Sterling Silver (Sterling Hunter Series Book 1)

Chapter 9

"Tabitha... he just tried to kill you. I don't think this is a good idea," her mom said up in her room. 

Carlos, Sandra and Sebastian had gone out to their car. No doubt Sebastian was getting an earful too.

Tabitha shrugged as she pulled on her yellow combat boots. She'd changed into a pair of black skinny jeans, and a black long-sleeved shirt. "Mom, he only did that to prove a point. I've been hunting weak vampires with kid gloves on. Sebastian's the real deal and he's going to help show me how to fight him and win."

Her mom hovered at the entrance to her room, not looking at all comforted by that fact. "But... honey... I knew him when I was in high school and I know how alluring he can be. He's a real charmer. Don't let him trick you into thinking he's an innocent eighteen-year-old."

Tabitha shook her head, pulling her leather black jacket on and sweeping her hair over a shoulder. "Yeah I know. But that's the thing. All the other vampires I've killed and hunted down don't try to hide who they are. They aren't as cunning or clever as he is. He can trick people into trusting him and I need to know how to fight that, how to resist. Plus, he can walk in the sun, read minds and compel people. That's more than any vampire I'd ever killed could do."

She grabbed her yellow gloves from her desk and headed downstairs with her mom on her tail. "I know he's not human. He's a monster. A vampire and he can't be trusted. That doesn't mean I can't learn from him."

Silence fell as Tabitha shoved her gloves into her pockets. Her hunting weapons were locked in the trunk of her blue bug, safe and sound where no prying eyes would find them. She reached for the knob and stopped, turning to her mom to wait for her consent. A minute of silence passed and she could see the war on her mom's face. To let her daughter, go and fulfill her vampire hunting destiny, to follow in her father's footsteps or keep her locked up in the house where she would be relatively safe. 

The minute passed and careful resolve spread across her mom's face. Tabitha held back a sigh of relief. "Fine. You can go and you can train with him but... I want you to be careful. Don't trust him and don't get too deep into his web. Don't let him trick you into thinking that he's a good vampire because he's not. There's no such thing. He kills just like all the others do."

Tabitha nodded and cracked open the door. "I know mom. I'll be back by eleven. Promise."

She grimaced but nodded and stepped forward, kissing her forehead. Tabitha closed her eyes, soaking in the moment of normalcy before opening the door and stepping out into the chilly evening air. Sandra and Carlos had already said their goodbyes to her mom, and Sebastian stood leaning against the passenger door of her car. Without looking back at her mom or at Sebastian, she went around and got in, starting up the car and turning the heat on.

Sebastian slid in beside her and tapped a hand against the dashboard. "Head into the city and I'll show you the best place to hunt."

"For humans or vampires?" Tabitha asked, giving him a sly look as she backed out of the driveway.

Sebastian gave her a roguish, hungry smirk, fangs and all. "Both."

***

Sebastian watched Tabitha drive out of her neighborhood with confident hands, replaying the huge shouting match Sandra and Carlos had had with him outside.

"You can't just go around suffocating people," Sandra had shouted, throwing her hands up.

Carlos had not looked pleased with his way of getting Tabitha to comply. Little did they know that that had been the only way to get Tabitha on their side. With her it was a battle of the wills and she now respected him for one-upping her. If someone had the guts to show her they had a stronger will than her, she would back down and listen to them.