"The blood?" Della asked. "I can get more."

"No, me being vampire. I'm not really vampire. I mean, I'm only part vampire."

"You look full-blooded," Della said, and then, "How do you change it?" She moved to the kitchen table.

Kylie opened the bottle and suddenly the idea of drinking the blood turned her stomach. Had she already changed into something else? Oh, great! If so, she couldn't wait until breakfast when everyone would have another field day making fun of her.

Closing the cap, attempting to hide her nausea from Della, she said, "I don't understand how it works. How to make it happen, how to make it not happen."

She faced Della. "Am I still vampire?"

Della nodded, and Kylie saw from the girl's expression that she could tell Kylie had been crying.

"Go ahead and say it," Kylie said. "I'm supposed to be a badass now that I'm a vamp."

"I don't care if you're badass," Della said with sincerity.

Frustration welled up inside Kylie because she was being a bitch, because Della was being nice, but mostly because she couldn't go running to Holiday for answers this time.

Holiday didn't have the answers. And the people who did, her grandfather and aunt, didn't want anything to do with Shadow Falls and were now "undeliverable."

A chameleon alone will not survive.

And right now, Kylie felt very alone.

More tears flowed and Kylie swiped at her cheeks. "I hate feeling like a freak," Kylie bellowed out. "I hate feeling as if I have no control over my own body."

Her thoughts went to Hannah. And to Hannah's concern that someone was out to hurt Holiday. And I'm tired of people dying.

"Your grandfather didn't tell you how to ... handle it?"

Kylie let go of a deep sigh. "He said it would take years for me to learn."

"So you're going to go around changing from thing to thing without being able to control it?"

"That's the way he made it sound. I don't know." Kylie dropped into a chair.

After a pregnant pause, Della asked, "What did you think of your grandfather?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, did you like him, not like him? Was he some old fart with one foot in the grave?"

"No, he wasn't ... that old. And he seemed nice. He looked like my dad. But reminded me a little of Burnett, serious and stern."

"But?" Della said, making it sound like a question.

"I didn't say 'but.'"

"Yeah, but you looked like you were thinking it."

Kylie exhaled. "If I tell you something, will you not say anything ... to anyone?"

"Cross my cold heart," Della said. "And promise not to cry. Especially if I look half as bad as you do when I do it," she said, as if attempting to coax a smile out of Kylie.

Kylie didn't smile. She couldn't. "He wants me to go live with them."

Della's eyes widened and the humor quickly faded. "You're not going to do it, are you?"

"No," Kylie said. "I don't think so."

Right then, she heard her grandfather's voice again. Come with us. We'll help you understand everything. You need to learn who and what you are, Kylie.

"Don't think so?" Della repeated Kylie's words. "That sounds like you're considering it."

"No," Kylie said.

And she wasn't, she told herself. She really wasn't.

Although she might not have much of a choice ...

Chapter Twenty-six

Kylie slipped into bed early that night. Having hardly slept the night before, she'd hoped she'd sleep like the dead. Well, not like the dead, but sleep like a hungry vampire, slightly turned off by the idea of drinking blood, who was mentally frazzled.

No such luck. She lay staring at the ceiling, petting the purring Socks, and worrying about Holiday and wishing Lucas would call. Right then, Socks crawled up on her chest and started giving her kitty kisses on her chin.

Kylie stared at the kitten. "If and when I turn into a werewolf, are you still going to love me? Remember I loved you when you were a skunk."

The kitten meowed with what Kylie hoped was a yes.

"Do you think Holiday knows we love her?" Kylie asked.

Talking to Socks did little to ease the worry from her heart. Giving in, she reached for the phone. She wasn't even sure who she was going to call, Lucas or Holiday.

Holiday answered on the third ring. "Hey, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm ... worried about you, thought maybe I could come over for a while."

The line went silent. "I ... appreciate it, but I think I need to be alone."

"That's fine," she assured Holiday, although she'd ached to hug Holiday and offer her some comfort.

"Has she come to see you again?" Holiday asked.

"No." Kylie ran her finger under Socks's chin.

"If she does ... tell her to come see me? Tell her I'm not mad anymore, I just ... need to see her." There was so much grief in Holiday's voice that tears stung Kylie's eyes.

"I'll do that." Silence, painful silence, filled the line. The only thing Kylie could hear was Holiday's grief. "Holiday..."

"Yes?" Holiday's voice shook just a little.

"I love you. I know that sounds sappy, but you and Shadow Falls mean so much to me. I don't know if you understand how much good you do for everyone who comes here."