Empath by HK Savage

   Claire had lived most of her life not touching people, avoiding almost everyone, including her parents.  She could feel the feelings and thoughts of others so much that they could take over and become her own at the moment.  Touching people made this worse.  In order to try and get away from it all, she decides to move away from home and go to college.  She was never exactly the daughter that her mother had wanted. Instead she was socially awkward and didn't like to be around anyone really.  It was the only way to calm the noise in her head.  Upon moving to the dorms though, she meets Stephen.  He immediately pegs her gift and asks her to look up a book about it in the library.  She knows Stephen must be different because she cannot get a read on him like she can everyone else.  Through some persuasion, Claire meets the rest of his family only to find out that they are were cats.  They turn into what looks like a huge mountain lion that has tremendous power.  And they tell her they can help with getting her gift under control.  But even they don't know what type of power she has.  Through Stephen's family, Claire meets James and Henry who are vampires.  Henry is the man over the library that Claire works at and James starts helping her get her abilities under control.  Being an empath that can channel is very difficult to manage.  In no time at all she forms a bond with James and they become almost inseparable.  The bad news?  Her life is constantly in danger because of what she is and who she associates with.  A rival group of vampires is trying to move into the area and their master is brutal.  Claire has to wonder whether James will be able to keep her alive and is there any way she can really help in this fight?

   A very interesting read!  It started out kind of slow, but once you get into it, it's hard to get out!  Claire is no ordinary girl and has had to shun everyone around her so when she starts getting control of her abilities, she starts being able to start actually living.  She experiences new things and a deep love that develops very fast.  She can finally be around her family and touch them, hug them, without feeling all of the pain and such.  And after such a long time, James is finally starting to feel some human emotions again.  The two of them are strangely tied.  Their connection is undeniable and you keep seeing more and more of Claire's ability pop up throughout the book.  But one of the big surprises for me was about the connection they share.  It was surprising!