Fangs for Freaks (Book 2: Half-blood vampire series)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

I straddled her, knees on either side of her waist and, using a good dose of strength, I grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her down into the hardwood.

“There will be no fighting in the crazy er, sorority house!” I screamed, correcting myself in frustration.

She stopped struggling as she fought to maintain consciousness. I rolled off her to get a good look at her and give her a chance to catch her breath.

She was Latin, obviously, if the colorful Spanish vocabulary didn’t give her away. My first guess was Mexican. She had great skin color, even though she was Undead. Dirty, tired and a mess, I could tell she was still very pretty. Voluptuous, much like Piper, but shorter. An Undead Salma Hayek. No doubts what the vampire who changed her had in mind.

I looked up at the other girl, who was trembling, trying to look invisible in the big pink room. She was wearing her pajamas with, get this, fuzzy bunny slippers. I groaned inwardly, praying she was at least legal age.

Piper moved toward her and introduced herself. “Hi, I’m Piper. That’s Thomas and the crazy chick rolling on the floor with your friend is Colby.” She smiled at the girl, who seemed a little less afraid because Piper was making fun of me and—well, it was rather funny that I was rolling on the floor with a wild Mexican Lolita. The girl tentatively took Piper’s hand and said, “I’m Lucy Meyers.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Lucy,” Piper replied, clasping her hand in a firm handshake.

“She’s not going to hurt me, is she?” Lucy asked Piper, her cornflower blue eyes looking huge in her pale gaunt face, and I groaned. It was like Bambi thought I was gonna make her into venison or something.

“Well, don’t go nuts and try to pound her skull into the ground and I think you two will get along just fine.” Piper smirked at me, keeping the conversation light but making it clear that I was defending myself against an attacker and not randomly knocking people unconscious.

Lucy smiled tentatively and I smiled back. Then Piper added, “People are always launching themselves at Colby. She brings out the best in them that way. You’ll get used to it.”

Lucy giggled into her hand.

“Hardy-har-har. You’re a scream today, Piper.” I stood up and dusted off my backside.

“You’re not what I expected,” Lucy said shyly after shaking my hand.

“Really? What did you expect?” I asked, intrigued by what kinds of rumors were circulating about me.

“Someone older,” she confessed and then clarified, “Not that you’re not old enough to be the Protector, it’s just …”

“Ah, so you know who I am. Don’t sweat the old thing. I’m gonna look this way forever so I could be much older than I appear.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been locked away a very long time and my manners are rusty. I’m so grateful you are, well, you.” She smiled with such sincerity I admit I felt my chest puff out a bit in pride. Now we were getting somewhere. This was the kind of reception I planned on, not being attacked by someone I was supposed to protect.

“You said you’ve been locked away? I don’t understand.” Piper interrupted the lovefest with her question.

“I can’t explain it myself. After I was attacked and changed, I was taken away to a place I can only describe as a kind of prison. They fed me and let me watch TV and stuff but I was there all alone for months before Angie joined me and then we were transported here.”