" Ah! Mom I'm fine," Luke said with an eye roll, " nothing's gonna happen. I'll be home before you know it."

" Did you just rolled your eyes at me, Luke Alexander McCoy?" Came Natalie McCoy's mother hen voice from the other end of the phone, " I can hear it from your voice."

" I love you Mom bye..." Luke rushed and ended the call with an annoyed expression on his face. He hated the fact that his mom could read him so well. It irked him but then that's how his entire family was. They all love each other and understand each other, well except for John McCoy, the second son and the second born of the family. No one understands that boy. He's a mystery on his own but that didn't stop Luke from trying to understand him and that annoyed the latter to no end.

" Was that your mom?" Jake McCall the jock of shadow high and best friend of Luke asked. Luke nodded.

" She wants you to get home on time doesn't she?" Amanda Cosgrove, Jake and Luke's best friend since childhood. Again Jake nodded.

" That was expected, she cares a lot for you."

Jake rolled his eyes, " oh come on. It's not like we are going to stay at the party till it's 12 midnight. We are just gonna stay there for 2 hours and then return home before 10 but if it get later we can crash at my house and you both call your parents and tell them you're having a sleep over at mine."

" Really Jake?" Amanda folded her arms over her chest, Jake just gripped the steering wheel tighter as he braced himself for her scolding. "That's what you said the last time we went for something like this we all ended up getting drunk and got home the next day which had us grounded had it not been for Luke who has always tried to be the responsible one and still tolerate your stupidity, we would have been toast."

Both of them started glaring at each other and Luke fought the urge to roll his eyes. They always fought and argue with each other but at the same time it was clear they loved each other. Jake would stand up for Amanda anytime and Amanda would do the same. They were a powerful duo.

" Well he has to because he's my best friend and that's what best friends do they tolerate each other, plus we've known each other since forever. You just happen to be the third wheel in this relationship," Jake scoffed.

Amanda's eyes widened. " Oh no you didn't?"

" Yes I did?" Jake returned the glare.

Luke jumped in to save all their asses as Jake wasn't concentrating on the road anymore.

" Guys please stop! You both are best friends and I love you equally." They scoffed and Jake resumed focus on his driving. Jake sighed in relief.

" I've known both of you since forever, so you're both my friends and you're both family to me. I'll stand up for any of you anytime any day. Okay?"

They didn't answer him so he proceeded to pinch their arms earning yelps from them.

" Yes! Yes! Yes! Okay! Okay! Ouch!"

They both said in pain, but the ouch belonged to Jake.

" We love you too Luke and thank you for putting up with the both of us." Amanda said giving him her award winning smile unlike the ones she gave to others. It was genuine. She gave does smile on rare occasions and Luke felt special.

" Yeah man, thanks for having my back always." Jake nodded to him through the mirror and he nodded back with a smile and leaned in on the window. It was great to have friends like them. Though it didn't always favour him, every guys and girls in Shadow high and beyond either envies or hates him. Why? Because he was best friends with the high school Jock and the leader of the cheer leading squad. Every guy either envied or hated him because Amanda gets to smile with him all the time and didn't even bat them an eyelash. It wasn't the same for Jake though because the dude had a girlfriend and he loved her.

Luke was snapped out of his line of thought when he saw something move within the bushes as their car drove past. It was too fast for him to register what it was. He would have said the figure looked human but he mentally slapped himself from it. Telling himself he was just seeing things.

Shadow creek was as shadowy as it is but it never exceeded your midnight wolf howling, violent winds and lightning on a perfectly normal day and other weird things but a fast moving human?. That was never mentioned before.

In no time they got to the party which was held at Jenna's house. The second most beautiful girl in shadow high after Amanda. She had always had this imaginary competition with Amanda over who gets the attention of the hot boys. Not that the latter cares.

The party was your normal teenage one, with the regular buzz and hormones accompanied with the smell of sweats and raging hormones.

" Glad you could make it," Trina, Jake's girlfriend and Jenna's best friend said as she wrapped her hands around his neck and leaned in to kiss him. She was wearing very short black dress that exposed a lot of her thigh. She raised one of her legs over Jake's and deepened the kiss clearly not giving a fuck about the PDA.

" Ewww! Get a room both of you," Amanda said with a disgusted face. That got them to break off the kiss. Jake was smirking as Trina eyed her,

" Oh you're here. Didn't think you would want to grace us low lives with your presence, little miss high standards," she said with malice in her voice. It was no new thing that she hated Amanda because Jake always hanged around her and was always smiling with her. She felt threatened and if Jake hadn't constantly told her that she was just his best friend who knows what she would have done.

" Of course I am. I wouldn't want to miss this party for anything especially when I get to be the centre of attraction," Amanda said as she smirked. Trina scoffed as she dragged Jake deep into to crowd of teenager to go do god knows what.

" I thought you said you didn't want to be at this party?" Luke whispered to her.

" Well I change my mind. I want to rule this party." Amanda took off her jacket and let her midnight blue gown with lace hands show. She set her dark blonde hair free from the previous bun she had packed it in and waved it in the air. She handed Luke her Jacket and walked over to a boy and collected his drinks. She drank the whole content and threw the cup away. She winked at him and danced to the beat of the music playing and gestured with her hands for the boy to follow her to the dance floor. He obeyed without hesitation. Who wouldn't, it's not everyday that the most beautiful girl tells you to dance with her. By now all eyes were on her and by all eyes both boys and girls. They were all swooning. Luke just shake his because right now his friend was in her element.

Luke stayed and watched his friends for a bit but got bored so he decided to go out for a bit and hang in the car away from the pungent smell of alcohol. He texted his friends telling them he would be in the car waiting for them he didn't wait for any reply as he knew he wouldn't get any from them at the time. They were having fun.

It wasn't like he didn't like to have fun but he liked to keep to himself, he wasn't much of a social butterfly. Sometimes he wonders how he was best friends with the most outgoing and fun people ever. He was well known like his best friends and he was once on the football team but after loosing his dad a lot of things changed. He dropped out of the team even when he was their captain. He stopped going out to party's and all. It was a miracle he came to this one but then the universe had a way of doing things. He was once and still is the heartthrob of shadow high, there wasn't anywhere that he went and girls wouldn't be swooning or gay guys but now he had made it well known that he doesn't want that life anymore and for once he was grateful that they understood him and let him be. He was willing to be friends with anyone but not ready for any relationship at all.

He was strolling in the big field, he had decided to explore the environment before heading to the car, behind the house admiring the full moon when he felt a presence behind him. He turned around and saw a guy who looked like he was 22 or so but he seemed ageless. He had jet black hair and striking blue eyes. He was clad in all black. He had well chiseled jawline as a smirk pulled on his perfect kissable lips.

" Oh! I didn't here you coming. Are you here for the party?" Luke asked as smiled.

The stranger smirked harder as he gradually approached him.

" Are you here for the party?" He returned the question.

" Yes I am. I came with my friends but they are inside." Luke answered without thinking.

" Why are you out here then all by yourself?"

Luke didn't know why he was even answering the stranger but he found out he couldn't just not answered. He couldn't tear his gaze off the pretty guy.

" I wasn't feeling it so I decided to come out to to clear my head."

" Good." The guy said and soon he was in front of Luke. He was shocked at their sudden closeness. He looked at his eyes as he saw them darken with a predatory look in them.

He felt hands around his neck as he pinned unto a tree.

" Don't move and don't make any noise," he said to Luke and the latter stopped moving as he asked,

" What are you going to do?"

" I'm gonna feed on you till there's nothing left to feed," he replied and his eyes darkened to red and bared his fangs as he proceeded to sink his fangs into the teen's neck.

He didn't complete it as he thrown by an unknown force away from the boy. He immediately stood up ready to attack the culprit but halted and frowned when he saw the person.

" Run along Hunter before this ground becomes tainted with blood and I'll make sure it is mostly yours," the new guy threatened.

Hunter scoffed in annoyance.

" You really had to ruin my night didn't you brother. Well you win tonight Blake but not for long." As he said the last words he vanished into the woods.

Blake turned to Luke who was still glued to tree unmoving. He slowly approached him. Luke's eyes widened in apprehension.

" Please don't kill me."

Blake halted his movement.

" I won't hurt you, if I wanted to you'd been dead by now."

" Who are you?"

" Who I am doesn't matter," Blake said as he reached out to Luke and grabbed the back of his neck and looked into his eyes.

" You're going to forget about tonight, you didn't see anyone out here. You came out to receive fresh air but now you're not feeling to well and only a good night rest can help you feel better and when you wake up the next morning you'll be the happiest person ever and nothing will ruin your mood, " Blake told him and ran into the woods after his brother.

Luke stood where he was wondering how he got there and suddenly remembered he had to go home and have a good night rest because he wasn't feeling too well. He didn't feel tired but he just wanted to go home.

He went into the party and dragged Amanda and Jake out telling them he wasn't feeling too well and they had to be home, their two hours would soon be exhausted. They reluctantly heeded but they were glad at their achievement for the night. Jake had a mind blowing sex with Trina in Jenna's parents bedroom and Amanda was the centre of attraction all through the party much to the utmost annoyance of the host.

Luke on the other hand felt like something didn't feel right, like something he was supposed to know. He didn't know how one minute he was okay and the next he wasn't and suddenly had the urge to go home and rest but he wasn't fighting it because he thought it was the most logical and reasonable thing to do.

~               

Blake was trying to find his psychotic brother but he wasn't having any luck. He had sped through all corners of the woods but couldn't find him. He was about to give up when he smelt blood.

He caught its scent albeit faint, which for humans was impossible to smell but as a vampire his sense of smell was heightened. He followed it and found his brother feeding on a girl and was early enough to witness her take her last breath and final struggle for life. He clenched his teeth.

Hunter raised his head up and moan in satisfaction.

" How I love a fresh and warm meal direct from the source. Don't you love it brother?"

Blake rushed his brother but Hunter was quick enough to toss the body on him.

" Just like old times Blake you get to clean up my mess. Adieus." And he was gone.

Blake's frown deepened. His brother was back in town again. He was handling himself perfectly well since he returned back to his home town for 2 weeks now and of all times he chose to come back now and ruin it for him.

He carried the girls body and checking to find any pulse hoping if there was a sliver of life that he could save but was disappointed when he found none. He carried her body and buried her just like he did every other innocent victim that fell at his brother's hands when they were still together in the past.

It's been 2 centuries since they last saw and now they met again and Blake knew too well that something was off about it but he wasn't too kin on finding out because as soon as he sees Hunter again he was going to drive him out of town or better kill him.

** There you have it the beginning of the book 1 in the blood series. See you in the next chapter.