Page 137 of Beneath the Blue Moon

“Ethan, come quickly!”

Clara’s shrill voice echoes in my ears.Oh, Christ, whatnow?I run up the stairs to find her standing over Casey, who’s lying onthe bed unconscious.No, no, no!

“What the hell happened?”I rush over, pulling her into myarms.“Casey?”

“She just passed out,” Clara says.

“My God, she’s burning up!”

I did this.I’ve probably given her an infection.I knewI shouldn’t have touched her.I need to get her to the hospital!

“It’s the fever.”

“What?”I turn to stare at Clara in disbelief.“It can’tbe!”

“I’ve seen it enough times to know.”

“No!”

I begin removing her clothes, searching her body fervidly.It can’t be!The doctor said she wasn’t bitten or scratched.We’ve made love.Iwould have seen it, wouldn’t I?I flip her onto her stomach, and that’s when Isee it—the four tiny scratches on her lower back.

“Fuck!”

I pace the room, not even knowing what to feel right now.Anger?Fury is more like it.Hurt, confusion, helplessness—yeah, it’s allthere.Then it dawns on me.The son of a bitch Stone, he wants her.He wasn’ttrying to kill her; he wanted to turn her.He wants what’s mine.I can’t waitto rip his head from his shoulders.

Clara gently tucks her under the blanket.

“Nothing we can do but wait it out.”

I kneel by the bed, taking her limp hand in mine.Myworld.I’ve let you down so many times.Do I even deserve you?

“Don’t go doubting yourself now,” Clara says.“She needs youmore than ever.”

I kiss her cheek and straighten with a new determination.

“Stay with her.”

I stomp back downstairs, removing my duty belt and tossingit into a nearby chair.Charlie and Anna look in my direction, and she cowersat the fury in my expression.

“Speak,” I growl.

She takes a deep breath and keeps her eyes on the floor.“Afteryou left us in the kitchen, your mother came in.”

“Mother?What did she say?”

“She told me to run along because she wanted to talk toCasey alone.”

Son of a bitch!She said she hadn’t even spoken to Casey.So help me God….

“I don’t know what she said, but I know Casey was really sadafter they spoke.She wouldn’t even talk to me.”

My mother.My own mother.I can’t believe this.That’swhy Casey wouldn’t tell me who it was!

“And today,” Anna continues, “she showed up again.I calledyou as soon as I was far enough away that she couldn’t hear me.I swear.”

“It’s all right, Anna.You did the right thing.”

I turn to Charlie, barely containing my anger.What am Isupposed to do now?