The Vampire's Curse Read Free Page A

and ran, he didn't have the time or energy to try and return it. Maybe after he slept through the night, for the first time in five months, he'd think of a way to get it back to her.
    Right now, he just wanted to sleep.
    ***
    Jackie flipped the little TV off when the bell over the shop door tingled. Her mother walked in, tramping snow on the mat that wished customers a magical day and covering her red nose with an old tissue.
    Jackie sighed, glad that her mother was finally here so that she could leave early.
    Patty threw away the used tissue and immediately grabbed five more from the complimentary box on the counter. She nodded to the TV, having seen it was on before Jackie could turn it off. "You know I don't like that on during open hours."
    "It's not busy, and I was hoping there'd be something on the ferals from last night."
    Patty blew her nose, threw out the tissue, and held the rest in her fisted hand like a lifeline. "Well, at least you're safe. I can't believe so many dead ferals were picked up so close to here. You're lucky you didn't run into them."
    "Right." Jackie wouldn't look her in the eye while she got her coat and purse. She didn't like lying to her mother, but she didn't want to worry her needlessly either. She did get home safely after all, and what her mother didn’t know wasn’t going to hurt her.
    Patty smiled, her eyes red and watering while she got ready to take over for the rest day. "Well, even though you did have to thoughtlessly drag your poor mother out of bed to work while she's sick, I'm glad you're going out on a date."
    "Mom."
    "Don't get me wrong or anything, I'm not nagging you. Believe me, I've learned my lesson, but Michael is a nice boy."
    Jackie put more of a warning into her voice this time. "Mom."
    "All I'm saying is that it's nice you're giving him a chance. You don't get out enough, it's not normal. And if your own mother has to tell you that then you know it's not normal."
    If only she knew. Jackie only told her she was going out on a date with Mike so that there would be no suspicion when he picked her up to take her to get tested. Her guilt tripled.
    Patty sneezed and then pointed out the shop window. Her red eyes alight with glee. "He's here, that's his car."
    Jackie turned and watched Mike get out and stand in front of his Toyota. He saw her through the window and didn't come in the shop.
    She breathed a sigh, grateful that he did that for her. If he came in Jackie knew her mother would bombard them both with questions, hints, and praise, mostly for Mike, whom she wanted as a son-in-law. Jackie suspected that it was mostly because having a cop in the family would be just the coolest thing to her.
    Jackie jogged for the doors. "Okay, thanks for coming in mom, see you later."
    "Wait! Maybe you should take some garlic spray if there're ferals running around."
    "I took some last night, don't worry. Bye mom!"
    ***
    Jackie couldn't even look at Mike on the ride to the clinic. She knew he knew that her mother saw him and had gotten excited again. Even if he wasn't a psychic, which he was, he would have known.
    She could hear him tapping the steering wheel. "You know, your mom is only trying to help."
    Jackie clenched her fist in her hair and shut her eyes. "I know."
    "And I would like to get to know you better."
    She faced him. "Mike it's nothing against you, okay, but ..." She couldn't even bring herself to say it.
    Mike said it for her, his voice a low growl. "But you don't like the idea that I can read minds."
    He tried to meet her eyes with his dark ones, she had to look away. She was too ashamed of herself. "I know you don't mean to—"
    "You know I don't have much control."
    "But I just don't like the idea that at any time you could be in my head, even by accident. Every time I think something bad, or embarrassing, you would see it."
    She sneaked her head up for a glance; he was staring straight at the road, his hands clenching the wheel. Even when they stopped at the red light