Tori

January 8

10:56 AM

"Tori!" Chloe yelled, poking my shoulder obnoxiously.

"Waaahhh?" I lifted my head from the pillow and struggled to open my eyes. After a few tries, Little Miss Sunshine came into focus. She was already dressed, I blinked, surely I must still be dreaming, Chloe- I-blush-and-stammer-at-my-own-reflection Saunders wore a strapless, jean mini-dress.

I sat up and impatiently brushed my black hair from my eyes. "What the Hell are you wearing?"

Chloe blushed, "n-n-nothing else f-fit." She stuttered, fidgeting with the hem of the dress.

I snorted and rolled my eyes, "Has, Derek seen you yet? Has Simon?"

Her blush grew more pronounced, but she didn't reply, "You h-have t-t-to get up, an-nother k-kid is s-supposed to b-be here in th-thirty minutes."

I sighed and rolled over onto my back, flopping onto the pillows. The bed squeaked, I really hated that squeak. "I'll come down after a shower." I told Chloe, and I watched her leave, wishing I could see Derek's face when he saw what his girlfriend was wearing, but I really didn't have time. I really did need that shower, and I had no idea what I was wearing, I only had a few things that were left over from the houses last occupant, and she had been a little bit of a slut apparently, but Chloe and I had managed well enough for the last few weeks, until Chloe's Aunt Lauren and my, well, my father arrived with their credit cards, we would definitely go shopping today.

After my shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and made my way to the closet at the corner of my room, the only thing left in it was a short, white zip dress that was held together with lace on the sides, which bared a lot of skin, which was why Chloe had chosen not to wear it.

I brushed my hair quickly, and put on a dash of eyeliner, but that was it. I, Victoria Enright, didn't glance at the mirror before following my nose downstairs to breakfast. Wasn't like I had anyone to impress anyways.

I stomped down the stairs so everyone, especially Chloe-Loving werewolves, would here me coming and stop making out.

Even so, no one could have heard me over the slamming of pans and the sizzle of bacon and the screech of forks and knives that greeted me as I entered the kitchen through the attached dining room.

Derek was stuffing his face from a large bowl of eggs and pancake covered bacon, I noticed he ate with only one hand, the other he used to clutch Chloe's, who sat very near him, almost on his lap, and ate from a much more reasonable portion of eggs, fruit and bacon-free pancakes.

Simon stood at the stove, expertly frying eggs with one hand and flipping pancakes with the other.

Charlotte Masterson stood a few feet away, cutting honeydews and watermelon. Charlotte had been at one of the safe houses we spent the night in, before it was raided and we had to move. Simon had fallen in love with her on sight, the way he did with many girls, but his attention hadn't strayed when we ran into other pretty girls, which wasn't normal.

Charlotte was a serious girl, and she rarely smiled, but she was pretty, with deep gray eyes, a high forehead, thin eyebrows and long black hair. Her skin was tanned, and the lucky bitch had all her clothes. Today, she was wearing a yellow band shirt and a short black skirt.

Every few minutes, Simon glanced her way, she didn't act like she noticed, but a faint smile hovered around her mouth, and I didn't think it was because she enjoyed slaughtering fruit.

She looked up when I entered. "Good morning, Tori." She said, pausing her knife.

I grunted in return, grabbing a plate and elbowing Simon when I grabbed my mug for coffee.

The new kid was late. Kit-my father- paced along the porch anxiously, Derek channel surfed while absently petting Chloe's hair, ignoring Simon and I as we tossed insults back and forth, while Charlotte pretended to read a book, but I could tell she was amused by our banter.

When I found out that Simon was my brother, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere, not that I'd ever tell him that. Kit, I was less sure of, I didn't quite know what to think about my new father, so mostly, I didn't. he didn't push me, and I was grateful for that, not that I'd ever tell him that.

"If he doesn't show within the next 10 minutes, can Charlotte, Chloe and I go shopping? We desperately need new clothes." I said, cutting off Simon calling me a skunk faced sleaze bag. Hell, we were nothing if not creative.

"Absolutely not, it's bad manners not to greet a guest." Lauren, Chloe's Aunt, said, sounding horrified.

I rolled my eyes and bit back a comment of this not being a social call.

I started tapping my foot and watched the channels fly by in a blur. "Can we leave as soon as he gets here? We need grocery's too, anyway, for dinner." For some reason, my anxiety grew with every passing moment, and I couldn't help but think it was due to our absentee guest.

No one answered, too focused on the growl that was gradually building in Derek's chest, and the way he suddenly flipped to his feet, taking Chloe with him and glaring at the door.

I had never seen him act this defensively over a new addition to our merry band of outlaws before. He had only given Charlotte a cursory sweep with his eyes (and nose) before all but ignoring her the way he did to the rest of us other then Chloe and Simon.

A motorcycle pulled onto the long, crushed gravel drive and my heart began to race. What was wrong with me? "What is this guy, anyway?" I asked to distract myself, from my sweating palms. I was never this nervous.

"Well," Kit shared a glance with Lauren, "Damien is a bit of a special case, you see, he's a three quarter demon."

My blood thundered in my ears and my breath caught on his name. Damien. The name filled me with a sense of déjà vu that I couldn't shake. What the Hell?

"Tori?" I heard Chloe ask. She sounded concerned, but all my attention was on the motorcycle, I heard it slide to a stop, and then the crunch of boots on gravel. The boots reached the porch and the doorknob turned.

I saw it open, and then I was falling. Spots blacked out my vision. I heard Chloe gasp, and Derek's growl escalate. And then, I heard nothing.

I felt safe and warm when I woke, which was strange, because I was wearing next to nothing, and it was early January, and I had been cold all day. The next thing I noticed were, my lips, they felt especially warm and tingly. "I told you so," I heard a crisp voice, that made my heart catch in my throat, it almost sounded… familiar, although I knew I would have recognized it if I'd ever heard it before.

Blue eyes, as dark and bottomless as the ocean swam into view as I struggled to speak. The eyes, which pierced my soul as I struggled to find my voice, where surrounded by tan skin, thick eyebrow, a strong nose and firm lips. His hair was black velvet, and fell to his shoulders in loose waves.

He was very close, and while part of me wanted to flee, the larger part of me longed to press my lips to his.

I struggled to sit up, realizing belatedly that I was cradled in his arms, one under my head, the other around my waist, which kept us in an oddly intimate embrace. I shouldn't have felt so comfortable there, but I did.

I licked my dry lips, and his eyes followed the movement, which flustered me.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice far softer then it should be.

He helped my sit up and thrust his hand out for a glass of water that Simon handed him wordlessly before answering. "I happened to you, when Demons find their Brides, she faints, you are my Bride, so you fainted."

"Drink," he ordered, holding the glass to my lips when I gaped at his answer. What the hell did that mean?

I obediently sucked the water down, unable to respond to something so ridiculous. "You must be tired," he said, reclaiming the glass and handing it back to Charlotte.

"She needs to rest." He told everyone else, who looked as shocked as I felt. Only Kit and Lauren looked like they knew what was going on, but neither of them said anything. Chloe stared wide-eyed from under Derek's arm as Damien pulled my closer to his chest and stood up. Way up, this guy had to be as tall as Derek, and he was a foot taller then my 5'6, which wasn't too shabby, for a girl.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, clutching his strong arm with two hands. He headed toward the stairs.

"To bed." He answered wryly, with a twist of his lips I was too tired to analyze.

He kicked my bedroom door open, how did he know which was mine? And gently laid me on the bed.

"What…" I started, although I honestly had no idea what to ask first, and the bed was so soft, I could feel my eyelids drooping.

"Hush now," he said softly, and I felt the bed depress where he sprawled out next to me. I couldn't bring myself to care. In fact, he was warm, and I snuggled closer to his body."We will talk when you rise." His arm came around me, and for the second time that day, I fell into blackness.