Van

 Hailey drove to the mystery destination like a woman possessed. Speed limit signs passed by in unreadable blurs, and Van was too busy praying for deliverance to scold the girl for reckless driving. Once, she'd loved the sensation of wind rushing through fingers poking out an open car window as it zoomed down an interstate. Her mother, Xandra, drove like she lived life- fearlessly. As if she were a creature made of sterner material than flesh and bones. Death had proved otherwise, and now her child adhered strictly to the laws of the road for fear of meeting a similar fate.

As the car whipped around another serpentine curve, Van's white knuckle grip on the door handle eased slightly, but only because thoughts of her mother's life distracted her from her death. Had that penchant for wild abandon been what drew Xandra to Abe? Van's father didn't strike her as the type to indulge in his more base desires, but his profession required a certain disregard for safety. Had her mother looked at him and seen the truth beneath his tightly mastered mannerisms- had he started out as a challenge?

She didn't get the chance to think much more on the subject because the car screeched to a halt in front of towering iron gates attached to stone walls, at least ten feet tall.

"What is it with people and gates around here," she said, leaning forward to get a better look in the darkness.

"Protection."

Van waved at the gate. "Why is it needed so much in a town where a bunch of Slayers live? Shouldn't we be able to keep them safe?"

Hailey shook her head and unbuckled her seat belt. "It's not protection for the people behind that wall. It's for protection for the people on this side."

Mouth hanging open, Van scrambled out of the car and followed the other girl. "I thought you said Luca wasn't a vampire? Is that what's behind here? A colony of vampires?"

"O em gee. I forgot what it's like to be around such a noob. Vampires aren't the only things that go bump in the night."

A shiver went down Van's spine. How had she not thought of this? Not once had she questioned the existence of other supernatural creatures, but it made sense. If vampires walked the earth, then other myths and legends likely did too.

"Zombies?" she squeaked, drawing a burst of laughter from Hailey. Van sagged in relief. "Okay, good."

Hailey sobered. "Oh no. I didn't say they didn't exist. They do. Necromancers are a nasty lot, and the worst ones have been known to raise the dead and set them on the innocent. I just found it funny that's where your brain went. Of all things, you're worried about zombies."

Necromancers? What the actual eff?

Throwing up her hands, she asked, "Well, what's worse than zombies?"

"I can think of a few things," a gravelly voice whispered from behind.

Hailey spun around and moved in front of Van, blocking her view of the new arrival. While she appreciated the attempt to protect her, Trixie's lessons made her feel confident she could protect herself. Especially when it was two against one. But when she looked over the young Slayer's shoulder, her heart plummeted to her stomach. There were five.

"Bane, what are you doing out so late?" Hailey demanded.

Bane... where have I heard that name before?

The boy- no, he was almost a man- in front, crossed his arms over his chest and glared at them. His eyes flashed bright in the moonlight, almost as if they were glowing, and Van gasped. This was the guy who jumped Luca at mini golf the other night. His gaze locked on her.

"This is our property. The better question is what are you doing out here? We've not broken any laws."

"The Holy Asylum of Light may come and go from your land as they please. So it is written in the contract, or have you forgotten?" Hailey sounded far older than her seventeen years as she addressed Bane.

"How could we ever forget when you won't let us," Bane growled, stalking closer to the girls while his cohorts fanned out to the side, blocking them from their car.

"I hope you're not about to do something stupid," Hailey said, the authority in her voice wavering.

"How about you tell us why you're out here with Luca Brooks little side piece? She doesn't smell like one of ours, but she doesn't look like one of yours, either. Has he broken the Statute of Silence?" His meaty lips stretched into a snarled grin. "Please, please tell me that he has. We'll be happy to dispose of the girl, and make sure Luca is executed."

"Excuse me," Van said, finally mustering up the courage to step around Hailey. Her hands were balled into fists as she drew herself up to her full, if rather unimpressive height to stare Bane down. "You'll nothing with me or with Luca. Besides, I seem to remember we handled you five pretty well last time. What makes you think next time will be any different?"

He gnashed his teeth together, more animal than human. Van resisted the urge to recoil, refusing to show fear in front of this jerk. She looked at his friends and settled on the one to her left.

"How's your ear, by the way?"

"What is she talking about Bane?" Hailey asked. "Didn't you just tell me you'd been behaving?"

"There's nothing in the contract that states you can interfere with pack dynamics."

"You can do whatever you want to each other on pack property, but I'm guessing you weren't on pack property if Van was present during this altercation."

They were surrounded on all sides now. The others hadn't spoken a single word. They were wraiths in the night. The tension buzzed so loud that Van struggled to form thoughts. But she hung on to one word: packs.

"And what of the laws you're breaking by bringing a human out here," Bane demanded, inching so close his foul breath washed over Van's face.

Without thinking, her body relaxed and she fell into the stance Trixie had drilled into her head over and over again. It didn't go unnoticed. Hailey smirked and raised a brow at Bane.

"I was just showing the Supreme's daughter around. Letting her get the lay of the land, and showing her who she will control when she takes over one day."

Hailey's words drew the first sounds from the boys circling them. They growled and grumbled. Someone howled, low and mournful. Another hissed- the noise so reminiscent of a snake that Van found herself lifting her boots from the earth to check that she hadn't stepped on one.

"Our apologies," Bane said. His eyes burned so brightly Van knew it couldn't be a trick of the moonlight. It came from within him. "Didn't realize the Supreme had whelped a bitch."

"Shut your mouth, Bane."

Van stiffened. She knew that voice, and it came from outside the circle. Luca stepped out of the shadows, and she threw her hand over her mouth. An orange circle blazed around his pupils, its glow far outshining Bane's.

"Luca, tell them to go before they cause trouble for the entire pack," Hailey insisted, her voice strong as steel once more.

"He's not Alpha yet," someone from behind them snapped.

"No," Luca answered, "I'm not. But I don't think our current Alpha would be pleased to find you antagonizing our visitors at the front gate. I guess if you don't want to find out, you'd better go."

For the first time, Bane tore his gaze away from Van and looked at Luca. She thought he was about to lunge at Luca, but he shocked her by nodding and backing away. They disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived, leaving Hailey and Van alone with Luca.

"What are you doing here?" Luca asked, staring at Hailey.

His shoulders were drooped and exhaustion was evident in his voice. Van tapped her lip. No, exhaustion wasn't the right word for the emotion. More like defeat.

"Van needed to understand why you two aren't a good thing."

"So she knows. I figured as much."

"She does, and she knows how important her role is in our Order. It's best for both of you."

"Right."

"Umm, no one gets to make these decisions for me. Especially if you don't tell me what the hell is going on!"

They looked at her as if she were a child throwing a tantrum. Hailey shrugged. "Do you want to tell her or should I?"