The Transformed Box Set: Books 1, 2, 3, 3.5

by Stacy Claflin

  "Dad! I may not remember what happened, but I do remember what he was like before I lost my memory. I saw him interact with students and he was always very professional. In fact, I even thought it was odd that he kept his Wilderness Club students at such a distance. They spent so much time…camping together. I thought he would be more friendly with them."

  "That's probably because he's had an issue like this before!" my dad exclaimed, his face was so red that I was waiting for him to break out into a sweat.

  "He told me that he tried to stop our relationship. He said that I did too. But I'm sure that given the timeframe, I was already eighteen when we got together. Not that it should matter, since he wouldn't allow it unless I had pursued it. Does that sound like a predator to you?"

  "Yes! He shouldn't have allowed it, period. Not while you were a student in his school."

  I sighed. There was no use trying to get through to him. It wasn't like he could do any physical harm to a werewolf anyway. However, I would feel bad if he got Mr. Foley…Toby…arrested or something.

  "If he's as attractive as Natalie says, he needs to be able to say no to students. He can't give in every time a pretty girl falls for him."

  "Jack, can we agree to at least give it some time before we make any decisions? I know you're angry. Let's just give it some time to cool down."

  "You think I'll just cool down after a teacher took advantage of our daughter? I won't ever change my feelings about this. This brings me back to the question of why you aren't upset! You never did answer me."

  "I did. I told you that feelings don't work the way that we want them to. Relationships aren't allowed in the workplace, but it happens all the time."

  He narrowed his eyes at her. "You seem to know a lot about this. Is there something you're not telling me?"

  My mom squirmed in her seat. "Jack, before I met you, I fell in love with one of my college professors. He returned my feelings and we had a relationship for about a year. We didn't tell anyone obviously, but it didn't happen because he was a predator. It just happened because feelings don't know boundaries."

  "You never told me about that! Why?"

  She gave him a sad look. "It never came up. It's not like we make a habit of discussing previous relationships."

  "That's because you're my first love!"

  "Imagine if one of us had been a teacher. Would that have changed your feelings for me?"

  He glared at her.

  I picked at my food, uncomfortable and more frustrated than ever. I wanted nothing more than to go back to the castle to find out what was going on. I felt a familiar pang and knew that I needed to feed—and soon. I was used to either going out with Clara or drinking from glasses at the castle. The blood they had there was at least tolerable, unlike the horrible tasting ones from the hospital. Those ones weren't bagged with any concern for preserving flavor.

  It looked like I was going to have to go on a hunt by myself, unless I could figure out which of my friends was a vampire. I had a feeling that it was probably Hailey; why else would we have gotten so close? It was the only thing that made any sense. She was the one that Tanner had been kissing. It was likely that he'd changed her. Would he have really been angry enough with me to do that?

  I wanted to scream. Why was it that every time that I thought things were at their most frustrating, they somehow managed to get even worse? I didn't dare to even think how could they get worse than this—and I didn't want to find out.

  "Alexis, are you okay?" my mom asked. "You look upset."

  "You think? I'm missing a year and half of my memory and now this! How do you think I would feel?" I got up and slammed my chair into the table, careful not to slam it too hard. I could have easily sent the table and my family into the next room. "I need to go for a walk and clear my head." I opened the door and didn't wait for a response, slamming it behind me.

  I took a deep breath and enjoyed the warm sun on my skin. At least I still had the sun blessing. I didn't know what I would do without that. I never wanted to relive losing that again. I walked toward Cliff's house, which wasn't his anymore, and couldn't stop staring. Someone looked out a window and watched me staring, but I didn't care. Why should I care what anyone thought of me? I had so little left to care about.

  I had no idea how to get back to the castle. I'd arrived there in a plane and had been paying attention only to the inside of the plane, so I had no clue where the castle might be. I could try to teleport, but without any objects that belonged to anyone there, I would fail. And I couldn't even go through a stupid wall anymore. The fact that I couldn't made no sense at all, and the more that I thought about it, the more it infuriated me.

  I hoped that I could still hunt normally. The thought of hunting made my mouth water and I could feel my fangs prepare to come out. I smiled at the thought of something being normal in my life, and had to laugh a little at the thought of that being normal. What I would have given to have Cliff with me. If we could have just been together, then it wouldn't matter where I was. I felt complete when he was around.

  Even when I'd forgotten that he existed, before I started my transition and had no idea that I was turning into a vampire, I hadn't felt complete. I didn't know it at the time, but that was why I hadn't put any effort into how I looked. Being separated from him was unnatural; whether it was because he'd been there since I was born or because of the engagement blessing, I didn't know. All that I knew was that I needed to find a way to get to him.

  The rage that I had become so familiar with was beginning to build up again. I knew what I needed to do to, and I knew exactly where I wanted to go. I was going to go back to O'Dell where I'd had my first kill. I was at a new beginning in my life now, just like I had been then. Returning there was fitting.

  Looking around to make sure that nobody was watching me, I burst into a run and made the fifty mile trek even quicker than I had back then, when I had thought things were crazy. Now they were beyond crazy.

  It was a bright summer afternoon, so the little town looked completely different than it had the last time I was there, in the middle of an autumn night. It still looked rundown and in serious need of a makeover, but it was more cheery. I could see farm animals in the distance and there were people wandering around on the streets. And a killer had been removed from the town's presence.

  I looked around, hoping to find someone else who might be giving the town grief. I sat down on a bench, pretending to look at my phone. I was really focusing on my hearing, listening for thoughts or anything else that would indicate someone who wanted to hurt other people.

  There was a scuffling noise out of my line of sight and I could hear arguing. I decided to check it out. I slipped my phone back into my pocket and walked in the direction of the sound. A couple of blocks away, I found a teenage kid and a cop. I stood back where they couldn't see me.

  The boy said, "Just leave me alone. You don't have nothin' better to do besides pickin' on me?"

  "Boy, you're trouble. I have to keep my eye on you jus' to make sure you stay in line."

  "I wasn't doin' nothin' wrong. Just walkin' to the store to get a pop and candy. That's it. I'm not buggin' no one, just mindin' my own business."

  "I could see it in your eyes. You're thinking of causing trouble."

  "You can read my mind?" the boy asked, and laughed. "That's crazy talk."

  The cop got right in his face. "Are you calling me crazy, boy? You sayin' I'm crazy?"

  The boy wiped the cop's spit from his face. "You're actin' that way now."

  "You need to learn to respect yer elders, boy! Your mama don't have no man to teach you to be respectful. That's why you're a troublemaker. You should be grateful I take an interest in you, boy!"

  "I don't need no help from you. I'm not tryin' to cause no trouble. Just let me go to the store."

  "Don't you talk back to me, son!"

  "I'm not your son. Move outta my way."

  The cop hit the boy across the face and I let out a qu
iet gasp. I had found the one who would meet my need for blood.

  I watched as the boy stumbled back and rubbed his face. The cop leaned toward him. I moved to block his fist before he could make contact.

  "What? Where did you come from?"

  I looked to the boy and ordered him to run, which he did. I turned to the cop. "You're going to get what's coming to you. Treating people like that is not acceptable!"

  He laughed. "What are you gonna to do to me, little girl?"

  I could feel my teeth growing and I knew that my eyes were becoming red, a shade that only the Fyrsturae were able to achieve. I opened my mouth so that he could see my teeth, and his eyes grew almost as wide as his face.

  "You want to call me little girl again?" I taunted him.

  He opened his mouth to scream and got in position to run. I leaped for his neck and bit down before he could budge. I enjoyed the warm, terrified blood and drained him completely. I had no idea when my last feeding had been, but the cop's blood hit the spot. I looked around for a place to hide him and saw his police cruiser not too far away. I threw him in the back where the criminals go.

  FIVE

  I sat in the living room watching the news with my parents when the newscasters stopped for breaking news about a dead cop in O'Dell. He had been found in his police car, drained of blood just like that murderous pig of a farmer a year and a half earlier. They interviewed the townsfolk and many said that the cop had terrorized them, making their lives miserable.

  I leaned back and smiled. Not only had I helped more people than I had thought, but I didn't have a single vampire calling to lecture me about being careful. There were some benefits to this new life after all.

  My phone rang and I saw that it was Mr. Foley. How would I ever get used to calling him by his first name, much less dating him? I got up and went to my room.

  "Hi," I said.

  "Let me guess, you went back to the scene of your first kill."

  "Ugh. So much for no lectures."

  He laughed. "You haven't changed a bit, even though you can't remember anything."

  "I remember plenty, Tobias," I said, trying to get my mouth used to saying his name.

  "You're not going to go Hailey on me, are you?"

  "What do you mean?" I asked.

  "You always call me Toby," he said.

  "I like Tobias," I said, with a smile.

  He laughed again. "You really haven't changed. Okay, I admit it. I lied. You called me Tobias, but you agreed that when we came out, you'd call me Toby in front of people."

  "How do I know you're not lying about that?"

  "I guess you don't. I'd really like you to call me Toby around people, if you don't mind."

  "I'm sure that I can handle that."

  "Do you want to come over here?" he asked.

  "Where is over there?"

  He sighed. "Right. You don't remember."

  "If we're so eager to show the world our love, why don't we go somewhere public? Walk around the lake or something."

  "I've always liked the way you think. You're right. I'm so used to hiding out over here. Do you want me to pick you up?"

  "Maybe I should meet you at the lake."

  "Why? I was looking forward to picking you up, like a real date."

  "I think we should give my parents some more time to let the news settle in," I said.

  "They're not crazy about you dating a teacher?"

  "Nope. My dad wants to kill you himself, but my mom was a little more open to the idea."

  "All right then. We'll give them some time to let the news settle and in the meantime, we'll meet at the lake."

  "I'll see you in a few," I said and hung up. I hoped that he wasn't expecting me to declare my love because I didn't have anything to declare yet. Probably not ever.

  I went to the bathroom to wash my face and touch up my makeup before throwing on some fresh clothes. I'd probably have to burn the ones that I had been wearing, since I'd fed on that cop in them.

  Just as I was getting ready to leave, my phone rang again. It was Hailey.

  "What's up?" I asked, wondering how long I'd be able to go without telling my new BFF about the memory lapse.

  "So, there's like a drained cop over in O'Dell. Did you happen to hear about that?" she asked in an accusing tone.

  "Oh?" I asked. "Why don't you fill me in?"

  "Why didn't you call me?" she whined. "I thought we agreed to always hunt together."

  So she was a vampire. I knew that had to be the only explanation for us being besties. I couldn't wait to hear how that had happened. "Sorry, my parents were going off on me about Tobias. I had to get away right then. I didn't have time to call anyone."

  "Next time at least text me, okay?"

  "Yeah, you're right. Well, I'm on my way to meet Toby," I told her. My mouth felt strange not calling him Mr. Foley. "Wanna get together after?"

  "Yeah, let's. Especially since you're supposed to spend the night!"

  "I am?"

  "Yeah! You, Emma, and Amanda are all coming over tonight so we can celebrate being adults! How could you forget?"

  "What time?"

  "I so totally can't believe you forgot, Alexis! Just get here when you get here. Have fun with Tobias!"

  "Sorry. I've been a little distracted lately. I guess I've been overwhelmed with all the changes."

  "That's not like you," she said. Her tone changed to serious. "Don't tell me—you're having another memory lapse. That's the only thing that makes sense. Now that I think about some of things you said last night…I'm right, aren't I?"

  I sighed. "Yes."

  "What's the last thing you remember? Tell me the truth."

  "I remember you kissing Tanner, and then I went to Europe."

  She swore. "That's seriously the last thing you remember?"

  "Yes, but Amanda filled me in on our new friendship before I saw you last night."

  Hailey sighed. "Right, because you two used to be besties. I seriously can't believe that's the last thing you remember of me. That was like, what, two years ago?"

  "A year and a half."

  "Do you totally hate me? I mean, oh my gosh, there was no good blood between us then. At all."

  "No, I don't hate you. Why don't we talk tonight, while the others are sleeping?"

  "Yeah, totally, that would be a good idea."

  "Okay, so do you still live in the same house?"

  She laughed. "Yeah. See you later."

  I hung up and grabbed my purse. It was a Louis Vuitton. My parents must have gone to a lot of trouble to equalize things between my sister and me. It was the only explanation for all of the new things in my room. My heart started to get heavy as I thought of the old things that were missing, bringing reminders of Cliff, Clara, Brooke, and Steve. I pushed those thoughts out of my mind. My friends weren't here, for whatever reason, and I wasn't going to let myself get depressed again. I was eighteen and had graduated. I was going to take this new life and enjoy myself. There was no sense in being upset about it. I couldn't do a thing to change it, so why get worked up over it?

  "Bye!" I called to my parents as I passed by the living room.

  "Where are you going?" my mom asked.

  "I'm officially an adult now. I don't need to ask permission to go out."

  "Someone's feeling better," my dad said. "No, you don't need to ask permission, but you do live under our roof so we would like to know where you're going and when you think you might be back."

  "I'm going to spend the night at Hailey's," I said.

  "Without an overnight bag?" my mom asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Right, I almost forgot it. This memory lapse is really throwing me for a loop." I ran upstairs and threw some stuff in a bag. I figured that if I forgot anything, Hailey would have whatever I needed. She was more than obsessed with how she looked, so I had no doubt that she had every product under the sun. I ran downstairs, showing my parents the bag.

  "Are you really going to spend th
e night at Hailey's?" my mom asked.

  "Yes! Do you want to call me later and ask to talk to her for proof?"

  "I don't want you spending the night with that teacher," she said.

  "Don't worry," I said. "I don't even remember dating him. I'm not going to jump in bed with him."

  "Alexis!" my dad exclaimed.

  I couldn't help laughing. "Well, I'm not. That's not the kind of person I am."

  "Have fun at Hailey's. If you need anything, give us a call."

  "Sure," I said and left as quickly as possible. The last thing I wanted to talk about was Mr. Foley.

  I got into my car, drove to the lake and saw his car already parked there. I recognized it from the time I had gone to the woods and discovered that he was a werewolf.

  When I reached the shore, I found him sitting on my favorite bench. "Have we been here often?" I asked.

  He looked up and smiled. "We met here a few times in the evenings, when it was dark. Why?"

  "It seems odd that you'd be sitting on the bench that I always sit on."

  He stood up and looked me over. "You look gorgeous, as always. I'm so glad that now I can let the world know that you're mine." He smiled again.

  I had to admit that for a non-vampire, he was extremely good looking. I smiled back at him, unsure how I felt about being his, but decided I would at least have fun.

  "There's something especially alluring about the new you," he said. "You're still confident, but there's just a hint of unsurety. I like the balance. Not that I didn't like you before, of course."

  I laughed. "I don't even know what I was like, so you can't offend me there."

  "You were so confident," he said. "I'd never seen such confidence before. You really took to your role as the Sonnast, even though you couldn't remember what had happened before you returned here. I loved watching you soften up around me, seeing you let your guard down and finally giving in to your feelings for me. You fought falling in love with me with everything in you, but once you gave up on the prince vampire who didn't come back for you, it melted me to watch you fall for me. I can't explain it."

  We started walking around the lake. "Tell me more about that. How did I go from TA to falling in love?"