Page 39 of Vampire's Vixen

She froze. “What did you say?”

“Yeah, the field trip? Didn’t go as planned. We ran into a ferandal, a Fae boar trained to kill, I gather. It targeted me. I managed to get away from it before it could touch me, but that included scrambling through a bramble patch.”

As I told her what had happened, she listened, her eyes wide.

“You could have been killed.”

“Easily. I’ve decided to drop out of Jason’s class, given he didn’t think about what might happen. There’s a reason the city keeps that portal behind a chain-link fence. In fact, I wonder how many teenagers get in trouble down there every year? There’s no way to close down the wild places, and it’s really not the city’s place to patrol them…but…”

“Shadow towns always have dangers other towns generally don’t. Parents need to teach their kids how to keep safe. I know that the schools do—we all know the rules by heart, but it has to come from the home, too.” Crystal grimaced, watching me gingerly sit down. “That looks so freaking painful.”

“It is. I feel like a pincushion,” I said, easing back against the sofa. “At least I got some sleep. It helped, but the next few days are going to be painful. Anyway, so yeah, I’m dropping the class. The teacher fucked up, Crystal. He could have gotten us seriously hurt.”

“From what you told me, yes. Well, that will give you Friday nights free.”

“And I can study it on my own.” I paused, then said, “I have to say, the one good thing that came out of it is I met Kyle.”

“Who’s Kyle?” Crystal asked.

“Well…” When I woke up, I realized that I was thinking about him. He’d been so helpful and he was so interesting, and I had thoroughly enjoyed eating lunch with him. Well, as much as I could, given how much I’d been hurting.

“He’s a guy from class. He helped me during the attack, and then he took me to urgent care, and then drove me back here. And yes, he’s single. And…I think I might like to get to know him. He seems like someone I’d like to have for a friend.”

“Just a friend? Tell me about him.”

I laughed. Crystal wasn’t going to let me off the hook until I told her all about him. “He works in a fetish bar as security—the Lace & Bow.”

“I thought he ran his own business,” Astra said from the hallway.

I jumped. “I didn’t know you were listening.”

“I took a little nap too, after I dropped Kyle off at his car. So, what’s this about a fetish bar?” She arched her eyebrows.

Crystal was grinning, watching both of us.

“Kyle’s in the process of opening up his own business. Remember? He didn’t say he had already opened it. Currently, he works security at the Lace & Bow.” I shrugged. “Honestly, it’s work, and he’s making a living.”

“I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it,” Astra said. “If the man is pulling his own weight, if he’s not leeching off a girlfriend or his parents, all the more power to him. I understand when someone is down and out—everybody needs help at some time. But I have seen a lot of people who didn’t want to work. Anyway, on the way back to his car, we had a good chat, and I fully approve.” She flashed me a knowing grin.

“What do you mean?” I asked, blushing.

“Of you dating.”

I stared at her. I wasn’t sure whether I was irritated because of her assuming I wanted to date him, or because she actually knew I wanted to go out with him. Because I did. And I wasn’t used to the feeling, so I decided that I was irritated at myself.

Crystal glanced at me. “Did he ask you out?”

“No,” I said, blushing again. “He hasn’t, but I think if he did, I’d say yes.”

“Why don’t you call him and invite him out to dinner? You could say it was a thank you for him helping you,” my aunt said.

I paused. That was actually a good idea. I decided to drop the pretense of not being interested, and took a deep breath. “I should. That would be the perfect excuse, and if he didn’t want to go, it wouldn’t be so awkward or embarrassing.”

“Do it now,” Crystal said. “While you’ve got the courage.” She grabbed my phone and slapped it into my hand.

Astra laughed, but she sat down near me too. “If you do, I’ll make you strawberry shortcake tomorrow. I know how much you love it.”

I rolled my eyes. “Really?” When they both egged me on, I shrugged. “I don’t even know if I have his number!”

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