Stalking Dead (Vampire Hunter Book 2) by S.C. Reynolds Read Free Book Online Page B

weeklong cruise. Henry thought it was awesome, but all I could think is that he was trying to buy off his guilt.
    Isn’t that what men always do? Cheat on their wives and somehow justify it by showering them with attention and gifts? It was an impromptu trip and they left a couple of days later.
    “You won’t have to sneak around!” Henry had said excitedly. “We’ll have the house all to ourselves!”
    I didn’t want to ruin Henry’s time either – I knew how much fun it was when your parents left you home alone. It’s almost like you’re getting a vacation as well. So I still hadn’t said anything about his dad.
    I had been trying – with varying degrees of success – not to think about Lucas. I hadn’t heard anything from him since our graveyard excursion, and that was almost a week ago.
    So when my phone rang on Thursday morning, I jumped in surprise. Why is Henry calling me? Sometimes he’d text me during class, but he never called.
    I grabbed my phone. It was Lucas!
    All of the anger I’d felt at him for acting like a jerk, then disappearing for nearly a week, made me hesitate. He really didn’t deserve for me to give him another chance. But curiosity got the better of me.
    “Hello?” I said on the third ring.
    “Aurora!” Lucas sounded excited. I hadn’t heard him like that before.
    “Hey,” I said flatly. He needs to know I don’t appreciate how he acted.
    “I need you to come with me t o meet someone. I can explain during the car ride.”
    “Why can’t you explain now?” I demanded. Although I knew deep down that I was just giving him a hard time; talking to Lucas again brought up all of those confused feelings. As much as I tried to fight it, I was drawn to him. I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to see him.
    “Please, Aurora. I know you’re upset with me. I’m sorry I haven’t been in contact. I actually had another assignment to deal with.”
    “Shadowing some other dead girl?” I asked.
    Lucas laughed. “No, you’re still the one and only.”
    I could feel some of my anger dissipating.
    “So will you let me pick you up? I’m already en route. I can be there in ten minutes.”
    Ten minutes! That wasn’t going to be long enough for me to decide on an outfit and tame my hair.
    I was more than aware that I had let myself become almost too relaxed this past week. Dead or not, that was no excuse to look like a gross slob. But I’d been depressed and just hadn’t been able to muster up the energy to care.
    “I need fifteen,” I said.
    Before Lucas could protest, I clicked the phone off and ran up the stairs.
    Fifteen minutes later, I had showered and thrown on a blue sundress. I didn’t have time to blow dry my hair so I twisted it into a bun and pulled a baseball cap over my head.
    Lucas was already there when I got to our meeting place. I pulled open the car door and hopped in the front seat, taking the baseball cap off since we were protected by the tinted windows.
    “So what’s going on?” I asked.
    “Well, hello to you, too.” Lucas looked over at me, eyes twinkling. I knew he was teasing me again for always being so impatient.
    “You don’t contact me f or almost a week and then insist I go to some unknown place with you. You’re lucky I even agreed.” Especially after how you acted last time.
    As if reading my mind, Lucas said, “I can tell you’ re upset with me. I understand; I was being a jerk. I really am sorry. Forgive me?”
    I had wanted to stay mad at Lucas – somehow it made it easier to fight my attraction to him when I was angry – but I could feel my anger melting away.
    “No worries.” I waved my hand dismissively. “So tell me what’s up?”
    “I got a call from an o ld friend,” Lucas explained. “His name is Nicholas.”
    “He’s a vampire, too?” I asked.
    “Yes. He’s a hunter, also, but overseas, so our paths haven’t crossed in a really long time.”
    “If he’s a vampire, how do you know he’s really reformed – like