By the time Mason and I left the library, it was dark out. We’d spent hours in the research room in the library, browsing through numerous dusty old guides written by people who’d died centuries ago. Thankfully, Vicky had let us stay until after hours. It didn’t matter, though. We hadn’t found anything. My fingers were caked in grime and dust. I was starved, thirsty, and pissed.

“Well, that was a big waste of time,” I snapped as I glanced at my cell for the time.

“No, it wasn’t,” Mason argued.

“Yeah, it was. We spent almost five hours flipping through a crap ton of books for nothing. We weren’t able to match any of the handwriting in them to the writing in our book.”

“True, but at least we know the library doesn’t have any guides from this particular vampire hunter, which means we might have the only copy,” he said. I sighed, unable to see the bright side he was trying to show me. “There’s still a good chance one from the grimoire section will be a match.”

I couldn’t believe there was still another section to search through. Why couldn’t technology be up-to-date here already? I wished we could scan a page into the library’s system and have it search through every book, comparing their contents until it found us a match. It would make things so much easier.

“There’s also a good chance we won’t, too.” I hated sounding so pessimistic, but when I was hungry, it was hard not to. I tended to get hangry if I skipped a meal. Lately, it seemed as though that was all I was doing. “How do we know this wasn’t the only guide this person wrote?”

“We don’t, but we can hope there are others. Same as we can hope some of them are in the library’s secret room.”

I could feel Mason’s eyes on me, but I didn’t look at him. Instead, I kept my eyes forward, trying to ignore the looks of pity people were still tossing my way. I was sick of seeing them.

“Would you want to get something to eat or a coffee?” Mason asked as we neared the Dark Horse Diner. The scent of burgers and fries had my stomach going crazy.

“Sure, I’m starved.”

“How about something from there? Or do you want to grab a pizza?”

“I could go for one of their Caesar chicken wraps. That, and an extra-large order of onion rings,” I said as I continued toward the diner.

“Onion rings sound good,” Mason muttered as he opened the door for me.

The instant I stepped inside, I swore I could feel everyone’s eyes shift my way. I knew Danny had recently passed, but these people knew nothing about how or why besides what the police chief had told them. Their sympathetic looks pissed me off. I couldn’t wait until I had enough proof to tell them all the truth.

It dawned on me then that it wouldn’t matter.

They would still pity me. Maybe even more once they learned Danny had died in a hellhound attack.

“Do you think we can get our order to go?” I asked when Mason started toward one of the open tables near the back. There was no way I’d be able to eat here with everyone staring.

“Yeah, sure. No problem.”

As we made our way toward the cash register to place our to-go order, I recognized the waitress standing behind it. It was Angela Prestfield. I’d graduated high school with her. We’d never been friends, but from the smile plastered across her face at the sight of me, you’d never know. I guess that was one of the curses of living in a small town, even one like Willow Harbor, polite fakeness was never hard to find.

“Oh, mylanta! I was wonderin’ when you were goin’ to come in here. I heard you were back in town for obvious reasons.” Angela lowered her voice and her face flipped from ecstatic at seeing me to mournfully sorrowful at the drop of a dime. “I have to say, I am so sorry for your loss, Claire. I couldn’t imagine losin’ a siblin’, let alone a twin. You and Danny were so close. It must be hard. Can I ask you a question, though?”

While I didn’t want to chitchat with Angela of all people, I didn’t want to seem rude either. “Sure.”

“Did you feel it when he passed? Some people say the bond between twins is so strong they can feel one another’s pain. Is it true?” There was a sick glimmer in her eyes that had my blood burning.

Angela Prestfield was still a bitch.

I opened my mouth to say so, but Mason spoke before I could get any words out. Maybe it was a good thing, because I damn sure didn’t have anything nice to say.

“That’s not a question Claire’s going to answer. Can you just take our order?” he insisted.

Angela blinked a few times but didn’t speak. Apparently, it had been a while since anyone talked to her the way Mason had.

I wanted to kiss him.

Angela’s face screwed up into a scowl. Her eyes blazed as she retrieved her pen and pad. “Well. Okay, then. What can I get you?”

“I’ll take a Caesar chicken wrap and an extra-large order of onion rings with a sweet tea,” I said as I fished my wallet out of my purse.

“Are these separate orders or one?” Angela asked with more sass than necessary.

“One,” Mason insisted. “I’ll take an extra-large order of onion rings with a sweet tea as well.”

“You don’t have to get mine. I wasn’t expecting you to,” I insisted as Angela tore her paper from her pad and started toward the kitchen to place our order, ignoring me.

“I know, but I want to.” He crammed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans as a tiny smirk twisted at the corners of his mouth. “I feel like I need to make sure you eat something.”

A million bitchy things flew through my head, but I kept them to myself. Instead, I forced a simple thank you out. After all, Mason was only looking out for me. It didn’t mean he thought I was weak, unable to take care of myself, or poor. He was only being nice.

Angela came back a few minutes later with our sweet teas. I grabbed a straw she slapped on the counter and unwrapped it. While sweet tea was mainly sugar water, it would at least be something to tide me over until my food was ready. I’d reached the point of no return in my stage of hunger. Either I was going to pass out or puke due to lack of food.

“Want to head to the beach and walk around while we eat?” Mason asked.

“Sure.” I couldn’t believe I hadn’t taken a walk on the beach yet since coming back to town. I hadn’t been for a jog in the morning like I used to either.

Some salty air and a beautiful view would probably do me some good. It always had before.

Thank goodness it didn’t take long for our order to come. When it did, Mason paid Angela for it without adding a tip. I couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped free because of her bitchy expression when she noticed. I waved to a couple of people who said hello as I passed their table on my way to the door, but I didn’t stop to chitchat with them about how my dad or I were doing and refused to mention anything about Danny.

Mason handed me an onion ring once we exited the diner. It was scalding hot, but I didn’t care. Food was food. He passed me my chicken wrap next. I took a couple bites as we walked toward the wooden pathway that led to the beach a little way behind the diner. The scent of the salt water wafted to my nose once we crossed over the dunes and the wind kicked up. Every inch of me relaxed. I’d needed this.

My gaze trailed over the boardwalk coming into view. It was lit up like usual. I loved looking at it at night.

We walked the sandy shore in silence as the chilly wind whipped against us while we ate. When I was halfway finished with my chicken wrap, I glanced at Mason. He was sipping his sweet tea, gazing out at the dark ocean waters. His profile was lit by the brightness of the moon, allowing me to take in the finer details of his face. There was something so peaceful about his expression. The sight of it comforted me in a way I couldn’t describe. It had me thinking no matter what everything was going to be all right. We would figure out everything with the book, and people would believe me when I told them Danny hadn’t taken his own life.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve thanked you for helping me with all this,” I said.

Mason glanced at me. “You don’t have to. Your brother was a good guy. He deserves for everyone to know the truth about what happened to him. I’m glad you’ve let me help you figure it all out.”

His words had me choking up. I missed Danny.

“He was a good guy,” I whispered. “I still can’t believe he’s gone.”

“I can’t imagine how you must feel. You or your dad.”

My dad. An ache built inside my chest at the mention of him.

“He’s so broken since Danny’s death. I can’t get him out of bed. He’s done nothing besides lay in bed and cry. I don’t think I’ve seen him cry this much since our mom died a few years ago.” My throat constricted. “I’m starting to worry he might not survive this. Maybe I’m not enough of a reason for him to try. I feel like he has given up.”

“Why didn’t you tell me things were so bad? I would have gone with you to visit him. Is there anything I can do to help?”

God, he was so sweet. I was so thankful he’d stepped into my life when he had.

“Not unless you have the power of compulsion,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood. I didn’t want to be a complete downer. Things had already been bad enough without mentioning how my dad was handling everything.

Although, the idea of a vampire having the ability of compulsion wasn’t as far-fetched as it might sound. Some vampires, and other supernaturals, harbored special talents. Compulsion was among them.

Lena came to mind. I knew she was a shifter, but she’d also admitted to having flashes or visions from the dead. Part of me hoped Mason would admit he had some power as well. While I didn’t think using it on my father to mask his emotions about my brother’s death was smart, it was tempting.

Maybe it was selfish of me, but I wanted my dad back. I needed him. In a way, I felt as though I’d lost both him and Danny. It left me feeling alone.

Thank goodness for Mason.

“Sorry.” He shook his head. “Even if I did, I don’t think you’d be able to talk me into using it on your father. He needs to work through this naturally, and so do you.”

“I know. Compulsion just seems like such an easy fix.” I shoved another onion ring in my mouth. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Like what?”

“Umm, how do you like living in Willow Harbor? Is it everything you thought it would be?”

“It’s growing on me. At first, it seemed strange living in a town with so many different supernaturals and humans mixed together, but I think I’m starting to get used to it.”

“It’s a lot to get used to, I’m sure.” I took a swig from my sweet tea. “What do you think is the strangest thing about it so far?”

“The willow tree and the channel of water near its base. I heard both had magical properties, but had no idea what they might be until last night.”

I grinned at his admittance. “I’ve known since I was a kid. Ida healed a deep gash on my hand with it once when I was rollerblading in front of her bakery and wiped out.”

“She seems like a nice lady.”

“She is, but you don’t want to get on her bad side.”

“I’m sure that’s the case for a lot of the townspeople.” Mason winked. His lips hooked into a half grin I found absolutely adorable.

“You have no idea.” I sipped on my tea. “So, what do you want to do now? Turn back?” It was a little after ten. I was tired but didn’t want to say so.

“I guess. I was thinking of maybe calling it a night, I’ve got a project I need to finish and email to my client before tomorrow morning. I didn’t get much work done today.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to eat up your day having you help me flip through those guides. You should have said something. I wouldn’t have minded doing it alone.” Guilt swam through me. I kept forgetting Mason needed to work. I blamed the lapse in memory on my current state of unemployment; somehow it had spread to him in my mind.

I paused for a second to slip off my sneakers and socks, wanting to feel the cool sand squish between my toes. When I set my tea down, Mason did the same. He used the fingers of his bandaged hand as best he could to undo the laces of his boots and slip them and his socks off.

“I wanted to help. Trust me.” He flashed me a smile while he shoved his socks inside his boots. “I just need a couple of hours to finish touching up a cover. It’s no big deal, really.”

“What kind of cover is it? You never said what genre you create.”

“Any genre someone hires me for. This one is for a science fiction novel, though.”

I wrinkled my nose as I picked up my sneakers and started walking again. The cool sand felt amazing between my toes. “I’m not a fan of science fiction novels.”

“Yeah me either. I don’t mind watching a good science fiction movie now and then, but that’s about it.”

“Is it hard to make that kind of cover, then? Did your client give you a concept, or did you have to brainstorm an idea on your own?” I’d always wondered how artists went about creating covers without having read the book.

“A little of both. My clients generally give me a basic idea for what they’re shooting for. We go back and forth for a few days deciding on images and fonts before I create a mockup.”

“Cool, so what’s on this one?” It felt nice to have a normal conversation. One that didn’t have anything to do with my brother or hellhounds.

“Some rocky terrain that’s supposed to represent a planet. There’s a rough and tough couple with guns and lots of vibrant colors in the background. I found a cool overlay that makes the whole thing look glittery, too. I’m crossing my fingers my client likes it.” Passion reflected in his voice when he talked, letting me know he took pride in what he did for a living.

---

“Sounds nice. You’ll have to show it to me one day. I’d love to see any cover you’ve worked on.”

“How about tomorrow?” he asked as he chucked his empty cup in a trash can we passed. “You should cash in on your rain check you had me give you before.” The hopeful gleam in his eyes stirred a sense of excitement inside me.

“Sure, I guess I could do that.” I grinned.

The lights of the boardwalk came back into view. We were almost to the wooden walkway again. There was a part of me that was disappointed because I didn’t want this moment to end. It was the first sense of peace and calm I’d felt since setting foot back in town.

I knew it was all because of Mason.

We both lapsed into silence while we finished our walk back to town. I didn’t pause to slip my socks and sneakers on when we reached the pathway that led back to the sidewalk in town. Instead I continued on. Mason did the same. Although I wasn’t sure if his reasoning was the same as mine. He might not have been able to pull his socks and boots on one handed. At least not without looking silly.

“Give me a call when you wake up,” Mason said once we’d made it to the stairs to our apartments. “Maybe we can get some breakfast, and then I can show you a couple of the covers I’ve created.” He held the door open for me, and I slipped inside.

“You know, for a vampire, you sure do eat a lot of human food,” I teased.

“Old habits die hard.”

“I guess.” I chuckled as I started up the stairs. “You don’t sleep either, do you?”

“Nope.”

“Was that the hardest thing to adjust to?”

“No, drinking blood was.”

“I can only imagine.” I grimaced.

“See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ll text you when I wake up.” I reached into my purse and fished out my keys. “Thanks again for helping me with all of this. You didn’t have to, and I want you to know I appreciate it. Oh, and thanks for saving me from that hellhound, too. I can’t remember if I already said that.” I smiled.

“Like I said, no problem.”

“I mean it, thank you.” I lifted to the tips of my toes and pressed my lips against his.

I only expected it to be a slight peck meant to express my gratitude deeper than words, but it turned into something more the instant our lips touched.

Mason’s lips moved beneath mine in response while his hands found their way to my hips. Inches were all that separated us as his mouth continued to work over mine, taking control of the kiss I’d initiated. I locked my arms around his neck and allowed my body to melt against his. He was cool to the touch, but I didn’t mind.

I intertwined my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and pushed him against the door to Danny’s apartment. When his tongue skimmed along my bottom lip, I opened my mouth wider, allowing him the access he seemed to crave. Tremors slipped through me at the amount of heat and possession that oozed through Mason’s kiss.

He owned my mouth, every inch of it.

I slid my hands over his solid shoulders and down his arms. When he pulled my lower lip between his teeth, I gasped into his mouth. His fingertips dug into my hips, and I knew he was as turned on as I was. A shiver slipped through my body as my entire world became nothing besides the feel of his hands on my body and the sensation of his lips against mine. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so consumed by a kiss.

“We should stop,” Mason whispered. “Tell me to stop.”

I nibbled his bottom lip. “I don’t want to.”

For the first time in days, I felt alive. Mason had brought me back. He’d figured out a way to make me breathe again, and I didn’t want this moment to end.

Not now. Not ever.

“I don’t want to either, but we should.” He pulled away and leaned his forehead against mine. “Now isn’t the time.”

My lips were swollen and tender. I licked them while fighting to catch my breath.

“I know,” I whispered. The words tasted bitter on my tongue. A betrayal to my mouth, to my body. All I wanted was to beg for him to invite me to his apartment and pick up where we’d left off. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“I’m glad it did,” he said as he lifted my chin so I was meeting his gaze. “But I think it’s bad timing. I don’t want to you to have any regrets or think I took advantage of you while you were in a fragile state of mind.”

There was nothing fragile about my state of mind when it came to him, but I let his comment slide. “I wouldn’t regret anything with you, just so you know,” I whispered.

I let myself into my brother’s apartment, leaving Mason in the hall, and closed the door. With my back pressed against it, I ran my fingers through my hair.

Mason and I had kissed.

My heart thumped wildly inside my chest at the memory of his lips pressed against mine. Falling asleep tonight was going to be nearly impossible.