Dead by Morning (Rituals of the Night Book One)

  Nobody spoke as they made their way through the crowded building. Luna didn’t imagine the place would be so crowded at noon on a weekday, but the food court was a popular place to eat in town. She wished Susan would’ve kidnapped her past the lunch rush so they wouldn’t be reduced to slipping uncomfortably close to strangers to make their way down the corridor. Luna honestly didn’t care much where they went, though she knew Maddie and Sarah were doubtful about Susan’s proposed store of choice. They rode the escalator up to the next level of the mall and walked slowly through the crowds of people.

  “It’s just a little bit farther,” Susan called.

  After a few more steps, she stopped and Luna did too, almost running into her. Susan looked up at a small storefront with a sign that read Midnight Apparels. She stepped through the entrance, and the girls followed behind her. The brightly-lit store had many racks of dresses arranged all across the floor. Maddie and Sarah spread out to look at a rack by the far wall while Susan turned to Luna, who stayed hesitantly near the door. Never in her life had she been dress shopping before.

  “Hmm, let’s see. I think you’d look better in a nice summer color,” Susan mused, sensing Luna’s nervousness. She walked to the nearest rack to sort through the dresses. Luna sighed and looked around the store absently as Susan browsed. The thought of dress shopping wasn’t the least bit interesting to her.

  “Here, try this one.” Susan tossed a yellow dress at Luna.

  She looked at it and grimaced but swallowed her tongue and sought out the changing rooms. She went inside and closed the door behind her. Exhaling loudly, she pulled off her rather boyish clothes and slid the yellow dress into place. Though she didn’t care for the color, she had to admit that the fabric felt soft and hugged her curves nicely.

  Luna pushed open the door and looked for Susan. She stood by the same rack she had been browsing through earlier, and she held up two dresses—a pink one and a purple one. Luna walked over to her, eyes on the floor as her face felt suddenly hot. She could imagine the eyes of everyone in the store on her, and it took everything she had to not turn around and go back to the changing room. She stumbled once over her foot as she came to a rest beside Susan.

  “Oh, you look marvelous! Chance will be so pleased!” Susan clapped her hands together and brought them up to cover the smile on her face before her attention returned to the two dresses she had been frowning at. “Which one do you think I would look good in?” she wondered, picking one up in each hand.

  Luna shrugged, swallowing to try and hide how uncomfortable she really felt. “Maybe the pink one?”

  Susan tilted her head to the side, staring at it before lifting it up higher. “You know what? I’m going to try it on,” she said, throwing a smile at Luna as she walked past.

  Susan disappeared into the changing rooms on the other end of the store. Luna watched her go then looked down at herself and the yellow dress she still wore. The fact she was doing it for Chance flooded her mind, and she wondered if she had lost her grip on who she was.

  ***

  SUSAN ADMIRED HER reflection in the mirror of the tiny changing room. Luna had been right—the pink did make her look good. Her pleased expression vanished as she thought of the loner. Luna was a lot different than what she had expected. She was distant, sure, but she seemed sweet…and horrified with Chance. Susan couldn’t quite understand it.

  She shook her head and exited the room only to find Luna still standing where she had left her. She had her head down, examining her dress, her raven-dark hair falling in curls midway down her back.

  “How do I look?” Susan asked her, twirling like a ballerina.

  Luna smiled in a genuinely sweet way. “Beautiful.”

  Susan felt herself blush. The girl was sweet. She noticed Luna’s gaze drift back down to her own dress, and the smile slowly faded.

  “What’s wrong?” Susan found herself asking.

  “It’s a really pretty dress, but I can’t afford this,” she admitted, looking back up at Susan through wide eyes.

  “Oh, doll, don’t worry about it,” she replied. She opened her tiny purse—quite doll-like itself—and pulled out a wad of money. “Chance gave me this to spend on you in preparation. Don’t worry about a thing because you’re all taken care of.”

  “Really?” she asked, staring at the money with a distant look in her eyes.

  Susan couldn’t seem to understand that reaction either. There was a lot she didn’t quite understand about her. “Yes, really.”

  Luna looked back down at the floor, unreadable emotions on her face. Susan frowned. She may not understand this girl, but she had noticed that whenever Chance’s name was mentioned, Luna folded in on herself.

  Was there something bad about Chance that only she knew?

  Chapter Eight

  A LOUD KNOCK sounded on the door. Luna kept her eyes on the TV as she sat on the couch with her father. The sound faded into the room, and she pretended she hadn’t heard it while her dad stared at her expectantly.

  The night of her first date with Chance had come, and she dreaded every moment of it. The yellow dress she had bought earlier with Susan had been stuffed away in her closet along with the calm feeling of acceptance that had come with it. She felt back to herself and that meant being disgusted with the idea of her date.

  Luna looked at her father. “You answer it.” She already knew who had knocked at the door and didn’t want to open it. If it was up to her, she wouldn’t open it. Ever.

  Her dad sighed and got up. Luna set her head on the couch and ran her eyes over the ceiling, trying to block out her surroundings as she heard the door creak open to its full extent.

  “Hello, Luna. Are you ready to go?” Chance called to her.

  She didn’t move. She just stared at a cobweb clinging to the ceiling. For that moment, she envied the spider; the lucky little thing got to stay in the safety of her home while she had to be thrust out into the world with her worst enemy.

  “Well, Luna?” her father added after a minute. “Aren’t you going to say hi?”

  She let out a long breath of air. “Okay, I’m getting up.” As she stood, realization crashed down on her. This evening wasn’t going to go away.

  “Remember, Luna, best behavior,” her father muttered as she passed him.

  Chance wrapped an arm around Luna’s shoulder and smiled at her. He could sense her agitation—he fed on it. She gritted her teeth and rushed through the doorway. Chance walked beside her, and after a moment, she heard the door close behind them. Luna shrugged his arm off of her when she was sure her father wasn’t watching anymore.

  “Okay, what exactly are you trying to prove with all of this?” Luna asked him, jabbing her finger into his chest as she stood to her full height. “Why’d you tell on me?”

  Chance shrugged. “I know how your parents can get, and I’m not going to be the bad guy here.”

  “Too late for that.”

  “I don’t think a date will kill you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, you already made your show in front of my dad. I put up with your annoying friends today, and I’m tired. You don’t have to take me anywhere. Why don’t you leave me alone now before I end up tearing my hair out?”

  “Because I don’t want to. Now, is that any way to talk to your date?” He looked at her through deep blue eyes.

  Luna squeezed her eyes shut as she pinched the bridge of her nose “No, it isn’t, but I don’t consider you my date.”

  “Then get in the truck and we’ll have a nice night.” He ignored the second part of her comment.

  Luna’s eye twitched at the thought of obeying him but turned to see a black Honda Ridgeline parked in the street. She walked over to it and opened the passenger door. When she got in, she slammed it shut. Maybe if she broke it on accident, he would leave her home. It was hope. To her annoyance, Chance climbed into the driver side and turned the engine on.

  Luna groaned and set the back of her head against
the seat as he drove.

  “Where are we going?” she asked him with a glance in his direction. “McDonald’s?”

  He smiled but didn’t take his eyes off the road. “You’ll see when we get there.”

  ***

  LUNA SET HER cheek against the window as he drove. She started to fall asleep and hoped the cold glass would help wake her up. They hadn’t stopped moving yet, and the ride seemed even longer since they hadn’t spoken the entire time. The door seemed to be awkwardly shaped, and it didn’t support her.

  Luna groaned at the pain in her stiff neck—it seemed like Chance wasn’t the only one. She looked at the door and saw a deep dent, like he had gotten into some kind of minor accident and hadn’t bothered to get his truck fixed. Chance glanced at her from the corner of his eye as she sat up.

  He reached out and set his right hand on her thigh. She flicked her attention to it and stared at his pale hand for a moment—even his fingernails were perfect. What a prep, she thought before she smacked his hand away.

  “Don’t touch me,” Luna snapped. She stared at the red mark she had left on his hand as he gripped the steering wheel with it.

  “I just want you to be comfortable,” he said innocently.

  “Well, that’s not gonna help anything,” she growled. “I hate you—I don’t want you touching me, you creep.”

  “Oh, lighten up already. You’re always so serious. How do you ever have fun?”

  Luna rolled her eyes. “If you’re done insulting me, are we going to get to wherever you’re taking me today? Or are we driving around in aimless circles to pass the time?”

  “Nope, because we’re here now.” Smiling, he slowed the car to a halt.

  She narrowed her eyes at him but felt hesitant to look out the window. They had pulled up in front of a small restaurant. She stared at it in surprise, knowing that only wealthy people ate there. What did he want to prove by bringing her to a place like this?

  “Surprised?” He chuckled. “It’s sure as Hell better than McDonald’s. I’ll tell you that now.”

  Luna turned back to look at him suspiciously. “Okay, this isn’t just you trying to get yourself out of trouble. There’s something you’re not saying. What do you want from me? Just spit it out.”

  He smiled and stared at her for a minute but didn’t answer as he climbed out of the truck and shut the door behind him. She opened her door and joined him outside. He lifted his chin as she strode up to him, and he ushered her to walk ahead of him. She didn’t trust him at all. He was acting weird…even by his standards. He raised his eyebrows expectantly, and she stared back.

  He wouldn’t move until she did. She sighed and after a minute, gave up. She walked toward the restaurant; Chance stayed behind her the whole way. He stepped close to her, his side brushing against hers, and Luna winced at the feeling of cold metal. She glanced down to see the silver handle sticking out of his pocket once again. What was that? If it needed to be hidden, why did he carry it with him so much?

  Chance glanced at her from the corner of his eye and shoved his hand into his pocket so the handle stayed out of sight. He hid it from her again…why?

  He ushered her inside the building without a word. Luna grew weary of his speechlessness—it wasn’t like him. Once inside, he pushed past her and led the way to a small booth at the back of the restaurant. As Luna followed him, she wondered if he had been there before. Chance sat down, and she sat on the soft material of the booth across the table from him. He sat staring at her through wide eyes. Luna blinked self-consciously, his eyes seemed to bore into her soul.

  “What?”

  He shrugged but didn’t look away. “Just looking.”

  Luna set her hand on the table, wishing she could punch through it. In less than a minute, she began to tap her fingers impatiently as she tried to distract herself.

  It would be a long evening.

  ***

  CHANCE STARED AT her twitching fingers and nervous posture. She had made it clear by her words that she wasn’t happy with him—made more obvious by her posture. He couldn’t understand it, but at the same time, he couldn’t let that bother him. It was finally him and her…time for him to put on his full charm.

  Maybe, if he couldn’t do that much, he could at least figure out why she had such a problem with him. He was popular—even among the nerds—yet he couldn’t seem to reach through her cold exterior. He knew the memories of their encounter years ago were gone from her mind. She had no reason to hate him.

  Yet, she did.

  “So, do you really hate me?” he wondered, edging a bit closer in his seat.

  Luna looked at him and narrowed her eyes. He understood her distrust. Out of all the time he had known her, he had never asked her that question before.

  “Most of the time I do, yeah.”

  “Why?” He tipped his head to one side.

  Luna shrugged. “Different reasons, but the main ones are that you’re annoying and you hunt.”

  He blinked. “Well, I like you.”

  Luna’s hand instantly darted from the table. “You’re a murderer, in my opinion.”

  His eyes flashed, and his heart sank. How did she know? It took him a moment before he realized she referred to his status as a hunter…she didn’t know his secret. Suddenly, he didn’t feel too friendly anymore. That had been too close, and it had certainly made him nauseous. If it came down to it, he didn’t know if he would be able to kill her.

  Past experiences didn’t run in his favor.

  “Well, I can’t help that we have different views. That’s life, I suppose. If I can ask, have you ever killed anything?”

  Luna shuddered then shook her head. “No, and I don’t want to. Ever.”

  “Hmm…you’ve never even killed a fly?” he asked with a hint of a smirk on his lips as he set his elbows on the table.

  “Nope,” she replied, firm in her answer.

  “For all you know, you might like it if you just tried it,” he said thoughtfully.

  She shook her head again, fiercely this time. “No thanks. Killing is for those with a sick mind.”

  Chance opened his mouth to say something, but a waiter walked over to the table. He closed his mouth again.

  “Are you ready to order?” the waiter prompted, looking at both of them separately.

  Chance kept his eyes locked on Luna as he answered. “Yeah. I want a steak, and make sure it’s as rare as humanly possible.”

  The waiter wrote down his order before he turned to Luna. “What about you?”

  She crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest. “Nothing for me. I’m not hungry.”

  Chance frowned. “I’m not letting you leave until you eat something,” he said to her, feeling bitter. He wished she wouldn’t be so difficult. He had brought her here to impress her, and she wasn’t even going to try the food on her own. Chance turned his attention to the waiter. “Bring her something light.”

  The waiter nodded in response and turned to leave before Chance looked back at Luna calmly; the emotion had gone.

  “You don’t have to do that, you know. I can eat when I get home.”

  He ran his fingers along the edge of his napkin. “I got money to spare. It’s not a problem.”

  She exhaled heavily, throwing her hands up in defeat and letting them fall back onto the table loudly. “Will you please just tell me why you did all of this?” She looked at him through pleading eyes. “You didn’t want a date. There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?”

  He shrugged again and looked away. He couldn’t explain his need to her; he wished he could make her feel it somehow. “I just wanted to get to know my friends better. It’s not a crime.”

  Luna pushed her lips into a straight line. “Then why not bring out the jocks and cheerleaders instead of me?” She leaned back in her seat, pulling her hands off the table and into her lap as she twined her thumbs together. “I’m not your friend, they are.”

  He propped his c
hin in his hand as he looked up at her. He had expected that answer. “Yeah, well, I wanted to change that.”

  “Why?” she asked, just as suspicious as she had been a minute ago.

  “You’re different from them, a lot different.”

  Luna blinked, and her gaze clouded. “Yeah, so what?”

  “So, that’s why you’re here. I feel something about you that I can’t exactly describe,” he said, knowing that was probably the best way he’d be able to explain himself to her. “That’s why I brought you out here.”

  At his words, a single tear dripped from her left eye and ran down her face. Luna wiped it away like it was nothing, but not before Chance could notice. It drew his attention. The tear, that single drop…it added up. Added up to the thing he had been looking for.

  The ability he needed to finally accomplish his goal was invested in the tiny girl he had been trying to serenade. That changed a lot…changed a lot indeed. He couldn’t help but stare at her. The world had suddenly become a perfect place.

  Maybe she didn’t understand it, but he sure did.

  “One rare steak and a chowder,” the waiter said as he set the plates of food on their table.

  Chance smiled at him. “Thank you.”

  He turned to his steak and cut a piece off to put in his mouth. Even from across the table, Luna could see the blood still leaking out of it. He didn’t speak as he continued to stare at her through wide, penetrating eyes. Luna looked down at her soup and picked at it with a spoon to avoid his gaze. The whole time they ate, neither of them spoke. Time seemed to pass by painfully slow. Chance concentrated on his food and didn’t look at Luna again as he ate. When Chance finished his food, Luna stared at the bloody puddle the steak had left on his plate.

  “Okay, let’s get going,” he said, focusing on the unhappiness that nearly radiated off of her. Simply charming her wasn’t working.

  Luna nodded and pushed the half-empty bowl away from her as Chance pulled out his wallet and called the waiter over. He pulled out a wad of bills and sorted through them until he had the right amount to pay.

  “Where did you get all that?” Luna wondered as she watched him.