Free Sire by Thomas Galvin

you're feeling? Any time I want?"
    Michael's eyes narrowed. "...Yes."
    "So like, I could be, I don't know, lying in bed, just thinking to myself, 'boy, I wonder what Michael is wearing right now,' and I'd be able to see?"
    "Don't make me regret saving your life."
    Caitlin looked at him with wide eyes. She was pretty sure he was joking. Pretty sure. "Want a sandwich?" Michael shuddered. "Okay, so no sandwich then. So ... you can't eat people food?"
    His eyes glinted. "No, just people."
    Caitlin stuffed the sandwich in her mouth, her eyes still a bit wide.
    She finished eating, and waited for Michael to say something, but he remained silent. Finally, she couldn't take it any more. "Can I ask you a question?"
    "You haven't stopped asking me questions since I came through the door."
    "That's actually ... I mean, why? Why did you come for me? You didn't seem to want anything to do with me at the club."
    Michael set his glass down—the liquid stuck to the sides in a way brandy never would—and started to pace around. "I ... couldn't. Leave you. I knew what he was going to do with you.
    "We're not all evil, Caitlin. Some of us are as moral as any human. But not Liam. Liam ruins everything he touches. He's evil, pure and simple. And he would have ... I couldn't let that happen to you."
    "How do you know him?" Caitlin asked.
    "Ooh, that's a fun story," said a voice from the entryway. "Why don't you tell her, Michael?"
    They both turned. A tall, muscular figure with long red hair sauntered into the room.
    Liam.

Chapter Five

    The bus dropped Bethany and Garret off right in front of their dorms. God, college life was going to be fantastic. She had been worried that she was never going to go anywhere, because she didn't have a car, but the campus had busses that would take you anywhere. The grocery store, the mall, even the nightclubs. It was amazing.
    And she had been worried that she wouldn't make any friends. She wasn't going to kid herself; she wasn't the hot girl that all of the boys noticed—that was Caitlin, or Olivia if they were into the bitchy cheerleader type—and she didn't have the whole exotic thing going on that Alexis had. It wasn't like she was hideously ugly or anything, but Bethany never considered herself beautiful, either.
    And she was kind of a nerd. Book smart and street dumb, she guessed? She was way more comfortable talking about the difference between Greek and Gothic sculpture than what she was going to do over the weekend.
    And when she met Olivia? Honestly, she had been just a little bit afraid. Afraid that college was just going to be a repeat of high school. Afraid that she was going to be overlooked, except when the popular people needed someone to pick on.
    But Caitlin had been so nice to her, so warm and welcoming and encouraging. And she was a wizard with makeup. The way she made Bethany's eyes pop, and the way she did her hair ... Bethany hardly recognized herself in the mirror. And the shirt she let her borrow ... it definitely made the most out of the limited assets Bethany had to work with.
    And Garret. He was the first person Bethany met on campus, and he had been awesome. He had helped move her stuff in without her even having to ask. And he hadn't just thrown her stuff in her room and taken off, either. He had actually stayed to talk to her. Like she was important. Like she was a real person.
    And then he had danced with her. All night long. And now he was walking her home.
    Holding her hand.
    "This was awesome," he said. "I'm really glad you came out with us."
    "Me too," Bethany replied. "This was a lot of fun. I think I'm really going to like it here."
    They were standing outside of the dorms. A breeze kicked up, and Bethany shivered. Garret ran his hands over her arms, warming them.
    "I should ... probably get to bed," Bethany said. "After I take a shower."
    Garret was staring at her. She loved the way he looked at her. She wanted him to stare at her like that all night long. "Yeah," he