“I went into the memory like Dr. Price said, but when it came time to hear what kind of supernatural I am, it just...stopped,” I said, realizing how bizarre that sounded. I was sure Maddie was either going to think I was crazy, or dangerous enough to stay away from. “He said he’s never seen that happen before, but someone obviously doesn’t want me knowing what I am.”
“Hmm,” Maddie murmured. “I’ve never heard of that happening, either, but there’s a first time for everything, right? Maybe it’s related to your crime in such a way that they don’t think it’s safe for you to know yet.”
“Yeah, I guess there is,” I said, thinking back to what Dean and Alistair had both said. Maddie was a shifter. Maybe she’d know. “Can I ask you a question? About imprinting?”
“You can ask me anything,” she replied. “I’m an open book.”
“Is it possible for someone to imprint on a different species?” I asked before I could change my mind. “I mean, like a vampire imprinting on a shifter or something.”
“It’s never happened as far as I know,” she said after thinking about it for a moment. “I don’t like to say anything isimpossible,though. The truth can be stranger than fiction and all that.” She paused. “Why do you ask?” she asked curiously.
I sighed, deciding there was nothing left to lose by telling her. That part, at least. “Two guys came up to me at lunch and said they’d both imprinted. A vampire and a werewolf. I know it sounds like the setup to a shitty joke, and I figure they’re just screwing with me, but… after the day I’ve had, I don’t know.”
Maddie’s eyes widened. “The odds of cross-species imprinting are already so low most people would say it can’t happen,” she said. “But happeningtwice?I don’t know, Bells, I think something else is going on.”
“Yeah, that makes two of us,” I sighed.
“Who is it?” she asked curiously.
I hesitated a moment, wondering if I should admit who it was, considering how she felt about werewolvesandvampires. “Dean and Alistair.”
When her eyes widened again, I realized she was reacting pretty much how I’d expected. “Seriously?”
“Not the kind of thing I’d find funny enough to joke about,” I admitted. “Do you know them?”
“I know of them, sure,” she answered. “Everyone does. They’re kind of infamous.”
“Infamous? How?”
“Well, Dean is a werewolf, so that’s one thing,” she answered. “As for Alistair, he’s kind of a vampire outcast.”
“Why?” I asked, frowning. Sure, he was a little strange, but he seemed nice enough. Then again, maybe that was why the other vampires didn’t like him.
“You know…” she said pointedly. When I didn’t get it, she gestured to the same part of her face that was hidden by Alistair’s mask.
“That’s pretty shallow,” I muttered. “They really don’t like him just because he’s scarred?”
“Vampires are as shallow as they come. I mean, they’re all perfect supermodels. Anyone who’s not…”
“Yeah. I guess I can see that.” And it made me even warier of my new roommate. I glanced over at her. “What would you do if you were me?”
Maddie took a deep breath and leaned back against the window. “Probably Dean, as long as it wasn’t a full moon.”
I gave her a look and she just grinned.
“Well, he’s hot,” she said with an innocent shrug. “Werewolf curse aside.”
That wasn’t what I’d meant when I’d asked her that, but she had a point. As a matter of fact, Dean and Alistair were both attractive in their own ways, no matter what the other vampires thought. I just didn’t have time for whatever the hell imprinting came with.
“I’m hoping I can just avoid them,” I admitted.
“Avoid them?” she asked doubtfully.
I realized that probably sounded harsh. “I’m still just trying to get a hold of everything. Getting involved with either of them sounds...complicated.”
“It is, I’m sure, but I don’t think it’s gonna be that easy.”
“What do you mean?”
