaned, shoving at her shoulder.
Laughter trilled out of her as she tossed her head back. “It’s so easy to mess with you.”
It should’ve struck me as odd that we were joking around about love and vampire bites, but True had a knack for making everything seem so simple. It didn’t matter that Levi was a blood-sucking mythical creature come to life. All that mattered was what I felt for him, and what he felt for me.
And what I felt for him was… exciting. Thrilling. Wonderful. And I didn’t want to ruin it by worrying about logistics like whether he’d want to bite me during intimate moments.
Or whether he’d still want me when I’m old.
I didn’t mention that worry to True. This… whatever it was… was too new to be planning for some far-distant future I might not even have.
A vampire had killed my father and might be after me. Another vampire wanted to erase my memories to keep herself out of trouble. And God only knew what other plots and plans revolved around me that I was oblivious to.
No, I’d save the future planning for later, when all of this was over. For now, I was going to let Badass Piper live in the moment while Hussy Piper enjoyed herself.
“So, what’s the next move?” True asked, pulling me from my delicious imaginings.
“Warren Thornberry seems to think we should take on the bad mountain vamps and bring them to some kind of justice,” I said, my voice deepening with concern. “Levi said it would be suicide.”
The vision flashed through my mind—the hard floor under my back, the pain, the out-of-body experience that told me I was dying—and I wondered if poking the hornet’s nest would be what ultimately led me to that point.
Was learning the truth about my father’s murder worth dying over? Or, like True’s experience with the drunk driver, could I alter the course and save myself? Was it worth the risk?
Those were all things I needed to consider before making a decision. How long could I dwell in the past before it had a serious negative impact on my future?
After my time with Levi, I finally caught a glimpse of a future worth having. And I didn’t want to give that up. Not for anything.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The week sped by as camp continued in full swing. I barely had time to contemplate all I’d learned at Warren’s, let alone what had transpired between Levi and me. But when I laid down in bed each night to mull everything over, my exhausted body gave up the fight within seconds. All day in the sun and sand navigating pre-teen drama and bug bites did that to a person.
And even though I longed for time alone with Levi, there was little to be found. This week there was a campfire, an archery demonstration, horseback riding, and a talent show, not to mention all the other daily events. The Saturday night talent show was the talk of the camp, and my girls spent hours lip-syncing and choreographing a dance that somehow, despite our better judgement, involved me and True.
One minute, I had self-respect. The next, I was wearing a zip-up unicorn onesie and singing into a hair brush. The things I did for my campers.
The Saka’am girls were sweet and funny, and I really wished I could give them my full attention. I did my best to stay focused during the day, but my mind tended to wander. Did Warren know more than he was saying? Was Sarah involved with the bad vampires? What about Chef Chloe? My mind worked over each and every angle as I tightened saddle stir-ups or handed out anti-itch cream.
In the times in-between, I thought about Levi. That kiss… He’d said he hadn’t felt the same about anyone in his whole life... or was that one of those lines guys said just to get into a girl’s pants? Having limited experience, I couldn’t tell. It felt authentic, but then most of what had happened could have come straight out of a fantasy novel, so my gauge was a little off.
Our busy schedule seemed to keep the others occupied, too. That meant no late night abductions or other nefarious acts from Sarah and