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Neal opened his mouth.  Snapped it close.  Opened it again.

“Get out.”

“Fine,” he muttered.  “Stupid bitch ain’t worth my time anyway.”

A cold smile curled Kelsey lips and she said, “I’m sorry.  I wasn’t here.  I don’t mean leave this room. I mean, get out. As in out of my school.”

Neal blinked.  Look from Kelsey’s face to Malachi, then at Ana and Brad.  “What?”

Kelsey repeated, “Get out.”

“Over that bitch?  You can’t fucking trust her.”

“Nobody, and I mean, nobody lays a hand on a woman or a child in my school for any fucking reason.  Unless of course she was attacking you…tell me, Neal, did she attack you?  Is that why you touched her?”

“You can’t trust her,” Neal snarled.  “You can’t trust her kind—she’ll turn on us.  She’s done it once.”  He jerked a chin towards Duke.

Ana’s skin crawled with shame.  Automatically, she tightened her arms and Brad reached up, patted her hand.

But nobody was looking at them.  Or at Duke.  They were staring at the exchange between Kelsey and Neal with fascination.  “No, Neal.  We can’t trust your kind.  You’re not one of us…and you never were.”

Neal paled.  Something flashed through his eyes.  “I am one of you.  I’m here, aren’t I?”

“You were brought here to train—but not to be a Hunter.  You were brought here to learn control.  Non-mortals can pose a danger—our job is to limit that danger.  We do that through teaching, through training.  That was why you were brought here—never think otherwise.”  Kelsey gave him a dismissive look and then turned her back.

Neal jerked away from Dominic and stalked across the room, placing himself in front of Kelsey.  “This is fucked up, lady.  I didn’t hurt her—hell, I didn’t hurt that little punk, either.  I wouldn’t hurt a kid.”  He sent Ana and Brad a furious look, one that scalded her and left her almost ill with all the hatred she felt coming from him.

___________________

Just a quick reminder on the contest:

• Runs through 12/1.
• Read the complete rules here.
• Comment @ my blog (Not via facebook, amazon, myspace, etc) to enter. Each comment gets you one entry. You can enter via blog comments once each day.
• If you post a link to the contest and then email me @ contest4shiloh(at)gmail.com, that will get you an additional ten entries. Put link in the subject line.
• If you preorder and forward the receipt to contest4shiloh(at)gmail.com, that will get you an additional twenty entries. Put receipt in subject line. Please remove all sensitive personal data.
• You can enter each way-if you post a link, comment and preorder, that is 30 entries, as well as one entry for each day you visit the blog to comment. You could get up to fifty entries for the grand prize.
• Names will not be shared/sold/traded/spraypainted on a billboard.
• Please note, to enter for the small daily giveaways done during the week, you must comment @ my blog.
• Daily giveaways will be Monday-Friday. Winners will either be posted here or notified via email so please make sure you check back often.
• Please do not cheat-trying to comment more than once a day, using different names/emails, is cheating and you’ll likely end up disqualified and barred from entering future contests.
• Do not post to sweepstakes sites. These contests are for current and potential readers and I do not want to them to be posted at sweepstakes sites. Should this contest end up at sweepstakes sites, I reserve the right to end the contest without warning and without giving away the rest of the prizes in the contest.
• Each (daily) contest thread will be closed within a day or two of its original posting.  So enter while it’s open!