Sterling Silver (Sterling Hunter Series Book 1)

Chapter 24

Tabitha avoided her mom the next morning. She got dressed in a pair of black gym shorts that went to her knees with neon pink stripes down the sides, a neon pink tank top with a yellow tank under it and her bright black and pink sneakers. Tabitha shoved a second pair of clothes into her backpack and opened her window.

When everyone moved out and the house became empty, Tabitha had moved to the twin's room which was double in size and had a tree right next to the window in the back. She'd mastered the art of climbing onto the shingled roof, jumping onto the nearest tree branch and climbing down. Not that she would ever sneak out of the house and worry her mom half to death.

Tabitha swung her backpack over her shoulder and crawled onto the roof. Turning, she shut her window then crawled out farther and reached for the high hanging branch of the tree. Grasping it, Tabitha pulled herself toward the tree and hoisted herself onto the branch, making her way to the tree's trunk. Tabitha quickly climbed down, swung off a low branch and her feet touched the ground. The sun was just beginning to rise and Tabitha was pretty sure everyone was still sleeping. Which meant they would all have to worry about where she'd gone over breakfast. For some reason that made her smile.

Tabitha ran around to the front of the house and threw her backpack into the back seat of her car, turned her keys in the ignition and backed out of the driveway, heading out of the neighborhood. Now she would get to have the awkward post-fight talk with Derrick tonight instead of this morning. Maybe they wouldn't even notice she was gone. It wasn't like she was the pretty one or the smart one. Just the vampire hunter one with a killer instinct.

***

Tabitha turned her car off in front of Sebastian's large mansion of a house. Birds chirped and sang among the trees and a chilly early Spring breeze tangled her hair as she got out. Tabitha slung her backpack over her shoulder and stepped through the antechamber and to the front door, her fist midway to the door when it swung open and a girl smiled at her.

The stranger cocked her head and beamed. "You must be Tabitha. So good to meet you," she said in a beautiful sing-song voice. She had wispy, curly white-blond hair and sparkly green eyes. She wore high wasted jean shorts, a vintage Mickey Mouse t-shirt tucked in and white vans.

Tabitha's grip on her backpack tightened when the girl flashed her a toothy grin, fangs flashing. A vampire. She must be Sebastian's sister.

"Yep I am. Seb's in the kitchen. I convinced him to let me answer the door. Come on in," she said as perky as ever. Almost more perky than Mckayla which made Tabitha want to shutter. Emmeline laughed as Tabitha stepped in. In one fluid motion she shut the door and hooked elbows with Tabitha, guiding her through the huge house and to the kitchen where Sebastian sat, drinking something red from a bottle. Tabitha tried not to think about the blood as she gave him a pleading smile.

He smirked and slid off the bar stool, capping his blood bottle. "Emmy, leave her alone. We're going to train and I don't want you bugging us, so go find something to entertain yourself with."

She sighed and folded her arms, unhooking elbows with Tabitha and letting her go. Tabitha took a few steps away from her. "Fine but then I get to entertain myself with Keller, deal?"

Sebastian sighed but relented. "Fine but don't hurt him too much. I plan to send a message to Alistair with him."

At the mention of Alistair, Emmeline frowned, eyes darkening and saddening. Tabitha could see the tragic love written all over her face.

"Seb you know I don't want to know anything about what you plan to do with Alistair or Keller so just... leave me out of it."

Sebastian shrugged walking around the counter and to Tabitha's side. "You know I'm not going to give up on you."