Read Online Crave by Melissa Darnell - Free Book Online Page A

that.”
    â€œBut why come back to Jacksonville? Why not raise me somewhere else? Someplace where there weren’t as many Clann around?”
    She smiled and shrugged. “Because Jacksonville has always been my home. And besides, I needed your grandma’s help to raise you. Dhampir babies don’t exactly come with a handbook, you know.”
    I managed a smile for her, but it faded fast. “Except, now I have to go to school with kids who seem to know what I am. And call me freak every day.”
    Mom hugged me. “I know it’s hard, hon. But you’ve got to learn how to live your own life and don’t worry about what the Clann thinks, or what the vampire council thinks, or what anybody says about you. None of this changes who you are inside. That’s only up to you and what you choose. And even though this is all a shock, and maybe things in your life might start to change a little here and there, I promise you’re going to be okay. As long as you follow the rules, that is.”
    Which was to stay away from the Clann. Yeah, I got it already. Except… “Mom, you and Nanna used to be in the Clann, too. What if I—”
    â€œDon’t worry. Like you teens love to say…we’ve got skills.”She gave a lopsided grin. “Or at least your Nanna does. All I ever learned how to do was throw stuff and make fire. And even that was only because your Nanna absolutely insisted on it for minimal protection.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you want to learn how to do magic?”
    â€œHon, you live in the post–Harry Potter world, where you teens think magic is awesome. I lived in the pre–Harry Potter times. I was witchy when witchy wasn’t cool.”
    Huh. “What about the Clann kids at school? Dad said to avoid them, but how can I when I’ve got classes with them, have to pass them in the halls, eat with them in the cafeteria?”
    â€œYou should be okay at a distance. Like your father said, they’ve probably got charms on them to dull their attraction to any vampire. And even if you do start to feel the bloodlust at some point, if you keep your distance and pay attention to your body, you’ll know if it becomes a problem. If it does, you call me or Nanna or your father immediately and go to the nurse’s station till one of us gets there. Okay?”
    I thought of how close Tristan sat behind me in algebra, and the pain in my chest and stomach that hit me every time he was near. Keeping my distance might be a problem. I’d just have to try to sort out my usual confused feelings around him from anything new that might come up. Like a sudden attraction to his neck.
    â€œWhy is the Clann even letting us stay here? Wouldn’t they want me as far away from them and their kids as possible?”
    Her smile turned sad. “You know that saying ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’? I think it’s like that. They don’t want you to get too close or spend time alone with any of their descendants. But they also want to be able to keep an eye on you. Plus there’s the chance that one day you might decide to…help them out.”
    â€œHelp them out?”
    â€œYou know. Be on their side if there’s ever another war with the vampires.”
    The Clann thought I would side with them against my own father? I snorted. They must be insane. After the way the Clann kids had treated me and my family for the past five years…
    Well, not all of them had bullied me all the time. A memory flashed through my mind of emerald eyes staring back at me. Of strong, warm hands on my shoulders, stopping me from falling in algebra class, when he could have just let me do a face-plant onto my desk.
    â€œI guess it’s a good thing I don’t want to date anyone in the Clann anyways, huh?”
    Laughing, Mom picked up a hairbrush and began to tug it through my tangled hair, ignoring my facial