I groaned as I opened my eyes the next morning. At least I think it was morning. The light coming through my windows felt like it was driving spikes into my brain via my eyes. I threw my hands up to protect myself and winced at the pounding in my skull.

A light chuckle disrupted the quiet of the room and then Xavier asked, "How do you feel?"

"Like crap," I croaked back, keeping my hands over my eyes.

"Sit up and take this," Xavier told me. I lifted myself up and waved a hand in the general direction of my windows, hoping he would get the hint to pull the shades. The room became slightly darker and I carefully removed the hand from my eyes and took the water and medicine Xavier was holding out.

"Take the aspirin and make sure you finish the water. Your parents are grocery shopping, so we only have an hour and a half to make you not look hung over. They'll kill me if they find you like this."

I chuckled slightly and then winced when the movement caused pain to shoot through my skull. "I don't remember anything after Levi put me in the car, and the things I do remember I'm hoping are very wrong."

Xavier laughed at me. "That's because you yelled bye to Levi and told him he was the best older brother ever before passing out in the backseat. I managed to get you inside and in bed without your parents noticing though."

"Thank god," I muttered. He was right that my parents would kill him if he brought me home like that. And I wouldn't get out of it in one piece either. "Did I really dance on the bar?" I asked fearfully, hoping he would tell me no, that it must have been a drunken induced dream.

He didn't. Instead, he smirked and said, "You sure did. Levi had to throw you over his shoulder and carry you out of the bar, complaining the whole time that you wanted to keep dancing."

"And the wolves at the end?" I asked, fearful that that wasn't a dream either.

"It wasn't Bane," Xavier replied, "but they were his wolves. Levi and I beat them up pretty good, but we left them alive in the alley. I sent Levi back to get you while I started the car. I didn't want us to still be there when they woke up and those mutts heal pretty quickly."

"He's becoming a serious problem," I replied with an aggravated sigh. "Trying to kidnap me again? How many times has he failed now?"

"Three," Xavier replied matter-of-fact, standing up. "Now get up. We are going to make you some breakfast and get you hydrated again. Then you're going to take a shower, get dressed, put on some make-up and pretend that loud noises don't drive spikes into your brain."

I gave him a sarcastically large smile and said, "Sounds like a grand time!"

He gave me a sympathetic smile and held out his hand to help me out of bed. I made my slow way downstairs with Xavier and then sat at the island counter, waiting to see what Xavier knew how to make for breakfast.

He started with toast and jam, sliding them across the counter to me with another glass of water. While I ate that, he worked on a plate of eggs and bacon. He refilled my water glass twice and by the time that I was finished with breakfast, I didn't feel like I was dying anymore. More just on the brink of death.

Xavier didn't waste any time. He dropped my dishes in the sink and then whisked me upstairs where I was ordered to take a shower and put on some makeup. When I saw myself in the mirror, I understood the make-up concept.

I was pale and looked like I hadn't slept in days. There were dark bags under my eyes and a pinched look on my face due to the pain in my head. A shower and make-up were definitely in order. By the time I got out, dressed and had my make-up done, I felt human again. My head still hurt, but the aspirin had helped, as did the food, water and shower.

I collapsed on the bed beside Xavier and buried my face in the soft sheets. I think I was ready for a nap.

"So what do you think of vampires now?" Xavier asked, destroying my idea for a nap.

I smiled slightly as I rolled onto my side to face him. "They were all very kind and welcoming. I loved learning the dances and they were all great."

Xavier smiled back. "That was pretty entertaining to watch. Anthony sure had his hands full trying to teach you to Cha-Cha, though."

I agreed with that one. The alcohol had caught up to me by that time and I wasn't learning much of anything. "He'll have to teach me next time we go," I replied.

I had really had a good time with the vampires last night. They were much more carefree than the werewolves and it was a lot of fun. They were intense, but they were happy with their lives. I'd never choose that willingly, for fear of losing Jackson, but I knew that if the worst did happen with Bane, if he managed to get his hands on me and kill me to hurt Jackson, I could be happy with the vampires, as long as I could convince Jackson not to give up on me.

My first order of business would be to get him used to vampires, just in case. I believed that they could keep me safe and take care of Bane, but I didn't want to take any chances. Not with mine and Jackson's relationship. I cared for him much too much.

"I'm glad you want to go back," Xavier replied. "I know they all want to see you again, too."

"I tried blood," I told him conversationally, trying not to shudder as my sober mind relived it.

Xavier's face showed his surprise, but he also looked proud of me. "I must have missed that. What'd you think?"

I blushed. "It was actually pretty good," I replied, "but I'll never be doing that sober! It's creepy to think about now."

Xavier laughed. "It's just because you're human. Your vampire genes made it taste good to you, but your disgust comes from your human side. Next time, no alcohol for you," he added.

I nodded. "Agreed!"

"I didn't realize you were such a lightweight," he teased.

I slapped his arm and rolled my eyes, but otherwise didn't respond to his teasing. Of course I was a lightweight. I'd never had more than a sip of alcohol before last night. I wasn't old enough to drink and my parents weren't the type to encourage underage drinking.

His phone beeped, distracting him before he could continue his teasing of my inability to handle alcohol. Reading the message, his face became pinched.

"What?" I asked, worried that something was wrong.

Without answering, he got up and walked over to my desk, sitting down in front of my computer. I followed him over and watched as he pulled up YouTube. What did he need on there?

He typed in "Sexy bar dance at Fangs" and I froze. This couldn't be happening. He clicked on the first video to pop up and there I was. Dancing in all my drunken glory, mini skirt, midriff tank and heels. Someone had videotaped my dance and put it online. It even had Xavier arguing with me to get off the bar and Levi carrying me up the spiral staircase.

"Can we get it down?" I asked Xavier anxiously. There was no way that Jackson could see that video. He'd be pissed.

Xavier slowly shook his head, watching Levi carry me away for the second time. "There's nothing we can do. I don't know who posted it and they're the only ones who can take it down."

What were the chances of Jackson seeing it? He had a pack to take care of and I doubted he was just watching for videos from the local vampire bar. There was a good chance that he would never see this video unless I showed it to him. And I wouldn't be doing that. Well, maybe when we're eighty and can laugh about it.

My phone started ringing and I jumped, staring at it like a deer in the headlights. It was Jackson's ringtone. I looked at Xavier for guidance, but he just stared back at me, offering nothing.

"What do I do?" I whisper-yelled, like Jackson could hear me without me answering.

"Answer it?" Xavier shrugged, looking as clueless as me.

I rolled my eyes. His answer was completely unhelpful. I was hoping for a 'let's ditch it and run away' kind of answer. That was an answer I could get behind.

Maybe Jackson was just calling to ask how our night went. There really wasn't a large possibility of him seeing the video. A girl could hope.

I reached over and picked up the phone. "Hello?" I asked, in my sweetest voice.

The first sound to greet me was growling. He'd definitely seen the video. "What the hell were you doing at Fangs, Cecilia, and dancing on the bar?!" he yelled angrily. His voice pierced my skull like a sledgehammer and I winced, really wishing I didn't have to be hung over for this conversation.

Giggling nervously, I tried to explain. "Well, Xavier and I wanted to go out and do something and that's the only club that I can get into."

"You know why?" he replied, his voice practically sizzling with anger. He didn't wait for me to try to answer, doing it himself. "Because it's a fucking vampire club, Cecilia! They eat people like you!"

I would have loved to tell him that there was absolutely no danger, but I couldn't exactly tell them that I didn't smell like dinner because I shared their genes. Not to mention that his yelling was really starting to make me angry, and maybe a little bit hurt. Instead, I tried for reassurance. "I was fine, Jackson" I replied. "Xavier was with me the whole time and everyone was really nice and not predatory at all."

He seemed to realize that he wasn't going to make any headway on that subject at the moment, so he switched to another. "Dancing on the bar? The slutty clothes? What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I wanted to have some fun!" I yelled back, snapping in anger because the way he was talking to me hurt. "I was completely safe and I enjoyed myself!" It probably wasn't the best way to respond to a possessive and already angry werewolf, but I was hungover and he was yelling too.

There was a snarl and strange crunching sound before the click indicating the call had ended. He'd hung up on me. I wasn't sure why, but that really hurt. He didn't even care enough to finish talking it out with me. Tears filled my eyes and I looked down at my phone.

My eyes watering was only the start. As I clenched my phone in my hands, tears poured down my cheeks like rain. Xavier saw and immediately joined me on the bed. The moment he put his arms around me I broke down, sobbing into his chest as he held me close and murmured comforting words.

I didn't even know why it hurt so much. I could understand why he hung up on me, but it still hurt that he would yell at me and then just hang up. I know that he was mad and that he had a good reason to be. I knew that my clothes were provocative and I definitely knew that dancing on the bar was bad. It was something I wouldn't have done if I hadn't been drunk. Another thing that I shouldn't have been.

But, even though I could admit all of that, Jackson yelling and hanging up on me still hurt, so bad. It was just another thing that I was pretty sure I could blame on the mate bond. It made me irrational sometimes.

"Shh," Xavier murmured. "It's all going to be okay."

After a solid ten minutes of just crying, Xavier stood up, pulling me with him. "Alright, that's it. We are gonna go have some fun and get your mind off things."

I didn't say anything, but I didn't think that was a good idea. We had a lot of fun last night and that was the reason that Jackson was so mad at me. Who knew how he'd react if I went out and did it again?

When I looked up to mention this to Xavier, he had my phone in his hand and was pushing buttons. "What are you doing?" I sniffled.

"Shh," he told me, holding up a finger to stop me. He hit a button and then put the phone to his ear. "Hello, Taylor," he said after a pause. "My name is Xavier and I'm Ceci's cousin. I need you to get the gang together and meet me at the beach."

I heard Taylor's raised voice but I couldn't distinguish the words. She sounded angry though.

"She just needs some cheering up. Her boyfriend is being a royal douchebag," Xavier replied to whatever it was Taylor said.

There was another pause, shorter this time, as Taylor replied. "Good, we'll see you all in ten," he replied, hanging up my phone.

I stared at Xavier in disbelief as he handed me my phone back. "What did you just do?"

He grinned at me proudly and said, "I just called in the Cavalry. We are going to the beach with your friends and we are going to have some G rated fun to get your mind off Jackson and his anger."

I sighed, shaking my head, but I loved that he'd called my friends to cheer me up. I hate crying and he'd come up with the perfect idea to take my mind off of everything today. There was just one person that he wouldn't know to invite.

I took my phone from his outstretched hand and sent out a quick text.

His response was instantaneous.

I laughed but quickly sent a reply assuring him that it wasn't. He happily agreed to meet us at the beach now that he knew it was safe.

"Alright," Xavier replied, clapping his hands. "Get your suit on and get downstairs. I'll be waiting for you in the car and if you take more than five minutes I'll be up here to take you down myself."

I chuckled slightly and promised to be down in less than five minutes as I headed for my closet. It didn't take me long to pull my suit on and a matching cover up. I went straight downstairs after, not wanting to be alone.

Xavier was already in the car with it running when I stepped outside. We'd been apart for a long time, but he still knew me. That alone was enough to cheer me up a little. I had my very first best friend back. He might not be able to replace my angry mate, but he knew how to cheer me up and he was there for me.

"I left a note for your parents on the counter," he told me as he pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the beach. "I said we'd be home in time for dinner, if not before."

I nodded and thanked him. I hadn't even thought to let my parents know that we were leaving so they wouldn't worry when they got back. With all the drama this morning, I'd completely forgotten. I was glad that he'd thought of it.

When we reached the beach, there was a line of people waiting for me. Taylor, Kayla, Lisa, Aiden and Mason. Mason was a few steps away from them, showing he wasn't comfortable around them. I'd have to fix that today.

As soon as I was within reach, I found myself swept up in Aiden's arms. He held me tightly and rubbed my back. "Want me to kick his ass?" Lisa asked me over Aiden's shoulder.

I laughed a little and Aiden passed me on to her to be hugged some more. "Thanks, Lisa, but no. It's mostly my fault."

"I wanna hear about it later, when it's not so fresh," she told me, passing me on to Kayla. She and Taylor both gave me hugs and then Mason was in front of me.

He gave me a small smile and held his arms out for me. "What'd he do?" he asked in my hair as he hugged me tight.

"Did you see the YouTube video?" I asked him. He smirked and nodded in reply. "He blew up. Yelled at me and then hung up on me."

Mason sighed and hugged me again. "I'm sorry, Ceci. He's mad right now, but he'll calm down and talk it all out with you."

I almost started crying all over again because I knew he was right, but I was still scared. I didn't like Jackson being mad at me, even if I had given him a good reason to be. I also didn't want to start crying again. I just felt like I was overreacting.

"Hey now, none of that!" Mason said, pushing me away from him quickly.

I laughed a little and turned around to introduce him to everyone. "Guys this is my friend, Mason. He lives with Jackson. Mason, these are my friends Kayla, Taylor, Lisa, Aiden and Xavier."

They all greeted each other and the guys all shook hands, probably doing their manly strength test. After they'd sized each other up, we got down to having fun and cheering me up. It worked like a charm.

We spent a lot of time splashing and wrestling in the water. Xavier and Mason were tense around each other at first, but they loosened up some. They still weren't buddies, but they seemed a little more comfortable around each other now. Mason fit in with my human friends perfectly, though. It felt like he'd always been our friend after only about ten minutes. I think it's just Mason's personality. He could make friends with anyone if he put his mind to it.

It also turned out that Xavier had another surprise for me. I was floating happily farther out in the water after a particularly intense wrestling match, just catching my breath before someone inevitably started another one, when I heard someone call my name. I straightened up and turned towards the shore. Levi was walking down the beach, waving an arm to get my attention.

"Levi!" I yelled as I started swimming for shore.

"Hey little sister!" he yelled back, a big grin gracing his face.

When I was out of the water, I tackled him in a hug, soaking wet and dripping. The tackling part didn't exactly work out, what with him being a vampire with super strength, but he still caught me and held me tightly, laughing and totally ignoring the fact that I was getting him wet.

Everyone had followed me out of the water and were standing around, waiting for me to introduce them to the newest addition to our impromptu beach party. I pulled back and turned to face them all. "Levi, this is Taylor, Kayla, Lisa, Aiden and Mason. Guys, this is my newest friend, Levi."

Mason grinned mischievously and I was immediately worried about what was about to come out of his mouth. "I remember you! You're the one that carried Ceci off the bar and out of the club!"

"Club?" my friends chorused. "Bar?"

I blushed. I was going to smack Mason senseless for this. I hadn't told them about the club yet. "Yeeeaaah..."

Aiden looked at me with raised brows. "You went to a club?"

I nodded.

"And...you were on the bar?" Lisa asked, grinning and winking at me.

Again, I nodded.

"Wanna see the video?" Mason asked and I groaned, covering my face with my hands as my friends eagerly gathered around Mason as he retrieved his phone from his towel on the sand.

"There's a video?!" Lisa exclaimed, excited now.

Levi and Xavier joined me, putting their arms around my shoulders for support while my friends watched last night's video and laughed at me the whole time.

"Wow, girl, you got some moves," Kayla told me when the video finished, nodding in approval. I rolled my eyes. She's our resident flirt. Of course she approved of me dancing on a bar. And she didn't even know it was a vampire club.