Love Sucks! Read Online Free

should go upstairs to change.”
    â€œYeah, those jeans have seen better days,” Ryan said.
    I took one stair and paused, turning to face Ryan. “Thank you for today. You’ve saved me twice now. This is starting to become a habit.”
    â€œOne more time and I get my vampire-saving merit badge in the warlock scouts. It’s always been a goal ofmine, so thanks for helping me out,” he said with a wink.
    â€œShut up, goofy,” I said, ignoring the tickle in my belly as I headed upstairs to my room.
    Ryan followed me. “Why do you think they want to find the runes?” he asked.
    I opened the door to my bedroom and my white cat, Spike, stood from his spot on the bed and stretched. I walked over to him and scratched his head as I thought about Ryan’s question.
    â€œRemember that book Jill sent me when I was doing all that Serpentine research in the fall? Well, there was a theory that the runes were a time-traveling device. That the Frieceadans had taken and hidden the runes, then fled from the Serpentines.”
    â€œWhat did the Serpentines want with them?”
    â€œAccording to the book, they wanted to ‘correct their mistakes’ and start over. They had planned to go back, form the alliance with the Frieceadans, and then betray them, annihilating your entire clan. It would be easier to go back in time when the Frieceadans lived in the open, as opposed to now where y’all are in hiding, spread out all over the globe.”
    â€œAnd that’s their plan now?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’m just guessing. I mean, they obviously know Mom is carrying a vampire-warlock baby, and that probably terrifies them. We’ve kept Mom well protected, and so far the Serpentines haven’t tried to get to them. But if that baby is the prophesied child I read about last year, then its blood is the anti-venom to the Serpentine bite. That will make their bite powerless, which will in turn make them powerless. I think they want the runes as backup. They’re going to try to use me to get to the baby, and if that doesn’t work, then they’ll just go back in time and start over.”
    â€œWhat if the runes aren’t the backup plan?” Ryan asked.
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œIf the runes are really a time-traveling device, then think about the power they would have if they had control of them. I don’t think the runes are the backup plan at all. I think they plan to go back in time and rewrite history. If we don’t exist, then the baby will never be born.”
    â€œIf that’s true, then they want me to help them kill off my own family. Why would I do that?”
    â€œI don’t know, but they think you will. Man, Ashe, that’s some family tree you’ve got there,” Ryan joked. But his eyes weren’t smiling.
    â€œI guess it’s a good thing I’m not my father’s daughter then, isn’t it?”
    Â 
    The family sat in the dining room. Our table was giant and round; we often joked it was a replica of King Arthur’s round table. Rick could totally be King A, too. He was sorta majestic in his place. And even in her weakened state, Mom was definitely his queen—only without all that infidelity stuff.
    Tonight’s dinner was bangers and mash, and everyone seemed very happy. Auntie Tave joined us, which surprised Mom, but she was all smiles as Tave entertained us with blood-bank stories throughout dinner.
    Dessert was a fabulous lemon cake that Aunt D whipped up without even blinking an eye. I know the woman is a witch, but really, not even magic could explain the depth of goodness that was her desserts.
    As we all silently enjoyed our lemony slice of heaven, Aunt D took command of the table.
    â€œWe have a wee problem,” she said, standing. “Here, love, ye’ll need this.” She walked over to Rick and poured him two fingers of scotch, neat.
    â€œMe too,” Tave