Unraveling Mathias and Ambrose

Prologue

In most places, family is considered the most important aspect of life. In my family, there is a lot of violence, a lot of drama, a lot of rivalry, a lot of hatred, and a lot of love. I couldn't blame my father for keeping Mathias a secret. After all, Mathias was accused of killing Alga, Uncle Soren's wife, over four hundred years ago.

 

 

Chapter 1- Hopeful New Beginning

 

I bent down to pet Mishka, the mother cat whom we had rescued last year on Christmas Day. She was purring, content. Her kittens, Remy, Anakin, Belle, Catniss, and Frodo were growing, and now had free rein of the house, although they all preferred the Cat Room, as Father called it. The Cat Room was full of cat trees, toys, beds, a self-cleaning litterbox, and plenty of food and treats. It had been my cousin Louis' room before he moved into the guest house.

Last winter, Louis found a big black long-haired cat which he promptly fell in love with and named Shadowfang. Since then, that cat has turned our lives upside down. No, my life was already upside down. It turned upside down when I found my girlfriend and soulmate Sarah Harper Cresley in the bathroom at a classmate's party, crying her eyes out because she'd been raped by Michael Nales and beaten by her old clique.

Since that night, she's been harassed constantly. I've been planning her seventeenth birthday party, which was February fourteenth, on Valentine's Day. My best human friend Ariella was helping me. Thanks to Ariella, who was extremely popular, and Sarah's own wits and bravery, she had more friends than she had ever had.

As for me, I was just happy to have her. I have been in love with Sarah since freshman year. Now that we were halfway through our junior year, I finally had her, and I was not going to let her go. I studied my teeth. Being a vampire, I naturally have good teeth-I barely even need to brush them, but I do anyway to avoid bloodbreath. I pictured my lips on my human lover's. Her lips were naturally full and bow-shaped, and very, very kissable.

The first time I saw her, I thought she was an angel. Only recently have I realized just how human she is. Even after she confessed to me her sins, I still loved her. I wanted to take her and protect her from the world outside.

I tested my fangs. My upper fangs slid down an inch and a half and my bottom fangs a full inch. I ran a comb through my long black hair. My yellow eyes frowned as I fought a stray bang. I felt long, cold arms wrap around me from behind.

"Hello, Father," I said.

"Hello, son," Father replied. "Are you hungry? I just got in some excellent AB negative from Germany." My mouth watered, and my fangs slid out again. At that moment, my stomach growled. "I'll take that as a yes. Spencer! Is Toby still asleep? Tell him to get up!"

Spencer and Toby are two of our guards. They are also best friends. And potentially future lovers. Everyone except Toby knew that Spencer had a huge crush on him. Spencer appeared in the doorway, running his fingers through his thin blond hair.

"Please, Lord Mordecai, let my friend sleep a little longer," Spencer begged. "I fear that he has what Master Reese has." Father sighed and looked at me. Recently, we found out that I have a rare vampire disease known as parphyrina. It makes me extremely prone to other illnesses, makes my stomach weak, and is possibly the cause of my long-term depression. Or it could simply be the fact that my family is not normal in any way, shape, or form.

All of us are natural-born vampires except for my grandfather, who was changed by Alexander Nicolai, the progenitor of vampires and our cousin.

"All right," Father said. "Have somebody watch Toby's symptoms. He doesn't need to infect anybody else." Spencer frowned and bit his lip, but said nothing. He simply nodded and went on his way.

"When are you going to call in more guards? They need breaks," I told Father.

"I shall take no chances. Since your grandfather decided to let Alexander go free with a final warning, I have constantly been on my guard."

Last year, there was a question of who my true paternal parent was, and they were either Father or Alexander. When Alexander found out, he lost his mind and tried to kidnap me several times. Even after it was confirmed that Mordecai Emerson is my biological father, Alexander continued to try to get me, even using Sarah at one point.

Now I had not seen him for over a month, and Father was still worried. He wanted Alexander killed, but Grandfather and Uncle Soren refused.

I went downstairs for breakfast, nearly tripping over Shadowfang's tail. It was breakfast time for the cats as well. Toby came down a little while later, undoing his dreadlocks. He was fully dressed (not that I would've minded seeing him shirtless) and complaining about racial tensions in the United States.

"I'm just saying that as a hundred year old black vampire, it really irritates me to see so much drama." Spencer was hanging onto Toby's every word.

"I understand," Spencer told him.

"At least some people do," Toby verbiaged.

"Thank, you, Toby, we get it," Uncle Soren snapped. Toby frowned at my uncle's back.

"What's your problem?" Father asked his older brother.

"You people are my problem. Except for you, Reese, you're the only one who has yet to aggravate me this month. I swear, my own son hates me."

"Louis has always been a sassmouth," Father reminded him.

"Yes, but lately it's gotten worse. It's like going through the teenage years again!"

"I don't like your attitude," Louis cheerfully told his father as he sauntered in through the back door.

"I don't like yours. Spencer, tell Janna to hurry up. Reese has to leave for school in twenty minutes."

"It's Saturday," I reminded him. Uncle Soren banged his head on the table. Shadowfang started chewing on my uncle's burgundy hair.

"I'm becoming as useless as an uneducated doctor. Reese, when is Sarah's party?"

"Two Saturdays from now, on the fourteenth."

"I think you should stay home for a while," Father said. I sighed, but I knew there was no arguing with him. And he was right. If I infected a human, it could spread quickly and kill the entire human population of North Hampton, New Jersey. I was already taking a risk by spending time with Sarah and Ariella. The girls still had no idea.

I bit my lip. I nearly lost Sarah by holding back my true nature from her until it was almost too late. I didn't want to risk losing her again. As I drank my meal, I paid attention to how my stomach reacted. I didn't want to risk throwing up again. My stomach groaned in fullness. I was almost too full. I ran to the bathroom and purged my stomach contents.

Grandfather held my hair back. He was living in the house for a few more months at least. He needed a break. He's the king of all vampires. He takes his title and position very seriously, but lately, we had all felt discontent from him.

My grandfather was once handsome. He has wavy red hair that never ages, yellow catlike eyes, and a muscular, yet thin figure. But for the past few weeks, he has been getting dark shadows under his eyes, his voice has been cracking, and he has been spending a lot more time alone.

Of course, Grandfather, Father, Uncle Soren and I all have yellow eyes, but different hair tones. Father is blond, my hair is jet black, and I've already mentioned Uncle Soren's and Grandfather's hair colors. Louis is an anomaly. He has brown hair and blue eyes, probably from his mother Alga, who died six months after he was born and she left Uncle Soren.

After breakfast, I went back to my room to work on my latest song, titled "Emerald Eyes".

When I look into your eyes,

I see beauty, intelligence, bravery, and pain

You're being chased by all the guys

Going against the grain

You're so heartful

That was as far as I got before my cell phone rang.

"Hello, Ari," I answered.

"Hola! What sounds more appealing, a steak or a green bean?" She already knew the answer, of course. I'd told her last month what my diet really consists of.

"Steak. Is there a point to this question?"

"Um, yeah! Shelly says that green beans are far superior to steak. Can you believe that? Steak is the most perfect food!"

"What happened to your new all-organic raw vegetarian promise?"

"Eh, I couldn't stick with it. I love steak too much! Anyway, a bunch of us are going to the mall around noon. Want to tag along?"

"Who all is going?"

"Mason Godfrey, Noah Johnson, Duke Taylor, Amara Ranks and...actually, that's it. Sarah has to work, and Shelly is freaking out because Jon Fields just quit the band. So I'm going to put flyers around town for a new male vocalist." Ariella is the lead guitarist and female vocalist in a rock band called Everlasting Strife.

"Sure, I'll go. I have to clear it with Father, though."

"Ugh, your dad is so overprotective! When's he going to let up?"

"Probably never. Anyway, I'll see you in a couple hours."

"Okie dokie. Toodles!" We hung up, and I pinched the bridge of my nose. If Father let me out at all, he'd probably make Janna follow me around all day. I wondered if I should butter him up first.

"Hey, Dad," I said, leaning over the back of the couch while he watched the news. "Ariella and Mason are going to the mall, and they want me to come along."

"You hate the mall," he reminded me.

"I'm not going to shop! I'm just going to hang out."

"Well, all right, but bring Janna along." I sighed. I knew he would say that. And I could get away with having a bodyguard, because Father was in the process of owning the North Hampton Mall. His plan was to have something for me to fall back on in case the music industry didn't work out for me. Or at least, that's what he told me.

I fired up my old Chevrolet Astro and drove to Father's store, Emerson's Electronics, where he sold computer parts, movies, videogames, consoles, CDs, and other electronics.

"I don't know if I can fix it," Louis was saying into the phone. "This Dynex is a dinosaur. Ma'am, please don't yell at me. My suggestion is to get a new computer. We have a wide range of Dell computers and laptops. I am the manager! Okay, I'm hanging up now. You can pick your computer up anytime before seven o'clock." He clicked off and rolled his eyes at me. "Women."

"Cousins," I retorted. Louis was sore because he'd recently been dealt some heartbreak by Ariella. First, I caught her with Uncle Soren, both of them half undressed. Then Ari and I stopped speaking for a while, and she turned down Louis. He was not used to being rejected by women. Or if he had ever been rejected, he had not truly cared about her.

I clocked in and grabbed the latest box of brand-new DVDs. I contented myself with stocking DVDs and videogames until it was time to go. I enjoyed my job at my father's store. It was busy enough that we were never bored, yet also quiet enough that there was rarely drama.

"Delia," I greeted the tall blond nightmare known as a part-time employee.

"Reese," she snipped. Today she wore pink glittery jeans and a jersey croptop with tall black boots. As usual, she wore a lot of bright makeup and her hair had too much product in it. I looked at her, then shook my head. The only reason why she got the job in the first place was because Louis was interested in what was underneath her clothes. Sexist, maybe, and so not worth it.

Yes, she's hot, but she also holds herself superior to everyone around her. She was a senior at Martin Luther King Jr., a high school across town. Full of rich snobs. Okay, that's not fair. I didn't know anyone except Delia who went there, so I couldn't exactly judge the whole school.

When I arrived at the mall, I was a few minutes late. Everyone was sitting inside the Starbucks, all sipping tea or coffee.

"Ah, the prodigal son finally graces us with his presence," Duke teased. Duke has it in his head that I'm some kind of prodigy, just because I happen to get all As and my family has trillions dollars.

"Be nice," Amara chided. She had dyed her hair orange now. I took a seat and ordered some water.

"Reese, can you settle a debate for us? Who is a better singer, Amy Lee from Evanescence or Maria Brink from In This Moment?" Noah cut in.

"They're both good," I said. "I don't really pick favorites."

"About the only thing women do in bands is sing," Duke muttered. Amara punched him in the arm.

"That's not true, and you know it!"

"Women also play instruments," I said. "Guitars, keyboards, drums."

"The only good female drummer is-"

"Duke, shut up," Mason said, speaking up for the first time. "Seriously, you're giving me a headache." I blinked. Mason was a good friend of mine, and a warlock. His father, Krauvas, was the most talented warlock in the world. And now, Krauvas and Antonia, his mother, had decided to separate. Mason still lived with his father most of the time.

It was thanks to Mason that Scarlett Hart, a witch and the leader of Sarah's old clique, had forgotten how to use her evil powers. Mason was able to fix his mistake and help my girl at the same time. I blinked. Was it really Jordan, Scarlett's fraternal twin, that I was seeing across the mall? She stepped into a lingerie store and emerged a moment later, carrying a pink bag.

I looked up, and knew that Mason had also seen the evil blond. Jordan was really the mastermind behind all of Scarlett's evil deeds. She was almost more dangerous, because she was so much smarter than Scarlett and usually kept her mouth shut around me. She also had a huge crush on Mason and was hurt that he fell in love with Scarlett instead.

Mason pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Dude, is something wrong?" Noah asked him.

"It's this damn headache. It's getting worse. Noah, Duke, go get me some medicine from the Wal-Greens across the street. Here's fifty bucks."

"Mason, are you sure you're all right?" Amara asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Go, I need to stay here for a minute." Noah, Duke, and Amara left wordlessly.

"Mason, what is it?" I asked.

"Whenever Jordan's around, I get a splitting migraine. I've actually fainted because of them!"

"Can't your father do something?"

"He doesn't know. And I don't want to tell him. I'm still recovering from the mess I made with the Hart sisters."

"Mason, you have to tell him," Ariella said. She was the only one who knew about Mason being a warlock. Not even Noah, his best friend, knew about it. Ari also knew about my being a vampire. After being friends with her for years, I decided it was finally time to tell her back in December. She was automatically accepting of it, and asked me a ton of questions about it.

Amara, Noah, and Duke came back soon after, with a bottle of ibuprofen. Noah handed Mason some change, and Mason took two pills. He nearly threw up. I pushed my water over to him. He ran to the bathroom, and didn't return for about five minutes. When he came back, he was flushed, and his pale skin had a light sheen of sweat.

"I agree with Ariella-I think you should tell your father," I told Mason.

"Fine, I'll tell him tonight."

"Tell his father what?" Noah asked, looking from him to me.

"Mason's been getting migraines," Ariella spoke up. Noah wrinkled his nose and turned to Mason.

"Is that why you've been so secretive? You're getting headaches?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later," Mason replied.

We walked around the mall for a bit. We got a lot of odd looks, a couple of rude callers. I noticed one woman in particular kept showing up wherever we were. I told Ari my concerns, and she told me not to worry about it.

"Hey, you're Mordecai Emerson's boy, right?" a security officer said to me.

"That would be me," I said.

"Tell your dad that Henry said thanks for the pay raise," he said before walking away.

"Will do," I muttered. The girls slipped into Hot Topic. Since Ari's birthday was coming up, I decided to buy their purchases. When we walked out, we had two very happy girls and a lighter credit card. Duke said something about needing a new pair of boots, and we stopped inside the shoe store. He didn't find a pair he liked, so we moved on. All in all, we spent two hours at the mall and spent about two hundred bucks.

When I got home, it was chaos.

Shadowfang was howling and hissing, Louis and Uncle Soren were once again in each other's faces, and Father was desperately trying to restore order.

"Reese!" he called out when he saw me. "Tell me you're not hurt!" He grabbed my shoulders.

"I'm not hurt! And you're going to break my arm!" Father loosened his hold on me.

"What happened?" I asked him.

"Oh, it's nothing you need to concern yourself with. Come with me, I'll make you a snack."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sent Sarah a text, asking her how she was. She responded by saying that she was fine, but she was at work now, and couldn't talk. I left her alone after that. I decided to study for a Trigonometry test on Monday. I studied until my eyes hurt, and then I started rereading Vampire Soulmates in the French version. My sweet Sarah was fluent in French, and she had taught me a lot of words.

I already was fluent in Greek, Latin, Japanese, German, Gaelic, Danish, and Spanish, but I never learned French or Italian, which Sarah was also fluent in. She was the granddaughter of immigrants from France, Israel, and Italy, the French being from her deceased father's side, the Israelite and Italian blood being from her mother's side.

Already, my recently discovered mother loved Sarah, and often asked about her whenever she visited me.

Mother and Sarah had had a similar experience, with Mother being given a love potion by Father, thus producing me. When Mother found out, she divorced Father. I heard from multiple people that she fought for custody of me for years after, but the vampire version of custody courts sided with Father because of his title and position as a prince in the vampire world. They cut Mother off, so she went back to Athens, Greece, where she was from.

She married a man named Edward Babin. She was a stepmother to two boys, Viktor and Taran, until she divorced Edward Babin because he was not her true soulmate. Alexander is.

She'd recently agreed to go back to him, and they were giving each other another chance. From what I heard, Alexander was enthralled. And since Sarah had agreed to give the baby in her womb to Alexander, things were working out for him. Almost. Kieran, his half-human son with another woman, was still nowhere to be seen or heard.

We tracked Kieran to New Orleans, where the trail ran cold. Our sources told us that Kieran currently resided in St. Louis, Missouri. Mother often said that she missed Kieran, as they had been fond of each other.

When I finished Vampire Soulmates, I turned on the TV and watched the news for a bit. No strange deaths to report. A little girl received a new lung. A four-car pile-up on the highway, no serious injuries. A dog with three legs. A cat who had given birth to twelve kittens. Louis would love that story. He loves animals, despite his woman-using inclinations. We couldn't trust him around pretty girls for five seconds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, Sarah came over. I cooked a steak for her, along with garlic bread and a garden salad.

Sarah's hair was loose this time. She normally wore a bun, but lately, she'd been letting her brown curls go free. She'd also had some work done on her hair, so now it had a little more blond in it. She seemed happy overall, although I knew that she still suffered from nightmares.

Mother and Father both adored Sarah, and they thought she was perfect for me, despite our polar opposites. I wear a lot of black, boots, and listen to rock and metal. I'm known as the Lone Goth to my classmates. She enjoys pop and dance music, reads romances and chick lit, and is interested in makeup and fashion. As it turned out, she also enjoyed watching wrestling on Mondays and Tuesdays. She even had a few favorites.

Shadowfang wound himself around her legs, and I was worried that he would trip her. He didn't, though, and she sat down at the dining room table. Shadowfang jumped onto her lap and nuzzled her. Somehow, he knew that she was pregnant. She was still little, only being two and a half months along. Her doctors estimated that she would have the baby in July.

Mother was excited about the prospect of another child. She had agreed to date Alexander again, under the condition that she could see me as much as she wanted to. Alexander was forbidden from seeing me, under the threat of death.

Now, Mother was talking to Sarah abut her day and dissecting each moment with her. Sarah worked at my father's store, then she came over here. She had worked for almost five hours, and would work again tomorrow. She enjoyed working at the store. Most of the time.

"Delia called me fat today," she said.

"She what?"

"It's not a big deal, Marina. She said 'Sarah! Get your fat ass over here!'"

"It is too a big deal! I'll kill the bitch! Where does she live?"

"Calm down, Marina," Father said. "I will review the tapes and talk to Delia. The next time she does that, Sarah, I want you to call her superficial."

"Most bosses don't want his or her employees to call each other names and insult each other," I said.

"I'm not most bosses, and Sarah is part of the family, and Delia knows this." He was right. Delia treated Sarah like dirt, even more so when she found out that she's my girlfriend. Father chided her a little for it, and Delia suddenly started acting nice all of a sudden. I once overheard Delia talking about what happened to Sarah with Nales. Delia said something along the lines of "She probably asked for it." That made me furious, but Louis told me to ignore it.

Father said that we needed Delia, otherwise she would have been fired a long time ago. He was currently posting job adverts, and we hoped to be rid of Delia very soon.

Chapter 2 - Mathias

I scoured the geneology books. Who was Mathias? I had first noticed him on the way back to New Jersey from Denmark. Father was keeping mum on the subject, and so was Uncle Soren and Grandfather. I could tell that Louis wanted to tell me, but Uncle Soren and Grandfather told him to keep his mouth shut.

I wondered if Mathias was a danger to the family or just me. All I knew was that he was an uncle that I'd never known, and that he had pale skin, blue eyes, and dark brown hair. For some reason, whenever I saw his picture, I got a sick feeling in my stomach. It listed his date of birth as being seven years before my father was born, but didn't list a date of death, which meant that he was likely still alive.

I did some research on the Internet, to no avail. I checked social media, dating sites, search engines. No luck. I bent over backwards trying to find him. I asked Ethan Potter, a vampire hospital nurse and new friend, to check medical records. Nothing. No sign of Mathias Emerson.

It was Monday, a school day. I talked Father into letting me finish the school year at school. I was sitting in Trigonometry, thinking. I should have been doing homework, but I was thinking about Mathias. Where hadn't I looked? City records. I hadn't checked those. One of Father's fledglings worked in city hall. Another was a lawyer. But if I asked them to look up forbidden information, they could get in trouble with Father.

I tried to concentrate on problem fifteen. It was one of the most complicated problems I'd ever seen, and even I probably would end up with a wrong answer. Still, I did my best, and when the bell rang, I packed the worksheet into my folder and got up to go to my next class.

At my locker, I swapped out my Trig book for my Geography book, then remembered that my next class was actually Psychology.

"Stupid!" I hit my head against the locker, denting it. "Fuck." I looked around to make sure that no one saw. I didn't see anyone, so I grabbed the right book and went to my next class. When I stepped into the classroom...if my heart could beat, it would have been pounding out of my chest. Eric Martin was in the room.

Eric was a werewolf who had his eye on my girlfriend. I hated him as much as he hated me. I sat in my usual spot behind him, and he pretended to stretch while giving me an upside-down finger. It all started when Sarah took a few piano lessons from him, and then it blossomed and grew, and now he's convinced that she is his soulmate.

I drummed my fingers on the desk and kept my mouth tightly closed to prevent my fangs from growing.

"You know, yellow eyes are not a real color," Eric said to his lackey, Zack.

"Totally. Who knows if Reese Emerson's real or if he's a faker?" Zack replied. A girl sitting near them snickered.

"Trying to steal other guys' girlfriends is totally out," Ariella said with a flip of her hair. She winked at me.

"Speaking of in or out," the teacher, Mr. Patson, broke in, "Let's talk about popularity. The idea of popularity began even before humanity was created. We can even use religious texts to study popularity and power. In the Book of Genesis...." Mr. Patson droned on and on, with me trying to listen to every word he said and failing miserably.

I thought about it. Sarah was popular. Ariella was popular. I was not popular. I made my classmates too uncomfortable. Well, most of them, anyway. I had a few new friends. Mason Godfrey, Noah Johnson, Duke Taylor, Amara Ranks. There was also Jody Williams, but I did not consider her a true friend. She was too concerned with gossiping and I did not trust her one bit.

Before I knew it, class was over, and Mr. Patson told us to write a paper on what our opinion of popularity was and how to be popular, due next Monday. I noticed Scarlett for the first time. She was in this class, too? How did I not see her? I saw her writing in a journal. Probably copying down the assignment.

I was hungry, and it was the lunch hour, so I went to the bathroom in the cafeteria and drank a bottle of blood. I searched around for Mason. Ariella and Sarah sat with a big group of other popular people, and I didn't want to disturb them. But to my surprise, Ariella waved me over.

"Sit with us today," she said. I took a seat beside Sarah. She gave me a brief hug, then turned back to her food. A lot of the other people gave me odd looks, obviously confused as to why I was joining them. A redhead whispered into a blond's ear, and they giggled.

"People, this is my best guy friend, and Sarah's boyfriend," Ariella perkily announced to the table. Her words earned a couple of gasps, quite a few stares, and some more odd looks. "You all know Reese Emerson."

I felt a hug from behind. "Hello, Duke."

"Hey, buddy. What're you sitting over here for?"

"I was invited."

"Well, come back anytime. We miss you."

"Duly noted." He ruffled my hair and walked back to his table.

"I thought I was your best guy friend!" a whiny blond, obviously gay, guy said.

"No, Reese is. Besides, you're in the same league. Reese is into both guys and girls."

The blond eyed me, probably thinking that we were no way in the same league.

"Oh, you're bi?" the blond girl from earlier asked. "So am I. My name's Lauren Scott."

"Nice to meet you, Lauren," I stated. Her red-haired friend stared at her.

"Lauren, you're not bisexul," the redhead said.

"Yes, I am," Lauren told her. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd be a bitch about it." The redhead frowned at her friend, then turned back to her food. I learned that the redhead's name was Brianna, and that the blond gay guy was named Keith. There was a girl named Jessica, a girl named Holly, another Brianna, Bridget, Jake and Jack, who were, brothers, Kimberly, Li Sun, Anastasia, Drake, and Andre. A lot of the girls were cheerleaders, and a lot of the guys played sports.

I mostly kept quiet, listening to the gossip all around me. A new student teacher. Conversation about Nales, and wonder about who killed him and why. Sarah kept quiet, only telling the truth when she was asked about what Nales did to her. I took out a paper and pencil and started writing a new song that I called "Restraining Order."

This song was about Alexander, and how he was forced to stay away from me, or he'd be killed.

 

When school was over, I took Sarah home, as her car was in the shop. She thanked me with a quick makeout, and then went into her house.

At my home, all was quiet. Louis was at work, Father was nowhere to be seen, and Grandfather was...well, he was crying. He didn't hear me come in, because he didn't react. I blanched when I heard it. I had never seen or heard my grandfather cry before. His face was buried in his hands, and and he was saying the name "Mathias" over and over again.

"Grandfather?" His head shot up.

"Reese! You're home early."

"I usually get home around this time...are you okay?" Grandfather took a deep breath.

"No, I'm not. Sit down. There's something about Mathias that you should know." I sat beside him. "Mathias is not biologically related to us, but he might as well be. He was left as a waif on mine and your grandmother's doorstep. Soren was already fully grown at the time, and he was equally surprised. Of course, we took Mathias in, as he was a newborn, malnourished, and had no parents to speak of. He was born a human. Your grandmother loved him instantly, and she begged me to keep him. I agreed, of course. I wanted him as much as she did. l

"For years, we had tried to have another baby, with no luck. Soren was about eight thousand years old at this point, and we had lost hope of ever having another. Seven years later, your father was born. Mordecai was, shall we say, a surprise child? But we were ecstatic to have three sons now. Mathias felt out of place, the only human in a family of vampires. He begged us to change him, but we refused until his eighteenth birthday, at which point I bit him, and I changed him.

"He was happy to be one of us now. He still felt out of place, however, because we had adopted him, not birthed him. Something went wrong. I cannot recall the amount of fights we got into because Mathias broke some rule or law. Killing innocent humans, women and children especially, with no thought to keeping the vampire secret. As you know, divulging the secret was illegal until 1950. Mathias would constantly drape himself on any available female, whether she had a swain or not. He also liked to keep the bodies of his female victims. He would cut their hair and take their clothes. I think he kept a record.

"Anyway, when Soren met Alga, it was love at first sight. But Mathias also had his eye on her. He became depressed and even more unstable when she chose Soren. As you know, Alga was only interested in being queen; she did not truly love Soren. Still, they produced a child, your cousin Louis. A month after Louis was born, Alga left Soren to seek fortune elsewhere. She left Louis with him. Six months later, she was found dead, and Mathias became totally unhinged.

"I confess that we all suspected that Mathias killed Alga out of jealousy. He killed even more people, and vampires, and we were forced to intervene. We placed him in an asylum deep in Germany. He's been there ever since. But recently, I found out that he did not kill Alga at all. He was nowhere near her at the time. But that's why we tried to keep this secret. I am ashamed of myself, and I miss him deeply."

Tears rolled out of my grandfather's eyes, and he wiped them away.

"Why don't you let him out?" I asked him.

"He is truly insane at this point, and cannot be trusted among the general population. And he is particularly angry at Soren and blames him for everything that has gone wrong in his life. I fear that he may try to kill him." Grandfather shuddered at the thought. "It's all my fault. Every bit."

I didn't know what else to say, so I just hugged him. I could feel Grandfather smiling into my shoulder. "You're very sweet, Reese. Your father is not going to be happy with me for telling you about Mathias, though, so be prepared for a fight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And what a fight it was. Father has two powers. One, he can see what's happening to any of his family at any present time, and two, he and I can communicate with each other using our thoughts. He read my mind, and he turned on Grandfather in the next instant.

"You told him?! I thought we agreed that he's not ready!"

"Father, I'm seventeen!"

"Be quiet, Reese. Father, how could you?"

"He had a right to know, Mordecai. I know that you're ashamed, but you have got to stop keeping secrets from your son. I know that you don't want him to leave you, but he's growing up. In October, he'll legally be an adult, and he can leave if he wants to."

Father didn't like that. "Reese, go upstairs."

"Father-"

"Now." I didn't dare argue with him after that. The moment I shut my bedroom door, Father started screaming at Grandfather. It was ugly, and I shut myself in the closet to hide. I instinctively curled into a ball.

 

I must have dozed off, because I heard someone opening the closet door and saying "Shh, little one, it's all right." It was Father. He picked me up and held me like a baby. He carried me to the bed, where he slid under the covers with me. His instincts must have been running high right now, as there had been no recent threats. Father kissed me and nuzzled my hair. Then he licked my scalp. I was used to his strange behavior by now, but being licked still felt weird.

I knew that it was a natural instinct, licking your child or mate. To a vampire, it's a way of saying "this is mine and mine alone." I snuggled into Father, and he purred. Suddenly, he growled. He shot up and sniffed the air.

"No way," he said. "No freaking way." The window was smashed, and a vampire barreled into the room. Father and I both got into defensive crouches. The vampire looked familiar, although I couldn't place his scent. He was gaunt, almost skeletal, his dull blue eyes sinking into his sockets. His black hair was long and dirty and tangled. He appeared to be wearing a uniform of some kind.

The vampire grinned. "Out of the way, Mordecai." His voice was flat and gravelly. Father hissed, baring his teeth. The strange vampire inched forward slowly, trying to circle around. Father's hiss got louder and more vocal.

"You cannot take him," Father growled. The vampire tilted his head.

"Huh. You must love Louis more than I thought." Louis? He thinks I'm Louis?

"He's not Louis! Father cried. "Look at his eyes!" Then I realized who this was. Mathias. He had come back.

Chapter Three - Revenge

I whimpered and cowered behind Father.

"It's all right, baby," Father told me. Mathias grimaced.

"No, it is most certainly not all right! Louis is mine! Let me have him!"

"You idiot! Smell his scent! He smells nothing like Louis! He's my son, and his name is Reese!"

"Bullshit. Where's Soren? I want to kill him."

"Where the hell is Dimitri?"

"Oh, I tore his head off."

"What?"

"Both your guards are incapacitated. It was quite easy. I haven't lost all my strength."

"Mathias," Father said, "I don't want to have to kill you. I still consider you my brother."

"Bullcrap. I was never a part of the family. I'm not even a natural-born! Eilief changed me!"

Suddenly, he ran forward and kicked Father aside. He snatched me up, despite my hisses and growls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up some hours later in a bed. I blinked.

"Where...where am I?"

"You are in Denmark, my son." I looked up.

"Mathias?"

"Call me Father."

"Mathias, I'm not-"

"Louis," he said. "I don't know what they told you, but you are definitely Louis, and you are my son." I blinked, focusing on Mathias. He was watching me from a corner, crouching. "Are you hungry? I have a human waiting for you."

"A little," I replied. He disappeared, only to bring back a half-dead male human.

"Drink."

I looked at him, then back at the human. I sunk my teeth into the human's neck and drank my fill. Mathias finished off the human by draining him completely. He rubbed his stomach.

"They never did feed me enough in the sanitorium. I was always hungry."

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling terrible for him. He gave me a strange, lopsided smile.

"I grew used to it. But thank you anyway."

"What time is it?" I asked.

"It is ten in the morning, two days after I found you."

Two days?! Father must be worried sick! I analyzed my situation. I looked around the room. The walls appeared to be metal, the only furniture being an old mattress on which I was laying.

"Louis?" Mathias asked, worried.

"My father must be worried about me."

"I am your father. Soren has you wrapped around his finger. He's not an innocent man, you know. He's killed thousands of people. Humans, vampires, even Elves. He has a history of which I am uncomfortable to speak of. He's not a pure man, no matter what he tells Eilief."

"Why do you want to kill Soren?"

"He's the cause of all this! He's the reason why I got locked up in the first place! Years of pain and torture over an accusation that wasn't true. I didn't kill Alga, she died because she messed with the wrong vampires."

I laid back on the mattress. Mathias cocked his head.

"Louis?"

"All my life, I never even knew you existed. Then I saw a picture of you in a family geneology book. I've been busting my back trying to find you."

"Well, I'm here now. You can stop searching." He was trying to sound playful. He sidled in next to me. "Try to sleep, son. I will watch over you." I did as he asked, and closed my eyes.

I woke up with him nudging me awake.

"Louis! Wake up! We have to leave!" I looked up, smelling the air. Then I felt a wave of joy.

Father. I looked all around for him. Mathias grew tired, and simply put me over his shoulder. I struggled.

"Put me down! I can walk on my own!"

"You were taking too long!" I kicked him in the ribs, and he dropped me. I ran to the scent of Father.

I got a glimpse of him in a helicopter. Pure relief and joy came over his face when he saw me. Suddenly, I was knocked down.

"You little traitor! Come with me!"

I kicked and fought Mathias, eventually throwing him off. I ran over to where Father was. He looked like he was in pain now. There was a bang, and the helicopter started spinning out of control. I looked up. Mathias had a gun, cherry, and pipe bombs.

How the hell did he get all that?

He threw another one at the chopper. Bullseye! I thought I saw Father mouth the words "Forgive me." And then the helicopter disappeared. I felt angry tears pierce my eyes. How could he do this to me?

Mathias grabbed me around the waist, and I kicked and fought harder than ever to get away. I kicked Mathias below the gut, and he let me go. I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction of the helicopter. It didn't process at the time, but now I had a known murderer after me, and he was furious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I kept running, not stopping, even when I crossed the stream. I don't know how long I ran, maybe an hour or two. Finally, I started slowing down when I was sure that I lost Mathias. Big mistake. A strange vampire jumped in front of me. Then another, and another, until I was surrounded. I quickly counted them. Twelve. Twelve! If they wanted to kill me, I'd have no chance.

I felt a hiss gathering in my throat, when I noticed the leader. He was tall, good-looking, with long black hair that trailed down his back. His eyes were a rarity, even in the vampire world. They were violet.

I decided to take a risk. I jumped over the vampire in front of me, and ran for my life. I heard the leader yell a command, and suddenly, I had twelve strange vampires after me. I ran over another stream. I was knocked down, and felt arms snake a round my waist. I struggled to get free. The vampire who caught me growled and pressed his teeth against my neck. I stopped fighting. He grunted in satisfaction, and allowed me to turn around and study him. It was the leader.

I fainted.

 

Hours later, I awoke in a strange place. I was laying on a bed in a cold room, covered with furs and ratted blankets. I sat up and looked around. My eyes stopped on the coven leader, who was staring at me.

"Are you awake, young one?" he asked in a Bulgarian accent.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" I asked him. He looked horrified.

"Absolutely not! Are you hungry?"

This was the second time I'd woken up, and my kidnapper asked if I was hungry.

"Not really," I replied, just before my stomach growled. The leader cocked his head.

"Your belly says otherwise. Come, I have a fresh kill."

I followed him to a kitchen. An old refrigerator stood in one corner, while an unused stove stood in another. To my surprise, the leader opened the refrigerator and got out a bottle of blood. He warmed it up between his hands and gave it to me. I sniffed it. The blood was unusual, a scent I couldn't place.

"Drink," the leader insisted. I downed it quickly and winced at the strange taste. It was not human, nor animal. I wondered what it was. The leader looked happy, though.

"What's your name?" I asked him.

"Ambrose," he replied, blinking. "What is yours?"

"Reese." I didn't dare say my last name, as the Emerson clan has as many enemies as allies. Ambrose smiled and pressed his nose in my hair.

"I waited for so long...so many years, I was alone...now you're here at last."

"I don't understand," I admitted.

"What don't you understand?"

"Why you're so nice to me. I invaded your territory."

"Reese, how old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"I mean, what is your real age?"

"Seventeen."

"So young...yet so beautiful. How long have you been a vampire?"

"My whole life. I was born one."

"A natural-born. Interesting." He kissed my hair, and smiled, revealing pointy teeth. He lifted me up and brought me back to the bedroom, where he started nibbling my neck and undoing my pants. He admired my abdomen and chest. He nipped my chest, exploring every inch.

"I-I can't," I said, pushing him away. "I just can't." Ambrose looked disappointed, but he nodded.

"I understand. It is too soon, and we barely know each other." That was not it, but there was no way that I was going to tell him about Sarah. He might track her down and try to kill her. Ambrose couldn't control himself, though, and he went back to exploring my body. He squeezed my ass, and I yelped. Ambrose chuckled.

"Would you like to meet the rest of my coven?" he asked. I nodded. "Come, then." I followed him to a room. "This is Peter and Dean's room. They are mates." He opened the door, to reveal two men in mid-dress. They immediately stopped and bowed their heads to Ambrose. "Peter, Dean, this is my new mate Reese." I blinked stupidly.

"Welcome," said one of the men. He had blond hair and brown eyes, and was built like the Statue of David. His companion, a brown-haired man with electric green eyes, studied me curiously. Ambrose let out a quiet hiss, and he averted his eyes.

"I am Dean," the brown-haired man said. "This is my husband Peter."

Ambrose nodded satisfactorily. "Come, my young one." I followed him to the next room. He opened it up. There was a woman and a man in it. "This is Cassandra and Thomas. Thomas, Cassandra, this is my new mate Reese."

"Nice to meet you," said Cassandra, a drop-dead gorgeous woman with long blond hair, blue eyes, and red lips. Her husband, Thomas, had dark curly hair and bowed respectfully.

"Cassandra can control the electricity around her," Ambrose said. "She powers most of our electricity and electronics." We moved onto the next room. Ambrose put an ear to the door. "Do you remember a woman with blond curly hair and a dark-skinned man?" I nodded. "That is Jenette and Nick. They are our most amorous couple, and I'd rather not disturb them at this moment. There is also my right-hand man, Doyle, but he's out hunting right now. We all hunt for our own food, and all of us drink from humans. I have changed every vampire in this castle except for Dean. He came to us about five hundred years ago, looking for a place to rest. He and Peter found each other, and the rest is history."

I nodded, understanding so far. "What abot the rest of the coven?"

Ambrose waved a hand. "They are unimportant. Come, you have not seen the rest of our suite. My suite holds the only computer, an old thing from the nineties. There is also the library. Do you like to read?" I nodded.

"I read whenever I get the time."

"Then you will enjoy our library. Follow me."

I did follow him to an ornate set of wooden doors.

"Is this cherry?" I asked, running a hand over the smooth wood. Ambrose looked surprised.

"Yes, it is. These doors have been here for at least four hundred years. Our coven member Jonas used to be a wood craftsman. He built them himself. The handles are made from the finest brass available at the time." He opened the doors, and my eyes widened.

It was a book lover's heaven. There were hundreds of shelves, thousands of books and scrolls. I walked inside, still gaping.

"Each coven member is required to hand over any books they own," Ambrose told me. "And we have lost many coven members over the years, and all of their books are still here."

I absentmindedly ran a finger over an old spine, admiring the detailing and the faded gold title. "How many books are here?"

"Oh, love, I've lost count. At least a thousand, if not more. There are titles in every genre, and some of the books are hundreds of years old. We have quite a few classics, some nonfiction, and even some young adult and children's books. Cassandra herself had a daughter many years ago who died from diphtheria. As far as I know, she is the only one who has had a child. After her daughter's death, Cassandra became stricken with grief and nearly died from malnourishment from not eating. Thomas took a fancy to her, so I changed her.

"Thomas himself has been with me for many years, since the Spanish Inquisition." I stared. Ambrose smiled. "I am very old, love. I am nearly as old as the Emerson clan. Speaking of which, we never speak to. They are the royal family, and they've caused problems for us in the past. They are prejudiced because of our way of life. If I ever see an Emerson again, whether it be Soren, the eldest son, or Mordecai, or either of their brats, I will kill them. They promised to leave us alone if we leave them alone. So far, it has worked out. You know, Thomas used to work for them. He didn't like the way they ruled, so he left them and came to me."

I gulped. Shit, I should have left sooner. I started heading toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Ambrose asked me.

"I...I've seen enough of the library. I'm hungry again."

"Ah. Well then, I will bring you a fresh kill." Suddenly, a strange look came over Ambrose's face. Then he growled and pounced on me. "What is your last name, Reese?"

"Underhill," I said, thinking quickly. Ambrose scoffed.

"That is truly pathetic. I should have known by your eyes. Only the royal family have yellow eyes. You're an Emerson. You're Mordecai's brat. Well, you won't see Daddy again for a long time."

Ambrose grabbed me roughly by the arms and took me into a cold, damp place that resembled a dungeon. He threw me into a cell that stank of rodent and other things. I grunted as I hit my elbow on the cold cement. Ambrose slammed the door and I heard him locking it.

Crap. I really screwed up now. I bit my lip and tried not to cry. I silently asked Father how he could do this to me. That's when I noticed a bone. I cried out in disgust. There were all sorts of bones scattered all around me. I noticed manacles made with the stuff. There were weapons of all sorts, all made from bone. I suddenly understood something. These were vampire bones!

That's what Ambrose meant when he said that many of his coven members had died. He had killed them. I understood something else. The blood I drank earlier was vampire blood. I became disgusted, and threw up. I considered my situation. Okay, maybe I could get out. I could find a pick of some kind and open the lock, then I could find a phone and call my family. As angry as I was with Father, I knew that it was him who I would try to contact first.

I paced restlessly. I looked around. There was nothing small and thin enough for me to try to pick the lock. Then I realized something else. I'm a vampire! Gods, I'm such an idiot!

I rammed into the door using my shoulder. I hit it several times. It didn't budge. It must be made from titanium. I looked for a weak spot. Nothing. I slid down to the floor and sobbed. I was going to die. I was actually going to die. I didn't even get a chance to tell Sarah how much she means to me, or Ariella, or Louis, or any of my family and friends.

I don't know how long I laid there. Two, three days. I grew hungry. I only awoke when I heard a familiar voice. Father. Father! He's here! I shot up and pounded on the door. The door opened, and there stood my father. I wrapped my arms around him and cried. He squeezed me tightly.

"Oh, baby," he verbiaged. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

I followed him out of the castle, where I saw Ambrose bound with rope and Dimitri guarding him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I ate and slept on the plane. Father made sure I was bathed and given new clothes. He laid beside me in bed, singing a lullaby. Uncle Soren was there also, on the phone with Grandfather.

When I finally got home, I immediately found my cell and called Sarah. She was understandably upset, but grew more concerned when I told her what had transpired.

"You're not shocked?" I asked her.

"No, I am. I need time to process this. The important thing is that you're okay. Why don't you call Ari next? She's worried out of her mind." I promised to call Ariella, told Sarah I loved her, and hung up.

I laid down and got more sleep. I did nothing except eat and sleep for the rest of the week.

Soon, it was Monday again, and I still felt depressed from my abduction. I told Father what Ambrose had said, and he had sighed and said that Ambrose was only telling half the truth, that my family and he had been rivals for years, and that he was wanted for killing vampires and drinking from them. When I told them about what I saw in the dungeon, they were shocked, and later confirmed that I was right. Ambrose was using vampire bones for weapons.

Whenever a vampire kills another vampire, he is required to inform any coven or family members, and then the royal court. Ambrose had been skirting around that law for years as well.

I did as much work as I could in school, and then finished homework at night. Soon, it was Saturday again, one week from Sarah's birthday. I had barely spoken to her, and I could tell that she was hurt by that.

Finally, on Saturday, I called her again.

"Hey, beautiful," I said.

"Hey, handsome," she replied. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk. How are you?"

"I'm all right. Always hungry, but all right. How are you?"

"I'm still alive. I thank the gods for that. Listen, do you want to do something later?"

"Oh, I have to work, and then I have a doctor's appointment, and Alexander is going to that. Sorry."

"That's all right. I'll see you later. Love you."

"Love you, too." She clicked off. I sighed.

I picked up a book at random and tried to read, but it only reminded me of the massive library in Ambrose's castle. I tried to watch a movie, but I was too focused on what was happening now. Ambrose had been thrown in prison, and they had yet to catch Mathias. I needed to visit Madam Indigo again.

No, the old broad was too annoying. She had told me that Sarah had four potential soulmates, which I realized was utter nonsense. Each person only has two soulmates, based on the person's sexuality, intelligence level, and spiritual beliefs, if any. Shadowfang seemed to sense my distress, and jumped up onto the bed. His black fur almost matched the covers.

A knock sounded at the door. "Enter."

It was Toby. "Master Reese, your father wants a word with you. He is waiting in the living room."

Not only was my father there, but so was Uncle Soren, Louis, and Grandfather. Father patted his leg, and I sat in his lap.

"Reese, we've noticed that your mood has been low," Uncle Soren began. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Kill the bastard and catch Mathias," I said.

"Watch your mouth," Father muttered against my shoulder.

"We think you should eat more," Grandfather added. "Your disease seems to have worsened because of your ordeal."

"Is it strengthened by stress?" I asked.

"That is a very good question, one that I should ask Ethan. He's the one who is studying your case."

"That's good. I trust him."

"I know, which is why I chose him. He thinks that your weight fluctuation is also caused by the disease."

"Crapola. Is there anything I can do?"

"Eat more, eat during mealtimes, and try to rest as much as possible. And try to spend time with Sarah. I know you miss her, she misses you as well."

"I called her today, and she said she was busy."

"That's a start. All right, then, I think that's all we wanted to cover. Soren, Mordecai, do you have anything to add?" My uncle shook his head.

"Try to sleep," Father said. "Sleep heals."

"All right," Louis said, getting up and clapping his hands once. "I have to go open the store. Sarah's probably already there. Plus, I have an interview today with a guy who worked at the Radio Shack across town before it closed down. Mordecai, do you want to be there?"

"Uncle Mordecai," Uncle Soren corrected him.

"No, that's fine, Louis. I trust you. I'd rather stay with Reese."

I did as my family asked and slept most of the day. I texted my friends, telling them that I'd been sick, which is why I acted strange. Ariella asked a million questions, of course, and I finally told her that I had parphyrania. It caused exhaustion, weight fluctuation, vomiting. It was also contagious.

I drank blood until I was full that night. When I woke up in the middle of the night, Father was laying beside me.

I woke up again at noon on Sunday. I did feel better. I ate breakfast and turned on the news. Nothing of interest. Mishka was particularly playful today, a bit frisky. I opened a can of wet food for her and watched as she ate it greedily. Shadowfang ate his own food, and so did the kittens.

I laid on the couch, putting my feet up on Louis' lap. He irritably shoved me away.

"Leave me the fuck alone," he snapped.

"What's your problem?" I asked him.

"You are my problem. Everyone is my problem. Ariella had to choose my old man over me, and she didn't even stay with him! She was just looking for a good fuck. Delia's a total bitch, I realize that now. I have to fire her. She called Sarah a fatass again and a slut. This time, I heard it. It actually made your girlfriend cry. And that's another thing. I'm almost four hundred years old, and I still don't know who my soulmate is. You found yours a month and a half after your seventeenth birthday. Lucky you."

I was irritated at this point, so I left. I finished homework, took a long hot shower, and played with the kittens until it was bedtime.

 

Chapter Four - A Very Different Kind of Party

The rest of the week flew by. I saw Sarah a lot, and we talked. I asked her again if she was sure she wanted to marry me, and she accused me of changing my mind about it. Soon, it was Saturday, Sarah's seventeenth birthday and Valentine's Day.

The party was at my house. I set up the pool area with the help of Janna and Toby. Soon, people started arriving. I invited all of the people who had ever spoken to Sarah and not had a bad attitude about it. Louis started eyeing the girls, until I threatened to chop his male anatomy off. That kept him away.

Ariella arrived with Sarah around one. Sarah burst into tears when she saw what I had put together for her. I became worried and offered to cancel the party, but she shook her head and gave me a kiss to die for. She looked amazing in a purple bikini that showed off her curves nicely and went well with her green eyes.

Father wanted to pat everyone down for weapons or alcohol until I threatened to tell Mother. Soon, the pool area was packed, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Amara, Noah, Duke, and Mason were there, along with Sarah and Ariella's lunch group. A bunch of the guys who had a crush on Sarah hung around her, some whispering about how hot she looked. Some of them stopped their whispering when I gave them a death glare. There were also a few people I didn't recognize, including a particularly heavyset guy in jeans who kept looking at Sarah.

A lot of the girls gushed over Sarah's bikini, and a few asked to touch her belly. Overall, the party was amazing until I caught a glimpse of Mia Rayport and Rachel Griffin, two of Sarah's ex-clique members. Mia in particular hurt Sarah, as they used to be as tight-knit as sisters. I knew that I had to do something. Suddenly, Scarlett appeared in front of me.

"Sorry, this party is only for decent people," I said to Scarlett.

"Funny. I see a lot of losers here." She said that last part loud enough for Sarah to hear.

"Okay, you have to go. You've caused enough dam-" I was cut off when her lips crashed into mine. I immediately pulled away and rubbed my mouth, smearing red lipstick on my arm. I noticed that it became quiet. Almost everyone was watching now.

"What the hell?" I cried. "Do you just randomly kiss whoever you feel like it?"

"Pretty much. Here's my number. Give me a call when you have some sense knocked into you." Scarlett handed me slip of paper when a phone number on it. I tossed it into the pool. Several people laughed. Scarlett, Mia, and Rachel left, their shoes making an absurd amount of noise.

The moment they left, the conversation started up again. I noticed that Sarah's face was red, like she was about to cry. She went into the bathroom and did not emerge for ten minutes. I tried to get a moment alone with her, but she kept avoiding me.

Finally, people started leaving. I said goodbye to as many people as possible. My popularity points seemed to increase significantly, not that I cared. Finally, I got Sarah by herself. She kissed me again, and we told each other how much we loved each other. She thanked me over and over again, and we shared another universe-stopping kiss.

In books and movies, they say that kissing your soulmate is like magic, which is true, but only to an extent. There will be awkward moments, there will be breath issues, there will be a moment when you wonder what happened to the fire that once consumed you while you kissed her. Sarah looked at me curiously.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her.

"No," she said, clearly lying. I moved my hands down her back, and she pushed them away. I was confused and hurt. "We're in public," she said.

"This is my house," I reminded her.

"There are people around us." I looked up. Very few people were actually watching us. Okay, except for the heavyset guy wearing jeans, and few of the other guys who crushed on Sarah. Some of them looked hurt and/or confused. I felt a deep satisfaction with knowing how much they wanted her, but only I could have her.

"Stay with me some night," I told her. She looked unsure.

"I don't know if that's possible anymore. Alexander is really cracking down on my safety."

"Who is Alexander?" the heavyset guy asked. She didn't seem to hear him, and I pretended not to.

"Is it someone else?" I asked, then wanted to bite myself.

"No," Sarah said, again, lying.

"Sarah, if I'm the only one still in this, I need to know now," I said firmly. She bit her lip.

"I can't tell you. I'll talk to you later." She kissed me again, grabbed her stuff, and went out to Ariella's car. A bunch of people left after that.

Soon, everyone was gone, and I was left wondering what happened and if I did anything.

"Reese?" I heard a familiar male voice call. "Reese, is something wrong? Is it Sarah?"

"She's hiding something from me," I told him.

"I'm sorry." A pause. "Okay, you're scaring me now. Uncle Mordecai, I think he's broken." I was picked up and taken to my bedroom, where I collapsed on the bed.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, the pool area was clean, I had a new text from Sarah, and I was afraid of the worst possible scenario. I showered and dressed in a white button-up shirt and black jeans. I combed my hair, wore my best deodorant and cologne. I considered wearing eyeliner, then decided against it. If I wound up crying today, I didn't want raccoon eyes.

Sarah: Meet me at Moore Park at ten. Tell no one except your father.

Her text scared me. It was so cryptic, and she said not to tell anyone except Father.

 

I arrived at Moore Park with five minutes to spare. She was there a few minutes later. She wore a black trench coat, black jeans, black boots, and even sunglasses. Her hair was tucked into her coat. She lifted the sunglasses, and kissed me. This time, I felt the fire. One thing about a good kiss is that both parties have to be into it.

"Sorry about yesterday," she said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I replied. She bit her lip.

"I think I'm being stalked," she said. Her revelation set me aback.

"By who?" I asked.

"I don't know his name. Do you remember the fat guy from yesterday who was the only one wearing jeans? I think it's him."

"Why didn't you just tell me? I could've asked him to leave."

"It seems very silly now," she said.

"Hon, you know I'd never ridicule you for your worries. If this guy is giving you trouble, why don't you tell Mother or Alexander?"

"Alexander has a tendency to overreact to every little thing. I feel something in my belly, he thinks I'm going into premature labor. And your mother has been acting weird. I think she's jealous of my mom for some reason."

Because she had you. It was true, Mother was quite jealous of Alicia, Sarah's mother, for reasons not fully understood. The way she talked about Alicia was as if she was a worm. I thought it was because Mother loved Sarah like she was her own, and Alicia was Sarah's biological mother. Either way, it was weird and uncomfortable.

"I can have one of the guards watch you," I suggested.

"Do you care if I tell my mom you're a vampire?"

"Not at all. I think the sooner the better. I'd rather face confusion now than wrath later."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. She likes the money gifts you give us every month," she said.

"Of course. You're part of our family now, which means that your family is included. The Emerson clan has multiple businesses, including blood banks, a shipping business, a hospital for vampires, not to mention all my father's businesses, including the mall, not to mention the wealth we've amassed from vampires who no longer exist. We are covered for the next ten millenia at least, if we're careful."

By now, Sarah's eyes had bugged out. In addition to her working for my father, and her mother's job as a realtor, she was well-cared for.

She leaned her head against my shoulder. I purred and kissed her. We kissed for a long time, enjoying each other's mouths. She tasted like mint and strawberries, and her mouth was warm.

"Te amo," I said.

"I love you, too."

My head shot up as I heard a growl. I clutched my love and held her close. I felt a hiss gathering in my throat. I looked around. No cars except ours. Nobody on the swings, no dogs, nothing. I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. I rumbled.

"Reese?" Sarah squeaked. "You're squishing me."

I immediately released her. "Sorry." I looked around, my eyes, ears, and nose alert. I sniffed the air, and smelled another male. His scent was familiar, but I could not remember his face. I wondered if it was the guy with weight problems from yesterday. I smelled the air again, growling under my breath.

"Reese?" Sarah asked, looking worried.

"It's all right, baby," I lied. "I'm probably overreacting." Still, I kept scanning the area until Sarah's mother texted her and asked if she could borrow her car while hers was in the shop. Sarah gave me one last kiss and left, leaving behind her gardenia scent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the day was uneventful, except for a guy who tried to sell his old Xbox for more money than it was worth. When I refused, he got belligerent, and I was forced to call for backup. Louis also refused, and the guy threatened to never shop here again. Louis sighed and told me that they were getting a new register system.

This system would not allow us to process payments until the next day. I asked Louis if Father was out of his mind, and Louis replied that the old system had too many problems anyway. Louis called the guy he'd interviewed the week before, telling him that he was hired and asked him for a list of availibility. The guy's name was Richard.

The next day, school went by normally. I sat with Sarah and Ariella's group again, and they appeared to be more at ease with me. Sarah reported no strange encounters, and that made me happy. In Psychology, I sat as far away from Scarlett and Eric as possible. Scarlett tried to catch my eye, but I ignored her.

I noticed Mia Rayport trying to talk to Sarah over the next few days. She'd show up wherever she was at random points in the day.

Finally, on Thursday, Mia caught up with her. I was just around the corner.

"Hey," Mia said.

"What do you want?" Sarah asked, getting a book out of her locker.

"I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry. I never thought it was you who told. I don't know what happened, I just wanted to stay in the group." Sarah took a deep breath, then smiled. It wasn't a mean smile, but a warm, loving smile.

"I forgive you," she said. "And I'm willing to be friends again."

"Oh, thank God! You have no idea how happy that makes me!" The girls hugged, and I wondered if it was a trick. The bell rang, though, signaling the start of class. I hurried to Geography.

It occurred to me just how loving, selfless, and kind my girlfriend was, and I felt proud of her. I don't think I could have forgiven Mia that easily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, we got some bad news. Ambrose escaped. I was grateful that Ambrose didn't know about Sarah. Or, at least, I hoped he didn't. I did as much homework as I could, and studied until midnight. That's when Father told me to get some rest.

On Friday, I woke up earlier than usual, took a hotter shower than usual, and combed and dried my ebony hair. I was considering just following Sarah around the whole day, until I remembered that I had a paper due in Advanced Junior English. This paper was on Crime and Punishment. The book is about a young man who tries to devise the perfect crime, and it totally backfires on him through hallucinations.

I enjoyed it, and I sure I would get an A. As I walked into Advanced Junior English, I started to wonder if I'd forgotten the paper at home. I shuffled through my folders until I found it, and breathed a sigh of relief. I put it on the desk to be collected.

As the day wore on, I noticed that Sarah looked upset. Finally, I got her alone in the cafeteria.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"My money's going missing. I checked my account balance last night, and I saw some transactions that I didn't make. But my card hasn't been stolen-it's been in my wallet this whole time. Who could possibly be stealing my money?"

"I'll talk to Father, maybe he can put a watch on it. We'll get it sorted out. I promise." I kissed her lightly.

The second she left, I called Father and told him what she had told me. He agreed to put a watch on it.

The rest of the day was fine. I was a bit upset, though. Most seventeen year old girls don't have the kind of money that Sarah has.Who would be targeting her? I scared to find out.

Chapter Five - Betrayal

Well, we found out who was stealing Sarah's money. It was her own mother. Mother, Alexander, and Father confronted her and asked why. Alicia's face became a mask of stone.

"She gets everything. The money, the boy, everything. My husband is dead, and who gets a new boyfriend a year later? She does. Her problems have made my life a living hell. So I figured, why not take what's rightfully mine?"

Sarah burst into tears and cried for a long time. Father cut Alicia off from the family allowance and Mother offered Sarah a place to stay. Sarah refused, saying that she needed to see if her relationship with her mother could be fixed.

Alexander put a lock on Sarah's bedroom door and installed security cameras for extra protection. Father put a lock on Sarah's account so that only she could access it. When Alicia found out, she ranted and raved. Sarah tried to avoid her for the most part.

"She's drinking again," she told me on Saturday as she ate fried rice out of a carton. "It's always the strong stuff. Whiskey, tequila, vodka." On Saturday, Sarah spent the night at my house.

I held her as she slept, wishing that we could have gotten together under better circumstances.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I woke up, Sarah was gone. She left me a note.

Reese,

Sorry to leave you like this, but duty calls. I got a call from Mom, apologizing and begging me for forgiveness. She said that she didn't know what came over her and that she didn't know what she was thinking. I think she's faking it to get the allowance back, but I'm going to remain optimistic. Anyway, I'll call if I need you.

Love,

Sarah

I immediately called Mother, who promised to check on Sarah.

"Alicia seems serious," Mother said. "She's kissing up to Sarah. It's almost sickening." I smiled at Mother's jealousy. She and Sarah had had similar experiences, and Mother adored her.

I asked Mother to keep an eye on Sarah.

 

I sat in the pool, marinating. The pool area had been cleaned thoroughly, and there was no evidence of a party. I leaned my head back, enjoying the skylight. Shadowfang appeared beside me, and tasted the water. He made a face and licked his lips.

"That's yucky," I told him. He scowled at me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was hunched over my desk, studying for a Spanish test. I was already fluent in true Spanish, but I needed to take a language class in order to graduate. I chuckled. America has, well, Americanized their Spanish classes. If I tried to speak some of this to a true Spanish speaker, they wouldn't know what I was talking about.

I wondered if I could get away with speaking true Spanish in class. Our teacher didn't even speak Spanish until his college years. Though, we did have a new teacher's assistant who was Latino and a hunk. Surely he would be kind enough to grade my homework and give me an A.

There are some things I hate about being bisexual. One, sometimes girls expect me to be the one guy friend who likes shopping. I hate shopping. Also, some people have told me "there's no such thing as bisexual. You're either straight or gay". What they fail to realize is that the world is not made up of straight and gay, black and white. There are all shades of grey, and many sexualities.

People are complicated, beautiful, and mysterious. A person can be the ugliest sad sack on the planet, but have a beautiful soul. Or a person can be beautiful physically, but have an evil soul. Or a person can be physically attractive, and have a good soul. Not all people are good, and sometimes good people do bad things, and bad people can do good things.

You don't have to love what someone does to love them, and that was true with my relationship with Sarah.

I didn't like some of the things she did in the past, but that didn't mean that I did not love her.

She was drinking a fruity beer out of a bottle while I studied. After she forgave her mother, her mother went back to drinking right away, and now Sarah was following in her footsteps.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," I said.

"It's just one," she argued.

"What're you gonna do, call the fuzz?" Alexander snapped. He had snuck into my room and was watching both of us with a resigned air. Grandfather had loosened his ban on Alexander seeing me.

"She's pregnant," I reminded them.

"So? That beer has only two percent alcohol in it."

"She's underage."

"So are you, but you smoke. You're such a hypocrite, Reese."

"No, he's right," Sarah said. "I shouldn't be drinking." She threw the bottle into the trash can, even though it was half full. "I'm thinking about going blond full-time. What do you think, Reese?"

"I think you should keep the brown. It's a beautiful color."

"Eh, I've always thought my brown hair was kind of dull."

"Bullshit," Alexander said. "Your hair is naturally beautiful, Sarah Harper Cresley. It has many shades of both brown and blond, even some red in the sun." Sarah and I stared at him in shock. It was the first time I'd ever heard him compliment her.

Sarah took the tie out of her hair and let it fall loose around her shoulders. She ran her fingers through the tangles and started braiding. I admired her form. Everything from her thin ankles and small feet to her pert bottom and thin waist.

She laid on my bed and looked around. My room had changed a bit. Now it held romances and chick lit in addition to horror, thrillers, and mysteries on the bookshelf. Sarah Dessen was next to Stephen King. And my DVD rack now held titles like He's Just Not That Into You and 13 Going On 30.

Sarah herself whipped her phone out and started texting.

"Who're you talking to?" I asked her.

"Caden."

"Cartwright?"

"Who else?"

I admit, I felt a stab of jealousy. Caden was megapopular, got perfect grades, was super rich and uber-gorgeous. If he tried to steal her from me...I'd have no chance. My list of romantic rivals seemed to grow all the time. I saw Alexander bare his teeth out of the corner of my eye and gave him a quizzical look. He ignored me.

"Do whatever makes you happy," he told Sarah.

"Any more news on the stalker?" I asked. Sarah gave me a horrified look.

"Stalker?" Alexander questioned. Oops.

"It's nothing," Sarah said.

"Don't lie to me, Sarah Cresley," Alexander warned. Sarah frowned at me, and I lowered my head.

"For the past few weeks, I've been getting the feeling that I'm being watched," she told him. "It's a big heavyset guy with brown hair."

"And you didn't tell me because...?"

"To be honest, you have a tendency to overreact." Now it was my turn to look at her in horror. Alexander didn't seem to care, though. In fact, he was more angry that she tried to keep it from him.

"Sarah Harper Cresley, I specifically told you to tell me if you felt threatened! What else does he look like?"

"His eyes are really dark, and his skin is slightly tanned, about the same color as mine."

Alexander grimaced. Sarah hid under the covers.

"Little girl, your boyfriend's bedspread will not save you. Come out and face me like a grown woman."

"I'd rather hide like a little kid," Sarah mumbled.

"I heard that. Sar-" Alexander cut off and started sniffing the air. "I have to go. This conversation is not over."

He jumped out my window. Seconds later, Father came barreling through the door.

"Where is he? Where is he?" He started turning my room upside down. Sarah came over to stand beside me. Father flipped over the mattress.

"Your family scares me," she admitted, sounding a bit like a mouse.

"Father! He's not here!" I yelled over the pandemonium. "He left!"

"Probably ran when he heard me, no doubt." He ran to the window. "ALEXANDER! GET YOUR FAT ASS BACK HERE! I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME NEAR REESE, AND WHAT DID YOU DO? YOU WALTZ INTO HIS ROOM! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN POUND YOU INTO DUST!"

Father fixed my bed.

"Sorry I frightened you, Sarah," he said to my girlfriend. She merely nodded, still hiding behind me.

 

Chapter Six - Rosita Bleedfellows/Crimson Kisses

It was a Monday night. Sarah was watching wrestling in the den with Louis and myself, and I was trying to figure out the appeal. Sure, some of them were good-looking. But Sarah was the last person anyone would expect to watch WWE.

I understand Louis watching it-he loves violence and rivalries. Sarah was so kind-hearted, though, and she hated having enemies. She wanted everyone to at least accept each other, even if they didn't like each other.

My question was, why wrestling?

"My uncle got me into it," Sarah told me. "My dad's brother. We used to watch it all the time. He even watched it way back when it was still WWF!"

I shook my head, still confused. Louis laughed as some wrestler hit the rope, landing on the area right between his legs. His opponent put his hand on his shoulder and bounced him on the rope. Even Sarah cracked a smile. The official declared the winner, the poor guy who landed on the rope.

The doorbell rang. I heard Father ask Toby to answer it. When the door opened, we all heard Toby suck in a deep, shocked breath. Then I heard Spencer ask "What is she doing here?"

Louis and I exchanged a look, and I went to investigate.

"I'll be right back, Sarah," I told my love.

When I entered the living room, I saw a tall woman with silver blond hair, a black pencil skirt, an old fashioned button-up blouse, and tall black boots. She carried a large purse that appeared to be mostly empty, and wore sunglasses, even though it was dark outside.

She lowered her glasses and eyed me. When Uncle Soren came into the room, he froze.

"Rosita Bleedfellows," Louis said, leaning against the doorframe. "Who have you poisoned now?" Uncle Soren shot him a look. It wasn't a reproving look, though. What I saw in my uncle's eyes was fear.

"I don't believe that Toby invited you in," Father told the woman.

"Oh please. That old myth?" Her voice had a slight English accent and sounded very girlish. I didn't know why, but I got a bad feeling in my gut when she spoke. She barely spoke a complete sentence, and she already frightened me. Father moved to stand beside me.

"This must be Reese," Rosita Bleedfellows said.

"Away with you, Rosita," Grandfather said, speaking up for the first time.

"I have a proposition that I think will benefit both our names and our families."

"Your family is dead. They have been for many years." For a moment, Rosita's lip trembled, then she got a hold of herself.

"My daughters may be dead, but you can still benefit me. Let us have a talk, Mordecai and Eilief Emerson."

"You're not welcome here," Uncle Soren told her firmly. Grandfather held up a hand.

"Control your temper, Soren. Let us see what she wants first. Mordecai, come with me. We can talk in the library." Grandfather and Father led Rosita to the library, one in front of her, one behind her. Father gave a significant nod to Dimitri, who followed after a minute. I wondered if I should follow them as well.

As if he could read my thoughts, Uncle Soren put a hand on my shoulder.

"It'll be all right, Reese," he said. "Rosita will be thrown out shortly, I'm sure." All of a sudden, there was a massive crash, and Father let out a bellowing roar. Before I knew what was happening, he flitted over to me and held me tightly.

"MINE!" he shouted.

"Father, what's going on?" I asked him. Father looked over at his older brother.

"The bitch wants to marry Reese!" he whispered below human hearing. Louis' jaw dropped for perhaps the first time ever, and Uncle Soren let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a roar. Even Toby and Spencer snarled. Janna just looked confused.

"But I have Sarah," I protested.

"You'd better not have fucking agreed to that," Uncle Soren snapped.

"I didn't! Father is furious. He's telling her off right now." His nose wrinkled, and his head whipped around. "Sarah, stay in the den. Reese will tell you what's happening later." My girlfriend backed into the den and shut the door.

"Don't yell at her," I growled.

"I didn't! Reese, go into the den with her!"

"Her who?" asked a silvery female voice. It was Rosita.

"Reese's girlfriend," Louis growled. Rosita's eyes flickered to me.

"I see. Well, whoever she is, she is a lucky young lady." She blew me a crimson kiss. Then she left, her heels making the only noise besides the TV in the den. When Toby slammed the door shut behind her, everyone started talking at once.

"What a bitch!" Toby muttered under his breath.

"How dare she? After all she did to us?" Louis phonated.

"I know I broke her heart, but we're not soulmates!" Uncle Soren cried.

"Not my Reese! Anyone but Reese!" Father pleaded.

"Everyone, SHUT UP!" We all looked at Grandfather. "I'm just as angry as the rest of you, but yelling over each other isn't helping anything. Reese, go back to Sarah. Check on her. Louis, guard them. Janna, guard the door to the den. Spencer, make sure she's truly gone. The rest of you, come with me."

Sarah looked confused when Louis and I entered.

"It sounds like everyone's really mad," she said.

"Understatement of the year," Louis mumbled under his breath. I glared at him.

"Sarah, are you all right?" I asked, holding her.

"I'm all right," she told me. "No pun intended." I smiled. She was still herself.

"How's Mia?" I asked her.

"She's good. We might not have what we once had, but it's better than what we had before."

"Oh." I didn't say anything else after that until wrestling was over and it was time to drive her home.

When we reached the house, I smelled the air. Sarah peeked in the window.

"Mom's passed out," she informed me. I glanced inside. Alicia was laying on the couch, looking like a corpse surrounded by beer bottles. Sarah stood up on her toes and kissed me on the lips. I whined a little when she pulled away.

When Sarah stepped inside, Alicia woke with a start. "Where've you been?" she asked, her words slurred.

"I was watching wrestling at Reese's house, Mom."

"Oh. That boy's gonna have you wrapped around his finger. Get me some water, will ya, babe?"

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, do not panic. I could not afford to panic, even though I had worse things to worry about. I officially lost my North Hampton Library card, which costs two dollars to replace. I wasn't worried about the cost, but I still thought it was an outrageous amount to replace a lost library card. Well, it was still better than my school. At North Hampton High School, replacing a lost library card costs four dollars, which really is outrageous.

I shuffled through my wallet, and finally just decided to give up, when I remembered the miniature card on my keyring. Silly me. I placed the card under the scanner, entered my PIN number, and checked out three horror novels, two graphic novels, and three nonfiction books on aliens and conspiracy theories. I sighed when I saw that I also had an overdue book.

Ten dollars. Kill me.

I paid the amount, and shoved the books into a plastic bag. I glanced around. North Hampton Library has a better selection and item organization than most cities its size. North Hampton is not as big as New York City, but it certainly isn't a small town either. I looked into the Adults Only section, and wished I could enter. Unfortunately, I wasn't even allowed in the section until I turned eighteen on October first.

I looked at the calendar. It was almost March. Damn, still eight more months to go. Sarah was almost three and a half months pregnant. I wondered when we would know the gender. I started toward the exit, when I noticed a flash of blond hair.

No. It can't be. No freaking way. But it was.

Michael Nales.

Except, he wasn't alive. No, it was his ghost that was giving me a look that would have killed had he been alive. As a ghost, he was less dangerous, but still frightening. I gulped and pretended not to see him.

I shoved past, only to knock down a girl.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I reached down to help her up, until I saw who it was. Scarlett Hart.

"Watch it, freak," she hissed. She stood up and brushed herself off. She looked at me. "What's it like to have loser friends?"

"What's it like to have no friends?" I retorted. For a second, she looked like she actually might cry. She pushed past me.

I drove home, trying to keep myself calm. Three omens in one day. What would happen next?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Either fortunately or unfortunately, it didn't take long to find out. The next day after school, I saw a two police cars in front of my house. Crap. I parked by the curb and headed inside.

Arastoo Armada, Stephanie Wilkins, Suzanne Moon, and Emma Greene, all of the detectives who investigated Sarah's rape case, were there, talking to Father. They must have thought they were alone, but I spotted Dimitri hiding behind a wall. Spencer appeared in the foyer, put a finger to his lips, and led me to the library, where the rest of my family and guards were gathered.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"They suspect that we had something to do with Nales' death," Uncle Soren grumbled. Double crap.

Oh gods...Father.... This was all my fault. I'm the one who asked Father to kill Nales.

"Relax, Reese," Louis told me. "It's not the first time he's been suspected of killing someone."

"Keep your voice down!" Uncle Soren urged him. He looked at me. "Don't worry, Reese. He's always managed to get away scot-free without any lingering problems. And if they do try to arrest him, we have a spare jet ready for takeoff."

"I need to tell you something," I told my family. I started with the missing library card, then seeing Nales' ghost and bumping into Scarlett.

"You are making mountains out of molehills," Grandfather told me. "The missing library card is merely a daily hassle. It's nothing to be overly concerned about. I admit it was strange to see the spirit. Are you sure you were not hallucinating?"

"I'm sure," I told him, my voice shaking.

"And the library is a popular place," Louis said. "Believe it or not, people go there to do more than check out books, despite how your brain thinks." I could tell that he was teasing me, and I bared my teeth at him. He threw up his hands in the "I surrender" sign.

"Louis, be nice," Uncle Soren warned him. Then my uncle did something unexpected. He pressed his cheek against mine and started purring. "Do you feel better, baby?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. I started hyperventilating.

"Reese, please calm down. You have to stay calm. Honey, look at me." I tried to focus on my uncle. "Your father can take care of himself. He's done so for years. He's been through this before. We have all killed people, Reese. We know how to handle a murder investigation."

"Otherwise we would have been burned a long time ago," Louis piped up.

"For once, he's right."

"I'm always right."

"Not now, Louis. Reese, try to focus on me. The color of my eyes, the sound of my voice."

"Okay, now it's getting weird."

"Louis, shut up. Reese, are you still listening to me?"

"Why wouldn't he be listening to you?"

"Would somebody please glue my son's mouth shut? Honestly. Sometimes I wish I'd had a daughter instead."

I could tell that Louis was hurt by the last comment, but he made no sign of it. In fact, he really did shut up for the remainder of the day, even after the detectives left.

"They're gone," Father told us. His eyes locked on mine, and we threw our arms around each other. "Reese, why are you crying?"

I couldn't answer. I was trying to keep my emotions locked inside.

"He saw something strange the today," Grandfather began, "-and he thinks it's an omen."

"Is that all?"

"Father," I sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, sweetheart. I didn't like Nales either. Hush. Stop crying." He picked me up and carried me to my room. I fought to get out of his arms, and he just threw me over his shoulder.

I was given blood and water and told to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I awoke the next day around eight in the morning, and groaned. I felt like a clamp was on my head. When Father came into the room, he sensed my distress and called the school, saying that I was too sick to leave my bed. I tried to grab the phone, and he kept me at bay. I sulked a bit when he finally hung up.

"Oh, Reese," he said when he saw my look. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I'm going to hunt," I said.

"Be back before noon."

 

An hour later, I was on the rooftops of the downtown buildings, searching for a meal. I sniffed the air, and was surprised to smell other vampires. I decided it was nothing and kept looking. I finally spotted a cutpurse pretending to be a tourist. I watched as the victim finally walked away, made sure he was gone, then prepared to leap onto my victim.

The moment I started running, I felt another vampire presence. I ran to the alley, where I was jumped by the new vampire.

"Damn you," he said. "The meal knows we're here. We lost the element of surprise thanks to you."

"No, we lost it when you started chasing me," I argued back. I looked up. The other vampire was a male with dark curly hair and a pockmarked face. I threw him off.The other vampire leaped onto the cutpurse and started drinking from his throat. Defeated, I looked for another meal.

I did find another victim, a man stalking a girl from the shadows. I leapt onto my victim, and finally got a decent breakfast. I took the cash from his wallet and made it look like a robbery, using a pocketknife to cut his throat where my teeth had been. I wiped the knife on my shirt and went home, satisfied.

I told Uncle Soren what happened when I was hunting. He said he'd look into it. Of course, Father overheard and demanded to know what happened.

By the time I was done explaining, I had another headache. I went back into my bedroom and crawled into bed. I dozed off, and when I woke up again, Father was in my bed, gently nudging me awake.

"Reese, wake up, baby boy. There's a coven we don't know coming toward us. They'll be at the lake in twenty five minutes."

"So?"

"One of them looks like the vampire you described earlier."

"So? That just means that he's part of a coven."

"A coven that is larger than ours. There's four males and three females."

"We have the guard."

"Only four guard. I'm sorry to do this to you, but we will be needed in case they are hostile."

I groaned and got up. My stomach rumbled loudly at the sudden movement.

"Maybe you should stay in bed," Father quickly backtracked.

"No, you're right. I should go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were indeed three females and four males. Two of the females were blond-one had a short hairstyle and the other had long, wildly curly hair. The dark-haired female was unbelievably beautiful. Her eyes were a dark brown, her hair was long and sleek, she had bow-shaped red lips and perfect eyebrows, a small nose, and she was slender. Her breasts are not as large as the breasts currently in fashion, but they are a decent size and perky.

Her attire was sexy. She wore a sheer lace blouse over a black tank top, a leather jacket, black skinny jeans, high-heeled boots, and hoop earrings. Louis was gazing at her like she was a valuable piece of artwork. She stared back at him with a look of surprise and admiration.

The two blonds looked confused. The one with the short hair had red-brown eyes and the other had eyes as black as a cloudy night sky, with flecks of grey. The coven leader, whom I recognized immediately as the leader, had dark red eyes and long brown hair, with a bit of facial stubble. Two of the other males were identical. They both had blond hair in a razor cut, blue eyes, and looked to be about fourteen or fifteen.

The last male I knew. It was the male who had chased me earlier in the day. I was right: his skin was pockmarked and his hair was a disarray of dark curls. The leader stepped forward.

"Who are you?" he demanded. Grandfather frowned.

"You are the ones on our territory, so we're the ones who should be asking who you are."

"Of course-forgive me. My name is Zeke Ruthford, and this is my brood. The two boys on my right are James and Jeremy. The man to their right is Adam. The girl in the leather jacket is Meiko. The blond woman with the short hair is my wife Jessica, and her sister Justina. May I ask your names?"

"I am Eilief. These are my sons Soren and Mordecai, and their sons, Louis and Reese. The rest are our guard. Dimitri, Janna, Spencer, and Toby."

"Guard?" Zeke looked astonished. "Are you the same Eilief that rules the vampire world?"

"Aye, that would be me."

Zeke bowed respectfully. "It is an honor, sire. If I may inquire, though, what are you doing in New Jersey?"

"My son felt that it would be the best place to raise his son, thus, I am here as well. What are you doing here?"

"I promised my brood a safer place than our old territory. Another clutch attacked us and stole our land."

"I am sorry to hear that. Perhaps we can help you. What is the leader's name?"

"Ambrose."

I started hyperventilating. Father grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face him.

" Reese, Reese, look at me. Are you all right? Do I need to remove you?"

Zeke looked concerned. "What's wrong with the boy?"

"We know Ambrose personally," Grandfather said. "His cruelty and evil has caused us many problems."

"Father," I muttered, "I don't want to see Ambrose."

"You don't have to," he said gently. "We'll uncover his whereabouts and eliminate him. You don't have to see him at all."

"Come with us," Grandfather said.

"You can stay in my guest house," Father added. Louis looked like he wanted to either kill or kiss my father.

We led them to our property, where Father directed them to the guest house.

"So your name's Meiko?" Louis said to the dark-haired female.

"Yes. Your name is Louis?" She had a sexy Spanish accent.

"Yeah. How did your parents come up with your name?"

She laughed. "I'm actually part Japanese."

While they talked, I went into my bedroom and hid in the closet. I texted Sarah to release some tension.

Reese: So now we have another family living in our guest house.

Sarah: Really? Who?

Reese: The leader's name is Zeke. He has a wife named Jessica, a sister-in-law named Justina, two boys named James and Jeremy, a girl named Meiko, and a creeper named Adam.

Sarah: Weird.

Reese: Guess who's in America? Ambrose.

Sarah: Yikes! What are you going to do about it?

Reese: Grandfather and Father are trying to figure it out. They're talking to Zeke and Jessica now.

Sarah: Well, I hope you can take care of him. I have to get to class now. Text you later!

Is she not the sweetest girl ever?

I studied for the rest of the day, memorizing French words. Sarah was fluent in both French and Italian, and I wanted to be like her in that respect. Yes, I speak several languages, complicated languages, but it wasn't enough. My father is fluent in at least fifty languages.

As I began to browse the terms on Google, I noticed a particular pair of earrings. My heart dropped into my stomach, and I felt my jaw drop. I recognized that pair of earrings. I'd seen them years ago, but I still remember it as if it were yesterday.

I was twelve years old. Father had taken me to a strange little store. Bones scattered the shelves, knives used for rituals gleamed in glass cases, herbs and chemicals in jars stood beside each other in carefully written labels.

Father went up to the counter. He had dressed strangely today. Leather pants, a black button-up shirt, a long black cloak. He even carried a cane that concealed a sword.

I ran a hand over my recently-cut hair. I wished I'd kept my long locks. I walked through the aisles, studying the gems and stones, different herbs, and religious jewelry. Everything from crosses to Stars of David to pentagrams.

My eyes were drawn to a pair of blood red earrings on a silver chain, shaped like teardrops. In the middle was a metal engraving of a wolf howling. I'd heard of werewolves, but never knowingly met one. Father said they were dangerous. I reached for the earrings, then heard my father's voice: "Don't touch those, Reese."

I drew my hand back and went to stand by Father. He put a protective arm around me. I tried to keep my mind off the earrings. A wizened old clerk appeared by the counter, and Father spoke to him in Latin. I caught a few words: "Talisman. Alexander. Danger. Rival. Evil."

The old man just stared at me. "You have your mother's hair," he said. Father frowned.

"The talisman, Radcliffe."

"Of course, of course...why did you bring your son?"

"My brother was busy, and my father's on another continent. Louis is on a date, and I couldn't get him away. Besides, it might be healthy for Reese to get a glimpse of his father's life."

"Does he know how dangerous you are?"

"He knows that I am not perfect. I am not a decent man. I am full of sin. I have killed many beings over the years. He knows this."

"Father-"

"Hush, Reese. Radcliffe the talisman."

Radcliffe disappeared, and came back carrying a small brown package.

"You are playing with fire, Mordecai," he said.

"I know what I'm doing," Father stubbornly said.

The next day, Radcliffe was found with his throat slit in a pool of blood and acid.

I clicked on the link, and it brought me to a website with a dark format. It wasn't just black and grey, it was literally the epitome of evil websites. I was on the link Cursed Jewelry. The earrings were apparently supposed to bring werewolves into your life.

"Reese Mordecai Emerson, what are you looking at?" I blanched.

"Nothing, Father." I minimized the window.

"Don't lie to me, boy." He came up behind me and got uncomfortably close. "What are...oh, gods. Not those again. They caused Radcliffe's death."

"What?"

"It really was all my fault. I knew that he gave me the wrong thing, but I didn't say anything. He was just an old man. Reese, I'm warning you: don't get involved. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." He put his hand over mine and closed the window.

"Father, those are werewolf earrings."

"I know. Fine, if you really want to know what my life is really like, I'm going to meet another coven on Saturday that wants to move to North Hampton. Come with me."

I blinked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Saturday, Father made me eat a big breakfast. Around ten, we headed off into the woods. Thirty minutes later, we reached a small clearing. Two male vampires and a female vampire.

"You came," one of the male vampires said.

"Yes."

"You didn't come alone."

"No."

"Who is the boy?"

"This is my son, Reese."

The male vampire who spoke smiled. And then they attacked. Father was fighting one of the males and the female, and I fought one of the males. He pinned me, and I turned over. He kneed me in the stomach and kicked me off. He wrapped his hands around my throat and squeezed. I returned the knee to the gut.

Suddenly, a huge brown furry thing came crashing through the brush. It knocked me over and slashed my stomach open.

"Reese!" Father hit the thing with his shoulder, picked me up, and put me under a bush. "Forgive me, Reese." He gave me an affectionate nuzzle, then turned around. The werewolf was tearing everything apart. It tore the female's head and arms off, then ripped out the guts of the lead vampire. Blood sprayed everywhere.

The wolf grabbed the third vampire and bit into him, ripping his legs off. Then he turned to Father. I rolled over onto my stomach.

"Stay where you are, Reese!" Father cried. "Faolan, stop this. This is not who you are." The wolf grabbed Father by the throat and slashed his gut. Father kicked the wolf, dazing him, and then grabbed a vial out of his pocket and threw it onto the wolf, which only angered him. Father and Faolan danced around each other, Father never leaving my side.

"Daddy?"

"Reese, stay there. I'm so sorry. If I'd known, I never would have brought you here. This is my fault." Faolan swiped at Father's stomach again, but Father dodged it. "Werewolves, like bears, usually go for the stomach," he told me. "Faolan, listen to me. I am your friend. I have been your friend for over one hundred and fifty years. Before that, we were lovers." I squeaked. Father continued. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. I am not gay, I was only curious."

The werewolf's fur seemed to melt back into his skin. His claws shrank, and his bright yellow eyes became a bright electric green. He had shoulder-length silver hair, and looked to be in his twenties. He was also naked.

"Mor...decai..." he muttered. He fell over, unconscious.

 

I didn't cry until we got home. Father had Faolan in his arms, and put him on a spare cot. I went to my bedroom and hid in the closet. That's when I cried.

When I got back downstairs, Uncle Soren was yelling at Father.

"What the hell were you thinking?! Bringing Reese? Have you lost your mind? If he had died, it would have been all your fault!"

"I know," Father said, stroking Faolan's hair.

"You, bisexual?" I said.

"I thought so at first. I was only curious, and was in an experimental stage of my long life. I had no mate, and wondered if my mate was male instead of female. It ended...badly. Much like yours and Evan's breakup, only with vampires and werewo"lves. Made all the worse because our families naturally hated each other. Soren, if I'd known-"

"Don't give me that! You have a power, remember? You can see the present. You should have known what was going to happen."

"I can't see the future, only the present! Even then, the present is as uncertain as the future. I know, it's all my fault."

"Then stop making excuses."

"You're one to talk! Look at your relationship with Louis! Your failure as a brother is nothing compared to your failure as a father." Uncle Soren punched Father, breaking his nose.

"Boys, enough!" Grandfather cried, stepping into the room. He looked at the cot. "What is Faolan doing here?"

"It's a long story," Father said, rubbing his nose.

"I don't want to hear it. Soren, come. We need to talk about Alga."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Now."

"No!"

Grandfather looked angry. "Insolent fledgling. First, you lock up Mathias, then you start fighting with Louis, including calling him names and insulting him, and now you fight with Mordecai! I know that you two love each other, now act like it!" Grandfather left the room, muttering under his breath. Uncle Soren shook his head and left, going out the front door.

Father sighed, his eyes pricked with tears. He looked at me. "At least you're not yelling at me."

"What happened was not your fault," I said. "It was ugly, but it wasn't anyone's fault except theirs." I looked at Faolan. "Any chance that he'll be my stepfather?"

"I...I don't even know anymore. I'm so confused right now. I feel like I'm in love with several people. I'm even attracted to Sar-" His eyes widened. My teeth clenched when I realized who he was talking about. Then in the next second, I had him against a wall.

"You're attracted to my girlfriend?!" I cried. "Back off, Blondie! She's mine!"

"Reese, please," Father breathed. "I'm sorry. I could not control my feelings. They came suddenly, that day when you first brought her over."

I growled. My father actually started to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Reese," he said. I dropped him, then grabbed my keys and headed out.

"Where do you think you're going?" Grandfather asked, blocking my path.

"Out of my way," I snapped. He grabbed my arm.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere until both you and your father can act like members of this family!"

"That's funny coming out of you," I scoffed. "This isn't a family, it's not even a fucking coven! We just put up with each other because we happen to share DNA!" Grandfather looked hurt. He let go of my arm.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I drove aimlessly for a while. My heart felt heavy. I felt jealous and angry and betrayed. This was just like with Alexander. Like he stole my mother from Alexander, he was going to take Sarah from me.

I found myself circling her block. There was a car that I didn't recognize in the driveway. I smelled the air, and smelled an old human male and an old human female.

Are they her grandparents? I tempered my curiosity, and drove to Moore Park, where I sat on our bench and clutched my head. I started crying again. I hated myself. I hated Father. I hated everyone in my family. Why did Mother have to go to Father? Why was I even born? They should have named me Wyborn.

And Sarah's old clique. I hated every one of them. Sarah might have forgiven Mia, but I would not be swayed. They were going to betray her again, I just knew it.

And I didn't trust Alexander around Sarah. She was scared of him. She hid under the covers the other day because she was afraid of his reaction to something important. I wondered if they did finish their conversation.

I got up and started walking into the woods. I found a small trail and followed it. The trees got darker and darker the further in I went. I don't know how long I walked, only that I was thirsty and the sun was starting to set when I finally decided to try to find my way out.

I scented the air and found my way back to my van. I drove home, my heart even heavier than before. When I stepped inside the house, no one was speaking. Faolan was still asleep. Father and Uncle Soren glared at each other, and Grandfather and I glared at each other. Louis was confused, but he knew better than to get involved. I walked upstairs and took a shower, then stepped on the scale. I lost five more pounds.

Soon, I would be naught but skin and bones. I went to my bedroom and closed the door. Of course, a cat scratched at it, so I had to let him in. Shadowfang jumped onto my bed and settled himself on my pillow. I scratched his ears.

"I don't know what to do, Shadowfang," I said. "I feel like I'm losing my mind. I'm sick, and I'm going to lose Sarah."

How do you know? I jumped a foot in the air. I looked at the cat.

"Did you just speak to me?" He didn't answer and started grooming himself. I sighed. "I'm so stupid. Of course you're just a cat. A strange cat, but still just a cat. And cats can't speak in any language humans know."

I held my knees up to my chest. I closed my eyes.

Sarah and the fat guy with the brown hair were kissing. And then she was kissing Father. Both of them were naked. He held her close and kissed her passionately, the way I would kiss her. Sarah looked at me.

"What do you have, compared to him?" she said.

"Sarah...don't do this," I begged. Then Father turned into Glen Crow. He smirked at me. "Impossible...I haven't seen you since...since..."

"Since the ball," Glen said. "But I knew you before that, Reese. Through your mind, I found my soulmate. My true love. Now you'll never see her again!"

They disappeared in a flash of fire and thunder.

I screamed, then started crying. Shadowfang looked irritated at the interruption of his nap. I heard pounding on my bedroom door.

"Go away!" I cried.

"Reese, it's me!"

"Grandfather? I still don't want to talk to you!"

"Please, let me enter. I'm sorry about earlier. Your father is worried out of his mind."

"And yet he can't leave Faolan's side!" Silence. "I knew it! I'm nothing to any of you!"

"Reese, don't be ridiculous. Let's talk."

"NO! I don't want to talk to any of you!"

"All right then, be that way! You know where my room is if you change your mind."

I went to sleep again.

Grandfather and I continued to glare at each other. Louis finally said something, and Uncle Soren told him off. Now they weren't speaking to each other. Father had moved Faolan to his bedroom, and could be seen nuzzling him and whimpering.

I was beyond angry with Father. I was livid. I sat staring at the television for most of Sunday. I was too sick to eat.

On Monday, I told Sarah I wouldn't be able to pick her up that morning, and could she find someone else to drive her. Of course, Alexander agreed to drive her. She looked hurt when she saw me at school. I quickly turned away. I felt like a coward for doing so, but I didn't know what to do.

Finally, she confronted me in the hallway when the last bell rang.

"Reese, what's wrong?"

"You're going to leave me," I told her. She looked surprised.

"What? Reese, I'd never leave you! What gave you that idea? I love you!"

"You don't love me, you love what I did."

Suddenly, she was angry. "Do you think I enjoyed that? I lost my best friend and I get assaulted in the same day!"

"No! Sarah, you're not understanding. I'm not who you think I am. I'm nothing. You deserve so much better."

Tears pricked her eyes. "Are...are you breaking up with me?"

"No, I would never! But you'll break up with me for someone else."

She blinked, and tears fell out of her eyes

"Sarah, please don't cry. Your mother is right; we're just too different."

"You want to know something?" she said. "I did used to make fun of you. I felt horrible afterwards, but I did it. I used to call you the Lone Goth like everyone else. Now I see why everyone calls you that."

With that, she turned tail and left me alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ariella confronted me the next day.

"What the hell did you do?" she cried. "Sarah's crying her eyes out because of what you said!"

"Trust me; it's better for her if I'm not around."

Ariella looked astonished. "You truly believe that, don't you?" I looked down at the floor. "Well, she's never going to believe me if I tell her that. When has a girl ever listened to another girl about a boy? The correct answer is never in the history of life." Ari shook her head. "I don't believe you. Well, when you figure out what you want, give Sarah a call. She's really torn up."

My best human friend left me feeling more alone than ever.

Out of curiosity, I went to Sarah's window that night and listened in.

"Stupid boy!" Alexander raged. "Stupid, stupid, stupid boy! When I find him, I'll tear his intestines out. Then I'll bind his father with them and let both of them burn in the sun exactly where the equator is located in South America. I'll let the natives think they're incubi, because that's exactly what the Emersons are. Incubi."

He was carefully hidden in the bushes, watching me. When he noticed that I spotted him, he took off. I gave chase.

I finally caught up with him. I grabbed him around his fat stomach and turned him over.

"Who the hell are you and why are you stalking Sarah?" I demanded. He gulped.

"Would you believe me if I told you I'm in love with her?" he replied. I flinched; he gave off an awful stench.

"Why her?"

"Why not her?" he said sarcastically. "She's beautiful, she's kind, she's smart. I met her last year." He tilted his head. "I remember meeting you as well."

"Liar," I said angrily. "I don't remember you."

"You don't remember this form, bloodsucker. My real form is more...shall we say, attractive. I do like my longer hair, though." I shook my head.

"You're a fucking liar. I don't know who the hell you are, but you'd better stay away from her."

He laughed. "You're hilarious, tick. You would. have sucked her dry if you had your way. I could give her riches beynd compare. I could spoil her with invisible servants. I could make a potion to help her pregnancy go smoothly. And once that brat is born, she'll give it to the blue-eyed vampires, and she'll be mine completely. That is, until I fill her with my own brood." He smiled sardonically.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"My real name is Glen Crow."

I gasped. Then I grabbed his shirt. "Why the hell have you taken this form? You're a freaking coward!"

"You broke up with her, tick, remember?"

"I didn't mean to!"

"Well, you did. And now she's free for the taking!"

I froze. He was right. I screwed up. Gods, what have I done?

I ran to the window and climbed the ivy. I crawled in through the window, earning a frightened scream from Sarah. Alexander moved her behind him and got into a defensive crouch.

"I don't care if you do rip my intestines out," I told Alexander. "I need to talk to Sarah!"

"Absolutely not!" Alexander shouted. "You screwed up, boy. Now you'll pay the price. If you go near Sarah again, I will rip out your heart and drink from it, and I will enjoy each moment."

"I don't care if I die," I told him.

"For Odin's sake, boy! Leave! Now!"

I looked at Sarah. She was frightened and crying softly.

"Sarah, I'm sorry," I said. "I don't know what you thought I was saying, but I was not trying to break up with you! I was actually hoping that you'd break up with me, because I can't bear even the thought of breaking your heart. I know that my father has feelings for you, and so does Glen Crow. He's the fat guy that's been following you around. He's in disguise. I think he took a corpse from a graveyard and took his form. Please forgive me, Sarah."

She looked like she wanted to run to me, but Alexander held out an arm.

"Don't do it, girl," he said in a warning voice. "He's as sick as a dog. He has parphryina. He could give it to you. And he'll only break your heart again."

Sarah stood frozen where she was. Her face was beet red, fat tears falling down her cheeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I didn't get out of bed the next day. Or the next. I lost. I knew I lost. I knew it was my own fault. I couldn't even eat. I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror. I got seven calls from Ariella, four from Mason, two from Amara, one each from Noah and Duke.

Finally, Grandfather entered my room without permission.

"Reese, please get up," he begged. "I am so sorry . You have every right to hate me. Everyone's worried, especially your father. He'd come in here himself, but he wasn't sure how he'd be received.

"I want to die," I said softly. Grandfather sighed.

"Reese, please."

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I haven't eaten in several days, and I'm so weak."

"Wh...wait, what? Why didn't you tell me?!"

The next thing I knew, I was being given several glasses of blood. Father was beside me, urging me to drink.

I am such a pathetic whiny bitch, I thought. I'm jealous, depressed, insecure. And now I've lost my soulmate, possibly forever.

I started writing. I didn't even know what I was writing; just random words. When I finally looked down at the paper, it was all scrambled.

Ethan Potter, a vampire friend who worked in a hospital, gave me an injection in my arm. He said that it was to ward off further infection.

I began to have hallucinations. First, I dreamed that something was crawling under my skin, I dreamed that I gave birth to a monster, and I had more dreams about Sarah. I realized now that I was a fool to want her to break up with me, or to try to break up with her. She would not have broken my heart if I hadn't broken hers.

Once you break up with someone, however, you can't control if they decide to see someone else. You can't have it both ways. As much as I wanted to control that factor, I knew that I couldn't. I came to the realization that I was being stupid and jealous.

When I woke up, it was Monday. I decided I liked Mondays. I managed to get up and drink some blood. I was up before anyone else, and I turned on the news and turned down the volume. One of the cats, Mishka, weaved her way through my legs. I gave her some food and filled up all of the cat bowls.

Father came downstairs and looked happy to see me. I wrapped my arms around him.

"I love you, Father," I said. He squeezed me like a vise. We broke apart after a long while. I looked at him. "I came to the realization that my life isn't as bad as I had originally thought. I have an incredible family, great friends, a large house with everything I could ever want, several cats, plenty of food, and an amazing girlfrie-" I cut off, and my heart cracked. Sarah. I had to make it up to her.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Father said. "And I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about Faolan. I'm not bisexual, Reese, it was merely an experiment." We hugged again.

I sat up watching news and cartoons for a couple hours. Slowly, everyone in the house started to wake up. Uncle Soren, Grandfather, the guards.

After my shower, I looked at the time. It was only nine in the morning. I decided to wait for a while. I thought about all the songs that I knew that Sarah liked. All the movies. I listened to a whole album. I made a decision.

I read for a while, then looked at the clock again. It was around eleven now. I called Sarah's cell phone.

"Hello? What do you want?" she answered. I held my cell phone next to the computer and played "Together" by Michelle Branch. I waited until the song was over.

"Did you hear the whole thing?" I asked.

"Yeah," she sniffed. "If we get together again, you have to control your jealousy."

"I promise on my great-grandfather's grave, I will try to control my jealousy. However, there will be moments where I may have to seclude myself because of jealousy or thirst."

"I understand that. Alexander, it's just Reese. No, I'm not giving you the phone. Hold on, Reese. Alexander, quit it. He's your cousin! You thought he was your son for a while! Oh, grow up. I don't know how old you are, but you're acting like a teenager."

I perked up my ears and listened carefully.

"Little girl, I am older than your oldest ancestors! Oh! Marina, I was just-"

"Leave her alone, Alexander. She's having a private conversation. Really, I think you spend more time here than in your own house! Oh, and Sarah, ask Reese if he's feeling better. I would have stayed, but I was needed elsewhere."

"My mother visited me?" I asked after a moment.

"Of course," Sarah said. "She wouldn't have left your side, but she got hungry."

"Who else knows I was sick?"

"I think everyone does at this point. Ariella, Mason, Amara, Lauren, Noah, Duke, Jody, Shelly, Caden, everyone."

I groaned loudly. "What do they think I have?"

"They think you had the flu." I let out a sigh of relief. "So, what else has been happening?"

Sarah and I had a long two-hour conversation. We talked about our classmates, our families, our friends, both mutual and non-mutual, people we hated, favorite new books and movies, and Sarah talked about wanting some new makeup brushes that resembled mermaid tails.

When we finally decided to end our call, I said "I love you."

She said "I love you, too. I'll talk to you later!"

Finally happy at last, I laid on my bed and daydreamed.

Chapter Eight- Deal With It

The next week was wonderful. As we entered March, thoughts of Ambrose were barely a blip on my radar. I was too busy kissing my girlfriend's feet, figuratively and literally. I couldn't get enough of her. I was always sad to leave her during the end of our dates.

Finally, when the week was over, I went back to work at my father's store, which was doing better than ever. We had Richard now, a big, bald black man in his fifties with lots of experience. We could finally afford to get rid of Delia, but a certain somebody refused to fire her, and I wasn't in a position to fire her.

I silently did my work: stocking, cashiering, and occasionally doing paperwork that Louis was too lazy to do.

At school, I kept up with my work and kept talking to my friends. They all wanted to know how I was feeling and if it was contagious.

Duke said something about a male problem, and Amara smacked him upside the head. Her hair was blue this time. I noticed that Jody Williams sat with Ariella and Sarah's group now, commanding attention. Sarah and Ari were still the most popular, as much as Jody tried to take that.

When I went to the library in my house that night, I came across a book full of the oldest vampires in the world, starting with Alexander, then Grandfather, then his brothers and their wives, Grandmother, Uncle Soren, Mathias, Father, and even Ambrose. I looked through the book. It named several vampires as deceased and listed the dates of birth, death, what kind of vampire he or she was, and whether or not they were a natural-born or changed.

I took the book to my room and studied it. When I was finished, I returned it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Wednesday, we had a breakthrough.

"I think I've found the cure for porphyrina," Ethan told my father one night. "Soon, you'll have the old Reese back."

My father let out a sigh of relief and looked over to me. I turned my attention back to the TV. Maury was razzing on some poor guy who got jilted by a girl who wound up pregnant. When he was declared not the father, the guy did a little victory dance. I thought, if the girl was Sarah, and I was that guy...would I accept the baby as mine anyway? That was food for thought.

Of course, if she cheated on me like this girl had, it would be a different story. I'd probably break up with her, if I was being honest with myself.

"Reese works at my store most Saturdays," Father said. "Would you come in on Sunday?"

Ethan nodded. "That should give me enough time to prepare the medicine."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Sunday, Ethan came to the house carrying a vial with a purplish liquid inside. I smelled it. Sugardonna, otherwise known as deadly nightshade.

"Hold on a minute-" Father said, but Ethan had already prepped my arm and inserted the needle into my skin.

"How do you feel?" Uncle Soren asked me.

"I don't feel any different," I told them. "Hold on, I take that back. My arm is really itchy." I started to scratch it.

"It will be, after a shot like that," Louis said. "Don't scratch it; you'll make it bleed more." Ethan put a Band-Aid on my arm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I held Sarah as she dozed. I admired her as she slept. She looked like an angel. My angel. I buried my nose in her neck and took a deep breath. She smelled amazing. Like oranges and gardenias. She slowly opened her eyes.

"Reese," she said softly.

"Sarah," I countered. She slowly got up. I whined a little. She got out of the bed and went over to the bookshelf. She pulled a book out, then dropped it and gasped. Almost immediately, the scent of blood invaded my nose. My stomach contracted and I bit my lip. Sarah stood up and faced me, looking nervous. I flitted in front of her.

I grabbed her injured hand. She had a deep gash in her palm. She started to pull away; I tightened my grip and growled.

Blood. In front of me. Mine. All mine. But mate is injured. That last thought canceled out all my other thoughts.

I pulled her hand up to my nose and smelled it. My tongue flicked out and tasted the wound. Her blood was the most amazing I'd ever tasted-like sugar and caffeine. She tried to pull away; I growled.

"Mate, stay," I ordered her. She looked absolutely terrified. I whimpered and nuzzled her injury.

I sensed another presence. A male presence. Father opened the bedroom door.

"Reese," he said cautiously, "Let her go." I hissed in contempt.

"Mine," I stated firmly.

"I'm not trying to take her away; I only want to help her." Louis appeared behind him.

"Mine," I said, even more firmly.

"Reese, don't be an idiot," my cousin said. "Go hunt. My father is waiting for you."

"His instincts are on overdrive right now," Father said.

I looked back at my human mate. She was looking at the carpet now. Something about that picture softened my heart.

"Sarah," I said. "Oh my god...I'm so sorry!"

I hurried out of the room and hid in the utility room.

"Reese," Uncle Soren said. "Come out of there. No one blames you."

"Do you know what I did? I almost killed her!" I cried.

"It's not your fault. These things happen. Come hunt with me."

For a few hours, Uncle Soren and I hunted. When my veins and arteries were full, I went back to the house. Mother was there, and Sarah was also still there, wearing one of my old shirts. The primitive side of me purred and growled in appreciation. Her legs were pulled up to her chest, and she was staring straight ahead.

I sat in front of her. She blinked and looked at me.

"Reese, I'm sorry," she said.

"It's not your fault," I told her. "Accidents happen. Really, it was mine for having such poor control. Is your hand okay?"

"Louis wrapped it up," she said, holding up her bandaged hand. "I didn't know he had medical experience."

"He used to work at an apothecary. Plus, one of our businesses is manufacturing medical equipment."

"Really? You must be as rich as the Rothchilds!" Then she blushed.

I chuckled. "Just about. We prefer to keep our money hidden, though. We have different accounts for different purposes, and each one has a different amount. For example, my college fund only has about fifty thousand dollars in it right now, but by the time our senior year is over, it'll have two million. My regular account actually has twenty five thousand."

Her emerald eyes widened. "So basically, you're getting richer as time goes on."

"Yes and no. We also give a lot to charity. Louis especially gives a lot of his earnings to animal rights groups. He treats women like crap, but he is ferocious about protecting animals."

"Speaking of animals," Sarah said, as the kitten Anakin nudged his way into my room. "How old are the kittens now?"

"At least three months old. Louis thinks that Mishka is about two or three years old."

We cuddled some more, and then Sarah said that she had to go home. I unhappily watched her car leave the driveway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

School was subdued. Scarlett kept glancing at me, showing up wherever I was. It was like she had memorized my schedule.

Ariella invited me to sit over at her table with Sarah and all their friends. The rest of their group gave me an odd look as I sat down inbetween the girls.

"Everybody, you know Reese, Sarah's boyfriend and my best guy friend," Ariella piped up.

"I thought I was your best guy friend," said a skinny guy with blond hair and a whiny voice.

"Patrick, you are one of my best guy friends," Ariella said. "Reese, this is Patrick, Dante, Jun Sei, Martin, Lauren, Ashley, Sarah Finnigan, Keisha, and Daisy." Ariella gestured to each person as she introduced him or her. They all looked at me as if I was an alien.

Suddenly, Mia Rayport sat on Sarah's other side.

"Guys, you all know Mia," Sarah said. "She's one of my best friends." So they were still talking. I still didn't trust Mia, but Sarah seemed too. I thought she was making a mistake, but I knew better than to argue with a girl about her best friend. Especially girls like Sarah, who were utterly loyal.

Sarah sipped tea and ate a chicken wrap for lunch. Everyone else either had the regular school lunch, pizza, or salad. Jun Sei was talking about some young romance author who would be at The Book Mart on Saturday, and asked Sarah if she'd like to go.

"To see Jamie Swan? Yes, please," Sarah replied. Jun Sei pulled out her phone and showed a picture of Jamie Swan. He was incredibly good-looking. He had long blond hair pulled back, showing a sharp widow's peak on his forehead, sea blue eyes, and a beak-like nose. I didn't like him.

The girls seemed to like him, though. Apparently, he was only seventeen, but he'd been writing and publishing romance and poetry since he was twelve. He didn't glean to any specific sexual orientation, but said that he had dated and loved people of all sexes.

"That's always interesting," Ariella said. "What do you think, Reese?"

"I think he's a creep," I said, picking at the sandwich I'd bought.

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't trust anyone that looks like that," I told her. "He looks like a shark."

"Reese, are you jealous?" Sarah asked in a teasing voice.

"A little," I admitted. She looked concerned.

Chapter Eight- Protect

As I tore into the neck of my second human tonight, I thought about how far I'd come. Father watched me, amused, as the human stopped struggling. The human had been caught trying to strangle an unconscious woman earlier.

I had to go to the local beach town, Lovebreak, to find a meal. It seemed that there were no more criminals in North Hampton. The local news had done a story on us: LOCAL CRIMINALS BEWARE! UNKNOWN PERSON OR PERSONS ATTACKING THOSE WHO ATTACK THE INNOCENT!

Uncle Soren was amused, as was Louis. Grandfather didn't particularly care one way or the other. Louis even brought Meiko on a hunting trip one night. They were becoming close.

"He's finally found his soulmate," Father said. "He doesn't want to let her go."

Uncle Soren seemed to be jealous. Not of Louis, but of Meiko.

"I don't understand," he told Father one day. "I've never been jealous of a woman before. Especially not one of Louis' lovers." Father laughed and told him that he was overreacting. Then Father had to dodge as Uncle Soren swiped at him and bared his teeth.

"It's normal to be jealous," Grandfather said. "He'll always be your baby, and it seems like he grew up too fast."

"You're always ragging on him," Father said. "For not settling down and behaving like an adult. Now you're jealous. I can see why Louis took four hundred years to grow up." Uncle Soren growled at him.

"Boys," Grandfather said. "Really, neither of you have truly grown up in the thousands of years that you've been around. Soren, control your anger. Mordecai, don't tease your brother. Reese, you're filthy. Go take a shower."

"Nag, nag, nag," Father muttered.

After my shower, I collapsed on the bed. I was dead tired, and felt stuffed. My dreams were fuzzy, and when I woke up, I was next to a big black ball of fur.

"Shadowfang, get off my pillow," I muttered. He ignored me. I checked the time on my phone. It was noon. I sat up, earning a glare from the cat. His Royal Majesty jumped up and stretched before nudging me with his head. I scratched his ears and opened a window. Man, if I could smell this every day, I would never complain again. The cherry tree already had blossoms growing, the grass had been freshly cut, and a light sprinkle of rain had hydrated the earth earlier that morning.

I fought a sudden wave of nausea. I ran to the bathroom and expelled my dinner. Groaning, I leaned against the cabinet and flushed the toilet. I washed out my mouth with water and brushed my teeth.

I crawled back into bed, only to hear a loud door slam. A minute later, Father came into my room.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said. "I threw up this morning, but I also feel fine otherwise."

"Are you sleepy?"

"Um...it's more like my entire body is exhausted, including my eyelids."

"Then try to sleep. If you get thirsty, there's some excellent A positive in the fridge. By the way, did you know that Shadowfang is laying on your head?"

"Yeah, he does that. He's fine where he is."

"Well, as long as he isn't bothering you. Cat, why are you glaring at me? I'm his father."

"Father, I seriously doubt that he cares. He probably just wants you to shut up."

"Yeah, probably. Get some rest. I'll have one of the guys posted outside your door if you need anything."

Father left. I slept for another couple of hours, then woke up to the sound of "Wild Horses" by The Rolling Stones. My new ringtone for Sarah.

"Hey, gorgeous," I answered.

"Hey, Reese. I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight? Ari and I are going to The Cryo with some of our friends around eight."

"Sure, I'd love to go. Should I just meet you outside?"

"Yeah, just go inside. It's a five dollar cover, though. And you'll need an ID."

"What for? They don't serve alcohol."

"Just trust me."

I didn't know what that meant.

 

That night, I drove to The Cryo, a club for people from ages fourteen to nineteen. Alcohol was not even allowed. After I paid the five dollar cover fee and was patted down, I smelled the air and tried to find my Sarah.

There she was-backed into a corner by the crowd of people dancing around. I made my way over to her. She looked relieved to see me. She wrapped her arms around my midsection.

"What's going on?" I asked over the obnoxiously loud music.

"I don't know. Ari left some time ago. I think she forgot that I'm here. She grabbed my hand and pulled me into a filthy bathroom. Then she began to change. She grew taller, her hair darkened, her eyes darkened, and her tan changed.

"Glen!" I realized. He just stared at me. "Where's Sarah? What have you done with her?!"

"Nothing. She's fine. She fell asleep. It was all too easy-she left her phone on her desk when she and her sister decided to take a walk. It was almost too perfect to change my voice and lure you here."

"And why would you want to lure me here?"

"To kill you."

He punched me hard in the stomach. I doubled over, clutching. He grew a pair of wicked looking talons on his fingers and swiped at my neck.

"You're a shapeshifter!" I realized.

"Yes and no." He swiped at my belly. I jumped out of the way just in time.

"Why are you doing this? There are other women in the world!"

"None like her." He grabbed my throat and started squeezing.

"I don't breathe, you idiot!"

"No, but your neck can still break." I aimed a well-placed kick inbetween his legs. He gasped and clutched the area. I grabbed his head to remove it, and got a punch to the chest. I felt my ribs break. He punched me in the stomach repeatedly.

I aimed a punch at his face. He caught my fist, and used that fist to punch me in the face. Getting hit by yourself in the face is not fun. He grabbed both my arms and kneed me in the gut. He threw me down onto the dirty bathroom floor.

He pinned me with both his legs and elbows. He elbowed my nose, causing it to crack and temporarily blinding me.

"Shit, I should've brought some matches," Glen said. He glared at me. "I guess I was too eager to kill you." A look of realization came over his features. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette lighter. "Thank you, Melissa!" he cried. He flicked it. He held the flame close to my chest. It was so close that I could feel the heat.

Then he pulled it back up, then held it next to my side.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I asked him.

"Enjoying a little torture."

I shook my head in exasperation. Freaking moron.

He repeated the process several times, each time holding to flame next to a different part of my body. Then I heard a vampiric roar. Glen heard it, too, and he let the flame die out. I expected Father, but it was actually Uncle Soren who came to my rescue.

He knocked Glen over and felled him with one punch. He helped me up roughly.

"Are you all right, Reese?"

"Yeah. How did you...?"

"Sarah noticed a call to you on her cell phone that she didn't make. She couldn't get ahold of Mordecai, so she called the house phone, and I happened to answer."

"He pretended to be her," I said, gesturing to Glen. Uncle Soren looked at him with disgust.

"I can't believe he used to be Louis' friend."

Glen looked from me to Uncle Soren, realizing that he was outmatched and outnumbered.

"You," Uncle Soren grabbed Glen around the throat. "You dare lay a hand on my nephew, fake friendship with my son, and harass my niece. If you ever go near any of them again, I will kill you. Do you understand, Crow?" Glen nodded. "Good. Leave now, and don't ever let me catch you around my family again."

Uncle Soren dropped Glen onto the linoleum, then led me outside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I crawled into bed, exhausted. My ribs were hurting, my head as well.

After a deep twelve-hour sleep, I awoke to the sound of Sarah. I rubbed my eyes. I noticed two pills and a glass of water on my nightstand. I took them, grimacing as the water went down. I checked my phone. It was nine in the morning on a Saturday. St. Patrick's Day was next week.

I jumped as the door opened, then groaned at the pain in my chest. Sarah came in, crying.

"I'm so sorry, Reese!" she sobbed.

"It's not your fault," I told her.

"Yes, it is," she almost whined. I sat up and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Babe, I'm not angry with you. I repeat: it's not your fault. It's mine, for being so stupid."

"It's neither of your faults," Father said, sitting on the edge of my bed. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. It really is my fault, for blocking you out, Reese. I'm sorry, to both of you." Sarah wrapped her arms around me. Gently, though, because she knew I was hurt. She cried for a long time, her tears wetting the tank top I was wearing.

"Hey," she muttered after she was done. "You've got underarm hair. I never noticed that."

"I've never gotten that reaction before," I said. "It's just armpit hair, Sarah. Most guys have it."

"But yours is different. You don't have as much as most guys," she said. I looked at Father quizzically. He shrugged, as if to say he didn't know what was so special about it. I tipped Sarah's chin up. Her eyes, cheeks, and nose were still red. I pecked her soft lips. She reacted by pressing her mouth against mine harder. I broke the kiss first. She made a small noise in her throat.

"How is he?" Uncle Soren asked.

"His chest hurts," Father said. I looked at him. He'd been reading my mind again.

"Your chest hurts?" Sarah squeaked, sounding very much like a pixie whose mate has been severely injured. I pulled up my shirt. Bruises dotted my chest and stomach. She traced one around a prominent muscle in my abdomen.

"Do your ribs hurt?" Father asked.

"No, not necessarily."

"Reese."

"Okay, I think a couple might be broken. There's not much we can do about my ribs, though." He frowned at my chest.

"Oh, son," he sighed, exasperated. "What am I going to do with you?"

"You could start by not blocking him again," Uncle Soren said.

"Shut up, Soren. You're right, though. I shouldn't have blocked him. That was my mistake. It won't happen again."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scarlett started following me around in school. Her route changed so that it matched mine. If I tried to go a different way, she seemed to know about it. Sarah didn't like it and made a few snide comments. I told her to calm down and she didn't speak to me for the rest of the day.

Sarah was tense, moody. Ariella let it slip that Sarah was having nightmares again. Her dreams were very vivid, Ariella had said, and Sarah was hurting from them. She also mentioned that Sarah's mother Alicia was drinking heavily again. Mother was watching Sarah twenty four/seven now. So was Alexander. But while he was more concerned about the baby, Mother was truly worried about Sarah.

One night, Sarah and I were cuddling on the couch and watching a musical. Both of us said it was bad, but neither of us could tear our eyes away.

"Reese, what would you do if...nevermind," Sarah began.

"Sarah, tell me," I ordered.

"No, I don't think I will. You'll get upset."

"Sarah Cresley, tell me this instant."

"Fine. I was just thinking, what would you do if Glen made a reappearance?"

"I'd kill him. I think it would end, though, if you told him that you choose me."

"Yeah, probably."

"There's no 'probably' about it."

"Why are you in such a bad mood?"

"I'm not!" I snapped. She huffed and sat on the other side of the couch.

"Why are you blaming me?" she asked.

"Sarah Harper Cresley, the day I blame you for this will be a cold day in Mexico. Why are you in such a mood?"

"Because you're blaming me for this, because I'm pregnant, because Scarlett won't back off, and because I'm craving ice, and ice is not being produced."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly after a moment. "I know you've been having nightmares."

"That, too. And I'm sorry, too." She sat beside me again. I pulled her into my lap. "What do you say we change the channel?"

"Sounds good. There's a documentary on mollusks tonight."

"Sarah, you hate documentaries."

"Not all documentaries. Just the ones not about things I'm interested in."

"Which would be fashion and dogs."

"Hey, there's more to me than that, you know."

"I haven't seen you draw or heard you sing in a long time!" I said.

"My voice keeps cracking. And I don't know what to draw."

"You could draw me."

"I have drawn you, many times." She seemed embarassed at her confession. She looked back at the fire in the fireplace. "I should go home."

"It's Friday night, and it's only seven," I reminded her.

"Yeah, it is," she said softly. She got up and went to grab her purse. I stood up and followed her.

"Sarah, stay," I begged, holding her arms.

"I can't. It's Friday, and Mom's probably to get drunk again. Please don't ask me again."

"Stay," I said anyway. "I'm sorry we fought tonight."

"Bye, Reese." She stood on her toes and kissed my chin. Then she pulled her tennis shoes on and grabbed her keys and purse.

I turned the TV off and went to my room to mope. I laid in bed, turned toward the wall. I soon felt a feline jump onto my bed. I looked back. It was Sugar. She sniffed the covers, then started kneading my pillows. The cat settled herself on one of the pillows.

CHAPTER NINE - FORGIVENESS

Sarah called me the next day and apologized for her part in our fight. I apologized for mine. We agreed to meet up that day at The Book Mart. One thing that Sarah and I did have in common was that we both loved to read and collect books, although our taste in genres differed.

Sarah preferred romance, contemporary, chick lit. I preferred horror, thrillers, suspense. We both loved fantasy and mysteries. I enjoyed reading fantasy because some of it was surprisingly accurate to real life, and other times it was so absurdly false.

When we met at The Book Mart, we hugged and chose a table. The Book Mart had recently started selling drinks as well. Sarah filled up her basket, and I filled up mine. Together, we had about fifty books. I bought all of them at once to save time and money.

"Are you sure you're okay with it?" Sarah asked for the zillionth time.

"Yes, sweetheart. Our money will be combined someday anyway." She bit her lip and picked up a Julie Anne Peters book. She focused her attention on that for awhile. I quickly bought caffeine-free tea for her and water for me. She sat in a chair, reading the book. I looked around, carefully watching for enemies.

I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was a big black cat. It was staring at me. "Can I help you?" I said.

"Dawn! Leave him alone!" The salesgirl smiled at me. "Sorry. She's just curious."

"Her name is Dawn?" I said.

"Yeah. She came to us last winter. We call her our little psychic." The salesgirl gave an awkward laugh and went back to work. I looked at Dawn. She seemed to be smiling at me.

"You know, you remind me of another cat," I said. "He's big, black, and has long fur, like you. His name is Shadowfang." The cat's ears seemed to perk up. She jumped off the shelf and weaved between my legs.

Sarah soon said that she had to go. She had work. I put her books in her trunk, jumping a mile when my cell phone rang.

"Hello?" I grouched.

"Reese! Thank the gods!"

"Father? What's going on?"

"Mathias is here, in New Jersey! He attacked Soren!"

I stared at the phone in shock.

"What...how?"

"I don't know how he got here-Toby and Dimitri are scouting the woods now. Spencer is with your uncle. He's at St. Brigid's!"

"I'll be there soon."

"You are to go straight home and wait for the guys. Do not even think of going to the hospital!"

"Father, when have I ever listened to you?"

"REESE EMERSON, YOU WILL GO HOME OR I SWEAR I'LL GROUND YOU FOR LIFE!"

"No, you won't. My life is going to be pretty long."

"Hang on, Toby's calling." Father put me on hold for a minute. I looked at Sarah, who was watching me with wide eyes.

"Family emergency," I told her. "Stay away from the woods behind my house. I'll see you later." I kissed her. She got in her car, and I got in my van. I put the phone on speaker and put it on the dashboard.

Finally, Father's voice came on. "Well, it's a good thing you're not home. Mathias was caught trying to break in."

"So I can go to the hospital?"

"Uh...I'll still rather you didn't. Soren doesn't look too good right now."

"Father, I can handle anything."

"No, you can't. This is bad, Reese. Trust me. Go to the store, or go see your friends."

I hung up on him. I would probably pay for it later, but right now, I didn't care.

 

My eyes widened. Uncle Soren was a mess. He was completely bloated. Everything from his face to his middle was completely swollen.

"There you are!" Father said.

"How grounded am I?" I asked. He sighed.

"You have no idea how tempted I am to lock you up and stand guard over you for a hundred years. But that would not help anything, so you're off the hook."

"Mordecai, leave him alone," Uncle Soren said, causing me to jump. His voice was deeper and more gravelly than normal. "He wanted to check on his favorite uncle."

"You're his only uncle, you bloated sack of stupid!"

Uncle Soren gave Father the finger.

"Where's Louis?" I asked.

"Still at the store, I expect. He'll stay there unless Sarah tells him. She works today, correct?" I nodded.

"Shit," Uncle Soren said.

"How do you feel?" I asked him.

"Bloated. I can literally feel the air beneath my skin."

"How did this happen?" Father asked.

"How the fuck should I know? Mathias just jammed a huge-ass needle into my gut, and now this is my life."

"How did he even get-"

"Don't ask questions you don't want answered, Mordecai."

"Don't interrupt, Soren. How did he even get close to you?"

"I was a dumbass. I really thought he'd changed."

"Wow, you really are a bloated sack of stupid!"

"Screw you, Blondie!"

"Both of you shut up!" I cried. "You're giving me a headache." Father glared at me, and I glared back. I paced around the room. "Crap, this is my fault."

"It's not your fault, Reese," Uncle Soren said. "It was my own fault for getting too cocky."

"How did he even get to America?" Father asked. We all looked at each other and shrugged.

"How did he get to America the first time?" I asked. "That's the real question."

"No, the real question is how he got out of the hospital," Uncle Soren said, then winced. "Odin, my ribs hurt."

Our heads snapped up at a commotion.

"Get out of my way! He's my father!" Louis came into view, hair tangled and looking frazzled. "Oh, fuck." He had just seen his father. "I didn't believe it at first...I'm so glad that I confirmed it with Sarah."

"What about my Sarah?" I asked.

"Mathias came into the store and started scaring her. I got involved, and he went on this rant about how justice was finally done and that he'd gotten revenge. I kicked him out, then I asked Sarah if you'd gotten a call. She'd mentioned that you and her had hung out this morning," he explained.

"Oh, sure, it's not enough to hear it from Mathias himself, you had to hear it from Sarah!" Uncle Soren snapped.

"Wait a minute," I said, looking at Louis. "Did you leave her alone?"

"No, Mr. Overprotective, I left her with Richard and Delia."

"Hold on, why is Delia still there?" Father asked.

"Louis wants to ravage her," I said, frowning at my cousin.

"Here's an order: fire Delia. She's a spoiled brat," Father said.

"You're the owner, you do it!" Louis retorted.

"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!" roared another voice. It was Grandfather.

"How long have you been there?" Father demanded.

"Long enough to know that Mathias attacked Soren." We all looked at him in shock. Why had none of us heard or smelled him? Grandfather pressed his fingers to his temples. "Soren, describe the attack."

"I got a call from Mathias saying that he wanted to make amends. I asked him how he got my number, and he only said that he "had his ways". He said that he was sorry and that as brothers, we should be consoling each other. I stupidly believed him, and he made me feel guilty, so I went to meet him. That's when he attacked. That's the short version."

"Mordecai, how did you find out?"

"Soren called me himself. I begged him to go to the hospital, and I'm so glad he listened to me."

"So am I. Reese, begin."

"Father called me. He begged me go to the house. I was just ending a date with Sarah, and I told him that I was heading to the hospital anyway. He got a call from Toby, who said that he and Dimitri had caught Mathias."

"I will question Toby and Dimitri, then, and then I will question Mathias. Mordecai, I assume you want to be involved?"

"Of course," Father assented.

"And Louis?"

"Yes."

"Reese?"

"UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES-"

"Mordecai, shut it. If the boy wants to be involved in the questioning, you cannot stop him."

"Yes, I do," I confirmed. Father looked at me like I'd canceled a major holiday.

"Mordecai, Reese is old enough," Uncle Soren said. "He's almost eighteen."

"I know how old he is, fatso," Father snapped.

"Wow, Mordecai. Calling me fatso, that's really mature."

"It's true! Even when you're not bloated, you're still fat!"

"Enough!" Grandfather said in his I-am-the-coven-leader voice. "Mordecai, don't tease your brother. I swear, it's like neither of you grew up at all."

Uncle Soren groaned and clutched his chest.

"Dad?" Louis said. "Are you okay?"

"My chest hurts." He groaned again. "Get Ethan!" Ethan Potter was the only one we trusted not to spill our secret, being that he was a vampire too. I'd met him last November when I was hospitalized for a few days.

Louis found Ethan quickly enough. Ethan is about average height, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was strong, like all vampires, but not muscular. Ethan looked back at us.

"Go out in the waiting room. He needs surgery."

Before long, we heard my uncle's whimpers and cries of pain. I heard a whoosh of air, then relaxed. He would be back to normal soon. Grandfather was shaking. Not out of anger or coldness, but because of fear. He'd already lost my grandmother Amalia years ago, and Mathias was a traitor. He would be devastated if he lost any of us.

This is my fault, I thought.

Reese, my father's mental voice sounded, it's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself.

But Father-

No buts. I hate buts.

Grandfather is afraid.

Yes, he is. Why don't you do something to make him feel better?

In response, I leaned against Grandfather. He put an arm around me and pecked the top of my head.

Not what I meant, Reese.

Get over it, I snapped. He frowned at me and dug his phone out. He showed Louis a video of some drunk girls dancing on a counter.

"Drunk chicks are always funny," Louis laughed. A woman across from us glared at him. "Hey. Problem?" The woman shook her head and literally went back to knitting. "Stupid old bitch," Louis said below human hearing. Grandfather leaned forward.

"Louis! You are a prince! Act like one!"

"What, act like I have no life? No, thank you. I don't understand why we just don't tell the public about us. I mean, it's not illegal anymore."

"Louis Emerson, that would cause either mass pandemonium or would make us look like a joke."

"Says who? You don't know how everyone will react!"

"I will not put my family in jeopardy!"

"You already have! So has Dad! So has Mordecai! Even Reese, when he told Sarah and Ariella!"

"First of all," I said, "Don't bring Sarah into this. Secondly, you would have told Ariella anyway."

"Why? All I ever saw her as was a good fuck. You think I actually date bitches who hang out with wolves?"

"Don't call her that!"

"Screw it, Reese. Those brunettes have you wrapped around their pinkies. You know Ariella still hangs out with Damon! And Sarah is not as nice as she seems! She's playing you for a patsy!"

"Enough," Father said. He looked at Louis, opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"I'm moving out," Louis said. We all looked at him.

"It's about time," Father said quietly.

"I'm moving in with Meiko."

"Meiko? You barely know her!" I said.

"You barely know Cresley, yet you're already talking about marrying her. Meiko is going to leave Zeke's coven. Bye, losers." With that, he left, brandishing both middle fingers.

"Shit," Father said. "I shouldn't have said that. He is my nephew."

"It was really my fault," I said. "I shouldn't have fallen to his bait."

"He shoudn't have mentioned your girlfriend and your friend," Grandfather said.

CHAPTER TEN - FIGHT

Uncle Soren was out of the hospital in two days. He actually fought to be let out. When he found out about our fight, he was furious at everyone, especially Louis. I could hear them fighting from the garden.

I felt guilty. I knew it wasn't totally my fault, but I still played a huge part. We never did get to interrogate Mathias, as he escaped again. Toby was almost fired for that. He stopped speaking to all of us except me. I could tell that he felt terrible. He also had enough going on with Spencer.

Janna was spending all of her time at the guest house, which Louis had decided to move out of in a week. Father apologized and asked him to stay, but he refused. One night, we had a meeting with Zeke's coven.

"This isn't working out," Zeke said. "Our clan is inwardly fighting more often."

"So is ours," Grandfather said. "We will call for a truck for you and pay for it."

"Not us," Adam said, holding Janna around the waist. "Janna and I are going off on our own for a while." We looked at them, shocked.

"Janna?" Dimitri said, sounding hurt. Janna rolled her eyes.

"I quit," she said. "I prefer a life with Adam."

"Adam," I said, "When exactly did you join Zeke's coven?"

"Not long before we came here," Zeke answered. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just wondering," I lied. Actually, I was checking up on a hunch I had. My hunch was that Mathias' escape came from outside help. This coven had moved away from their territory because of Ambrose, who I had met right after escaping from Mathias.

"Well, Janna," Father said, frowning at me, "if you want to leave, we will not force you to stay. Louis, are you sure you still want to leave?"

"Yes," he said, frowning. Uncle Soren frowned at my father. He blamed him the most. My father bit his lip, and I could tell he was trying not to cry.

Louis looked at Meiko. "Ready?"

"No," she said. He stared at her.

"What...?"

"I cannot leave Zeke's coven," she said.

"What? Meiko, are you serious? What about all that stuff you said?"

"None of it matters when it comes to Zeke," she said. Jessica raised an eyebrow. "And Jessica, of course," Meiko continued.

Suddenly, there was a door slam. We all turned toward the house.

Fuck! I thought. Not now!

Sarah was walking toward us with Mother, Alexander, and Sabine.

"Oh, is this a bad time?" she asked, looking at the other coven, especially Zeke, nervously. I could have sworn that Jessica said "Mine."

Immediately, Mother growled and pushed Sarah behind her.

"Look! They even took care of dinner," Adam said half-sarcastically. I hissed at him and moved in front of Sarah.

"We'll just wait in the house," Sarah said, heading back in, followed by her sister and Alexander. Mother and Jessica continued to glare at each other.

"Well, this changes things," Zeke said. "We're staying."

I ran into the house.

"What's going on?" she asked, after jumping in the air. Sabine looked terrified.

"That's the coven that's staying in our guest house," I said. "I'm sorry. I should have been more prepared."

"That's okay, we should have called first," she said. Alexander smirked.

"No, it was my fault. Well, our fault."

"Free entertainment," Alexander said. I nearly punched him.

Father came in first, followed by an angry Mother.

"The bitch thinks Sarah is her long-lost daughter," Mother told Alexander. I snarled.

"I'm Alicia's daughter," Sarah said.

"No, you're my daughter! Mine alone!" Mother cried.

"Wow, Sarah, you hang out with some weird people," Sabine commented.

"Maybe we should just go..." Sarah began.

"No, stay," I begged. "You obviously needed something. What is it?"

Sarah swallowed. "The six-month ultrasound is on April fourteenth," she said.

"That's it?" Father said in a dangerous tone. "You failed to call us and interrupted us in the middle of a meeting for that? You quite possibly put yourselves and us in danger!" he roared. Sarah burst into tears and ran toward the front door. Sabine followed her after a minute. Mother and Alexander both glared at Father before following them.

Father closed his eyes. "I fucked up again, didn't I?"

"You fucked up the moment you let them move into the other house," I snapped. I went outside, but they were already partway down the road.

I went to my room and sat on my bed. I called Sarah. When she didn't answer, I sent a text.

Reese: I'm sorry about all that. We're just all stressed right now. He feels terrible.

Sarah: Then why doesn't he text me himself?

Reese: I tried to call you!

Sarah: I don't want to talk right now.

I sighed and threw my phone down. It bounced on the carpet. I cursed and banged around my room until I ran out of steam. I would pay later. Sometimes the women in my life were petty like that. I paused and thought about my last thought. I had just taken a point from Sarah. What did that mean?

I had known for a while that she wasn't perfect-she had a history of shoplifting and her friends had a history of dabbling in dark magic-but she was still perfect to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah didn't speak to me the next day. She said she wanted to drive herself to school from now on. That worried me. Was this the beginning of the end? I couldn't bear the thought. I hated my father and didn't speak to him unless I absolutely had to. He apologized several more times, and even called Sarah to apologize to her.

It was already April, and the week was starting out bad. I tried to focus on my studies. I read some Harry Potter fanfiction, fed and watered the cats, cleaned their litterbox (I was the only one who could tolerate the smell), and took Shadowfang to the vet for his shots.

The cats seemed to know what was going on. More than once, I'd wake up and a cat was laying on my hair. Mostly it was Shadowfang.

Louis moved out earlier than expected; he moved out that weekend and moved into a brand-new apartment. He was speaking to anyone, even Uncle Soren. I kept thinking of the worst. Sarah would dump me, I would be cut from her life, and then Louis would never speak to me again and renounce his title and position.

Zeke Ruthford's clan still stayed, even more present in our lives than before. Before, we had promised to stay out of each other's way, but that wasn't happening. Janna moved into Adam's bedroom.

Toby himself was suffering. He was on the brink of quitting as well. Father ordered Spencer and Toby to keep their relationship, whatever it was, out of their work. Spencer agreed, while Toby merely said that it was already more than he could handle.

I was upset. I liked Toby the best out of all the guards, he was always happy and positive. He was respectful and kind to our allies and the cats.

One day, I heard Father crying in his room. I felt guilty, and opened the door. He looked back at me, the whites of his eyes reddened.

"Oh, Reese," he said.

"Father," I said, not knowing what else to say.

"Reese, I'm sorry," he said.

"I accept your apology," I said. "Now go apologize to Louis."

"I already have, several times. My family is breaking apart," he said sadly. I shut the door and walked away. He was right. We were breaking apart. I asked Grandfather about it, but he just told me to mind my own business.

Another week passed, and things were no better. I hadn't spoken to Sarah since that afternoon, and she wasn't trying to make contact, either. I wondered if it was over.

Finally, Uncle Soren called a family meeting. We met in the library. It was just us four; Louis still was not speaking to anyone.

"This is exactly what he did before," Uncle Soren began. "He started to tear us apart. Has anyone heard from Louis?" We all shook our heads. He turned to Father. "Mordecai, everyone, even Sarah, except Louis has forgiven you. You have to forgive yourself. Quit being a depressed broody teenage girl." He turned to Grandfather. "Quit being a grumpy old man. Start searching for Mathias." Then he turned to me. "Reese, work on forgiveness and your temper."

I smiled at him. I knew he was trying to be helpful; it had just been so long since he wasn't snarky, foul-mouthed, and sarcastic. I went over to Father and hugged him. He stiffened, then hugged me back.

"Now...what are we going to do about Ruthford's clan?" Uncle Soren asked.

"Jessica is focused on Sarah," I said. "Mother thinks that Jessica thinks Sarah is her long-lost daughter."

"Egotistical, paranoid, old Greek-"

"Hey, that's my mother you're talking about!"

"Right. Sorry. Why does she think that?"

"I have no idea." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "I haven't spoken to Sarah since that day." Father looked guilty.

"I shouldn't have shouted at her. Well, I wasn't really yelling at her, I was yelling at Alexander and Marina!"

"But your words were directed at her," I said. "And you looked right at her. She had no way of knowing."

"You're right. I should explain it to her. It's better if she hears it from me directly."

I tried calling Sarah again. She answered on the seventh ring.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Sarah."

"Oh. Hey. This really isn't a good time right now."

I should have said that to you on that day.

"What?" Sarah said.

"What? I didn't say anything."

"Yes, you did. You said that you should have said that to me that day."

"Sarah, I didn't say that."

"Yes, you did!"

Temperamental witch.

"Don't call me a witch!" she snapped. I paused. Was I saying what I was thinking out loud?

"I thought this was a bad time," I snapped. "So why are you wasting time arguing over my thoughts?" She hung up on me. I looked at the phone in disbelief. I texted her back.

Reese: Sarah, I'm sorry. Please call me back when you get a chance.

Sarah: I am driving.

Reese: Why didn't you say that in the first place? Then we could have avoided all this drama! Quit being petty.

She ignored me.

"I don't understand her," I said with disgust.

We all went our separate ways.

 

Two days later, Father told me that Sarah had handed in her two-week resignation.

"For what?" I snapped.

"To work in a salon as a receptionist," he said. "Reese, I think...I think you should break up with her."

"Are you fucking kidding me? Who are you to tell me how a relationship works?" He looked hurt and disappointed, but said nothing more.

Mother started coming to see me every night. She had said that Sarah had been moody and unpredictable. I told her what had happened with us and what Father had said. She told me to ignore him, and that Sarah would get over her mood soon.

 

I soon discovered why Sarah was acting the way she was. I was staking out her house, when I suddenly smelled that earthy, leathery tang that always encompasses a werewolf. My eyes widened, my fangs grew. Sarah came out, holding her middle. My girl looked stressed. Her hair was tangled and snarled, dark circles were under her eyes, and she'd grown, yet she'd also lost weight at the same time. I jumped down.

She jumped and gasped, spinning around. "Reese!"

"Sarah," I said tersely. She burst into tears.

"I'm sorry I've been such a bitch lately, but I couldn't see you!"

"And why is that?" I asked darkly.

"ERIC! GLEN! They won't leave me alone!" she shouted, then started crying. I embraced her, pulling her close. I breathed in her flowery scent. She was wearing jasmine perfume, and her underlying gardenia scent was weaker. There was another smell, a strong one. It was the baby inside her. I was smelling him or her.

Sarah sobbed into my chest for a while. I waited until her sobs subdued to whimpers and hiccups before speaking again.

"Sarah Harper Cresley, I love you more than life itself. I could have taken care of it."

"No," she said. "You couldn't have. Glen tried to have sex with me."

I growled. I could handle Eric, but Glen was becoming a handful.

"How?" I asked.

"He took me to dinner, pretending to be a friend of mine. You can imagine my surprise when he showed up in his car. He told me to get in, or he'd...do something drastic. I was so stupid! I got in his car, and he took me to get steak. He'd even previously ordered for us. It was almost romantic if it weren't so damn creepy. There were candles and roses and everything. He told me that he was glad that I decided to give him a chance. I told him he was full of shit. He kept asking personal questions, everything from my exes to my favorite colors.

"When the check came, he had already paid for everything, including the tiramisu he made me eat. I don't know how long I threw up after that. But that's why you have to stay away from me, at least until I get this sorted out."

"What do you take me for?" I asked. "No freaking way. If anyone so much as looks at you funny, I will kill him."

"Reese!"

"I'm serious, Sarah! My father is still upset because he thinks you're still angry at him!"

"Oh, well, you can tell him that I've forgiven him."

"You can tell him yourself. You are coming with me."

"Reese! Not now! Eric will be here any minute!"

"For what, exactly?"

"I need to tell him-"

"What?" said a deep voice. "You need to tell me what?" I turned and hissed at Eric. He growled, his wolf swirling in his eyes.

"Stay away from me, Eric," Sarah said. "I will never date you. I don't even know why you started liking me. I have Reese. He's my boyfriend. I choose him."

Eric looked defeated. "As you wish."

We both looked at him in shock. "Excuse me?" I said.

"I concede. She is yours, bat boy. I know I've been a jerk, and I will leave you alone from now on, Sarah."

"Thank you," she breathed. Eric held out his hand to me.

"Truce?" I grabbed it.

"Truce."

With that, he said goodbye to us and left in his car. I looked at Sarah.

"I should have just done that in the first place. God, I am so stupid!"

"You're not stupid, Sarah. You're a seventeen year old girl who has been somewhat sheltered her whole life."

"Not as sheltered as you. You don't really turn into a bat, do you?"

I smiled gently at her, my fangs receding. "No. Only shapeshifters, werecreatures, and vampires with special powers can turn into animals. Merpeople and selkies don't count."

"There are merpeople? How come I've never seen a real one?"

"They prefer the deep. And you wouldn't want to meet one anyway-she'd probably try to drown you." I grimaced at the thought.

"Oh, then I don't want to meet one."

 

I brought Sarah home with me. Mother was furious when Sarah told her the truth. Sarah told Father that she accepted his apology, and Grandfather said he was glad she was okay.

Sarah and I made out for what seemed like hours, and she let me brush and put her hair into braids. Father came in to tell her that her previous job was open to her anytime, and she thanked him.

"Those women are nuts," she said about her salon receptionist job. "The girls are snooty, and they don't like the fact that I'm still in high school and get paid as much as them. I might stay there for a while, just to see the drama unfold."

"You're naughty," I teased her. She turned around and flirtatiously winked at me.

"You have no idea just how naughty I can be," she said in a husky voice. I liked that. I kissed her. She kissed back. We made out for about half an hour.

Finally, she said she had to go, because she had homework.

"I already did it for you," Mother announced.

"You didn't have to do that," Sarah chastised.

"Nonsense, my sweet. It was easy enough to copy your handwriting and it was in subjects that I've studied a million times."

Sarah thanked Mother, but she had to go anyway, because she was getting tired.

"Why can't you stay here?" I asked her.

"My mom. She's drinking again. She's on the verge of losing her job." At this news, Mother's and Alexander's eyes darkened. I smiled inwardly at their reaction. Both of them, even Alexander, had come to think of Sarah as a daughter and loved her dearly.

I understand somewhat, but not completely. Mother had only met Sarah back in December. Alexander was...well, he was Alexander. I couldn't see him adopting anyone as a child, other than the baby, which I'd come to accept.

It was odd, though. I barely knew Alexander, yet he treated me like a second son. It was odd. I knew he had a half-vampire half-human hybrid son named Kieran, and that Kieran's mother was named Celine, but that was it.

"Let me drive you," Mother told Sarah. Sarah accepted the offer. When Sarah had kissed me good night, Mother took her home.

"Alexander, can I ask you a question?" I asked.

"Of course. You may ask me anything."

"Why are you adopting Sarah's baby? And how did my father and grandfather know to contact you?"

Alexander sat beside me. "My son Kieran has not spoken to me in years. I confess: I miss him. But he hates me because he thinks I am responsible for his mother's death. Celine was a beauty. She had sunshine in her hair, and the sky in her eyes. She was only sixteen. I did not love her, but she loved me. One day, she left her parents' farm to come see me, and we ended up sleeping together.

"Her parents did not like me. They suspected my true nature, but that didn't stop Celine. She loved me with all her heart. I thought she was beautiful, but I simply did not love her back. She was not very intelligent, see. Weeks after we slept together, she came to me complaining of abdominal pain. She had grown quite a bit-it was hard for her to hide her pregnancy.

"That night, Kieran was born, and Celine died in the process. I burned her body and spread her ashes. Kieran was told the story years later by someone else. He never forgave me for killing his mother. But that's why your father and grandfather thought of me; because my son hates my guts and he is my only child. Sarah's baby is sort of a replacement."

"Don't let her hear you say that," I said.

"Do you think I'm stupid? Of course, I admit that I've gotten rather close to the girl. What happened to her real father?"

"He died from stomach cancer almost two years ago."

"Ah."

We ended the conversation then-it was almost midnight, and I had school in the morning. He said goodbye to me, Uncle Soren, and Grandfather, threw an insult at Father, and left for his house.

 

I woke up early from a nightmare I barely remembered even seconds later. I was not surprised to see Father in my room, reading one of my books.

"Are you all right, Reese?" he asked, yellow eyes glowing in the dark.

"I'm fine. It was just a dream."

Since I couldn't go back to sleep, I started my morning routine. After I was dressed, I began to feel dizzy. Suddenly, I blacked out.

When I woke up, Father was shouting at me with worry in his voice. I reacted on instinct and kneed him in the gut.

"He's fine," Uncle Soren said after that.

"He'd better be," Grandfather said. "We are close to a cure for vampire porphyria. Reese, do you want to go to school?"

"I have a test today," I half-lied. It was really a quiz in Advanced Junior English about the dynamics of an autobiography.

"He should go, then," Uncle Soren said. "Mordecai, if anything happens, you know he's well-protected, with all his friends and teachers." Father still looked unsure.

"Sarah will likely be there," I told him. "And Ariella, Mason, Noah, Duke, and Amara."

"I don't trust Mason," Father said.

"And for what convoluted reason is that?" Uncle Soren rejoindered.

"His father-"

"Is the best warlock in the world. Yes, things didn't go well the last time Reese was at Mason's house. Yes, Krauvas and Antonia are divorcing. But Reese and Mason trust each other, and that's all that matters."

Finally, he let me go.

 

School proceeded normally. I asked Sarah if she wanted me to pick her up, and she said that she'd rather drive herself today, since she needed to drop off Sabine as well. At lunch, Rouge sat with us again. She clinged to Noah, which irritated Amara, whose hair was platinum blond with indigo tips.

"It's a close enought shade to my real hair color," she told me. "I decided I wanted to have a natural shade for once."

"Please," Rouge said. "No one actually cares about your hair, Amanda."

"It's Amara," Amara said through gritted teeth.

"Well, when you have naturally beautiful hair like mine, you don't need to worry about changing it!"

I decided then that I really didn't like Rouge.

"I know, it's tough being a fairy," I muttered. Rouge glared at me.

"Watch it, bloodsucker." Mason and I looked at each other, then back at the snooty redhead. I took a deep breath. Rouge definitely smelled like a fairy. She looked like a fairy. She had the attitude of a fairy. Why hang onto Noah?

Sure, he wasn't bad-looking, with long brown hair and a goatee. He was nice and smart. But he was also a human. Fairies almost never get involved with humans because they want to remain "pure".

"Who knows, maybe I'm just that good-looking," Noah joked. Duke rolled his eyes. He was normally the one who made an ass of himself, but lately, Noah took that role upon himself.

I glanced back at Sarah. She was focused on her lunch. I turned back to my own group which was silent.

"Why Noah?" I asked Rouge.

"Why not Noah?" she countered. "He's hot!"

"Oh? What about your leader, Puck?" Mason quipped.

"What are you guys flapping your gums about now?" Duke flared up.

I looked at Mason. "Should we tell them?"

"I think we should," he said cautiously, "but not now, in the cafeteria. The mall or Bean?"

"Either one works for me," I replied. "You know I won't eat or drink anything except water unless I'm forced to."

"He never eats," Amara said grubbily. "Wait, you guys need to tell us something?"

"Yeah, we do," Mason said. "It's kind of important." He looked at Noah. "I know you're my best friend and all, but I couldn't tell you for privacy and safety reasons. But now we're in high school, and I think you have the right to know."

"Damn straight."

"Which Reese is not," Duke said with a shit-eating grin. I gave him the finger. He pretended to be offended.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Saturday after my morning shift at the store, I met the group at the food court in the mall. All of them bought tacos except for me. Luckily, Rouge had a hair appointment and decided not to come.

"Okay, what's the big surprise?" Noah asked.

"I'll start," Mason said. "I...am a warlock." Noah and Duke guffawed while Amara cracked a smile. "I'm serious, guys. I practice magic, I'm immortal, and my parents are a warlock and a witch."

They realized he was serious and stopped laughing.

"Seriously?" Noah said.

"Pff. Let's see some magic then," Duke sarcasted.

"All right." Mason gave a wave of his hand, and my water turned green.

"Food coloring," Duke said. "Or powder." The water slowly rose out of the cup.

"Holy Hera," Noah said in awe. Amara's mouth opened, and Duke, for once, was speechless. "You mean to tell me," Noah began, "that my best friend has magical powers and he felt like he couldn't tell me?!" He got angrier as he went on.

"I know you're mad," Mason postulated, "and I don't blame you. I'd be mad at me, too. Now, Reese has something to say." He dropped the water in the cup. They all looked at me.

"I'm a vampire." More shock accompanied this statement.

"Don't eat me!" Duke simpered.

"Dude, I'm not going to eat you," I snapped. "I only drink blood that is either donated or from those that deserve it."

"Do you hunt?" Amara asked. I nodded.

"Yes, I hunt. I also drink bagged blood."

"Do you turn into a bat?" Noah asked.

"No, I don't turn into animals, too much sunlight makes me nauseous, crosses don't affect me, and neither does running water. I enjoy my morning showers."

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Amara said.

"Yes. Only Ariella, Sarah, and Mason know, though. And now you know as well."

Noah glared at Mason. "Hey, I promised him I wouldn't tell. What was I supposed to do, go back on my word? He has fangs!" They looked at me again. I slowly let my fangs grow. Duke paled, Amara dropped her fork, and Noah stared. I pulled my fangs back in.

They asked more questions, and I answered them truthfully. They also asked about werewolves, which I answered truthfully.

"Are they like the werewolves from the Twilight Saga?" Amara asked.

"They're uglier, bigger, stinkier, and they are actual monsters," I replied. "Eric Martin is one."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had to head back to the store for my afternoon shift. I heard Sarah's voice in my father's voice. I drafted toward the voice. She was in a chair, talking to him.

"Do you mind?" he said grouchily.

"Hey, Sarah."

"Hey, Reese," she said, teeth gleaming.

"Hey, baby. What's up?"

"I was just talking to Sarah about giving her her job back," Father explained.

"Give her her job back," I told him.

"I'm going to, silly Reese. She's one of our best employees. She sells more than you do, and you're my son."

"That's because she's prettier than I am," I said. I heard Delia cursing. "Damn. Delia's here."

"Still?" Father's nose wrinkled. Sarah frowned.

"She called me fat once." Father looked at her.

"Okay, that is just unacceptable. I'm firing her myself. You can go, Sarah. You can start again anytime you want. I never bothered to take your name off the clock."

Sarah went and clocked in, then went out to the front.

"Oh, you're still here?" Delia said snottily.

"Yeah, I'm still here. Deal with it," Sarah retorted.

"Please. You're only here because you're banging Reese."

"Delia, in my office," Father said. Delia stomped into his office, stepping on my toe with her ridiculously high stiletto in the process.

"Finally," Sarah said.

"Exactly my thoughts," I agreed. A minute later, we heard a scream.

"YOU CAN'T FIRE ME! I NEED THIS JOB! MY PARENTS STOPPED GIVING ME ALLOWANCE! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SHOP NOW?!"

"Right, because shopping is more important than say, lunch," I said. Sarah looked at me like I'd lost my mind. I had already clocked in and was overviewing the store. Louis had quit at his job here and Father had promoted me to manager. He had no choice. Richard was still new, Delia couldn't be trusted, and Sarah was busier than I was.

"YOU WILL REGRET THIS! WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? I'LL DO ANYTHING TO KEEP THIS JOB!"

Delia stepped out of Father's office, face red. She grabbed her purse, whacked me on the shoulder with it, and left.

 

The day progressed normally until an hour before closing time. Sarah was leaning on the counter, clutching her head.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. Then she fell. "FATHER!" Father rushed out, and when he saw Sarah, he whipped out his cell phone, but a customer beat him to it.

"Yeah, a girl fainted. I don't know her name. I don't know if she has any illnesses...."

I turned Sarah over, and her eyes fluttered under her eyelids. Then she started seizing.

"No, not again!" I cried. "Baby, look at me! Father, do something!"

"We can't move her," he said.

"What do I do?!"

"Just stay with her. I'll call her mother. Hopefully, Alicia is sober."

The paramedics arrived ten minutes later. By then, Sarah had stopped seizing, and was mumbling nonsense. They took her away in the ambulance. I went into the back room and grabbed her purse and keys.

I drove her car to the hospital. There, they were waiting for her. Alicia and Sabine were already there, along with Mother.

"Not my baby," Alicia said. She was tipsy. "Hey, Reese. You just get here?" I nodded. Mother enveloped me in her cold embrace. A lot of people, especially men, were looking at her. Her hair was less wild, a bit straighter, and she wore a clingy dark blue dress and gold gladiator heels.

"What were you doing?" I asked her.

"I was on a date with Alexander," she said, her Greek accent heavier than usual. "He is contacting her main doctor. Why now, especially with her burden?"

"Last time, they said it was because her mind is too active," I said. "I wonder what they'll say now?"

Alexander arrived half an hour later. He put an arm around Mother and an arm around my waist.

"Our baby will be fine, Marina," he said.

"I am more worried about Sarah," she admitted. "She is my..." She glanced at me, then whispered in Alexander's ear. I heard the term "souldaughter". I wondered what that meant. I'd heard it before, but had not paid much attention when Father explained the concept.

"Like Reese and myself," Alexander said. He looked at me. "My soulson." I blinked. What did that mean?

"He looks confused," Mother noted.

"I doubt he knows what we're talking about," Alexander said.

I sat down beside Sabine. "How are you?" I asked her.

"Is she going to be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, she's strong. She'll survive," I told her. My own worries were not abated. I pulled out my phone and checked social media. Nothing caught my interest, not even a story about a psychic cat.

Father came in, followed by Uncle Soren and Grandfather. An hour later, a doctor came in.

"Are you the family of Sarah Cresley?" she asked. "I'm Dr. Carmichael. She's doing fine now, she's sleeping. You can see her anytime."

Only Alicia, Mother, and I went into the room. We didn't want to overwhelm her. She saw me first.

"You saved me," she said. I didn't know what to say. She looked up. "Mom?"

"Yes?" Both Alicia and Mother said this in unison.

"I have a headache."

"I will ask the nurse to fetch you something," Mother said, heading out of the room.

"She's an odd one," Alicia said, staring at my mother as she left. Mother soon returned with Dr. Carmichael.

"Headaches are normal after a seizure," Dr. Carmichael was saying. "Sarah? Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital."

"Mmm. Are under a lot of stress?"

"Yes," she said. I looked at her in surprise. I'd thought that things were getting better for her. "I was raped back in November and now I'm pregnant. I've been having nightmares about it."

"Ah. And this is your second seizure?"

"Third." More shock. "I didn't tell anyone about the second one."

"Well, I'd like to do a CAT scan. Are you okay with that?" Dr. Carmichael asked Alicia.

"Absolutely," Alicia said, now sober. "Do anything you have to do. Just fix my baby."

Sarah was wheeled out, and we were told we could go.

"All of us may leave except for Alicia," Mother said. "But Alexander, I want to stay." Alexander nodded.

"I'm staying, too," I said. Father nodded.

"Come home before ten."

 

Sarah was kept for another two hours. She was released around nine. Dr. Carmichael recommended a few prescription medicines for seizures and anxiety. Sarah and Alicia left only after thanking Dr. Carmichael.

 

I arrived home a little before ten. Father looked irritated, but said nothing. He knew what he'd said.

"Well, Toby took a leave of absence," Uncle Soren was telling Grandfather. "And he needs it. He needs a vacation."

 

I stayed in bed all of Sunday. I called and texted Sarah about her incident and her stress levels. She confessed that her nightmares had gotten worse, and that she was almost always stressed, and that her grades had suffered because of it. I glanced at the calendar on my phone. Eight more weeks until school would end, and then we'd be free.

I offered to help her, and she declined my help. She needed to do this on her own, she said. I told her she was being silly and ended the conversation. Then my phone rang Ariella's ringtone.

"What the hell happened last night?" she asked. I explained what had happened, and she reacted appropriately. She hung up when my story was done, likely to harass Sarah.

My undead heart felt for Sarah. I loved her more than anything, and she needed me, yet I help her. I wondered if I was partly to blame for her stress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah had to stay home for a few days, so she was gone all week. I had to settle for talking on the phone. I had to stay away, because it was apparent that the cause of her stress was me. At least to me. She said she missed me, and I told her that I missed her.

One night, I climbed through her bedroom window. She was sleeping in bed, wearing Hello Kitty pajama pants and a white tank, sprawled on her bed in a strange position. I adjusted her so that she lay on her side correctly, and covered her with the sheets and comforters. I turned off the light and put her phone on its charger, then I straightened up her room a little. It wasn't messy, but there were clothes on the floor that had missed the hamper and books everywhere.

I gave her a kiss. I didn't want to leave her. But I had no choice-it was getting late, and she needed her sleep. I started toward the window.

"Reese?" I turned and looked at her. She was awake and looking at me oddly. "Your eyes are glowing."

"I'm sorry," I said, because I didn't know what else to say.

"Stay," she said. "I sleep better when I'm with you."

I crawled in next to her and kicked my boots off. She turned and planted her nose in my chest. She was pulling her own chest away slightly.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"My breasts hurt," she explained. "Hmm. I kind of want to have sex with you right now."

"Go to sleep," I commanded. She pouted for a moment. I tipped her face up so her eyes were looking in mine. "Sleep. Rest. You need to sleep." She blinked at me, then her eyes closed and her breathing grew deeper. Wow. My hypnotism works as well as Father's.

Unfortunately, though, I had to leave her because Father was freaking out over my absence.

When I got home, I immediately went to my own room. Something isn't right. I smelled the air. It smelled odd...evil. I knew that smell from somewhere. I racked my brain, trying to remember where. Then my eyelids started to feel heavy, so I stripped off my clothes and crawled into bed. The smell was strongest here, but I was too tired to care.

That night, I dreamed about Ambrose.

I was standing in the ocean. I couldn't breathe, which was weird, because I don't breathe. The salt water scratched my throat, slugs crawled around my bare feet. I couldn't move. Suddenly, a water demon came toward me. It had the head of a monkey, the chest and torso of a human, and the tail of a shark. I was terrified, but I still couldn't move.

As I looked into the demon's eyes, I saw a pair of violet orbs looking back at me. Ambrose's eyes. He swam toward me again, this time biting my neck. I felt over, silently screaming. And then the slugs started to feast on my body. I screamed and screamed, but still no sound came out.

Suddenly, another figure swam towards me. It was Alexander. He was naked, with the tail of a merman. He whacked Ambrose with his tail and pulled me out of the slug-filled sand. I felt tears sting my eyes. And then I saw Sarah. She was trapped in a cage. Some of the slugs started to crawl to her. I screamed, begging Alexander to save her instead, but to no avail.

Ambrose headed toward her, and squeezed her neck. Sarah died before my eyes.

The dream changed. I was falling through the air. I was a thousand feet up, and falling steadily towards the earth. When I was a foot away from death, I sprouted wings. They were white and resembled angel wings.

I looked up. Sarah was falling now. I flapped my wings and flew up to meet her. I grabbed her and held her in my arms. Suddenly, a giant black bird came out of nowhere and started pecking at me. I ended up dropping Sarah, and she started falling to her death. I couldn't save her; the bird wouldn't let me or leave me alone.

I looked down, fearful, but Sarah was not dead. She was being held by Mother, who had grown a pair of white wings as well. Alexander, who had black and white wings, was flying over to help me. He fought the giant bird. The bird pecked at his chest and stomach; he ignored it and stabbed it with a dagger. It fell to the earth and landed as Ambrose.

The dream changed again. Father was reaching toward me, shouting my name. The wind was keeping us apart.

"Daddy!" I cried, my voice sounding very much like a little kid.

I woke up. My chest felt light, and my legs felt like they had been running for months. No, years. Father was sitting beside me, holding me up.

"I thought you would never wake up," he said, stroking my hair. I leaned back into his chest and let the tears prick my eyes. "Shh, Reese, it was just a dream."

"Father," I said, "Ambrose was here."

CHAPTER ELEVEN - DECISION

"I thought I smelled a rat," Father said, pacing the room. It was the next day...well, later that day...and Father, Grandfather, Uncle Soren, and I were in the library. I yawned. I was still exhausted. Father had insisted I stay home for a few days to rest and recuperate.

"It was a dream, Mordecai," Uncle Soren said for the billionth time. I had told them about my nightmares. "Bad dreams happen to everybody." Father paused and glared at him.

"This is serious," he said.

"It's not like I'm a seer," I said, laying my head on my arms. "Not like a male Frigg."

"Of course not, baby," Grandfather said, giving me an affectionate head rub. "You look like you're about to pass out. Why don't you go back to bed?"

"He doesn't need bed," Uncle Soren argued.

"Soren, he's exhausted. Look at him. The child is about to swoon!"

"You know what, I think I will go back to bed," I said.

"Not in your room," Father said. "My room."

"No, Toby's old room," Uncle Soren said.

"I'll just sleep on the couch then!" I quipped, irritated.

"Nonsense," Grandfather said. "Come to my bedroom. You will be safest there."

 

As I slid under the covers in Grandfather's bed, I slipped off into a grateful sleep.

 

Hours later, I awoke with a start. For once, I couldn't remember my dreams. I sat up, trying to remember. My mind just went blank. Finally, I got up and walked into my room. The rain outside made the sky look perfect. I love rainy days.

I walked outside and sat in the grass, the raining pouring down on me. I glanced down, and noticed a slug. But this wasn't a flesh-eating slug. This was an ordinary garden slug. Nothing scary about it. Some people even eat slugs. I don't think I'd want to. I felt a piece of fluff touch me. I looked down and noticed Shadowfang.

"The rain doesn't bother you?" I asked him. He blinked twice.

There are scarier monsters out there.

I flinched. "Did you just-"

Darkness isn't scary.

"Did you just speak to me?" I demanded. The cat blinked once. Then he turned tail and walked back to the house, pausing briefly to spray on the bushes. I didn't know what to think. I had a supernatural cat, an uncle who wanted my other uncle dead, and an evil coven leader who wanted my ass, a sick girlfriend, a crazy bitch who also acted like she wanted me, and my friendships were wavering. Plus a ghost.

I hadn't seen Mike Nales' ghost since that day in the library, but I still had a sense of foreboding. Something big and ugly was about to happen. Possibly someone was going to die. I just hoped it wouldn't be anyone I loved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What happens if you eat human food?" Duke asked me.

"It will sit in my stomach until I find a place to cough it up or it causes me to throw up," I answered.

"Do you have venom?" Amara asked.

"We do have a form of venom mixed in with our blood. It's very powerful and potent. A small amount won't kill you, but a large amount will turn you. You need to have vampire blood in your system in order to turn. Plus a bite. A bite usually makes it go faster, believe it or not."

"How is that?"

"A bite gets rid of the excess human blood while allowing the vampire blood to penetrate the system. The blood will go into your stomach and spread around like nutrients would. My father knows more about how it works than I do."

"So, is he your actual father?" Duke asked.

"He is my biological father, yes. I am what's called a natural-born, meaning that two vampires had me naturally."

"Man, I can't believe we were taught by a vampire for a couple weeks," Noah said.

"What are vampire pregnancies like?" Amara asked.

"I don't know the full story, but my mother says that I kicked harder than a human baby would. I was very strong, even while I was still in the womb. I also weighed about twelve pounds at birth." The last tidbit of information was something that Mother liked to tease me about.

"How strong are you now?" Noah asked. Thankfully, Rouge wasn't here today, so I could reveal all the information I wanted.

"Too strong. I can crush a steel plate. My father can crush a diamond using his full strength."

"Can you gain weight?"

"Depends on the amount of muscle content. We don't get fat, if that's what you're asking. We have different body shapes and sizes just like humans do, although our women are curvier and have thinner waists, and the males are more muscular and also have thin waists." Although my own weight fluctuated greatly.

"What about the sexes? Are there more boys or girls?" Amara asked.

"More males than females are changed, simply because most male vampires refuse to bite women unless they are mates. Males are also usually older and more in charge of security and safety. The women are usually coddled."

"Coddled?"

"That's the best way to put it. Males are also usually in charge of hunting and food retrieval and disposal. This reduces any threats to the female and is a way for him to prove that he's worthy of her love."

The bell rang, ending lunch. I gratefully got up to go to my locker and my next class. While I walked, I thought about what I said. If you get a male and a female, and add in another male, then you get disaster. If you get a male and a female, and add another female, you either get disaster or a larger coven. The same thing goes for homosexual relationships in vampires. If you have two males and add in another male, disaster. Two females and another female, more disaster.

Father believes that males are so possessive, jealous, and protective because of our venom's reaction with testosterone. Females have less testosterone, and so are less volatile.

We can be affected by certain diseases. Vampire porphyria, which is what I have, is the most common one. Human porphyria is known as the "vampire disease". We can beat most diseases, cancers, and infections, however, including HIV, herpes, syphilis, leukemia, and so on.

Grandfather hopes to use our powerful immune systems to help humans overcome these diseases. He is researching how strands of our DNA can be used to beat HIV and other STDs and STIs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got good news when I got home.

Grandfather was smiling for once, and he held up a vial. "The cure for vampire porphyria."

"What is it?" I asked.

"A simple strand of human DNA and Elf DNA mixed with certain herbs and fruit juices. You will be fine in a few days."

"Whose DNA is it from?" I asked.

"The half-Elf Uriah Dreschler. I believe you know him?"

"Unfortunately." Uriah had tried to keep me hostage in the hospital last November because he liked my looks. "Did he donate?"

"Of course. Come to St. Brigid's tonight. You will soon be healthy."

 

I was strapped to a bed, given something to ease my nerves, surrounded by family and my girlfriend. She wanted to be here, and she wouldn't take no for an answer. Ethan Potter would be administering the mixture. He pulled out a syringe (Sarah had to sit down at the sight of it) and swabbed my arm with rubbing alcohol and some kind of numbing agent.

I closed my eyes and felt the pinch of the needle.

"You need to sleep," Ethan said. "It will work best if you rest." I took his advice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stayed in the hospital for two weeks. I did feel better after a few days. My weight stayed the same at two hundred pounds, I was less tired, and I was in a better mood.

Dimitri did my homework for me. He said it was easy to copy my handwriting. Easy As. Sarah stopped by when she could, but she was still on bedrest on doctor's orders, so she couldn't see me very often. We talked on the phone every day though. I missed her terribly. She told me that I'd get sick of her if we lived together. I had to disagree.

I was given fresh blood every night. My victims were willing, allowing me to bite them and drink from them a certain amount. One pint to two pints. Always different people. All of them interested in becoming a vampire.

One night, I felt another presence. An arm around my waist. Cold breath on my neck. Soft breathing. Ambrose. I stayed still, not moving, still pretending to be asleep.

 

Finally, I was allowed to leave. The first thing I did was meet Sarah at her home. She was reorganizing her closet.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

"Putting some of my old clothes in storage. I won't fit into them for a long time." I wrapped my arms around her. I gave her belly a playful pat, moving my hands downward.

"Watch it," she said, moving them back up."Are you cured?"

"I will be. My family needs to return a few favors, turn some people, hand out the cure, and then I'll be cured."

"And then we can have sex again?"

"If that's what you want."

The doorbell rang, and the dogs started barking. Sarah went down to answer it.

"Where's your mom?" I asked.

"Probably in bed. She always sleeps these days." Glen Crow was at the door. Sarah's nose wrinkled. "What are you doing here?"

"Coming to see you," he said, offering her a rose. She took it. I wrapped my arm around her.

"She's taken."

"Glen, I choose Reese," she said. He snarled.

"Do you really think I'll take that as an answer?

"I find it ironic that you're here the day my boyfriend gets out of the hospital."

Glen frowned. "I had no idea, I swear, Sarah." Sarah turned bright red and mumbled an apology to me.

"It's not your fault," I told her. She buried her face in my chest. Glen's fists clenched.

"Sarah, look at me," he commanded. When she didn't, he grabbed her chin an forced her to look at him.

"Hey, watch it!" I slapped his arm away. "Don't you dare touch her!" Glen's frown deepened.

"You, me, bloodsucker. Tonight."

"No-" Sarah began, but I cut her off.

"Fine with me. I could use some action."

"Reese, if you do this..." Sarah said. "I'll...I'll call your father!" I looked at her in horror.

"You wouldn't!"

"I would!" She had never made such a frightening threat.

"A daddy's boy, huh?" Glen mocked.

"Shut up, Crow."

Needless to say, Sarah texted Alexander, who arrived, pulled Glen outside, and punched him in the face. Mother was right behind him, and she kicked Glen in the stomach.

"Why, Sarah?" I said.

"I'm not risking your safety because of me," she said.

"You are worth everything," I replied. Alexander had Glen in a chokehold.

"Do...not...go...near...my children!" he snapped. "Or I'll break your neck!" Glen slid out, then ran toward the woods.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was time for the six-month ultrasound. Of course, Sarah asked me to go, along with Mother and Alexander. We were taken into a room where a male nurse stared at his clipboard.

"Dr. Volskey will be with you a minute," he said. "You're here to refill birth control?"

Shock. Pure shock.

"Um, no," Sarah said.

"You realize that condoms aren't one hundred percent effective?" the male nurse said rudely. I saw that Alexander had allowed his fangs to grow.

"Gee, I wish you'd said that to Nales," Sarah said sarcastically. Finally, the male nurse looked up.

"Oh...um...sorry. I'll just...um...go now." He ran out the door. A minute later, a woman came in.

"Sorry about that," she said. "I'm Dr. Volskey." She was tall and pretty, with black skin and brown coils in a short ponytail. "How are you today," Sarah?"

"I'm okay," she said.

"Any complications? I need to take your blood pressure." She took Sarah's blood pressure and told her she was at a good weight (Sarah scoffed). "No, you are! Your weight is perfect! Now, are you ready?"

She took us to a room filled with machines. Sarah laid down on the bed, and Dr. Volskey smeared a clear gel on her stomach. The machine clicked on, and we could see a form. A heartbeat, a head, arms, legs.

"Do you want to know the sex?" Dr. Volskey asked.

"Yes," Sarah said.

Dr. Volskey's grin got bigger. "It's a boy!"

I heard a scream. Mother was literally jumping up and down, hugging Alexander. I looked at the screen. I was going to be the stepfather of this little thing. I'd never really given much thought to its...sorry, his...development, other than Sarah's comfort and health. I looked at my future son. He seemed to be looking back at me. He turned slightly, causing a movement.

"Would you like pictures?" Dr. Volskey asked.

"How many can you print?" Mother asked.

"The most I can print is four. Coming right up."

 

We all left with pictures in our wallets. Sarah, of course, posted a picture of the ultrasound on Facebook.

My son. That evoked a strange feeling in me. Even though he wasn't biologically mine, I stil felt...accomplished. Almost complete. I just needed to graduate high school and marry Sarah, and I'd be complete.

It was simple. I loved my stepson.

 

"I want to name him," Sarah said later that week, as Mother cooked her dinner.

"As is your right," said Alexander.

"Cirino."

Alexander nodded his approval. "A vampire name. It means "like the sun". What do you think, Marina?"

"I think it suits him," she said, putting a plate with a steak and fruit salad in front of Sarah. "Eat. You and he both need protein." It was strange, thinking of the baby as a him instead of an it.

Sabine came from downstairs. Sabine had also taken to staying at my house, due to Alicia's unpredictability. It was almost like they'd started to move in. Sarah even kept some clothes in my closet. Alicia was getting worse. She had almost lost her job that day.

She had walked up to a random house, opened the door, and then tried to sell it to the owners when they got home. Now she was on unpaid suspension, and starting to lash out at the girls and the dogs. I was glad that Sarah was calling me or Ariella instead of Mother, because if she called Mother in tears...Alicia wouldn't live for much longer.

Mother loved Sarah as if she were her own, and she was starting to think of Sabine that way, too. Sabine loved Mother; everything from her accent to her taste in fashion.

"You guys have an awesome basement," Sabine said as Mother put a plate in front of her. "Your uncle and I played air hockey for half an hour."

"I'm glad you like it," I said. Sabine had also taken a liking to Uncle Soren. She enjoyed playing games with him and quizzing him about past basketball players.

When dinner was over, Sarah and Sabine went home.

CHAPTER TWELVE - GHOST

I was at work when I got the call. We were swamped, and even Father was in the store, helping customers. It was me, him, and Richard. Sarah hadn't been scheduled, and Father couldn't bring himself to call her. Besides, she'd already made plans with Ariella, Lauren, and Britain.

"Hello, Emerson's Electronics. We sell, buy, and trade DVDs-"

"I know, Reese."

"Alexander? What happened?"

"Sarah and Ariella are in the hospital. Neither of them will speak, and both of them are extremely stiff."

"I don't like that."

"Not that kind of stiff, you stupid boy! Oh, sorry."

"Whatever. What hospital?"

"Which one do you think?" he snapped. "Be there as soon as you can."

"That was Alexander," I told Father.

"What did he want?" he asked, scanning merchandise as fast as a human possibly could.

"Something happened to Sarah and Ariella. They're at the hospital. He wants me there."

"Tell him to stick a cane up his-"

"Mordecai, there's a customer who wants to speak to you," Richard cut in.

"Anyway, you can go anytime you want, Reese. Richard and I will handle this."

"Are you sure?"

"Son, she's your mate, and she's hurt."

I didn't need to be reminded twice.

 

I was taken to a small room. Sarah's eyes widened minutely when she saw me. Her mouth was open slightly, and she wasn't moving. Neither was Ariella. Her mouth was also hanging open slightly. Uncle Soren was there, trying to coax her into talking.

"My love, please speak to me," he said. Ari didn't even shake her head. I grasped Sarah's hand.

"Sarah, if you can hear me, squeeze twice." She squeezed twice. "Is something in your mouth or throat?" She squeezed twice. "Can you speak at all?" She squeezed once. "Baby, what happened?" I asked. She couldn't answer, and I cursed myself for being stupid.

The doctor came in. "Hello, I'm Dr. Lapoit," he said. "And you are?"

"I'm Sarah's boyfriend," I said. "This is my uncle."

"I am Ariella's boyfriend," Uncle Soren said. Dr. Lapoit looked taken aback. Uncle Soren looked at least thirty five.

"I'm Sarah's mother," Mother cut in. "Can you please just tell me what happened to my baby?"

"That's what we're trying to find out, ma'am. Stella, get me a flashlight and a tongue depressor." Dr. Lapoit worked on Sarah first. "Open your mouth as much as you can for me, sweetie." Her mouth opened minutely. "A little more. That's it...what...oh, my god. It's a fork!"

"A fork?" Alexander snickered. "They swallowed forks?" Mother smacked him on the back of the head.

"Be nice, or I'll shove a fork down your throat," she threatened.

Dr. Lapoit looked in Ariella's throat. "You both swallowed forks? How? Stella, get Dr. Foster in here. We need a laryngoscope for both girls."

Stella produced a laryngoscope fairly quickly and Dr. Lapoit put it in Sarah's mouth. Another doctor appeared, Dr. Foster, I presumed, and took a look in Ariella's throat. They put more devices in their mouths.

"Come on," Dr. Lapoit said.

"Careful, or it'll go into her stomach," Alexander quipped, smirking.

"Hey, Alexander? Shut up," Uncle Soren said.

The curtain opened, and Alicia walked in. "What happened?" she asked. "Baby, did you have another seizure?"

"There's a fork in her throat," Alexander explained, still grinning. "Ariella's, too." Alicia looked put out.

"How?"

"That's what we're all wondering," I muttered. Alicia looked like she wanted to go over to Sarah and embrace her.

"Sarah, when that thing gets out of you, I promise to cut back on the booze."

"Why not cut back anyway?" Alexander snapped. "You have more than one daughter, Alicia." Mother glared at him.

"Be quiet. At least she's trying."

Finally, after a few more minutes, the fork came out of Sarah's mouth, then Ariella's.

"Can you speak?" Dr. Lapoit asked.

"Yes," Sarah said. "Thank you."

"Of course. How did that happen?"

"I think I would like a mocha," Ariella said.

"I fancy a cup of mango tea," Sarah replied.

"You make really good tiramisu, Ms. Cresley," Ariella said.

"Thank you," Alicia said. "But I told you, call me Alicia." The girls looked at each other.

"We might as well tell them," Ariella said. They looked back at us. "We saw the ghost of Michael Nales." I stood, shocked.

"A ghost? Bullcrap," Alexander said. "There's no such thing as ghosts."

"Don't be close-minded," I snapped. "Truth is, I've seen him, too. I was at the city library, though, when I saw him."

"You believe us?" Sarah said hopefully.

"Of course. I should have told you sooner, but I didn't want to scare you. I haven't thought about it in a while, though. What were you doing when it happened?"

"Practicing kissing," Ariella joked. Inappropriate thoughts flashed through my mind.

"Be serious," Uncle Soren chided. "What were you doing?"

"We were eating the tiramisu that Sarah's mom made us," Alicia said. "When he came out of the TV."

"Wow, how unoriginal," Alexander drawled sarcastically.

"Hey, don't blame us," Ariella said. "We're the victims."

"To what, exactly?"

"Alexander, shut up." That last statement came from me. He glared at me. I squeaked. If I was anyone else, I'd be either dead or extremely hurt for saying that to him. He had yet to kick Uncle Soren's ass, which is the only reason why my uncle was still standing, because he always beats Alexander in a fight.

"The ghost just glared at us," Sarah continued. "We freaked out, that's why we swallowed the forks." She seemed ashamed. Dr. Lapoit, Dr. Foster, and Stella were all looking at us with skepticism and surprise.

Alicia looked confused. Sarah looked at me. "Can I tell her about your diet?"

"Of course, she's your mother. It's better if she knows now."

"Mom, the Emersons, Marina, and Alexander are all vampires." Alicia burst into laughter.

"Funny, Sarah."

"I didn't mean right now!" I scolded.

"Too late."

Alexander looked like he was ready to kill her, while Mother looked oddly proud. Uncle Soren simply looked nonchalant. The doctors and the nurse were already leaving the room.

"Let me take you home," Alicia said. "Ariella, do you want to come with us?"

"Sure," she said.

We all went our separate ways after a quick kiss and hug goodbye.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"SHOW YOURSELF!" I shouted at the sky. "SHOW YOUR DAMNED ECTOPLASMIC SELF, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

He shimmered into view. He looked the same as he did in life, with blond hair and blue eyes, and extremely attractive. Only now, he was transparent.

"What do you want, bloodsucker?"

"I want to know why you scared her half to death."

"She's the reason I'm dead!"

"You lying, hypocritical piece of ghost shit. You're the reason why you're dead!"

"Do you know what Hell is like?"

"I can imagine," I said. "She didn't do anything wrong! You fucked her without her fucking consent!"

"She sent me to jail!" Nales shouted. "I suffer, even after death, because of you and her! Not only that, but she almost killed my baby! And instead of giving him to my parents like a good girl, she's giving him to a couple of bloodsuckers who turn out to be vampires. I should have known. You're the weirdest kid I've ever met."

"Watch it," I said dangerously. "It's my fault you're dead, Michael, not hers!"

"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.

"Do you really think a human could get into that prison? Fuck no, but a vampire could. I happen to be a vampire born from vampires. My father killed you."

"You son of a bitch! I should-" He was cut off by a high-pitched howl.

"Shit," I cursed. "Werewolf." A female wolf. Less dangerous than males, but still dangerous and temperamental, especially in heat. And I was a vampire, and I was alone. I started running in the opposite direction.

She still heard or smelled me, since she started chasing me. I looked up. It wasn't totally nighttime yet, but a full moon was out. I glanced back, which was a mistake. All I saw was nine hundred pounds of furry and ugly. She was on all fours, her ears flattened and her eyes slits. And the stench emanating from her was unbelievable.

She was still young; this was probably her first or second moon cycle. She was inexperienced. Then again, so was I. I got a glimpse of my own father as I passed the house. He looked stunned, then started moving.

I turned and ran back to the lake. I wondered if the wolf would follow me if I jumped in. I heard a commotion behind me. I looked back. Another wolf was in the fray. Father finally reached me.

"How the hell did you meet a werewolf?" he said with a mixture of concern and anger.

"It's a long story," I said. "I have no idea where she came from."

"Neither do I. Is...is that Faolan?" His anger turned to worry as he watched the brawl. Teeth, claws, and fur were flying. Blood was darkening their fur and the ground. Finally, the male pinned the female, his mouth around her neck. She whimpered, her tail between her legs. Then the fur melted away, the claws shrunk, and a naked teenage girl was laying on the ground with Faolan on top of her.

"I submit," she said.

"You'd better," Faolan said. It was the first time I'd heard him speak. His voice was a smooth baritone, not quite a tenor, not quite a bass. He looked at us. "Are you all right, Reese?" I nodded, surprised that he even knew my name.

"What is your name, and are you alone or part of a clan?" Faolan said to the girl.

"Sadie," she said. "And I'm a member of Eric Martin's pack." Faolan hissed. Father sucked in a breath. Now she'd done it. Eric had beaten Faolan years ago and stolen his pack. Many of the original members stayed, but some left. It had grown quite a bit in size over the years.

Father turned me around. "Reese, tell me exactly what happened." I told him everything, beginning with what I discovered at the hospital. His eyes got darker and darker. When I told him about summoning Michael's ghost, he said "You did what?!" but he still let me finish. When I did finish, he was furious. "I...I think I need to destroy something. Why on earth would you summon a ghost? Without me with you? Faolan, why are you leering at me?"

"What do you want me to do with Sadie?" Faolan asked.

"Throw her in the dungeon at my house. I need to question her. I need to think. Reese, do you have Eric Martin's phone number?"

"Why would I have his phone number?"

"Don't use that tone with me. I'm not in a good mood."

"I wasn't using a tone!"

"Now you are." He threw me over his shoulder and started walking back to the house. "Follow me, Faolan. Sadie."

"Mordecai, why do you have Reese on your shoulder?" Uncle Soren asked.

"Leave me alone, Soren. Reese is so grounded for eternity."

"Pff. You don't have the guts to ground him."

"You're right, Soren. I don't. Reese, go to your room and lock yourself in. I will be there shortly."

"Father, don't be overbearing."

"Hush, you."

"Father, can you please put me down?"

"Fine." He set me on my feet.

Faolan had half-dragged Sadie to the house.

I went to my bedroom to change clothes before questioning Sadie.

 

As it turned out, she'd been a werewolf for only a month. She was bitten on the last moon cycle and turned into a werewolf by a wolf named Quentin. He had died, and she was left without an alpha until she met Eric's pack and joined them, but they failed to give her a potion or keep her locked up. She still had no control over her wolf form, so that's why she went after me.

Werewolves are, for some unknown reason, attracted to the scent of vampire blood. Also, our food source is similar. We both love blood, especially human blood.

Sadie apologized profusely, which I accepted. Father gave her a potion to keep her wolf under control and the recipe so she could learn to make it herself. I also lent her an old shirt and athletic shorts to keep herself covered.

"Will you be my new alpha?" she asked Faolan. He looked surprised.

"Yes, I will," he said. He wrapped his mouth around her neck, and she crouched down on her belly. If she was in wolf form, her tail would be between her legs. Her dark hair spilled over her tanned shoulders. Faolan released her, then led her outside, where they talked.

"I'm glad everything worked out," I said. Father glared at me.

"She chased you, Reese!"

"It wasn't her fault, Father! It was really her pack's! They should have known better." He took a deep breath.

"You're right. It was really Eric's fault. Well, at least you're okay, and that's all that matters to me."

It didn't stay peaceful for long.

 

Sarah came by and eyed Sadie warily, especially when I told her what had happened. There was an incident in the garden when Adam tried to attack Sadie, and I was forced to step in and stop it.

Eric came by and demanded to speak to me.

"What?" I asked him.

"Your scent is all over Sadie's. Where is she?"

"Chill, Eric, I'm right here," she said, stepping in front of me.

"Are you hurt?" he asked her.

"No, I'm fine."

"That's good. Come with me."

Sadie left with him, leaving the rest of us confused.

"Not once did she mention any family other than the pack," Uncle Soren noted.

"She asked me to be her alpha," Faolan said. "So why did she go back to Eric?"

"It's better that you weren't involved," Father said, wrapping an arm around Faolan. "You and he would have fought, and that would not have ended well." Faolan tipped his head up and kissed Father's chin. That action surprised myself and Father.

"Come talk to me," Faolan said. He took Father into the library.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faolan left a few hours later. He left suddenly, without warning. Father went to chase after him, but Uncle Soren held him back.

"You don't even like werewolves, Mordecai," he said. "And you're not...um...like Reese."

"That's true, but it still hurts," Father said. "Faolan is different. I don't love him in the same way that I love Marina, but he is still special to me."

"I wonder," Grandfather said, "If Reese is the way he is because of you and Faolan."

"Father, he didn't even know Faolan existed until a few months ago. He's bisexual because that's just who he is. I thought you had accepted that."

"I have," Grandfather said, with the tone of voice that said he was lying. I was hurt and went to call Sarah.

"Hello, gorgeous," she chirped.

"You're in a good mood."

"Why wouldn't I be? This baby will be out of me in July, I have an amazing boyfriend, a shitload of friends, and your mother adores me. I still don't know about Alexander, though."

"Alexander doesn't really like anyone except himself," I assured her. "And Kieran and Cirino. And me. And Mother. That's it. How is Cirino, by the way?"

"Very kicky," she told me. "I wish you could feel him right now. He knows the sound of my voice. Oh!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a hard kick. He's ornery."

 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I was covered in cats. Remy, Anakin, Sugar, Mishka, and Shadowfang.

"What did you think of Sadie and Faolan?" I asked Shadowfang.

I don't like wolves at the best of times.

I noticed for the first time that his "voice" was slightly accented. I wondered where he was from.

"Can the other cats speak?"

Not in a language you understand. He licked his paw and cleaned his face.

"Why can I understand you and not the other cats?"

I only speak to whom I choose. I was really getting tired of his cryptic messages.

I understood. I could communicate with Shadowfang, and only him. No one else had spoken to him. For some reason, he chose me. I wondered if I should tell Father. I sat up and went to find him in the library. He was reading in a chair.

"Father, I need to talk to you about ," I said.

"What is it, son?"

"It's about Shadowfang. I can...I can talk to him."

He set the book on his lap. "Explain." So I went through each instant, detailing everything. When I was done, Father rubbed his chin. I noticed that he had some blond stubble.

"Interesting. I wonder if he will talk to me?" He marked the page in the book and stood up. "Reese, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I didn't know if what I was hearing was real. Now there's no doubt in my mind."

Father touched his forehead to mine. I knew he was reading my mind. "I'm glad you told me, baby boy. Now I need to question a cat as well."

I went to my bedroom and pulled out my laptop. I wanted to write down my thoughts, but I didn't know where to start. The screen went black after a few minutes, and I pressed a button. I typed in my password and went to Facebook. Sarah had added some more pictures of her belly.

Sarah Cresley- is feeling excited.

Little dude is kicking around. I think he knows everyone's voices by now! He knows when his mom is happy!

I liked her post, along with her belly pictures. I could tell that she felt nothing but love for Cirino, glad that she had decided to go through with the pregnancy. I only wished that the baby was mine instead of Michael's.

Father entered my room just as I was changing into sweatpants. "Don't you ever knock?"

"I spoke to Shadowfang," he said, ignoring my tone. "He spoke back in my mind as well. He says that our family is special, especially to 'his kind'."

"What did he mean by that?"

"I don't know; he wouldn't say anything else. He admitted that he'd spoken to both you and Louis."

"Louis, too?"

"Yes. That's part of the reason why Louis left." Father looked sad. I knew he still felt guilty over Louis. We all missed him, and had tried on different occasions to contact him. He ignored us each time, told us off, or blocked us. By now, he'd blocked both Father and Uncle Soren on everything.

Father sat beside me on the bed. I finished changing into my bed clothes and sat in my desk chair. Father looked at me quizzically. He picked up a book.

"When did you start reading this?" he asked. I looked at the title. It was Moby Dick.

"I just started yesterday."

"And already halfway through? Thor's death, you read fast. What do you think of the captain?"

"I think he's too focused on the whale." I wanted Father to leave so I could go to sleep.

"True. What did you think of Ishmael and Queepeeg?"

"I think they have an interesting relationship." I sat on the bed beside him. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed my temple.

"What did you think of the book overall?"

"Father, I'm not finished yet. I'm only halfway through."

"Ah. Right. Well, good night, Reese. I hope you have good dreams." He finally left. He turned out the light as he left. I closed the door behind him. He opened it, glaring at me. I closed it again. He opened it again.

"Father!"

"Reese, how can I get to you if the door is closed?"

"What, do you think Ambrose will come back?"

"Yes." We stared each other down. "Fine." He closed the door.

Satisfied, I crawled into bed. For a while, I didn't sleep. I heard the window open. It was Ambrose.

Shit. Father was right. I felt his cold arms wrap around my midsection. I turned around to look at him. "Ambrose!"

He slapped a hand over my mouth. "Shhh, little love. We don't want your father to find us." He rolled on top of me. I moved his hand away.

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought you hated me!"

"I did, at first. But I realized that this is perfect. Our love will create a new realm, one where vampires rule over all races."

"Do you realize how cliche you sound right now?"

"Who cares about cliches, as long as they work?" He kissed me, hard.

"Father!" I cried, when he finally broke free. The door was kicked down not a second later.

"Ambrose!"

"Mordecai!" He was standing up now, knees bent, glaring at my father.

"You were right, Father!" I said.

"Father knows best," he said, circling around to me. "Ambrose, leave. Now, and I will not kill you today." Ambrose smirked.

"You're too much of a coward to kill me, Blondie. Besides, your son has admitted his love."

"I most certainly did not!" I cried.

"Reese, hush," Father said, walking forward. "Damn it, I wish Father was here."

"Where is Eilief?" Ambrose said mockingly. "Is he sitting in a chair, wallowing in his own guilt? Everyone knows his past."

"Leave my father out of this!" Father said, launching himself at Ambrose. The evil vampire jumped through my bedroom window, Father right after him. "SOREN! AMBROSE IS GETTING AWAY! DIMITRI! AFTER HIM! FOLLOW HIM TO HIS HIDEOUT!"

"How the fuck did he get to North Hampton, anyway?" I asked out loud.

kicked the rest of the window and laughed humorlessly. "Odin's death, what luck. He climbs into my own house without me noticing. Well, at least Reese is okay. I'm glad I stuck around."

I slept in Father's room that night.

 

 

The next day, I was halfway on my commute to school when the Astro started smoking. I cursed and pulled over. I called Father, who sent Spencer to help me. I ended up walking the rest of the way while Spencer took care of my van.

I arrived ten minutes before the first class. I got out my books and homework for my first class and continued on with my day. At lunch, Rouge was all over Noah again. I noticed that Sarah kept glancing over. I finally texted her.

Reese: What happened between you and Rouge?

Sarah: She used to be Scarlett's friend, before Scarlett caught her stealing spells from her. She and Scarlett got into a fight, which became an actual physical fight. And then she tried to steal my boyfriend at the time, which only made things worse.

Reese: Who was your boyfriend at the time?

Sarah: Oh, Reese. It was Jeremy Smith.

Reese:On the football team?

Sarah: That's the one.

So now I knew what had happened between Sarah and Rouge. I still wasn't sure what Rouge wanted with my friend, though, or even if she truly liked him or just wanted to use him. Fairies are hard to understand. I'd dealt with fairies before, but not to this extent. Mostly, I'd been introduced to the odd fairy at a political function or party.

My attention was distracted when I spotted golden boy Caden Cartwright wrapping his arms around Sarah and pecking her cheek. I squeezed the pencil I was holding until the wood became dust.

She happened to glance back at me, and her attention was suddenly on me. She excused herself from the table and went over to me. I think all motion and talk stopped, but I didn't care about that.

"Reese, it was just a hug," she said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, but you're mine. He should know that!"

"Reese, calm down. You don't have to be jealous." The bell rang. "I have to go. Calm yourself."

"Do I sense drama?" Rouge crooned. "Jealous goth boyfriend versus popular football captain fighting over a sexy brunette. How sickeningly sweet."

"Shut your damn mouth," Amara snapped at Rouge. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why do you like to cause drama?"

"She hasn't caused any drama," Noah argued. "You're just jealous because she's prettier than you." Amara burst into tears, grabbed her stuff, and ran from the cafeteria.

"You're a real asshole, you know that?" Mason said to Noah. "Trust me: Rouge is not who you think she is. Don't throw away something good for something that isn't real."

"Oh, I'm so scared of the wizard," Noah mocked.

"Warlock," Mason corrected. "And don't be so sure that I won't suck all that fat out of your head." Noah looked truly terrified then. Mason grabbed his stuff and left as well. I followed him.

 

"What the hell is wrong with Noah?" I asked.

"It's that redheaded bitch," Mason said. "She's a fairy, Reese. They're known for pulling tricks."

"True. But how are we going to save him?"

"I don't know. He's too into Rouge."

As I headed to class, I thought about it. I needed to research fairies more. At the moment, I knew next to nothing about them, other than the fact that they can change size, can turn invisible, and had wings that they could hide. And they liked pulling tricks and pranks and causing problems.

 

The next day, Noah and Rouge sat away from us. Amara didn't show up at school that day, or the next. On the third day, Dimitri returned and said that he'd found Ambrose's hideout. All of his coven was there as well. That could be a problem.

"My spy will not betray us," Father said.

"You have a spy in Ambrose's coven?" I asked, aghast. Father nodded.

"I do. He's trustworthy and I can depend on him. He saved your life earlier this year." I wondered who it was. As it turned out, I didn't have long to find out.

One day, I arrived home after school to find a familiar face talking to my father.

"You don't know how hard it was to get away with Peter and Ambrose watching," Dean said. I gaped at him.

"You?!"

Dean nodded. "Yes, Prince Reese, me. I owe everything to your father. If it weren't for him, I'd be dead. I pledged my loyalty to the Emerson clan hundreds of years ago, long before Prince Louis was born." This was interesting.

"And Ambrose?"

"He has no idea. Neither does my Peter."

"Come, Dean," Father said. "We have to talk."

I wondered if Dean really loved Peter, or if it was a trick.

 

I called Mason.

"You're not going to believe this," I said, and told him about Dean.

"Weird," he said. "Hey, I have some news."

"Good news or bad news?"

"You decide for yourself. Rouge messaged Amara and told her to go kill herself."

"What did Amara do?"

"She blocked her. Noah is completely blinded by her. I don't know what to think, Reese. Noah is my best friend, and he's turned into a total jerk. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him."

I thought for a moment. "We need to catch Rouge causing drama. Screenshot anything she says online, and send it to him. Record her doing or saying something. Hopefully that will wake him up."

"Hmm. I can't help but wonder, though...why Noah?"

"I know. It's so odd. He's usually much smarter than this. And what exactly are her intentions? I know it's to use him, but what for?"

"Well, if he insists on getting his heart broken, there's really nothing we can do about it."

"What...Mason, he's your best friend."

"I know. But it's like that thing with Ariella and Damon Sage-she's going to keep getting her heart broken if she keeps going back to him."

"Excuse me? Ariella is with Damon Sage again?"

"Yeah...I thought you knew. Guess I dropped the ball there."

"Are you freaking kidding me? The wolf?"

"Reese, don't freak out."

"How can I not freak out? My best friend is dating a werewolf. How can that not be a problem?" I thought about my recent experiences with werewolves. We still had no word on either Faolan or Sadie. I kept thinking.

"Reese? Don't do anything stupid."

"I'm not going to do anything stupid. I need to think." I realized he was right. There really was nothing I could do except warn Ariella.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah was excited. Not just for school ending, which was coming in a couple of weeks, but for the eventual birth of Cirino. Her belly was still growing every day, and I even went with her to a couple of appointments. She now brought a book wherever she went, and a sewing kit. She had started designing clothes for herself. Her latest project involved a denim skirt with ruffles. She said that she could never pull it off, but Ariella's hips and legs were skinny enough to.

She had a few new hobbies. She now browsed websites for project ideas and organization tips. She loved buying school and office supplies, especially anything that resembled Lisa Frank or Hello Kitty. Or particular boy bands, which, okay, I found I didn't like.

"They're terrible," I said as she pulled out a Maroon 5 folder. She looked at me like I was crazy. We were in her bedroom, and she was going to show me a dress design.

"You're cold," she retorted.

"I tell the truth."

"No, you tell your own truth. There are always two sides to every story. There's your side and then there's my side."

"But which one is the truth?"

"Probably neither," she said cryptically. I noticed a drawing among the debris on her desk. I pulled it out and looked at it. It was a drawing of a girl who looked an awful lot like Sarah. She had curly brown hair, and her head was down, large red tears falling from her eyes. She wore a long black dress that covered her feet. Roses, gardenias, and lilies dotted the picture. Sarah snatched it away.

"Sarah," I said, "is there something you want to tell me?"

"Not particularly."

I sighed. "Sarah."

"Reese. I still have bouts of depression. I'm still not over it-I'll probably never be over it."

"I wish I could erase your pain." I looked at another picture. This one had a picture of a girl with glass in her feet. Sarah put the folder away. "Sarah," I said. "Would you consider getting a joint account with me?"

"Don't you have to be eighteen to do that?"

"In some places, yes. I mean, when we're out of high school."

"We'll see how things go." That hurt. That implication that we may or may not be together still.

"Anything we buy with it, we'll share. Anything you want, you can buy."

"I can buy anything I want now."

"I mean, if you want a second house, or another car, or a jet ski, or a boat. Anything big like that."

"I'd rather spend my money on the kids."

"Kids? How many are we shooting for?"

"At least three, including Cirino." She put a hand on her stomach. "I know, I know. I'm hungry, too."

 

"What do you think of Noah and Rouge?" I asked as Sarah sat down and started eating her salad.

"I think it's sick and he's stupid to date her. I should probably warn him."

"We've already tried," I said. "He's enamored by her."

"I can't believe she's a fairy. All that magic, and she still tried to steal the Hart sisters' magic."

"Fairies like magic," I said. "Whether it's good or bad."

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen or heard Scarlett or Jordan lately. Have you?"

"No, thank the gods. We're dealing with enough as it is. Have you heard from Glen?"

"Nope."

"Thank Aphrodite." I kissed her temples. My Aphrodite. She finished her lunch and got up to throw away the plastic bowl.

"I love you so much, Sarah," I said.

"I love you too, Reese," she replied. Then she froze. "Crap."

"What is it?" I asked, tipping her head up.

"Nothing. I thought I saw...well, it's nothing."

"Sarah."

"Reese." I turned around and sniffed the air. I scented another male. I kept sniffing. His scent was electrical, yet sweet, like sugar and herbs. I wracked my brain, trying to remember if I knew anyone who smelled like that. I looked back at Sarah, who looked confused.

I listened carefully. I heard light footsteps. "Stay here." I walked to the front of the house, where the scent was strongest. I looked around. The neighborhood was quiet, almost too quiet. I kept smelling the air and listening for enemies. I walked around the house. I climbed over the fence into Sarah's backyard, where Spunk and Coffee were looking at me curiously.

"Did you see anything?" I asked the dogs. Spunk's tail wagged. I doubted he understood what I had said. "Want to go inside-" I was cut off by a scream. I ran inside the house, followed closely by the dogs. Sarah was fighting a large dark male.

Glen.

"Hey! Fatass!" I cried. He glared at me, then threw a jet of blue light which hit me in the chest. Ignoring the pain, I let my fangs grow. I bit him, causing him to let go of Sarah, throwing her against the wall. I relinquished him and ran to my mate. "Sarah! Are you hurt?!" The pain in my chest was intense, causing me to gasp and fall to my knees.

"Reese!" She rolled me over, tears in her eyes. "Why do you do this?!" she screamed at Glen. "Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"Sarah, come with me and be my queen," Glen said.

"No! Fix him right now!" Glen glanced at me.

"No, I don't think I will. If he was human, he'd be dead already."

"NO!" Sarah screamed.

"Sarah, I'll be fine," I said. "Go. Call Alexander or my father. I can deal with this."

"I can't leave you!" She buried her face in my stomach, which tightened painfully.

"Take my phone," I said, reaching into my pocket. Glen threw a jet of blue light, which nearly hit the phone before I tossed it to Sarah. Glen paused. He had a ball of blue light in his hand, but he didn't want to accidentally hit Sarah. She quickly typed in the password and started dialing. Glen hit the phone, causing Sarah to clutch her hand and hiss.

"I'm sorry, lover, but I can't let you call anyone," he said.

"I'll go with you!" Sarah cried.

"What?" I was aghast.

"I'll go with you, Glen, as long as you promise not to hurt Reese," she repeated. Glen stared at her.

"Deal." He grabbed her arm and pulled her up, dragging her away. I grabbed what remained of my phone and dialed Alexander's number.

"Hello?" he gruffly answered.

"Alexander, I need your help," I said, quickly summarizing the situation. Glen glared at me, but did nothing except drag Sarah out the door. Spunk followed them, barking. Glen threw a ball of light at the golden retriever's feet.

"Hey! That's my dog!" Sarah cried. Spunk kept barking as Glen dragged her out the door and out of sight.

"Hang on," Alexander said. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

The pain in my chest grew. I started drifting off.

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - SARAH

I woke up covered in wetness, which I realized was saliva. Specifically, my father's. Feeling disgusted, I sat up, only for him to put a hand on my stomach and push me back down.

"Stay, boy."

"I'm not a dog...where's Sarah?" Father looked at me sadly.

"We had to fight him to get her away from him. It was brutal and bloody. Spencer lost an arm, which Dimitri is currently reattaching. We managed to get her away, though. Specifically, your mother got her away from him. I've never seen her so vicious. Her eyes turned red and her pupils became slitted. I think she frightened Sarah, but she wanted to get away from Glen."

"Did Sarah survive?"

"Of course. Marina is taking care of her right now."

"Did Glen survive?"

"I don't know, honestly. He was beaten to pulp when Marina was done with him."

"Father, you need to hire more guards."

"I see that now. I'm working on it."

"Great. Now will you let me take a shower?"

"Oh, take a bath instead. I'd rather you not aggravate your heart anymore."

"What was that curse?" I asked.

"I had Krauvas take a look at it. He says it was a Heart Explosion curse." He shuddered. "Luckily, he and Mason were able to fix you."

"Mason, too?"

"Yes. Krauvas wanted him to have hands-on experience, and I suppose you were the perfect person to start with since he knows you."

I sat up, slowly. "I need to see Sarah."

 

She was in Mother's arms, still crying lightly.

"Sarah," I said, getting her attention.

"Reese!" She threw her arms around me. She broke apart and looked at me, cheeks and eyes covered with smeared makeup. We kissed for a full minute. She looked into my eyes. "You are so damned lucky."

"So are you," I told her. "Odin, I love you." She started crying again.

"Shh, my little one," Mother cooed, trying to extract Sarah from me. I hissed at her. She hissed right back. "Are you all right, Reese?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I said, wondering at her attitude. Mother seemed embarassed.

"I apologize for hissing at you," she said.

"Apology accepted."

"So, you're awake," said Mason's voice. I looked back at him. Krauvas was there, too.

"Yeah, I'm awake. Thanks for healing me."

"Always. Do you need anything else? Blood?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine. You can go home." Mason looked at his father.

"Your father insisted you eat," Krauvas said.

"I'm not hungry."

"Dad, let's go," Mason said. "He doesn't want to eat." Krauvas finally listened to Mason and left.

I held Sarah while she cried. I knew that she blamed herself. "Baby, look at me," I told her. She looked up with shining eyes. "I'm fine. I'll live. Please stop crying."

"I c-can't," she squeaked.

"Sarah, you have to calm down. Think of Cirino." She punched me in the shoulder.

"Damn you! You are so damned beautiful, and then you save me, more than once, and then you turn out to be beautiful on the inside, too! Why did I have to fall for you! Why?!"

Needless to say, I was confused, and her words stung. Where did this come from?

"Where did all this come from?" I asked.

"Why can't guys leave me alone? And why did I have to be attracted to you? And why didn't you tell me you were a vampire?"

"Sarah, please stay calm," I said. I picked her up and carried her to my bedroom, where I locked and barricaded the door. She watched me, fascinated by my strength. I turned off the light and shut the blinds on my window.

"Reese, your eyes are glowing," she said.

"It's a natural defense mechanism," I explained. She looked at me, then squealed and backed away. I crawled on top of her. "Sarah Harper, look at me."

"But your eyes..." Her voice shook.

"I know. My pupils are slitted. They'll do that if I'm angry or horny sometimes."

"Are you angry with me?"

"Should I be?" She whimpered, and I sighed, aware that I have frightened her again. I carefully put one hand on her chest, the other on her shoulder, pushing her into the bed. I covered her legs with my own.

Okay, I was starting to get angry, I admit that. I was afraid, too. Sarah looked up at me with wide eyes. My control was slowly leaving my jurisdiction. My teeth grew, and I slowly wrapped them around her neck without piercing her skin. She lay as still as a statue. I pressed my chest to hers, our stomachs touching.

"Sarah, where did all of this come from?" I asked, my fangs shrinking. I licked her tears away, disliking the taste of her makeup in my mouth.

"It's my-"

"If you're going to say that it's your fault that Glen attacked me, you might as well keep your mouth shut." She shut up. I licked her eyes and her cheeks. "It's my own fault I got attacked. I wasn't careful enough. None of this is your fault. I refuse to let you blame yourself." I kissed her. Her lips were cold and tasted unusually sweet. "If I lift up from you, will you be okay?" She thought for a moment.

"I have to go," she said. She scooted out from under me.

"Sarah," I held her back. "What happened?"

"I can't deal with this anymore," she said.

"Can't deal with what?"

"You putting yourself on the line for me. Guys chasing after me. Your jealousy. The pain. I just can't deal with it anymore!" She left then.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd asked Mother and Alexander to watch her, and Alexander had replied that they couldn't watch her twenty four seven. So I assigned Dimitri to watch her instead. I trusted him the most out of the two guards we had left.

Father had put a notice out, asking for more vampires to apply to be guards. He would accept werewolves and Elves, too. Finally, he hired a vampire named Stephen, who was to be my personal guard. He called Toby a couple times, asking him to come back.

I busied myself with schoolwork and song writing. I finished a book report on Dracula by Bram Stoker.

One day, I spotted Scarlett behind me as I walked to my Advanced Junior English class. I hurried to class and took my usual seat. She sat beside me.

"You're not in this class," I hissed.

"I changed my schedule. It's okay, I won't even notice you're here most of the time."

"Why do I not believe you?"

"Face it, Emerson. What do you have, besides money and smarts, to make me even interested in you?"

"You were interested in me before."

"True," she said, and blew me a red kiss. She pulled down her bra strap a bit. I noticed how thin her arms were. "I'm still interested in you."

"Hypocrite," I said, shaking my head.

"Loser. You don't know what you're missing out on."

"I think I do. Don't talk to me again."

Throughout the rest of the hour, she would nudge my leg with her foot. It didn't hurt, despite the sharp heel, but it did bother me a lot. I tried to focus on our next project, The Scarlet Letter, but Scarlett kept bugging me. Finally, I'd had enough and moved my desk two inches closer to my other neighbor.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Emerson?" the teacher asked.

"No," I said grouchily. He looked unsure.

Throughout the day, I kept running into Scarlett or Jordan. I felt harassed. At lunch, I sat with Duke and Mason, again, by ourselves. Amara was sitting by herself in a corner of the lunchroom, her hair a dull brown, sulking and eating very little. I personally thought she was being a bit childish over the whole Noah/Rouge thing, although I understood.

I did not like it in the past when I heard about or saw either of my lovers with another male. Even Evan, whom I did not love as much as I loved Sarah, and whom I was quite protective. I did not experience jealousy like I do around Sarah, though. I wondered why that was. Was it because she's female? Because she's popular and beautiful? Evan is in no way of average appearance, but Sarah is the true belle of the entire population of North Hampton High School.

She has quite the fan club, mainly consisting of males.

My limited appetite was completely destroyed as I spotted yet another heavyset male give her a bear hug. I turned back to my book, trying to focus on the relationship between Ishmael and Queepeeg. Duke and Mason were quietly arguing over who the better singer was, Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters or Anthony from Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"Who's the better singer, Reese?" Mason asked.

"Both of them are pretty hot," I stated, which caused both of them to shut up and give me strange looks.

"Damn, I didn't know you swung that way," Duke said.

"I'm bisexual," I told him.

"Is that why you read all the time?" he teased. Mason smacked him on the back of the head.

"You read, too, limpwad."

"Yeah, good stuff. I don't read Dicky Moe or whatever."

"It's Moby Dick, stupid. And it's a classic."

While they bickered, I looked back at Sarah. She had one hand over her mouth and the other on her stomach, as if she was trying not to throw up. Then she got up and left the table. I wondered if she was okay and if I should follow her, then I realized she was going into the girls' bathroom. I didn't blame her-the nurse's office was on the other side of the building.

I marked my page and closed the book.

"Have you read Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz?" Duke asked Mason.

"I have, actually," Mason said with a smirk. "I've read everything Dean Koontz has ever published. And Stephen King, and Jack Keourac-"

"And Stephenie Meyer-"

"I've only read The Host by her."

"Have you read...um..."

"Have you," Mason began, "ever read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline?"

Duke was speechless, for once.

"Both of you shut up," I said. "You're giving me a headache."

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - HUSH

Well, my Chevrolet Astro was completely busted. I was depressed about it. I asked Spencer if there was anything we could do, as he'd had more experience in car maintenance than the rest of us. He apologized to me and said that no, there was nothing we could do to save it.

We had two other cars-my father's Rolls Royce and a Ferrari that we rarely used. I was forced to accept defeat and let Father drive me to school in his Rolls Royce. I almost flipped when I saw that Spencer and a friend had taken apart the Astro.

He did find a lighter that I'd dropped once underneath the console, which was good. By the time the week was over, I had yet to procure another van or car. I usually only drove myself and Sarah, so the amount of seats didn't matter. However, the room did.

At six feet tall and two hundred pounds, I need a lot of room, despite being as thin as I am. Father told me that it was a gift, that I was all muscle. I told him that he was so wrong, and he pretended to ignore me.

On Saturday, I went to Uncle Soren for car help. My heart went out to him. We had yet to be contacted by Louis, who had severed his ties with his father completely. Uncle Soren was sitting in a chair out in the sun.

"Yes, dear nephew?" he asked, lowering his shades.

"I need help finding a new car," I told him.

"Go find Spencer."

"He's busy. What are you doing, anyway?"

"Soaking up as much natural light as I can."

"Well, I see that. Are you okay? This isn't like you."

He sat up. "To be honest with you, no, I'm not okay. I miss Louis. I know it's my own fault that he's not speaking to us." He pulled his knees up to his stomach. "I'm starting to get a headache. Let's go inside."

Uncle Soren plopped onto the couch. "I'm thinking about getting a tattoo with Louis' birth date on it."

"Can you get a tattoo?" I asked.

"We can, but it requires special equipment. A normal needle wouldn't work on us." He smiled at me. "My son and my nephew's birth dates. Now there's a thought." He sat up and looked at his watch. "Shit, I'm late. She's going to be pissed."

"Who?" I asked, wondering if he had a date.

"A special girl named None of Your Business."

"You're going to see Ariella."

"Fuck," he rubbed his face. "I can't stay away from her. She makes me feel young and alive again. Not that I've ever been alive, but at one time, I was young and fun and kind of dumb. She makes me feel like a twenty year old again. I'm sorry, Reese. I know she's your friend, but I love her."

I took a deep unneeded breath and fought to control my temper. "I know I can't stop you from seeing each other, but you should tread carefully. I've heard that Damon Sage has his eye on her again."

"That stupid wolf? I can handle him."

"Wolves are dangerous at the best of times."

"I know, Reese. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Worry about Sarah and your grades."

"That's counterproductive."

"Whatever. I need to change clothes. Be back in five."

He came back in exactly ten minutes, dressed in all black, wearing a v-neck shirt and fitted jeans. He sprayed himself with cologne, and I caught a glimpse of gold in his ear.

"Odin, this shit stinks." He stuffed his wallet and keys in his pocket, cell phone in his other pocket. "Call me if you need anything." He left.

Confused, angry, torn, I went into the backyard. The grass was starting to get long. I made a mental note to call the guy who normally cut the grass for us. I started walking forward.

I didn't stop until I smelled another vampire. I looked around, looking and listening. Finally, I spotted him. He had spotted me first. It was Peter, Dean's mate. He was crouched, lightly hissing at me. I crouched as well and hissed back.

Suddenly, I felt something hit me in the back, sending me sprawling toward the ground. I turned over and crab-walked backwards. It was Ambrose. He glared at me, his eyes red and his pupils slitted.

"You've gotten away from me for the last time," he said lowly. Somehow, his accent was more pronounced. "I don't care how many bitches you're fucking, you're mine and you know it." He dove towards me. I ducked out of the way. I got a kick to the stomach from Doyle in response.

"You little twink," he hissed. My fist flew at him, only to be caught. He adjusted my arm and shoved my own fist into my stomach. I felt somebody grab my hair and kick me in the back of the knee, causing me to fall to my hands and knees. Whoever it was grabbed my hair and pulled me upright.

"Thank you, Nick, you may release him," Ambrose said. He grabbed my hair next and shoved my face into his crotch. My knuckles flew up and connected with the soft flesh. Ambrose doubled over, and I stood up and turned to run. Peter grabbed me around the waist, stopping me in my tracks. Ambrose shoved him off and hit me across the face.

"You bitch! I'll have your fucking balls!"

"Like I just had yours?" I squeaked. He kicked me over and put a foot on my chest.

"You are so goddamn lucky you're beautiful. Otherwise, I'd kill you."

"Not interested," I said. "In any of your requests." He roared and grabbed me around the throat, squeezing. I sent a silent prayer to the Norse gods, asking them for help and to forgive my sins. I looked up, my eyes filling with tears. Ambrose seemed to soften. He slowly let of my throat.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry." His eyes were violet again. He grabbed my shoulders and threw me over his.

 

When I woke up, Ambrose was still walking. It was completely dark now, and Doyle was glaring at me. I kicked and punched Ambrose, who set me down. I started to run, and he grabbed my arms.

"Don't leave me again," he begged. "I couldn't bear it."

"I can't bear you! Let me go!"

Father! Father!

Reese? Thank the gods! Where are you?

I don't know, but Ambrose has me!

Again?! What am I going to do with you? All right, stay where you are. I'll find you.

I kicked myself for not contacting him sooner. I suppose I was too focused on staying alive. I wanted to ask him how Sarah was, if she was all right.

Father, how is Sarah?

Son, I doubt she even knows you're missing. She's doing fine as far as I know. Do you see anything?

Yeah, Ambrose, Doyle, Nick, and Peter. That's it.

Ambrose pushed me on the ground. He started to unbutton my pants.

"Stop," I said, pushing his hands away. He looked at me.

"You're right; this is the wrong location. Our first time should be in my bed, back in Europe."

"Ambrose, I don't ever want to have sex with you. You're evil, you're ugly, and you drink vampire blood."

"You will learn to live with my...wait, did you just call me ugly? You-" His hands wrapped around my throat again. He choked me, trying to break my neck. I slipped in and out of consciousness. Finally, I passed out.

When I woke up again, I was moving. No, I wasn't moving. I was in a jet that was moving, flying. Ambrose's fingers stroked my hair, almost lovingly. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "My beautiful mate."

"I'm not beautiful," I muttered.

"Yes, love, you are. You just don't see it."

"Where am I?"

"We are in my jet, getting ready to-now what?" Doyle stood in front of us.

"We have a problem. The Emerson family is here, all except for Soren and Louis. The guards are here as well."

Ambrose cursed. "Well, we have a wager. My sweet mate." He looked down at me. "I'll take care of it, love. Go back to sleep."

I shot up.

Reese, are you there?

Father! You're here!

Yes, I am. I think I see you. Stay where you are-oh, nevermind. Try to get away from him.

I heard a great crash. I looked up and rolled out of Ambrose's lap. He grabbed me.

"Reese! Are you hurt?"

"Let me go!" He held onto me and leaped up, tossing me over the ceiling exit. I rolled off the jet and landed on something soft. "Father!" He had been knocked unconscious. Toby (I was shocked to see him) grabbed me, while Grandfather grabbed Father. The jet turned and tried to run us over. Toby tossed me out of the way just in time, disappearing under the jet. Spencer let out a cry.

He rushed toward Toby, who we feared had been crushed under the weight of the jet. Spencer grabbed Toby, listening to his nonexistent heartbeat. I crawled over to my father, who was starting to wake up.

"Reese?" he said, looking up at me.

"Father, you saved me," I said.

"Always," he replied, sitting up. Grandfather put his hand on Father's chest. "Father, I'm all right."

"I'm taking no chances," Grandfather said, picking up Father and cradling him. We looked up. The jet had slowed down and was stopping. Spencer stood beside me, holding Toby. The jet stopped completely, and Ambrose jumped out of one of the side exits. He walked toward us, looking furious. Spencer hissed at him.

"Reese, come here," Ambrose said.

"Why can't you get it through your head? I DON'T LIKE YOU! I don't want to be with you!"

Ambrose looked hurt. "Baby-"

"Don't call me baby!"

"Reese...you don't know what you're saying. We're soulmates."

"I already found my soulmate! S...he...loves me as well. We're going to get married as soon as we graduate school."

Ambrose actually looked like he might cry. Then he glared at me. "Who?"

"A special person called None of Your Business."

"Are you sure he's not Soren's son?" Grandfather muttered. I looked up as a figure approached our circle. It was Dean. He walked over to our side.

"Dean, get over here," Ambrose snapped. Dean obstinately shook his head.

"Dean," Peter hissed. "Come here."

"I'm sorry, Peter. I'm so sorry," Dean said. "I truly do love you."

"IT WAS YOU!" Ambrose grabbed Peter and held a knife to his throat.

"NO!" Dean cried. "Let him go!" Ambrose reacted faster than I'd ever seen him react. He slit Peter's throat in one smooth motion. Then he took off.

"Spencer, find Stephen and follow him!" Grandfather shouted. Dean rushed to Peter and held him, tears running down his cheeks.

"You...you..." Peter huffed.

"Ssshhhh," Dean shushed him. "Rest. I promise, I never wanted to hurt you."

"Well...you did. This mating is...is..." Dean closed Peter's eyes as he trailed off. He looked at Grandfather and Father.

"Please, help him. I can't live without him."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days later, Peter was almost completely healed. He'd been given Elf blood as well as human blood, so he healed quicker than he normally would have. Dean was staying with him.

"Peter," he said, as Peter woke up.

"Dean, this mating is over."

"No, Peter, don't do that."

"You betrayed our entire coven."

"My real coven is the Emerson clan. It always has been. But when I saw you, I knew that you were my soulmate."

"You lied to me throughout our entire mating. It's over. As soon as I am fully healed, I will leave. I do not want you to follow me or try to change my mind."

Dean left the room in tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That's a sad love story," Sarah said as she stabbed a piece of steamed carrot. It was the next day, and I had brought Sarah to a restaurant for dinner. I had told her about the breakup between Peter and Dean.

Ever since the breakup, Dean had stayed shut in the basement, sometimes wailing. Uncle Soren had handcuffed Peter to the bed so he couldn't escape. I asked him what the handcuffs were made of, and he told me that I didn't want to know.

Sarah ate another carrot, chewing slowly. She had ordered soup everything tonight. French onion, then vegetable. I had simply ordered a steak, which I barely touched.

"It's so strange," she said. "I hope we never go through that."

"We won't," I promised. "Would you like my steak?" She looked at it.

"Yes, I would. Thank you. Anyway, how is everyone else?"

"Everyone's...eh, it's complicated. Louis still won't talk to us, and Noah is still acting like a jerk. Amara is being weird about the whole thing."

"I don't get it. Why Noah? He's not particularly handsome or smart." She blushed.

"I know. In fact, the only thing that stands out about him is his friendship with Mason. And his...well, his loyalty, which no longer exists. Why would he choose a girl he's known less than a month over the friend he's known for years?"

"Unless she's forcing him to like her."

"That's...entirely possible."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - ARE YOU STILL MY FRIEND?

I was singing "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton under my breath. It's one of Sarah's favorite songs, and she had played it on repeat the last time we were in the car together. It was lunchtime, and Mason, Duke, and I were sitting together.

"Can I sit here?" I looked up. Amara had asked the question.

"Of course," Mason replied. "You don't need to ask." Amara sat down. I noticed that she was wearing sweats, which she never wore to school. Her hair, which was still brown, was in a bun on top of her head. She only had a cup of yogurt and mixed nuts on her tray.

"How are you?" Duke asked her in a note of rarely-heard compassion from him.

"Lousy," she said. "I stopped taking my meds for a while, which is why I stayed away."

"Amara, you can't not take your meds," Mason scolded.

"I know, I know. Mom made me see a therapist and they're going to test me for drugs this weekend."

"What meds?" I asked.

"For depression," Amara said.

We all looked up at a raised voice. Two girls were screaming at each other. I realized it was Scarlett and Jordan Hart yelling at each other.

"I sense sisterly drama," Amara said.

"All they have is each other," I noted. "Plus their parents. They don't have friends anymore."

"They have only themselves to blame for that," Amara said. "To earn respect, you have to give respect."

"It all depends on how you treat people," I agreed. "And they treated the Beautifuls like puppets, forcing them to dabble in dark magic."

"Dark magic?" Duke said.

"I'm to blame for that," Mason muttered.

"It's not your fault," I told him.

"Yes, it is," he said stubbornly. "Everything is completely my fault."

"Everything?" I postulated. He blushed.

"Well, no," he replied, embarassed. "But my dad grounded me for at least a month when he found out."

"It's not your fault," I repeated. I heard a sharp smack. I looked back at the fight. Scarlett had smacked Jordan.

"Bitch!" she cried.

"You're the bitch!" Jordan called out as Scarlett walked away.

"Both of them are bitches," I muttered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, Dean and Peter still weren't talking, but Toby and Spencer were.

"I'm sorry I left," Toby said. "And I'm sorry I didn't realize it before."

"That's all right," Spencer said. "I'm just glad you're okay."

When they kissed, I left.

 

Anakin was asking to be petted. I scratched his ears, then tried to focus on my homework. I had a massive headache. It's hard to do homework when you have a headache and a zillion cats. I laid in bed and took a twenty-minute nap, then finished my work.

I heard shouting. I peeked out my window. Zeke and Uncle Soren were yelling at each other. Meiko was off to the side, looking like she was pondering whether to intervene or not. One of the silent blond twins, either James or Jeremy, tugged on Meiko's hand. She glanced at him, then followed him around the side of the house.

Grandfather approached the fight, looking furious. He said a few words to Uncle Soren, then to Zeke. Father walked outside, cigarette in hand, followed closely by Dimitri and Stephen, the new guard. He talked to Uncle Soren, who shook his head.

I walked downstairs and outside.

"Go back inside, Reese," Father said when he saw me. I stubbornly stood there. "Dimitri, take him inside."

Dimitri put a hand on my shoulder. "Fine," I grouched. I walked back inside, but still watched the fight from the window. I noticed that the grass needed cutting again. I figured I'd have to be the one to call the guy who normally mowed our lawn. Father was under too much stress. I felt a piece of fluff touch my leg. I glanced down and noticed Frodo asking for food.

"Toby, could you feed the cats?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied. He went to refresh their food and water. I looked back at him. I realized just how little I knew about him. I knew he was just over a hundred years old, and that he liked, possibly loved, Spencer, but that was it. He also sometimes wore earrings and had dreadlocks that he was slowly combing out.

I looked back at the fight, which was winding down, until Uncle Soren punched Zeke in the face. Father and Grandfather got a hold of him and dragged him away.

 

Someone wrote the word "faggot" on the car I was using, an old Toyota Corolla. Spencer was the first one to spot it, actually, and the yell he let out would have woken the dead. Father was furious and ran to the guest house to interrogate Zeke and his clan. He ran inside and yelled obscenities until Uncle Soren and Grandfather dragged him away.

They were relentlessly questioned. From what I heard, Adam and Janna finally admitted to doing it. They were gone the next day. Zeke apologized, and Father asked him to leave several times. Each time, he refused. Jessica even asked about Sarah, and Jeremy spoke up for once, and asked about Sabine.

"Not that it matters to either of you, but they're fine," Father replied. He left then, causing dirt to fly as he drove away.

I needed a break. I opened my Mythology And Folklore textbook. I flipped through until I spotted a passage.

There are many stories to explain the disappearance and/or deaths of children. But none are as feared as the vampire. He or she can attach themselves to a child and feed off of their energy. Vampires who do this are called energi vampyrer. The connection between a vampire and a child whose energy calls to them can be mistaken for the soulchild bond, especially if the child resembles or sounds like a child from the vampire's past, either their human life or undead life.

Did that even mean anything pertaining to my life? I sat up, thinking. I wondered if Mother really was being paranoid about Jessica. I certainly didn't want her around Sarah. While I debated the meaning with myself, I heard more arguing, this time between Uncle Soren and Grandfather. My nonexistant heartbeat jumped.

 

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - ALL THE REASONS WHY

I don't know how many DVDs I sold by noon the next day-at least a hundred. A dozen videogames. The register was taking a beating. And I was by myself for once-Richard had asked for the day off to go to his daughter's wedding. My sensitive ears were pulsing with all the noise and chatter, but I still spoke up when I heard the bell over the door ring.

"Hi and welcome to-" I broke off as Mathias walked into the store. "Oh no. What are you doing here?"

"Relax, nephew, I just want to talk to your father," he said.

"You tried to blow up my uncle!"

"I am your uncle!"

"My other uncle! You tried to kill him and you bothered Louis and Sarah!"

"I swear I don't know who Sarah is. Nor do I care. That wasn't me who tried to blow up Soren, either. I swear on my own ashes."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't. You don't know as much as you think you do, and neither does he."

"He who?"

"All of them. Eilief, Mordecai, Soren. Even Louis."

"Get out of this store!"

"No! You're going to stand there and listen to me!"

"I don't have to listen to anything you say!" I shouted. "FATHER!"

Father ran out, looking furious. "Reese Emerson, I was in the middle of-" He cut himself off and looked at Mathias. "How did I not hear you?! Get out!" Mathias glared at both of us.

"It's not like you think! All of you are being played with! I'm not a murderer!"

"I don't give a shit whether you killed or didn't kill Alga. I always hated that bitch. I do give a shit about you trying to kill my brother!"

"You should worry! I didn't kill Alga, the mafia dei vampiri did!" Father flinched.

"I said I don't care! OUT! NOW!"

"FINE! BUT WHEN YOUR PRECIOUS REESE WINDS UP DEAD, DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!"

"Spencer, Dimitri!" Suddenly, both Spencer and Dimitri appeared seemingly out of nowhere and grabbed Mathias.

"Son of a bitch! Let me go, idiots!"

I looked back at Father. He put an arm around my shoulder. "I'm not going to risk losing you again," he said. "Which is why I had Dimtri and Spencer hide here."

"Why didn't I smell them?" I asked.

"I asked them to mask their scents with cologne. I got the idea when Soren went on that date with Ariella. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. I'm such a fucking moron!" He went into the back.

I stared at the now-empty store and sighed. Some of the customers disappeared after the shouting match, and even more left after Spencer and Dimitri grabbed Mathias and dragged him away, but not before catching it on their cell phones, I'd bet. Crap. I shouldn't have shouted.

I started cleaning up the store. I thought, it could be worse. I could work at the mall instead of this store. Father owned both places; he could get me a job anywhere I wanted to work. There was a Barnes & Noble in the mall, maybe I could work there, surrounded by books. Hopefully the customers were less crazy.

I smirked as I thought of it. Sarah would love to work there; she loved books as much as I did, albeit different genres. Recently, she'd gotten into cozy mysteries, and had accumulated quite the collection. She kept some of her books at my house for when she stayed over. Our books were always getting mixed up, and I had a sneaky suspicion that she stole of my V.C. Andrews novels.

I went back to the register as I heard the bell jingle. A man I recognized as a problem customer grabbed about a dozen DVDs.

"One hundred and twelve dollars and seventy five cents," I said two minutes later. He immediately turned red.

"Since I spend so much money here, I should probably get a discount."

"We appreciate that you spend a lot of money here, but it's still a hundred and twelve dollars and seventy five cents."

"Make it fifty."

"Sir, I must ask you to pay the full price or leave."

"Listen here, punk!" He grabbed my shirt, only to be wrenched away by Toby.

"Sir, please leave!" I ordered. He swung at me, and I ducked. I felt a huge presence behind me. It was Father, of course. He grabbed the man's arm and twisted it. I could hear a bone break, and the man cried out.

"Leave, asshole, and don't come back!" The man left, clutching his broken elbow. "Thank the gods you were here, Toby! I owe you a huge debt."

"It was nothing, I was glad to do it," Toby said, brushing off my father's gratitude. Father brushed my hair with his nose and pecked my head.

"My sweet boy. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I said. "Thank both of you."

"Poppycock. I'm your father. I'm supposed to protect you. So far, I've failed miserably." He went back into his office. Toby stood off to the side, obviously wondering where he should be.

"Come here and stand beside me, Toby," I said. "You know, I don't know much about you."

"There's not much to tell," he said. "My favorite color is red, my favorite book is Journey To The Center of the Earth, and I'm pansexual."

"What about your past? Are you a human vampire or...?"

"I changed myself." I gaped at him. He smiled gently. "First off, you should know that I'm a descendant of African slaves. When my parents were brought over in the 1850s, they were teenagers. They were in a relationship from the time my mother turned fourteen up until the day my father died. My parents' American names were Elizabeth and Clyde.

"They lived on a pepper plantation. I was born about two years after they were sold to the land owner, a man named Samuel Scabs. My parents were worked to the bone, barely eating, barely drinking enough water to sustain themselves. Anyway, after I was born, an old cook named Harriet started watching over me while Mother worked in the garden. The lady of the house had a huge rose garden, and she liked it to be perfect. I felt so sorry for Mother, always coming home with splinters and scratches on her legs and hands.

"My father worked in the pepper fields. He picked them faster than any of the others. He always seemed to pick the best peppers. The hottest peppers were touched by his hand. He often came home complaining of burning, though. When I was about four, my mother gave birth to my sister and named her Rose. She always said that Tobias and Rose were the best names for children."

"Tobias?" I questioned. He smiled.

"My real name is Tobias. I always hated it, though, which is why I ask everyone to call me Toby instead. Anyway, I grew up with two other sisters, who both died when they were babies. Mother and Father were so heartbroken. I wanted to make them proud, so I worked hard from the time I could work up until I left. I kept my hair short, worked in the kitchen with Harriet, helped Father pick peppers, helped look after Rose and worked in the garden. When I was eighteen, I was chopping wood nearby. I remember it was around October or November.

"I was hacking away at the wood when I saw him. I remember thinking he was gorgeous, but he was white, and a guy, and therefore off-limits. He had a beautiful woman with him. I remember thinking she was just as beautiful, all dark hair and creamy skin. Well, I stared at them so long that the overseer noticed, and he smacked me with that damned whip. I let out a loud curse, which I got whipped for again.

"The man said 'Stop that immediately!' and the overseer paused. The woman said 'How much?' Samuel Scabs said 'How much for what?' 'That young buck over there,' the woman said. She was pointing at me. Scabs laughed and said 'Lady, you're out of your mind. He's not worth five dollars.' The man said 'We'll pay any price for him.' Scabs said 'Okay, five million.' To everyone's surprise, including mine, the couple handed over the cash on the spot.

"Minutes later, I was in their wagon, sitting next to the woman." Toby paused. "They had a house just outside of New Orleans. I remember thinking it was the biggest house I had ever seen, almost a castle, or at least, what I'd heard about castles. The couple took me inside and put me in the guest room. They ran a bath for me and found new clothes for me. That first night, I slept better than I'd ever slept in my life.

"The man's name was Howard, and the woman's name was Margaret. I remember I was fed well for the first few days. They got to know me, and I got to know them. But then one night, Margaret and Howard led me to a secret room. I was confused. I'd heard horror stories about dungeons and wondered what I'd done. Howard pushed me onto the bed and said 'Take your clothes off.' I followed his orders. That's when he told me 'You are our newest toy. Don't worry, we won't bite you that hard.' I remember asking him what he was going to do with me. For an answer, he bit my chest. Margaret said 'Now now, dear, save some for me.' And then she bit me around my navel.

"For months, it was the same thing. I was abused, emotionally and sexually. They never said anything about turning me, but they did admit to being vampires. The strange thing was, I liked it. I liked and relished the abuse. I remember thinking it was better than what I'd had before. My mind was being twisted into something vile, and I started to hate myself. I thought there must be something wrong with me, that I deserved all the abuse. Finally, I'd had enough. When Howard bit me one night, I bit him right back. He cursed and called me something too foul to even mention. Margaret said 'Stop being a dog, Howard, and kill him!'

"In response, I grabbed a knife, which I later realized was made out of vampire bone, and stabbed both Howard and Margaret. While they were incapacitated, I thought about how if I became immortal, I would be able to defend myself better. I would be stronger, faster, smarter. I took a big gulp of Margaret's blood and ran off. Halfway to New Orleans, I collapsed and crawled into a forest to escape the hot sun. Twenty four hours later, I woke up as a vampire."

"What happened afterwards?" I asked.

"I went back to the plantation, and was devastated to discover that my father had died, and that Mother was on the brink herself. Rose was pregnant wth my niece, and she hid me until she died in childbirth. My niece was given to another black family, and I was heartbroken. I blamed myself for everything. I wandered around for a while, hiding, feeding off of people that society wouldn't miss. I never fed from fellow minorities, always white people. I was angry at the entire white population for the mistakes of the few, which I later realized was a mistake in itself. One day, I spotted Uncle Soren following another vampire. I was curious, so I followed him. I never found out why he was following the other vampire around, but he complimented me on my stalking skills and asked me join the guard. Here I am today."

"You've been through a lot," I said.

"All right, Reese," Father said. "Go home. I'll close up. Toby, take him home."

"Yes, my lord."

 

Bed felt good after a long hard day. I wasn't even hungry, just exhausted. I could hear Mathias crying out and yelling from the dungeon. Finally, he became quiet. As I slipped under the covers, I checked my phone for messages. Two from Alexander.

Alexander: I will be by tomorrow with some news. I will also visit you tonight around midnight. If you are asleep, that's fine. I really only need to talk to your grandfather.

Alexander: Good night, Reese. I love you.

That was odd. He never told me when he was going to show up, and he certainly was never that affectionate. I wondered if it was really him.

I had an answer around midnight. I was awoken from a deep sleep by my window opening. It was him. He slipped through the wood, and then crawled into bed with me. I was so tired that I drifted off again almost immediately after mumbling something that I couldn't remember two seconds later. I heard Alexander chuckle as I went back to sleep.

 

Sunday was a lazy day. I stayed in bed until one, then went downstairs to grab lunch.

"We are going to interrogate Mathias at six," Father said. "Your uncle and grandfather think that you should be there to witness it. Also, Louis is back."

"Really? Where is he? And yes, I want to be there."

"It is not a question of what you want, but rather, what you need. I don't know if I'll be around forever, and I need you to take my place when and if I am burned."

I pretended to ignore him. I looked around for my cousin, and finally spotted him petting Catniss and Remy.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," he greeted me. "I heard about everything that's happened. I can't believe I was so stupid."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, it was. But it's in the past, and right now, we are experiencing both the present and the future."

"The future?"

"Right now, I said that ten seconds ago. That is in the past."

I was surprised to hear Louis say something so profound. He normally avoids the deep and profound. I gave him a quick hug, then picked up Remy and Belle. Belle promptly scratched me, while Remy crawled onto my back.

"What's he doing?" I asked.

"He's climbing onto your back because he thought you were going to drop him," Louis said. "Hey, kitty cat, no claws."

The cat jumped off my back and landed in front of Shadowfang. Shadowfang sniffed Remy, then brushed against my leg.

"Did you know that he can talk?" I asked. Louis' mouth opened, then he chuckled.

"Yeah, I knew. He's spoken to me as well. You and who else?"

"My father."

"Of course."

I never really explained who I am. These are my biological kittens, Shadowfang said.

"What? You mean Remy and-"

And Belle, Frodo, Anakin, and Catniss. Mishka is my mate.

I was so confused, and I could tell that Louis was, too.

"You were only in Denmark a few days."

Where do you think I came from?

Louis and I looked at each other. "Shadow, what do you mean?" Louis asked. The big cat lifted his leg and started licking himself.

"Did...did a god send you?" I asked.

Not a god, but rather, a seer. The only reason why I'm not in Sarah's house is because of those damned dogs.

"Sarah? What's Sarah got to do with it?" Louis replied.

Nothing. I just like her.

I was even more confused now.

"Well, it's good to be back," Louis said.

"It's good to have you back," I told him.

Uncle Soren came into the room, and when he saw Louis, he embraced him.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I'm sorry, too," Louis said. Uncle Soren squeezed him so hard that I heard his ribs crack.

"Sorry," Uncle Soren muttered. He kissed the side of his head. "My boy."

I sat on the couch and turned on the news, giving them some privacy.

"-the strange wolf symbol has appeared again, this time on a neighborhood watch sign. The words beside it say 'You can't protect them. We are always watching'." I sighed. That was likely Eric. He enjoyed making people squirm, including his own. Werewolves. They were a thorn in our sides.

We hadn't heard from either Faolan or Sadie in a while, and I wondered how they were. My father had really broken Faolan's heart. I especially wondered how Sadie was, given her inexperience, and I wondered if she'd slipped again. Werewolves say it's harder for them to maintain control over the beast inside than for vampires. Most vampires would disagree, given that we have to deal with the cravings for blood twenty four/seven.

I looked back at the beautiful reporter. Now she was talking about a will where a rich old man had given all his money to the ASPCA and none to his money-hungry children, and now his children were suing his lawyer, his new wife, and the animal charity.

I sat up completely as I heard something about North Hampton High.

"Another North Hampton High faculty member has been found dead. Last November, Matthew Herman, who was found to have been texting underage students, and Darla Danielson, who was found to have been bullying students with special needs, were found with their hearts torn out of their chests and their bodies drained of blood. Now Peter Scott, who taught Math, has also been found dead in the boiler room of the high school. Everyone is forbidden to go near the boiler room except for select people, including the principal."

"Damn," I muttered. "I know him." He had taught Advanced Calculus my freshman year. He was my current Trig teacher.

"Mr. Scott's family and the high school will organize a memorial when the police release the body, which has teeth marks and scratches that look like they were made by giant wolves. All residents are warned to keep away from wild wolves and to report any wolf that may have rabies. If you see a wolf, don't run, and don't turn your back. Park Ranger of the Lakota Wolf Preserve Sophia Vermeen has more information."

"Don't run, don't turn your back. Make as much noise as possible, whistle, raise your arms over your head, throw sticks and stones, don't fall, don't look scared. Back away slowly, and if you have a gun, keep it ready in case of an attack. Don't stare the animal down, and if you need to, curl into a ball and keep your face and stomach protected. And if you spot a large pack circling you, pray for a miracle."

"Now, why did she say that?" Uncle Soren said, looking suspicious.

"She knows," Louis said. "All the major park rangers and police officers do."

"How do you know?" I asked him.

"Gut intuition," he replied.

"Guys, I seriously doubt that," Father said. "She's just being cautious. Wolves don't normally attack humans."

"This wasn't an ordinary wolf," I said. "It was one of our wolves."

"How do you know?" Louis snapped.

"Gut intuition," I retorted. He shut up. We all jumped at a knock on the door.

Spencer opened the door. "Hello, Sadie," he said. I flitted over to the door. Sadie looked nervous, fiddling with the belt loop on her jeans.

"There's going to be a challenge," she said. "Faolan is going to challenge Eric for the Alpha position. It was no coincidence, that teacher's death." Her words were as scattered as she looked.

"When?" Uncle Soren asked her. She avoided looking at him.

"Around nine tonight. Faolan is going to challenge Eric Martin in front of the whole pack."

"Where?"

"There's an abandoned house that we use." She rattled off an address. "I have to go. If Eric sees me here, it's game over." She scurried off, getting into a bronze Pontiac and speeding away.

Father looked at the clock. "We have a few hours before nine o'clock. Soren, we need to talk. Let's collect Father and go into my study. Boys, turn off your ears."

"Hey, I'm almost four hundred years old!" Louis cried.

"You've got about thirty five years before you're four hundred, son," Uncle Soren said. Louis sulked.

"Want to go wrestle?" I asked Louis.

"Sure," he said, then grinned at me and pounced. I flitted out the door into the backyard. He followed. He pretended to be distracted by a bird, and I pseudo-stalked him. Before I could make my move, he pounced on me.

"Good luck, little cousin," he teased. "I swear, you're more like a little brother to me than a cousin." That was the most affectionate thing I could remember him saying to me. I rolled over, and he grabbed me around the belly and pulled me toward him. A strange thing happened then. He started purring. It had been a long time since I'd heard him purr. Heck, it had been a long time since I'd seen him.

I crawled out from under his grip and turned to look at him. He was staring at the guest house with a look of longing.

"Do you miss Meiko?" I asked.

"I do. I don't know what to do. I've never felt this way about anyone before. She broke my heart."

I didn't know what to say. I sat on my haunches and studied him. He seemed to have been eating well. He had not lost weight. His hair was longer and shinier. His blue eyes seemed far away, although there was a happiness in them as well. Suddenly, he turned and grinned at me. I barely had time to react before he pounced.

"I missed you most of all," he said, scratching my head. "How is Sarah doing?"

"She's fine," I said. "As far as I know. She says that the baby has been kicking her more."

"She'll likely feel him kick more," Louis said. He looked up. "Oh, fuck. Here comes the vampire eater and his gang."

"Vampire eater?" I asked.

"Yeah, vampires who drink the blood of other vampires have red or purple eyes, like Zeke and Ambrose."

"Isn't that..."

"Illegal? Yes. It doesn't stop them from doing it, though." I turned around and crouched defensively. Zeke and his wife Jessica were walking toward us, both of them looking furious.

"Where is Adam and Janna?" Zeke questioned angrily.

"How the fuck are we supposed to know?" Louis snapped. "That bitch quit on us. And Adam insulted both us and our human coven members."

"You deserved it!" Zeke yelled.

"Where is Sarah?" Jessica said.

"Why do you care?" I lipped. Jessica smacked me across the face.

"She is my daughter!"

Suddenly, a blur jumped onto Jessica and started pounding the shit out of her. Father. And then another blur started to help him. Mother. Alexander, with a twisted smirk, held Zeke back, keeping him from helping his wife.

"Are you all right?" Louis asked me.

"I'm fine," I said. Louis turned my head.

"It doesn't look like your cheek is cracked or bruised. Drink some fresh blood and you'll be fine."

Father spent a few more minutes pounding Jessica, and he had to pull Mother off.

"She hurt my baby! I'll kill her!" Alexander let go of Zeke and grabbed Mother around the waist, still kicking and screaming. Jessica's face and chest were destroyed. Holes in her forehead, cheeks, and chin, cracks and bruises everywhere. Zeke ran to his wife and held her.

"It's time for you to leave," Uncle Soren told them. Jessica took one look at Mother, whose eyes were a furious red and pupils slitted, and took off for the guest house.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way," Zeke said. "Of course, after I tell everyone what the royal vampire family is really like-"

"Look up, stupid," Father said. "CCTV cameras everywhere, even inside both houses, in almost every room. Good luck with that."

Zeke turned pale and ran off.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - GET AWAY

We arrived at the werewolf hovel later that night just before nine. It was rundown and weedy. Several wolves were already in wolf form. Father held onto me like a vise. He glared all around, sniffing the putrid air. Their stink was all around. I felt sorry for Alexander, who had the best sense of smell out of all of us. He stayed on my other side while we walked to the backyard.

Faolan was already there, only wearing a pair of old boxers. Sadie and several other female wolves were behind him, some in wolf form. Eric walked over and took off his Naugahyde jacket and Calvin Klein jeans. He put on a pair of athletic shorts and stripped down to a white wifebeater.

"I beat you thirty years ago, I'll beat you tonight!" he shouted over the field. Immediately, wolves started howling and growling and snarling.

"Why are most of the girl wolves behind Faolan?" Louis asked.

"He's always been more open-minded about women's roles in the pack," Father said. "He's also a lot nicer to new wolves or young cubs. Eric is a complete jerk."

"Hey look, it's the blood brigade!" Eric shouted. All eyes turned to us.

"You drink blood too, asshole!" I retorted.

"Ooh, I'm so insulted. Even girls think I'm better than you!"

"The most important girl in my life begs to differ," I smirked. He frowned.

"So what? That's just one chick." I started toward him, only to be grabbed around the waist and held back.

"Calm down, Reese," Father said. "Ignore him. He's trying to cause a fight."

"I'll kill him," I hissed.

"Settle down, little one," Mother whispered in my ear. She put her cheek against mine and purred, which surprisingly worked. Both my parents purred, which calmed me down enough to relax in my father's arms.

"Plenty of bitches like me," Eric bragged. "Including all these bitches." Immediately, there was an uproar.

"How dare you!" shouted one female wolf. Faolan turned to his rival and started changing. His nose became longer, his teeth grew longer and sharper, and he grew a tail. Soon, he was a full werewolf. He howled, and all the wolves except for Eric crouched, even the ones who were still in human form. Eric shifted then, taking his time.

Finally, he was big, ugly, hairy, and smelly. He and Faolan circled each other, then Faolan made the first move. He jumped onto Eric, who slashed him across the stomach. Faolan barely noticed as he suddenly bit Eric's neck. Eric howled. And then it was chaos.

Biting, scratching, blood everywhere. Father tried to cover my eyes at one point, but I moved.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"It's a mess," Uncle Soren said. "I can barely keep track of what's going on."

"Faolan's winning," Father said with a note of pride. I squinted to see if that helped. It made things even more confusing. Wolves began howling, and small fights broke out among the pack. Eric grabbed a hold of Faolan's throat and tried to get him to submit. Faolan twisted his neck and bit down on Eric, who swiped a huge paw at Faolan.

Suddenly, it was over as soon as it began. Faolan pinned Eric, who lowered onto his belly and whined. Faolan let out a noise of satisfaction, then started to leave. As soon as his back was turned, Eric jumped onto him and started the fight again.

"That was dirty!" Father shouted.

"I'm honestly not surprised," I said. "When I was dealing with him when he had a thing for Sarah, he always tried to play dirty. He only backed off after she told him that she'd never date him."

"I doubt that her words are what made him back off," Louis said. "Wolves are stubborn as hell."

I looked over at Father, who had that glazed look every time he saw what was happening somewhere else in the present. He finally snapped out of it and shouted "Faolan!" Faolan glanced back at him, which was a mistake. Eric scratched his back and picked up a rock. Uncle Soren and Grandfather grabbed Father's arms.

Before Eric could hit him with the rock, Faolan bit Eric's ankle. Eric howled in pain and dropped the rock onto his own foot. Let me say right now, a big werewolf holding his throbbing foot and jumping up and down is hilarious. Faolan bit his other ankle right on the Achilles tendon, which sent the big wolf crashing to the ground.

"Do you submit?" Faolan asked in a deep voice. Eric nodded slowly. To be doubly sure, Faolan broke Eric's arm and bit the back of his neck.

Soon, they were both men again. Naked, bloodied, and bruised. I noticed that small twigs had become tangled in Faolan's long silver hair.

"Leave. Now," Faolan commanded. Eric ran toward the house, clutching his arm. And then something happened. All of the wolves, even the ones in wolf form, bowed to Faolan.

"I accept you as my Alpha," they said as one. Faolan nodded and looked proud.

"I accept you as my pack," he said.

"The binding is complete," Grandfather murmured.

"Binding?" I questioned.

"Yes, Reese," Mother said. "He and the pack are now bound to one another unless he steps down or someone else beats him in a challenge for the Alpha position. Or if someone leaves the pack."

Father was already by Faolan's side, holding him up and whispering in his ear.

"Ah, maybe we should give them some privacy," Grandfather said. "Come, children."

"I'm not your child," Alexander chorted.

"You still act like one sometimes," Grandfather told him.

"Both of you shut up," Uncle Soren said. "I'm not in the mood to listen to you bicker."

"Now you know how I feel when you bicker with Mordecai," Grandfather said. I glanced back at Father and Faolan. Faolan's lips were on Father's cheek. I turned around again to give them privacy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zeke's coven was out a week later. They left a mess behind. Torn carpets, holes in walls, kitchen equipment either gone or destroyed. Nails everywhere, rooms torn up, furniture destroyed. Father was furious.

He hired some people to clean it up, and the bill wound up being over a thousand dollars. Not to mention the cost of new appliances and furniture. I worked extra hard on Saturday to help him out.

One day, on the next Saturday, I was sitting on the couch reading a Sookie Stackhouse novel when Shadowfang placed a dead rat in my lap. I squealed and jumped up. I despise rats. The cat looked offended.

"Bring it to Louis," I told him.

"Bring what to Louis?" Louis said. "Good boy, Shadow! Did you kill that yourself?" Shadowfang glared at him and then started washing his paws. Louis took the rat by the tail and threw it into the outside garbage. I shivered at the thought of having to touch it myself.

Faolan was enjoying his job as Alpha. He had the house fixed up, gave Sadie his cell phone number and let her go back to her family, and he offered a place for every wolf in the pack. Everyone enjoyed his rulership, especially the women. Not because of his good looks, but because of how well he treated them, especially compared to Eric.

When we introduced him to Sarah, he even kissed her knuckles and told her how pretty she is. She blushed at that, despite the fact that everyone tells her she's pretty. And for once, I wasn't jealous. If he and Father were going to be a couple, I would have to get used to his ways, however strange they were.

He and Father had known each other since the 1930s, and Faolan was already a werewolf. He'd been bitten by an infamous and now-dead wolf. Physically, he was in his early twenties. His real age was around one hundred years. He admitted that he hadn't matured much since then. Father interrupted him at that point and said that he had matured more than he realized. Faolan's cheeks turned pink and he buried his face in Father's shoulder. Father smiled and kissed the top of his head.

One night when it was just myself and Father, I asked him: "Are you bi, like me?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I don't really put a label on my sexuality. A lot of older vampires don't. Toby doesn't, and he's the youngest of our current guards."

"Toby's gay," I told him.

"Yes, but he won't say that. He'll just say 'I like men.'"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I told Sarah everything that had happened.

"Well, it's good that Eric and those crazy vampires are gone," she said. "I hope it makes your life and your family's lives easier."

"A little," I said. It was true, no one had heard from Eric since he left the pack the day after the fight. He had disappeared without a trace. As for Zeke's clan, no one had heard from them, either. No one had seen or heard from Ambrose for weeks. Mathias was still in the dungeon, being given bagged blood and occasionally questioned. He made Uncle Soren mad several times. Father had to hold him back from attacking my other uncle.

Nothing Mathias said made any sense. He would speak nonsense and tell what Uncle Soren assumed were lies. Once, I asked him how he knew for sure that Mathias was lying, and I got a look that would kill ghosts.

Speaking of ghosts, I hadn't heard from Michael Nales' ghost in a while, and I hoped he was gone for good. Hope was fruitless, though, as I spotted him several times, glaring at either me or Sarah who, thankfully, didn't seem to notice him. It was apparent that he was only appearing to me.

Finally, the last day of school approached. Sarah and I barely had time for each other, as we both worked extremely hard to keep our grades up. My grades were better than hers, and I suppose she felt like she had to keep up with me, which I tried to assure her that she didn't. Several times, Mother, Alexander, or Alicia found her slumped over her desk, a document open on her laptop or pen ink on her cheek.

She barely ate, as she was always nauseous afterward. But if she didn't eat, she threw up. Mother tried to help her find a balance.

One Saturday, Sarah was at my house, writing on the laptop that she kept here. I still didn't understand how she could have afforded it when she bought it, then I decided I really didn't want to know.

Currently, she was browsing YouTube, watching makeup tutorials for green-eyed brunettes. She wanted to do my makeup one of these days. I told her that the only makeup I ever wear is eyeliner if I'm going out to a band gig or if Ariella drags me to the local teen nightclub. She pouted for a while, then got over it. She also asked me if I wanted to do her makeup. I told her that I didn't want to hurt her.

She was planning to document her rape story. Right now, she was planning her makeup for the online world.

"I'm thinking gold eyeshadow," she said. "Gold eyeshadow, dark brown eyeliner, and black mascara. I'll keep the lips simple-just some nude lip liner and lip gloss. What should I wear?"

"Why don't you wear your zebra tank top?" I said. She actually thought about it.

"No, I want people to focus on my words, not my clothing. I'll put my hair up. Should I reveal my shoulders?"

"You do what you think is best."

She thought through some more. "I'm starting to get a headache."

I leaned forward and kissed her. We kissed for a while, then she had to break away for air. I silently cursed her need to breathe. We kissed some more, and I pinned her to the bed and growled possessively.

"Reese?" she said nervously.

"I need release," I breathed out. She wrapped her arms around me.

"I know, baby, but we can't. The baby...."

"I know, I know. I'll be right back."

Minutes later, I let out a roar. I put her underwear back in its secret compartment in my bathroom and walked back to my mate. My sweet, young, female mate. When I saw her again, I growled. I could smell her from across the room. She blushed and grinned abashedly. She'd been playing with herself. And now her legs were spread, spreading her scent.

I could feel my eyes darken and my pupils slit. She closed her legs and buried herself under the covers.

"Oh, no, you don't," I hissed. I grabbed her around the waist and turned her over. I took her jeans off, then mine. I fucked her from behind for at least an hour.

Finally, we had both had enough. She pulled her underwear back on and then fell asleep seconds later. I purred and lifted her shirt. I put an ear against her stomach. My future stepson kicked. She didn't wake up. I imagined her full of my own young and purred louder.

I wasn't tired yet, so I turned out the light for her and pulled out a book. I'd finished Moby Dick and was now reading a book that Sarah had recommended. She was trying out horror novels. It was odd: horror movies made her nauseous. She'd found one called Ouija Board and wanted to know what I thought about it.

I decided to sit by the pool and read. I put on my black trunks, grabbed a towel, and went downstairs to our massive indoor pool. I paused at a sight. A person was sitting at the bottom of the deep end. I took a closer look, and realized it was Dean.

No one had seen him or Peter in days. We all worried, but at the same time, we had been focused on other things. Peter was healed now, and Father was going to move him to the dungeon with Mathias.

Dean must have seen me, because he swam to the surface and climbed out.

"Prince Reese," he greeted, going outside. I sent Father a quick text to tell him what I'd seen.

Father: Don't worry about it. If it happens again, don't bother him. He's going through a lot right now.

I set the towel and the book on a chair, then jumped into the pool.

People and objects seem more beautiful when they are under water. Mysterious, haunting, gorgeous. Unless it's a book, because then the pages get ruined and you can't read them. As I swam, I thought about that and Sarah. I'd seen her swim before. She liked to swim, although she hadn't been able to swim like she wanted to lately.

She could only wade into the water at this point. She looked so beautiful, especially in that dark purple bikini that she wore on her birthday. A lot of eyes were on her that day. She had enjoyed it, which made me happy. She was healing.

Of course, she still had nightmares. But now, she admitted, some of them were tinted with good thoughts. For example, she'd recently dreamed that she and I were in Japan, wearing kimonos and drinking juice. She had confessed to me that she wanted to visit Tokyo on her honeymoon. If it was Tokyo she wanted, then she would see all of Japan. If she wanted to see Stonehenge, then she would see all of Britain. Though I would not let her go into the Suicide Forest or the Black Forest in Germany.

She was mine, and there were some things I simply would not allow, like putting herself in danger.

 

With that said, to say I was furious a few hours later would be an understatement.

"How could you let her do that?!" I screamed into the phone at Alexander.

"Quiet! I can't hear myself think!"

"You can't hear yourself think?! I can't hear myself think! I knew you didn't care about one way or the other, but letting her go find Glen...."

"Hey! I'm not her babysitter! She went to find him to tell him to leave her alone! And she didn't tell you because she knew how you would react! And besides, she wasn't looking for him, she was looking up his phone number, which he gave to her weeks ago and she lost. He calls her at all hours of the night and day, pestering and harassing her. You didn't know that!"

"NO ONE TOLD ME THAT! HOW COULD SHE?! I'M HER BOYFRIEND! HER MATE! I PUT HER UNDER YOUR CARE BECAUSE I CAN'T ALWAYS BE THERE FOR HER!"

"Neither can I, silly boy! Your mother and I are working our asses off to finish this house and the nursery!"

"What house?!"

"Marina and I live together, boy! You didn't think we were going to move into that tiny cottage of hers, did you? There's barely enough room for two people! So we bought a house and are fixing it up. The nursery still needs to be stripped and painted. I will not allow my new son to move into a plain room. I would do the same for you."

His last words made me pause. Did he still think that I was his son? I decided I really didn't want to know, but at the same time, I really did. I was too mad at him to ask him about it right now, though. We were discussing Sarah.

"Reese," he said, his voice a lot more gentle, "Sarah's fine. She spoke to Glen and told him to leave her alone. She at least told Marina afterwards. I still can't believe she let it slip to you."

Calm down, Reese, Shadowfang said, jumping up beside me. She's fine. I checked.

I ignored the talking cat and focused on yelling at Alexander.

"I don't care if she's got the armies of the world surrounding her, I need to check on her myself. Clearly, I can't trust anyone else to do it."

"Why don't you just hire a guard for her?" Alexander snapped. "You have one yourself, and your father is hiring more people, is he not?"

"Is that Alexander?" Father said, coming into the room. "Tell him to go shove a torch up his-"

"Father! Behave!"

"Fine. I'll be gone for a few hours; I have some business meetings to attend. I've asked Stephen to watch you."

"Why can't Toby watch me?" I asked. I didn't like Stephen-he was creepy. Constantly staring at the women and not taking his eyes off them-Mother especially.

"Toby is with Spencer," he said. "They are still new in their mate bond and need time with each other. Don't bother them unless it's an emergency. And Dimitri is out with a female. A young vampire female ran across our territory a few days ago, and he's taken a liking to her. Her name is Bethany Tea, and she's beautiful and Dimitri thinks she could be his soulmate, so keep your distance from her as well. I know you don't like Stephen, and I'm sorry for that, but we need him right now. We're having problems hiring new guards."

"Fine," I said testily.

"Watch your tone. And give Alexander the finger for me."

"Father!"

"Fine, I'll behave. I'll see you in a few hours. Don't call my phone unless it's an emergency; text me instead or send me an e-mail. I'll be working overtime for a few months."

I stared at him. I knew he was busy, but he rarely attended meetings unless they were necessary. And now what with owning Emerson's and the mall, he was even busier. Truthfully, the mall and Emerson's were a gift to me when I graduated from high school. At least, Emerson's was.

"Reese? You still there?" Alexander asked.

"Yeah, I'm still here. Sorry."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, she's safe now, so don't worry your pretty little head."

"All right. I'm sorry I freaked out. But you know how I worry about her. I'll check on her later."

"You have homework and a house full of cats. Don't worry about it."

"All right, I won't."

"Goodbye, Reese. I love you." And then he hung up. I stared at the phone. Did Alexander really just say he loved me? Whatever.

He was right, though. Between the cats asking food, a clean litterbox, and attention, I was busy. I had the worst sense of smell, so I was tasked with cleaning the litterbox, at least, until we could hire somebody to do that as well.

I literally had a clothespin plugging my nose, which was unnecessary, but to be without a sense of smell for long is uncomfortable and demeaning. Of course, having to have a clothespin plugging my nose at all was demeaning, but cleaning up waste is part of living with pets. I took a picture of myself afterwards and sent it to Sarah. She thought it was funny. Of course, she didn't have to go near pet waste for a while.

My father had hired somebody to pick up their dogs' waste in the backyard and mow their lawn so Alicia could recover and Sarah didn't have to go near it. There was also Sabine, but trusting a fourteen year old to do an unpleasant task the right way is like trusting a stray cat not to spray in the garden.

I finished my homework and laundry, then started to reorganize my bookshelves. Sarah's books went on one shelf, mine took up the rest. I tossed aside books I didn't read anymore to store in the library.

 

Mother was feeding Sarah ice chips. Both she and Alicia were here, so I entered the normal way.

"What happened?" I asked as I entered Sarah's room.

"She's fine now," Mother began, "But she ran into Scarlett and Scarlett punched her in the stomach and called her a whore." I decided I didn't want to know how Mother knew about Scarlett.

"Baby," I said, sitting on the bed, "are you okay?"

"Fine," she said. "They did an ultrasound, and the baby's okay."

"It's a miracle," Alicia said. "My Sarah was able to protect the baby with her arms. I am sorry you got hurt, though, baby. I'm calling the school."n't

"Won't do any good," Sarah said. "Her mother's on the school board and her parents donate a lot of money to the high school."

"Worth a shot," Alicia said, smoothing her daughter's hair.

 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - WORTH IT

Two days later, I was sitting in the principal's office. I had no idea why I was here, only that I'd been called here, and they had asked my father to come down. Since my father was briefly a teacher here, I wondered if they wanted to take him on full-time. But if that were the case, why call me here?

A security officer was also here. Odd.

"Did I do something?"

"No, of course not," Principal Turner said. He looked oddly calm. "Ah, Mordecai. I'm glad you could come."

"Is Reese in trouble?" Father asked, sitting beside me and putting a protective arm on me.

"Mr. Emerson," said a woman in the corner, "my name is Leigh Clark. I work with Child Protective Services. There's has been some concern about Reese's diet, or lack of."

"He's not eating lunch," Principal Turner said. "He doesn't eat breakfast, either. Not even a sandwich or a granola bar."

"Reese is...on a special diet," Father said. "This diet is necessary for his survival."

"Is he anorexic?" Principal Turner asked. I choked out a laugh that I tried to disguise as a cough. Father frowned at me.

"He's not anorexic, although yes, he is anemic. He had a rare disease which has recently been cured. Only those of his line can get this disease."

"We'd be happy to help," Principal Turner said. "We can give him a coupon for free lunches. Or we can direct you to a doctor."

"Not necessary," Father said. He looked at me. "He will be eating more, whether he wants to or not." I groaned. Father nudged me.

At least school is over in a few days, I thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah had been nominated for school treasurer next year. She had also planned on joining the cheerleading squad again. She couldn't do intricate moves now, but she planned to do them before tryouts next year. When the cheer coach, Mrs. Abernathy, heard about it, she reserved a spot for my girl.

Sarah was walking on the treadmill when she told me all this. She was going to be treasurer and possibly cheer captain.

"School ends in two days," she said. "Then we're free for a few months. What do you want to do this summer?"

"I'm working," I said. "And studying. I'm planning to take several tests."

"I'm just taking the SAT," she said. "But my mom refuses to pay for it. So I'm going to have to pay for it myself."

"Bull," I said. "I'll pay for it."

Sarah bit her lip. "She's drinking again. Yesterday she almost threw out half my book collection and my old Barbies. We got into a fight over it. It got nasty, until your mom stepped in. She told my mom that if she ever hurt me like that, she'd regret it." A tear fell down Sarah's cheek and she turned off the treadmill. "I can't live like this. I need a real mom, not someone who hurts me."

"My mother adores you," I said.

"Yeah, and I love her, but she's not my mother. The other day, Mom implied that I deserved what happened to me."

"She did not!" I was appalled.

"She did. I don't think she meant to, but she did. I can't live like this, Reese."

"Well, if you ever need to move out, come live with me. I'm sure my father would let you live with us."

"That's nice," she said. "Is it safe?"

"All of our guards have great control, and all of them know that they aren't allowed to feed from certain humans, including you. Does your mom know that we're vampires?"

"She still thinks it's an elaborate joke." More tears fell. It broke my heart to see her so broken. I held her while she cried. I petted her hair and made soothing noises. I growled at a sudden knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Alicia called. She opened the door.

"Hello, my name is Leigh Clark. I'm from Child Protective Services. May I come in?"

"Sure," Alicia drawled.

"She's drunk," Sarah whispered.

Leigh stepped into the room. "Oh, hello, Reese. How are you?"

"I'm fine," I said. "What's going on?"

"I'm afraid I need to speak to Alicia Cresley alone. Is there a private place we can go, Mrs. Cresley?"

"It's Ms., and yes, we can go into the dining room."

"Stay here," I said to Sarah. I kissed her forehead.

"Ms. Cresley, there have been some concerns," Leigh Clark said. "I am a representative of Child Protective Services, hired by the school district to look into these matters. How long have you been alone, Ms. Cresley?"

"Ever since Beckett died," Alicia said. "He was my husband. We were married for almost twenty years."

"I see. And how did Sarah and Sabine take it?"

"As well as could be expected. They were his princesses. He called them his Belles."

"I see. And how did you take it?"

"I got depressed. He had helped me through a lot, including my drinking problems." Alicia's face twisted, realizing that she made a mistake.

"And how much do you drink, Ms. Cresley?"

"Just a glass of wine every now and then." I scoffed. Clark looked around at the numerous beer cans and empty wine bottles.

"Do you clean, as best as you can?"

"Sar...Sarah does most of the cleaning."

"And she's pregnant?"

"Y-yes." Alicia was starting to realize that she was screwed.

"How did Sarah get pregnant?"

"Sh-she was raped. A kid in her class did it at a party."

"I see." Clark was starting to sound repetitive. I glanced at Sarah. She had tears in her eyes again. I went over to her and licked them away.

Clark continued to question Alicia. Sarah did most of the grocery shopping, she took her sister to school, and Alicia's job was on the brink. Yes, they fought sometimes. It was never physical.

"I would never hit my babies!" Alicia cried.

"I see. Well, that's all for now. I have no desire to recommend that Sarah and Sabine be removed from your care, but if things don't improve soon, I will be forced to. Thank your for your time, Ms. Cresley."

She left. Sarah was crying again into my shirt. I held her tightly. I carried her up to her room, where she lay on the bed. Coffee, her Chihuahua, jumped onto the bed and licked her face, then laid down beside her.

"I...I had no idea," I said. "You're really paying for everything?" She nodded.

"Most of our money goes to her," she sobbed. "I've lost count of how many times my card has been rejected for one reason or another." I kneeled beside her. Coffee growled at me, but I ignored the tiny tyrant.

"Sarah, if I'd known, I could've helped."

"You've helped enough. All of the money you've given me...everything...it's gone. All of it is gone. I've had to sell a bunch of clothes recently." I kissed her.

"If I'd known...I'll have to tell Mother and Father."

"No! Don't tell them!"

"Sarah, I have to. You're family now. That includes all of you. Whether you just need your clothes washed or the whole house needs remodeled, we'll help you. And that help includes money issues."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Sarah? Can I come in?"

"Sure, Mom." She wiped her eyes on her blanket.

Alicia came in. "I've called Bubbe and Zayde. They'll be here in a week. And...I'm sorry about yesterday. That won't happen again. I love you." Then she scurried away.

"What happened yesterday?" I asked.

"I told you, she threatened to throw out my book collection and my old Barbies." She blushed.

"Why are you embarassed?" I asked. "You should never be embarassed with me."

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't apologize unless it's necessary. I still need to call Mother."

I turned and dialed the phone. I heard her get off the bed and felt her wrap her arms around me.

"Hello?"

"Mother, it's Reese. We have a problem..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The last two days of school flew by. Between finals and studying and cleaning out our lockers, there was barely time for anything else. Half of Sarah's things had to be stored in my backpack. I had to have a talk with her about self-control.

Indeed, the afternoon after the last day of school, Sarah's mother said that she was going to a rehab facility at the end of the week. And if she didn't go, Mother would make sure she did. So would Alexander. And me. Sarah deserved better, and so did Sabine.

Father deposited more money into Sarah's account, and told her that it was for her, not for anyone else. He had also added both her name and Sabine's name to the family payroll. Alicia, he said, needed to get sober first.

They had lost health insurance, so Mother helped Alicia get insurance for herself and the girls. The house was cleaned from top to bottom (except for Sabine's room), and Alexander put new carpet in the basement.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked as I handed him a nail gun.

"Because I care about Sarah and Sabine," he said. "She's like a daughter to Marina, therefore, she's like a daughter to me. I know that I haven't been kind to her in the past, especially when I first met her, but I'm going to change that."

"Alexander," I said, "How old are you?" He smiled, but didn't answer at first.

"I was around when Atlantis was," he said. "Your grandfather is my first cousin. We were among the first Vikings. My father was the chief of our little tribe. Your grandfather and I were friends in our younger years. He was the first one I ever changed, in fact."

"And Denmark?"

"That's where we're from. So the first vampires are not from Italy or Romania, but rather, from Scandanavia."

I pondered this. I was a second-generation natural-born, and my grandfather was one of the first human vampires. Food for thought.

 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN- GRANDMA AND GRANDPA

 

We all waited in the living room for Sarah's grandparents. Sarah kept checking her phone for the time. The week had been busy, with everyone working their asses off to make the house presentable.

Finally, the doorbell rang, setting the dogs off. Alicia answered the door.

"Hello, Mama, Dad." She hugged each of them as they walked in. They were a tall/short couple. The man was tall, while the woman was short.

"Where is my dumpling?" the man asked in a thick Israelite accent.

"I'm here, Zayde," Sarah said, hugging him. "Hello, Bubbe."

"Hello...Sarah, what happened to you?!"

"That's a long story," she said. "Come inside."

Her grandparents walked inside and noticed me. They looked from me to her.

"Hello," I said. "My name is Reese Emerson." I held out my hand. All of a sudden, the woman started yelling in Italian. Both my Sarah and Alicia tried to calm her down to no avail. I heard the words "monster" and "shame" mixed in with Italian and Hebrew. Sarah looked like she might start crying again. I wrapped an arm around her and kissed her. Her grandmother gasped.

"Reese, these are my grandparents, Gianna and Benjamin Abraham. Bubbe and Zayde, Reese is my boyfriend." They stared at me.

"I think we need to sit down," Mother said. They looked at her. Benjamin muttered "succubus" under his breath. I frowned. Did they know? I looked at Mother, who was frowning.

"We need to talk," Alicia said.

 

An hour later, we had explained everything, including Alicia's drinking problems.

"Of course we will stay with you, Sarah," Gianna said, clutching her granddaughter's hand.

 

A few hours later, Alicia was off to rehab and Sarah and I were at To Bean or Not To Bean. She was sipping tea, and I was sipping water.

"I'm getting another job," she said. "I'm going to work at Pon's."

"The bookstore cafe?" I asked.

"Yes, as a barista. I have some experience working in the restaurant business."

Right; Sarah had worked as a waitress when she was trying to pay off a debt.

"Will you still work for my father?"

"Yes, but only on weekends. I talked to him about it."

"What do you need another job for?"

"Reese, if I'm going to stay in school, I need money. Cosmetology school is still expensive."

"What else?" I asked. She bit her lip.

"I'm applying for scholarships. Los Angeles School of Fashion-"

"Hold on-Los Angeles?"

She turned pink and nodded. "I hate the cold."

"But Sarah, I can't move to California!"

"I know, I know. The sun issue. But this is my choice, and for good or for worse, my decision."

"Your mistake," I spat. She frowned. I softened. "Please, Sarah, don't move away from me. I wouldn't be able to handle it."

"It's not for another year or two," she said. "Plenty of time to figure out where this relationship will go." My jaw dropped.

All this time, I'd pictured us getting married and having several kids. Apparently, she had other ideas. My angel was thinking about moving away. Which also meant that she was willing to break up with me. Well, I'd put a stop to that.

CHAPTER NINETEEN - EVAN

Well, it wasn't going the way I'd planned. Two weeks later, and she still wanted to move to Los Angeles. We were now in June.

I paced angrily outside one day, when I noticed a movement in the woods. I sniffed; I smelled another vampire. A young male. He smelled like....

"Evan."

He came out of the trees, looking worse for wear. I had not spoken to him for a couple of months. He was still adjusting to vampire life and trying to complete his schooling online. He also looked like he'd been crying.

"Evan, what happened?" I asked.

"Reese...I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to go...I'm such a mess...Reid broke up with me."

"I'm sorry," I said after a pause. He buried his face in my chest and started sobbing. "Would you like to come inside? It's hot out."

He followed me inside, where I warmed up some blood for him. Toby looked at him curiously until I whispered for him to avert his eyes. Anakin wove himself around Evan's legs.

"When did you get a cat?" he asked.

"Cats," I corrected, "And it's a long story. I'll tell you later, if you really want to know." Before long, all of the kitties made their presences known. Only Belle stayed back, watching Evan timidly. Even Shadowfang jumped onto the table (against my father's wishes) and lifted a paw to introduce himself. Mishka rubbed her face on my ex-boyfriend's leg, briefly licking it.

"You have a lot of cats," Evan noted.

"Yep, we do." I told him all about finding Shadowfang and my father and uncle coming across a lone mother cat with a litter of kittens in Denmark. I told him about how Shadowfang could speak, but only in our minds, and only to those he deemed worthy to reply to his cryptic wit. The big cat glared at me when I said that.

Next, I told him about Rouge and how we were losing Noah. He didn't know anything about fairies, and thus had no insights as to her plan. I even told him about Mathias and Ambrose. Again, he had no insights, although he seemed a bit peeved when I told him about Ambrose.

He told me about Reid Lockhart, his now ex-boyfriend. Reid was a vampire who had come from a large, rich family. Apparently, Reid and Evan had gotten into a fight about Evan's jealousy and his feelings for me. Evan blamed himself, because it was similar to the fight we had that led to our breakup.

"It's not your fault," I told him.

"No, it is," he said, sighing. "It's completely my fault. I should have known better. I've always been the one dumped. I should know better by now. No one will ever love me."

"Evan, don't be ridiculous," I chastised him. "I loved you."

"But you dumped me."

"Uh, you dumped me, remember?"

He lowered his head. "We dumped each other."

"Evan, you have no idea how much I hated myself afterwards."

"And you have no idea how much I hate myself right now."

"Don't hate yourself. Hate me and Reid all you want, but don't hate yourself. You deserve better than me or him."

"Then why are you still dating Sarah?" I raised an eyebrow, and he lowered his head again. "Sorry. You deserve her. She really is a great person." I could tell it was hard for him to say that. He was still jealous of her. Why, I had no idea. She had treated him better than most new partners would treat their lover's ex. Maybe that's why he was tense. He was jealous, but she treated him well, like she would treat any other person.

More proof of how good she really is.

 

I introduced Evan to Peter and Dean later that night. I had not seen or heard much from them other than when they went out to hunt. They still were not speaking to each other. I also introduced him to Stephen. I thought about introducing him to Mathias, too, but decided against it. Father would kill me if I even attempted to go into the dungeons without him.

I called Father, and he said that Evan could stay. As it turned out, I didn't have long to wait for drama to unfold.

It happened that night while I was asleep. I was having a nightmare that I couldn't remember. Something about Sarah turning into an eight-tentacled, eight-eyed monster. I sat up when I heard the yell. I tore the blankets off and ran downstairs.

"Uncle Soren, what happened-"

"Stay back, Reese!" He shoved me back, causing me to fall on my ass. I was quickly picked up by Grandfather, who pushed me back into the utility room. He and my uncle ran into the basement, pausing by the door that led to the dungeons. I noticed with grief that the piano smashed. I'd recently found out that I had talent in that area.

"Reese, get back!" Father cried, pushing me back. "Soren, what the hell happened?!"

"Mathias escaped!"

"What?! How?!"

"I swear, if I knew, I'd have fixed it already!"

"Reese, what's going on?" Evan asked, coming up to me.

"Evan, go wake up Spencer and Dimitri."

"We're here, Prince Reese," Dimitri said. "Excuse us." Evan and I let all four guards through. Toby looked the most irritated.

"Reese, go back upstairs," Grandfather said. "You and Evan will stay in your room until further notice."

"What about Sarah?"

"I highly doubt that she's in danger. She's got guards of her own in the form of your mother and stepfather."

I led Evan back into my bedroom, but someone was already there.

"Ambrose!" He was standing in the middle of my room, violet eyes glowing.

"Reese. And a boy who I do not know."

"Evan, get out of here!"

"This is Ambrose?" Evan asked, eyes narrowed. Ambrose's lip curled.

"A new lover, my love? No matter. I will kill him as well."

"No! Don't touch him!" Evan looked at me in shock. Ambrose leaped forward and wrapped his teeth around my neck without actually biting down. Then he turned to Evan and leaped on him, biting his throat. Evan screamed and kicked. I tried to pull Ambrose off.

Finally, he growled, grabbed me around the waist, and jumped through the window. He was not gentle as we whipped through trees, rocks and dirt flying. I cried out as my head hit a particularly hard boulder. I started fighting and kicking.

Finally, we reached a small clearing. Ambrose set me down, and I started to take off. He grabbed me around the waist.

"Stay still and be a good mate!" he cried.

"Don't fucking touch me! Let me go!"

"Got him, Ambrose?" I turned at the voice. it was Doyle, Ambrose's right-hand man.

"Yes. I'll have to thank Adam later."

"Excuse me?" I snapped.

"Shush," Ambrose said, grabbing my mouth. "Hush now. We don't want your father to find you. He will take you away from me again."

"That's exactly what we want," I argued. Ambrose hissed and leaned forward threateningly.

"You will stay with me," he growled. "You're mine, Reese Emerson. Mine! No one else can have you!"

"No, I belong to someone else!"

"The green-eyed boy? Or the green-eyed girl? They can't please you like I can."

"Don't touch them!"

"Such feistiness. That's why I like you, Reese. You will be a good prince beside me when I become king of the vampire world."

"That's just crazy."

"Oh? And what makes you think that your father will choose royalty over you?"

"Leave my father alone!" He hissed and bit me on the neck, drawing blood.

Slowly, I fell into a deep sleep that was racked with nightmares.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my fault. This is not my fault.

I was awoken by a loud purring. It came from Ambrose.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"In my private quarters in New York."

"What time is it?"

"Around noon." Even though it was noon in early June, the windows blocked out light. They were covered with plastic, blinds, and then black curtains. "You have been asleep for quite some time." He nuzzled my neck. He stopped nuzzling long enough to place a kiss on my collarbone. Against my will, I became excited. Ambrose growled.

"Mmm. You smell divine, my sweet mate." He crawled on top of me and started to undo my jeans. I pushed his hands away. "You're right," Ambrose sighed. "Now is not a good time. I need to get you away first."

I thought, if I ever get away from Ambrose, I will never take anything for granted ever again. He lifted my chin and looked into my eyes.

"My Reese, what is wrong?" Tears were pricking my eyes.

"Please, let me go."

"You know I can't do that. You are mine. You will be mine." He held me in such a way that I almost felt truly loved. My head was laid against his belly. He patted my back, trying to comfort me. I pushed him away. He growled and pulled me to him. He laid me back on the ground and started to explore my body. He lifted up my shirt and licked my navel. I gasped and tried to push him away.

He kept licking. He licked a trail from my navel downward. He started to undo my jeans again.

"Stop," I pleaded. He looked at me. "I'm...I'm not ready." He sighed, but stopped what he was doing. I realized that if I wanted to survive, I'd have to play along. Shoot. He picked me up like a baby. He purred softly, stroking my arm.

"Your hair is getting longer," he noted. He suddenly growled at a movement. "Oh, it's you, Doyle. What do you want?" I noticed that his accent seemed to deepen whenever he was stressed.

"A boat is ready," Doyle said. "It has a bedroom for you and him." He looked at me disdainfully.

"Excellent," Ambrose said. He looked at me. "Ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"Back to Germany, of course. Where we live."

"I live in North Hampton, New Jersey."

"Not anymore, my sweet. We will soon be married, and a castle is better than a mansion. You are a prince, not a mere noble."

"I-"

"Shhh. Enough questions for now. Sleep now. I will carry you."

His eyes swirled, and I fell asleep in seconds.

 

When I woke up again, I could smell the sea. I heard seagulls chittering, the scuttle of small crabs on the sand. I was in a bed with Ambrose beside me.

"You awake, my Reese?"

"Ambrose, where are we?"

"On my boat, silly."

It was so dark that even I couldn't see very well. He could, though, judging by his glowing eyes. He crawled on top of me, legs straddling mine. He leaned forward and kissed me. Our crotches touched, and I gasped. Ambrose growled.

"I can feel you beneath me," he said. "Especially with how young you are, and how much less experienced you are." My stomach quivered with anticipation. "I love you, Reese. I always have, ever since you allowed me to catch you the first time. That was an exciting experience for me. I love weak vampires. I love breaking strong vampires. I love looking into a vampire's eyes and watching him break, listening to him beg for life."

He nibbled my neck, and my belly tightened. He rumbled, purring and growling at the same time.

Father? I reached out.

Reese! Where are you?

I'm on a boat of some kind. Ambrose is...he says he wants to rule the vampire world.

Why does that not surprise me? Keep talking, I'll find you!

I sent him a mental picture of Ambrose. He growled. And then I felt us moving. I kneed Ambrose in the gut and sat up. He grabbed me around the waist and threw me back onto the bed. He ripped my shirt and started to tear my pants off. I kicked him again, this time hitting his head, dazing him.

I ran out of the room and jumped into the water. I saw a flash of blond.

"Father! How did you find me so fast?"

"I wasn't that far away," he replied, grabbing me. "Reese, are you all right? Did he violate you?"

"He tried," I told him. He squeezed me, almost cracking my ribs. "Did you find Mathias?" I asked. Father shook his head. "Ambrose mentioned Adam."

"Adam? From Zeke's clan? Shit. He and Janna are in Canada by now."

"How's Sarah?"

"She's fine. She's worried, but safe."

"Uncle Soren?"

"He hates himself at this point, but he's fine otherwise. So are Louis and Grandfather. Dimitri! What took you so long? Ambrose and Doyle are on that boat!"

Dimitri and Spencer ran and climbed onto the boat, followed by Toby.

Father took me to a waiting car, which Louis was driving.

"Is he okay?" Louis asked, looking at me.

"I'm fine," I answered before Father could. "I'm hungry."

"Try to sleep," Father said. He kissed my forehead. "Sleep."

 

CHAPTER TWENTY - BELIEF

The next day, I wondered if I'd actually gone through that, or if it was a dream. I was in bed again, dressed in one of my father's old shirts and a pair of sweats. I started to sit up, then fell back down, hitting my head on the wall. I had a massive migraine.

"Daddy?" I said. He appeared in my room seconds later. He sat on my bed and held my hand. "Dad, did that really happen?" He felt my forehead.

"Unfortunately, yes. Mathias is gone. We have Doyle, though, but Ambrose got away."

Damn. "Where's Evan?"

"I'm right here, Reese." My ex-boyfriend came and stood on his knees beside me. "God, I was so worried. You were gone for two days."

"Was I? It felt like one night."

"That's because you slept most of the time," Father said. "You were in such a deep sleep that I was barely able to connect with you. You don't know how happy I was when you reached out to me."

"What about Sarah?"

"Still worried, but she's okay," Father said. "So are your mother and Alexander."

"Father, I need to talk to Doyle."

"Um, no. I think not."

"Oh come, Mordecai," Uncle Soren said from down the hall. "If the boy wants to speak to Doyle, let him speak to Doyle." He came into the room next. "Are you all right, Reese?"

"I'm fine," I said. "Just hungry. And I need a shower."

 

After my shower, I felt much better. I'd already hunted with Father. Veins full, feeling clean, I changed into jeans and a black shirt. I put boots on and went downstairs. I went to the secret entrance in the yard and opened the door to the dungeons.

It was damp and smelled strangely like cabbage. I walked over to the cage, trying to ignore what the material was made of, and looked at Doyle, who regarded me with cold eyes. Father, Uncle Soren, Grandfather, and Louis were right behind me. Even Alexander was there. Alexander approached the cage.

"Where is Ambrose?" he roared. Doyle smiled coldly. Alexander undid the latch to the cage and pulled Doyle out of it. He hung Doyle by chains hanging from the ceiling.

"Stand back, Reese," Alexander said to me. Louis held me back. Alexander grabbed Doyle's head and twisted it, breaking several bones at once. Doyle cried out in pain. "I'll ask again: WHERE IS AMBROSE?"

Doyle smirked, his head hanging limply on his chest. Alexander snarled.

"Do you know who I am, chit?"

"You're Ambrogio Nicolai," Doyle said, still smirking. "The father of the vampire race."

"Yes, I am," Alexander said. "Do you know what you've done to attract my attention?"

"No, I don't. Nor do I care."

Alexander reached up and yanked on the chains, causing Doyle to crash to the ground.

"You kidnapped my soulson. And you let Ambrose get away. I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream if you don't talk. Of course, I may just decide to kill you now and ask questions later."

"If you do that, you won't know where Ambrose is," Doyle hissed.

"There are other ways of finding out information that I need. Reese, come here." I walked over and stood by Alexander. "Do you know who this is, Doyle?"

"Who doesn't? He's the reason why Ambrose is in America in the first place."

"Tell me where Ambrose is, or he'll pull a finger from your socket." I looked at Alexander. He ignored me. "Very well, then. Louis?"

Louis walked over to the wall and pulled a table out. Chains were on both ends. Father and Uncle Soren grabbed Doyle and set him on the table, putting chains on his wrists and ankles. Louis pushed a button, and the chains pulled in both directions. Doyle grimaced.

Father tried to cover my eyes, but I snapped my teeth at his hand. Louis pressed a button, and the chains stopped pulling.

"WHERE IS AMBROSE?" Alexander shouted.

"I don't know where Ambrose is, but I know where Adam and Janna are," Doyle replied. Alexander looked at me.

"Ambrose mentioned Adam," I said.

"Where is Adam?" Alexander asked.

"Getting ready to cross the border into Canada. Head straight north, and then five miles west. That's where you find Adam and Janna."

"Dimitri! Stephen!" Father called. The two guards came into the room. "You know what to do. And hurry." The two guards took off. Louis pressed the button, and the chains pulled on Doyle's arms and legs. Alexander stepped over to Doyle, put his hands around Doyle's head, twisted and pulled, beheading Doyle in seconds.

"How are you, Reese?" Father asked.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "I don't know what to think." He felt my forehead. "Are you ill?"

"For Thor's sakes, Mordecai, he just witnessed his first torture session," Uncle Soren snapped. "We all felt similarly after watching our first tortures."

I headed back into the house and went upstairs. Alexander came in shortly after.

"Your real name is Ambrogio?" I asked.

"Yes, it is," he nodded. "At least, that's the name I was born with. How are you?"

"I'll be fine," I assured him. I was lying, and I think he could sense it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Things had gotten worse between my main group of friends. Noah and Mason had a huge fight over Rouge and were now not speaking to each other at all. Duke said he didn't want to get involved, but he had clearly chosen Mason's side.

When I tried to warn Noah away from Rouge, he promptly told me to fuck off. Duke wanted nothing to do with the drama, Amara was still feeling jealous. Mason and I were the only ones truly looking out for Noah, or so I thought. I wondered if I was just being prejudiced because of Sarah's history with Rouge and what I'd been told about my family's history with the Fae court.

When I suggested this to Mason, he sighed and said that it was a possibility.

"How are your parents?" I asked.

"They're talking about who should get the house. They don't want to finalize anything until they've figured out what goes to whom. Especially me."

"Who would you rather live with?"

"To be honest, my mother is easier on me, but I'll probably end up with Dad, just because of who he is." Mason's father, Krauvas, was the most powerful warlock in the world.

"Anything on the Scarlett front?" I asked this carefully, because of Mason's love for Scarlett.

"I can't believe I fell for that bitch. She used me. If I'd only fallen for, say, Jordan, it would have never happened."

"You don't know that for sure."

"I do. Scarlett let it slip that she's relearning everything I taught her and then took away at the dance. Speaking of which, how is Sarah?"

"She's fine, I think. Glen is serious about "winning" her. He won't leave her alone. Is there anything you can do?"

"Magic can't get rid of love that's already there, but I can make her life a little easier. I can give her a potion that will force Glen to tell her why and how."

"Do it. And I need to talk to her."

"All right, I'll talk to you later."

"See you later, buddy."

I hung up and turned around. What would I say to Sarah? If I mentioned Glen Crow's name, it would only upset her. Would it? She was the strongest person I knew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was sitting with her back against the wall, holding a bottle of tea. She looked worn. Still, she got up to hug me when I entered To Bean Or Not To Bean.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Tired," she said, then yawned. "Little dude kept me up all night."

"Do you want to go home and get some sleep?"

"Can't. I work today."

"I can ask my father to give you a night off. I'll call him right now."

"I need the money."

"I can give you money."

"You do that and you'll never live to see the light of day." I looked out the window. It was sprinkling.

"When my mother was pregnant with me, Father said that he got death threats about five times a day."

"I'm sorry, Reese, I'm just exhausted." I pulled out my phone and called Father. "Who are you calling?" Sarah asked nervously.

"Hello?"

"Father, can Sarah have a night off? She says she's exhausted."

"Um, sure, she can, but why isn't she calling me herself?"

"She says she needs the money." Sarah threw me a dirty look.

"She's on the family payroll. Where is all the money going?"

"To Alicia."

"Say no more. I'll give her a paid night off. Tell her that she can take off as much time as she wants, and it won't affect her pay."

"Will do. Thank you, Father, and Sarah says thank you, too." She had gotten up to hug me.

"Am I on speakerphone?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Hello, Sarah."

"Hello, Mordecai."

"Well, I have a meeting to get to. It seems that several of the mall store owners want a smaller rent."

"I still can't believe that you own the mall," Sarah said.

"Believe it, my dear. I can get you a discount at several stores, but we'll have to discuss that later. I'm late."

"Thank you again, Father," I said.

"No problem. Bye, Sarah." He hung up then.

She sighed. "I'll have to work at the hair salon part-time."

"You'll do no such thing. Besides, I thought you said the other girls hated you."

"They were mad because I earn just as much even though I'm younger and a receptionist. But if they didn't cuss so much and give crappy cuts, they would get more clients! Fine, what about the cafe where my cousin works?"

"Um, I don't think so. Isn't that where someone pranked your boss?"

"That's true. They wanted her to strip me naked and search me." She shuddered. "I don't even know why me."

"Babe, you were most likely chosen at random. Someone had you as a waitress and thought you were too pretty." I squeezed my cup of water so hard that it broke. She looked around, nervous.

"Let's go home."

"We'll go to my place." Despite all the super-hearing vampires, that was where we would have the most privacy, as everyone mostly respected each other's space.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She laid on her back on my bed. I had one ear against her stomach, listening to her "little man". He was very active. He made a lot of noises and kicked a lot.

"Ow, ow, ow," she said, gently touching her navel. "I think he hates me."

"Or loves you," I said tersely. I pulled myself up and crawled on top of her. I was vaguely aware of us touching each other. I grumbled hotly. I was still peeved about everything, but she didn't need to feel my wrath. She bit her lip, looking vulnerable. The predator in me wanted to take her right then and there and turn her. As the ultimate hunter, I was bound to protect my much weaker, pregnant, female, human mate.

Even female vampires are generally weaker than males, although there are some exceptions, such as age or brute strength as a human. Females are also coveted because there are so fewer of them than male vampires. It's not unusual for a male vampire to attach himself to a female human in response to loneliness or need.

Was I lonely when I met Sarah? Yes, but I still had friends and family. I growled now as need washed over me. I needed to protect my sweet mate from the other males. I felt very little attachment to the baby, as he's not biologically mine. But she still loved him, and therefore, I loved him as well, though not as much as Alexander, Mother, and Sarah.

The due date was in a month, and everyone was growing excited for his arrival. He seemed to feel the tension, as Sarah reported that he was getting more active by the week. She looked at me now with large eyes, looking like a frightened little rabbit in the face of a wolf.

Cirino must have felt ignored, because Sarah gasped and clutched her stomach.

"He's hungry," she said.

"What does he crave?"

"Applesauce and a strawberry-banana smoothie."

"Well, we definitely have applesauce for just such an occasion." She licked her lips.

"Apple gravy. Apples dipped in turkey gravy." She giggled at my horrified look. "And strawberry and walnut ice cream. And goat milk with rare hamburger."

"Um, no. Let's do applesauce," I said. She pretended to pout.

After she was fed and had some milk, I took her to back to my bedroom, where she lay on her side. Satisfied, I imagined her full of my own brood. That dose of happiness caused me to purr. I growled possessively and climbed on top of her. She is mine.

"Want to take a walk?" she asked suddenly.

"Um, sure," I said. It was a cool day, overcast and it had rained. I put my boots on while she put her shoes on.

 

We walked down the sidewalk holding hands. I noticed a shadow here and there, and he finally revealed himself after about an hour.

"Hello, Sarah," Glen Crow said, standing in front of us.

"Glen, I told you, I don't want to be with you," Sarah told him, sounding aggravated.

"I just want to talk. Sarah, did you know that your boyfriend is a vampire?"

"Yes," she said lazily. "I found out quite a while back."

"You found out? You mean, he didn't tell you? You had to find out?"

"Go away, Glen," I growled. He smirked.

"What else has he been keeping from you? You know that he's had sex with a guy, right?" She looked at me. I bit my lip, nervous.

"I sort of figured he might have. I knew that he dated Evan, but he wouldn't really say how far they'd gone."

"I didn't want to scare you away," I said. She stood on her toes and kissed my chin.

"That's okay, Reese. I've fooled around with guys before I got with you."

I looked over at Glen. His face was red, and he looked ready to blow. Momentarily sidetracked by the thought of him blowing up, I grinned cheekily, which only aggravated him more.

"Melissa was right, you're a tough nut to crack," he said to Sarah.

"Melissa?" she questioned.

"My sister." He grinned at me. "I believe you know her as Madam Indigo."

My mind blew. "W-what?"

"Madam Indigo is actually Melissa Crow, who is my sister. We actually have a nice little scam going. She overcharges suckers for her gift of fortune-telling, and I read her mind and tell her what to say. We're twins, actually. When I saw you, Sarah, in Reese's mind, I knew I had to have you. It worked out because Louis used to be an old friend of mine. Even though we grew apart, I was able to fake wanting a friendship with him again, and he invited me to the Holiday Ball out of obligation. I didn't expect to see you there, Sarah, but I was excited when you showed up. Especially in that curve-hugging dress that matched your eyes."

I couldn't believe it. I'd been tricked. How else would Glen know about Madam Indigo, unless he read one of our minds? Sarah was so shocked that she'd frozen completely. Then the yelling started.

"You are the biggest asshole to walk the Earth! Do you realize what you've put me through? I've been stressed out of my mind because of you! I had suicidal thoughts because of you!"

I looked at her in horror. She'd been having suicidal thoughts? I didn't know that! If I had, I could have gotten her some help!

Glen looked furious. "Sarah Harper Cresley, you listen to me! Yes, I messed up, several times, but my intention was never to hurt you! I'd never hurt you deliberately! I love you!"

"If you liked me at all, you would just leave me alone!" He stepped back as if she had struck him.

"I can't! You're hurting! I can't leave you when you hurt so much!"

Sarah opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Tears were in her eyes. I spun her to face me and licked them away. During our moment, it had started to rain. She looked up at the sky, then pointed toward a shelterhouse.

The entrance to the shelterhouse was covered in spiderwebs, which Glen magicked away.

"See what I can do?" he said sarcastically. She sat on a bench. Glen sat on her left side, while I sat on her right side. He wrapped an arm around her back, putting a hand on her stomach.

"How is the baby?"

"He's okay," Sarah sniffed. "We're naming him Cirino."

"That name means 'like the sun'. A perfect name for a baby." He was likely picturing her with his babies. I growled at him, which he ignored. "When is he due?"

"The C-section is scheduled for July fourteenth."

"If you were with me, you wouldn't have to have a C-section. I could ease your pain."

"I don't want any pain. Besides, I'll be on epidural."

"You'll be knocked unconscious while you have a C-section? Oh, Sarah."

She looked at me and scooted closer. "I don't know if I'll really be on epidural, I just want Glen to leave," she said quietly. Then she got a mischievous glint in her eye. Then she started describing all her physical problems.

I saw what she was doing. She wanted to creep him out enough for him to leave her alone for good. Glen finally just covered her mouth with his hand.

"Shhh, enough complaints," he said. Then he wiped his hand on his jeans. "Sarah, when I want your saliva, I will stick my tongue in your mouth." I chuckled. My girl was becoming quite the little prankster. Glen wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. She climbed out of his lap and into mine. I grinned cheekily at him.

 

Sarah was falling asleep, so I stood up and flitted back to the house with her. I put her in my bed, where she did fall asleep. I took her boots and jacket off. I snuggled in next to her. She was soft and cuddly, almost like a breathing doll. I purred as she muttered my name.

I purposely spread my scent out, wrapping her in it. To my great relief, she did not smell of males I did not know or trust. The most potent male scent after my own was Alexander's, and I mostly trusted him. He knew who she belonged to. I nuzzled her neck, purring at her warm floral scent.

I had a sudden urge to nip her. So I nipped her neck, then licked it.

I growled and crouched as the door opened. Father poked his head in.

"Dimitri and Stephen found Adam, but not Janna. It seems that they broke apart, either because they broke up or because Janna told Adam about my gift."

"Where are they?"

"Still in Canada. I will receive a call from Dimitri in five seconds." His phone rang. "Make that two seconds. Hello?" He walked out of the room.

"Frizzle frazzam?" Sarah muttered, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes, smearing makeup. "I had the strangest dream. I dreamed that you were bald and that my guardian angel had a belly button ring."

"Angels don't even have belly buttons," I noted. I ran a hand through my hair self-consciously.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE- FIGHT

"Dude, the only way that it's possible is because she likes me," Duke insisted. Sarah's friend Kiana was having a party on Saturday, and everyone was invited except Duke. Duke had insisted that it was because Kiana was secretly in love with him.

"It's not, say, because of your winning personality?" Mason quipped, annoyed.

"No, it's got to be because Kiana loves me, she just won't admit it because it's not cool, because that other girl likes me."

"That girl who punched you in the face in the seventh grade?" Mason snapped. "The one who reported you for sexual harassment?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's the only possible explanation." Mason rolled his eyes and sipped his Coke.

We were at a small cafe in the mall near a bookstore. I'd already gotten lost in there once, and Mason and Duke had to practically force me to make my purchases already and leave, with them complaining of starvation. I wondered if it would look weird if I snuck back in.

I froze as I spotted Noah. He and Mason were now no longer speaking. Unfortunately, he spotted me as well.

"Hey, Reese," he said. "Duke. Godfrey."

Mason pretended not to notice and kept sipping his Coke.

"Hey, dude," Duke said. "What's shaking?"

"Not much. Rouge and I broke up." We looked at him in surprise.

"Why?" I asked. He sighed.

"You guys were right. She's batshit crazy. She was already talking about getting married, and something about a ritual where a human is the sacrifice." Mason started choking. I patted him on the back until he regained composure.

"Seriously?" he said to Noah.

"I know, I know," Noah said. "You were right. I was wrong. Chicks are bad news. I mean, look at you and Scarlett. Even though you weren't a real item, it was really fucked up."

"No, I mean..." Mason looked at me significantly.

"I'm going to the bathroom," I said, standing up. I picked up my bags.

"Dude, what is it with you and books?" Noah asked.

"You like V.C. Andrews too," I snipped. Mason followed me back into the bookstore.

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault," Mason was muttering.

"What's all your fault?" I asked him.

"I know what kind of ritual he's talking about. Some fairies have to steal other lives in order to keep their magic or long lives. These kinds of fairies are mors praedictas Fatales. Death fairies. They only live for a certain number of years, then die. They're called death fairies for those two reasons."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes. Oh god, why didn't I see it before?" He started pacing. "I need to think. Oh god." He looked around. "I need to find a book. I hope my mother didn't take it." He got out his phone and started texting.

"Who are you texting?" I asked.

"My father. I hope he's in a good mood."

"Well, well, well." Both Mason and I tensed at the sexy female voice. Scarlett was here, holding a book with an evil-looking cover. "It looks like the Goth Brigade is here. Where's your girlfriend, Reese?"

"None of your beeswax," I said. "What are you doing here?"

"Shopping for spellbooks. Duh. This is a bookstore. When people come in here, they are normally looking for books or bookish items."

"Why are you wearing a black turtleneck in the middle of June? Oh, I almost forgot, your heart is so cold that everything else needs to be kept warm."

She opened her mouth to say something, then peeked behind me. I glanced back, but saw nothing. When I looked back, she was walking away furiously. Mason watched her go, then shook his head.

"I can't believe I fell for that harlot. Oh, my father's replying. He says that he thinks my mother might have taken the book I need, but he'll look."

"How is the divorce coming along?" I asked.

"Slowly. He's getting the house, and they both want full custody of me. In September, though, I'll be eighteen, and I'll be forced to choose." He sank into a chair.

"Mason, it's not your fault," I said.

"Yes, it is. I started the conversation where my mother overheard my father saying that he's not attracted to her anymore. Sometimes I think about ending it all."

"If you do that, think about everyone you'll be hurting. Me. Duke. Noah. Amara. Your parents. Even Sarah."

"I know, and that's the only thing stopping me, you guys. If my father knew, he'd think I'd gone crazy. My mother would freak out, and they would blame each other. As usual."

I sat down in the other chair. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I just did. Damn, this store is busy." He was changing the subject on purpose. "The guys are probably wondering where we went. Let's go."

I picked up my bags and followed him back to the cafe. Noah and Duke were waiting for us, and Mason remained silent, despite them questioning him relentlessly.

"What the fuck is wrong with him?" Duke asked me.

"He's broken," I joked, and Mason glared at me. The guys chuckled.

"Yeah, whatever, Dracula," he teased.

"If he's Dracula, does that mean you're Jonathan?" Noah asked.

"Then who's Mina Murray?" Duke asked. Mason and I looked at each other.

"Well, I don't like Scarlett at all, and he'd better not even think of moving in on Sarah," I said.

"Of course not!" Mason was aghast. "She's your girl."

"So if Sarah is Reese's girl, who's your girl?" Duke pressed. Mason turned bright red and pretended to check social media on his phone.

"So there is a girl," I muttered. Mason glanced at me, then Noah.

"Look, he's turning red," Noah teased. "Who is it? Come on, I promise not to laugh."

"It doesn't matter," Mason said. "She likes someone else, anyway."

"Burn," Duke said after a silence.

"Fine," Mason said. "It's Amara. I like Amara." Even more silence. Then Duke let out a low whistle and Noah said nothing. In fact, he started to look angry.

"Amara Ruick?" he said. "Our Amara?"

"What color is her hair this time?" Duke muttered.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter anyway," Mason told us. "And it's a pale pink."

"What the hell, dude?" Noah quipped. "Why Amara?"

"Why do you care?" Mason retorted.

"Because I...she...I..."

"Do you like her?" I asked Noah. He turned red this time. "Seriously? How long?"

"For a while. But I never thought she liked me back."

"She's practically in love with you," Duke said. "Or at least, she was. Now she's got what's-his-face. The guy who rides a motorcycle to school."

"Damon Sage?" I said. "Unbelievable."

"No, not Sage. I think your friend Ariella would have a fit if it was Sage. His buddy. Cole, I think his name is."

"Cole Powers?"

"Yeah, the dude with the braided blond hair."

A pause in which none of us looked at each other. Then Mason said, "I feel sick."

"So do I," Noah replied. "Isn't that the guy who got suspended for smoking in the cafeteria last year?"

Mason was doubled over. "I...I have to go home." He got up and fast-walked out of the cafe. I grabbed my bags, dropping a book, and followed him out, saying bye to the other two. I picked up the novel and followed my best guy friend out of the mall.

He walked around to the back, where our cars were parked. He held onto the wall and clutched his chest.

"Mason? Are you okay?" I asked.

"I...I don't know how much more I can handle. I know it's my own fault. If I'd known he liked her, I would have gotten it under control faster. I don't want to...but I already have. I lost my best friend."

"He's obviously forgiven you," I said. "Here." I dug around in the bags. "I found a book I thought you'd like. It's by a chick named Ravenna Ruiz."

"I've heard of her," he muttered. "She's well-known in the spell-casting community, famous for her love spells and prayers."

"Oh, well then. Mason, what else is going on?"

"Everything's a mess, and it's all my fault."

"Mason..."

"Reese, I don't know if I can deal with it anymore. I'll...goodbye." Then he walked to his car and drove off a minute later. I sighed and put the bags in my trunk, then drove home myself, texting Noah that I was leaving.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter and Dean were missing. Normally, I wouldn't have even noticed, if it were not for the fact that my father and uncle were frantically searching for them. For the most part, they'd stayed in their respective rooms, not speaking to each other or anyone else.

The guards were combing the woods and the lake, looking for a sign or a scent. All except for Toby, who was watching Doyle in the dungeon.

Father was endlessly glad to see me, even though I'd told him where I was going.

"Reese," he said, kissing my head. "Good evening, son."

"Father, I need to talk to you," I said. He paid attention as I told him what Mason had told me the past couple times I spoke to him.

"I will call Krauvas," he said. "If anything were to happen to Mason, he would be devastated."

I turned around and walked smack dab into Alexander. He embraced me within seconds.

"I was so worried!" he freely admitted. "I know Mathias is involved somehow!"

"Where's Sarah?" I asked nervously.

"She and Sabine are being watched over by Marina. She's under the facade of the wanting to get to know her grandparents. Well, okay, it's not really a facade, she actually does want to get to know Sarah's family. The point is that our women are safe."

"Not all of them," Father said. "Ariella's missing."

"SHE'S WHAT?!" Uncle Soren roared, running toward us. "My female is missing?! How? When?"

Alexander pretended to gag.

"When's the last time you saw her, Reese?" Father asked me.

"Maybe a couple days ago," I said. "Ariella and I are not really close anymore."

"Because of me?" Uncle Soren questioned, looking horrified. "When did you see her? Monday? Tuesday? Wednesday?"

"I don't really know. We just kind of ran into each other at To Bean. I was on a date with Sarah."

"Is that the same day you called me about her work schedule?" Father asked, and I nodded.

"We didn't speak, we just sort of nodded to each other."

Dimitri stepped up. "I caught a human girl's scent mixed with werewolf. I didn't think anything of it until I heard that Prince Reese's friend is missing." Uncle Soren buried his face in his hands.

"My Ari," he muttered. "If she's hurt...."

"She won't be hurt," I said, not convinced. I had a feeling I knew who the werewolf was.

Uncle Soren rushed out the door, followed by Louis and Father. For the heck of it, I followed him as well. Soon enough, I came across Ariella's scent mixed with Damon's.

Uncle Soren circled around, pacing and sniffing the ground.

"I smell her, I smell her," he repeated. He jumped into a tree and climbed up. "Ariella, where are you?" he asked quietly.

I came across a fresh trail, and called Father over. Uncle Soren got there first. We followed the trail to a graveyard a mile away.

The graveyard was called Temple of the Lord, and was the oldest cemetary in North Hampton, with graves dating back to the 1600s, many of them unmarked. In the middle of the sacred place was a statue of an angel holding a Bible in one hand and in the other hand he held a sword.

Sitting at the angel's feet was a plastic bag full of Ariella's clothes and cell phone. Uncle Soren took the bag, handing the phone to Louis to hack into. Uncle Soren went through the clothes, coming across a bloody pair of jeans.

"She's hurt!" he said. He smelled the jeans. "No...this isn't wound blood..." Slowly, he lifted his face away from the jeans. If he was human, he would have been bright red. "This is from her, but it's not blood from a wound. And..." He smelled it again, then started to look angry.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH! SHE'S MY MATE AND HE STOLE HER! I'LL KILL HIM! HE HURT HER! HE VIOLATED HER! SHE'S MINE!"

Suddenly, we heard brush crashing. Ariella came out of the woods wearing nothing but a bra and a denim miniskirt. Her brown hair was tangled, her eyes sad, cheeks flushed. Uncle Soren rushed to her.

"Baby, what happened?!"

"I knew I heard you," she sighed. "Soren, we need to talk. Privately."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day was full of sadness and anger. Ariella had broken up with my uncle and went back to Damon Sage. To say I was furious would be an understatement. Uncle Soren refused to leave his bedroom.

Father was furious because he saw the whole thing as a waste of time and resources, as did Grandfather. Louis was confused about the whole thing. My Sarah sensed the fury in my voice and told me that she'd call back when I got my anger under control. I apologized for taking it out on her.

Faolan tried to control the anger of the pack. Damon had allegedly broken a pact to keep silent about the werewolf secret. But since he was a loner now, there was nothing Faolan or the pack could do.

That didn't stop some of the male pack members from cornering Damon and beating the shit out of him. That made Faolan angry, and he reprimanded the culprits.

The next week was filled with trying to control the wolf pack and preventing Uncle Soren from destroying Damon, or Father's house. He'd already broken the wall dividing his room from Louis'. Louis happened to be changing clothes at the time, and it gave him quite a scare.

This is what happens when one mate breaks it off with another: first, there is the confusion stage, then the anger, then sadness, then despair. If the despair stage is not headed off soon, then the vampire usually descends into madness or a depression so deep that they commit suicide, or at least think about it.

I had a feeling that Ariella and Uncle Soren were not truly soulmates, though, one reason why I was so against it. That, plus she's my age. Normally, Louis is the one who tries to go after sixteen-seventeen year olds, not Uncle Soren. Lately, though, I've noticed that my uncle seems to have a thing for younger women.

For example, crushing on a nineteen-year-old natural-born female a few years before he met Ariella Spears. She was a friend of Rebeka and Rainess, our cousins.

One night, after Sarah went home after her wrestling show, Uncle Soren finally emerged from his room, looking worse for wear. He was pale and a bit thinner, even seemed to be sweating as if from a fever. He put his hands on the kitchen counter and sighed loudly. Then he chuckled maniacally.

"It's my own fault," he muttered, "-for thinking that I could have a human girlfriend."

"I have a human girlfriend," I said quietly. He glanced at me.

"I didn't mean all human women were bad, Reese. Just certain ones. Why is it that the women I fall for always seem to be more selfish than caring?" It was a rhetorical question. "Hey, cat. I bet you've never been unlucky in love."

"That's Belle," I said, scratching her ears.

"Fuck, I keep getting her and Shadow mixed up. I don't know why, that big fucking cat can talk, and the others can't." He smiled, but his eyes were shining with tears. "I'm never going to fall in love again. I swear it on my mother's ashes."

"Don't say that," I said, yelping at an unavoidable cat bite. "Some things you just can't control."

"You're right, Reese," he sighed. He scratched Belle's rear. Seeing the attention their sister was getting, Catniss and Frodo decided to join her on the counter.

"Why are all those litter-trailing furballs on my counter?" Father said. His nose twitched. "Oh, shut up, Shadowfang. I can't even see you and you're in my head."

"Mordecai, don't ever let me fall in love again. Swear it on Mother's ashes."

"What? Hell no. Mother would be disappointed at you for being so stupid."

"Aw, shut up. She's beyond caring."

"How can you say that?" They started arguing about the afterlife. Father believed she was in Heaven or Valhalla, while Uncle Soren thought she was dirt at this point, which I found depressing and rather morbid.

Louis came down, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, and even that was barely holding on.

"Put some clothes on, will you?" I barked. He gave me the finger and heated up a bottle of blood.

"I swear, they're like brothers," Father chuckled.

"Maybe more so than we are," Uncle Soren agreed. "If Reese was mine, I'd have kept him from getting kidnapped, though. And I wouldn't lie to him or hold things back from him."

Father gave him two serious middle fingers. It wasn't in the jokey way that Louis did with me, and I realized that Uncle Soren had hit a nerve or three.

"Screw you, Soren. Let's switch sons for a day."

"You know what? I'm game for that."

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" Louis wondered.

"Please submit any suggestions in writing and drop them in the mailbox or slide them under my bedroom door," Uncle Soren replied.

"What door? I can give it to you through the space where there used to be a wall!"

"You're worried about privacy? Everyone can see your boy parts! Nice towel, son."

"Fu-"

"Now Louis, consider who you're in front of. Do you really want to say that to your father?" I could tell that Uncle Soren was enjoying himself.

I considered his light teasing as a good sign. He would be fine.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO - FRIEND

I hadn't heard anything new from Mason for a week and a half after that dramatic conversation. Father had called Krauvas, and Mason's father promised to keep an eye on him. I still worried about him. I asked Noah if he'd spoken to him, and he asked me if I was crazy.

The competition over Amara had grown tense. Noah had realized that he made a huge mistake by dating Rouge.

Then everything came to a halt one day after I got a call from Krauvas.

"Hello?"

"Reese! You need to come talk to Mason!"

"What? What's going on?"

"I...I..." He sounded like he was sobbing. "I found Mason with a rope around his neck! He refuses to come down unless he talks to one of you!"

"I'll be over as soon as I can!"

 

When I got there, Krauvas was pacing in front of the house.

"Reese! Thank God! Come, hurry!"

I flitted up the stairs before Krauvas even entered the foyer.

"Mason!" I said, terrified to see my friend standing on a chair with a thin rope around his neck. "Mason, don't be stupid."

"What's the point?" he asked, eyes hiding behind a curtain of hair. "I lost my best friend, and the love of my life, and my father hates me!"

"Mason, how could you think that?" Krauvas breathed. His eyes trailed down, and for the first time I noticed a large knife gleaming in my friend's hand.

"Mason, don't do this," I said. "Think about all the people it will hurt. Your mother. Me. Duke. Amara." I'd said the wrong thing. His foot twitched and inched toward the edge of the chair. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Think about your soulmate. You haven't found her yet. She's still out there, waiting for you."

"I did find my soulmate," he said. "She was right under my nose the whole time, and I didn't see her!" I wondered if he meant Jordan or Amara.

"That's because you weren't ready for her. She's ready for you! She needs you!"

"Mason, how could you possibly think that I could hate you?" Krauvas asked, his eyes filling with tears.

"Several reasons. One, you've been so angry lately-"

"I'm going through a divorce! Your mother is trying to take you from me! Of course I would be angry, and I'm sorry that I took it out on you!"

"You never liked my mother."

"That's not true. I loved Antonia at one point, but over time, my love for her has all but vanished. If only you knew the truth!"

"Oh? What is the truth?"

"My true soulmate died many years before I began courting Antonia. I still mourn her. I need you to drop the knife, Mason. Please."

"Give me an excuse."

"Mason, drop it," I said. His grip loosened on the silvery weapon. "Drop it, Mason." His grip tightened.

"Mason, please," Krauvas begged. "I will never forgive myself if I lost you."

"Like you said you'd never forgive me over a basket of herbs!"

"Mason, I'm sorry! Please drop it!"

My friend plunged the knife into his own heart, then stepped off the chair.

"Uroneo!" Krauvas shouted, and the rope vanished. He caught Mason just as he fell. "Reese, call an ambulance!"

I did call for an ambulance as Krauvas held Mason and muttered apologies and asked for him to live.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As my friend was strapped onto a stretcher and put into an ambulance, Krauvas and I joined the parademic in the back.

"No, no," Krauvas muttered. "Don't do this to me, Mason. Not the way Sarah did it." I looked up in shock at the name. Then I told myself I was being silly. Sarah had been a popular name for many years. It made sense that someone else connected to a friend or acquaintance would be named Sarah. But how had she killed herself?

I decided that now was a bad time to ask and it was none of my business anyway.

Mason had to go in for emergency surgery. I called my father to let him know what was going on and told him that I would be late tonight.

"Reese," Krauvas said, sitting next to me. "I know you heard me mention the name Sarah."

"Yes, I was wondering about that," I admitted.

"I met Sarah three hundred years ago. She was the daughter of a noble family, and we loved each other. But I was known for being a warlock, and her parents wanted nothing to do with me. They decided that Sarah should marry a nobleman. She refused, so they locked her up. I was devastated, as I'd thought she had gone missing.

"A year later, I was skulking around the garden at night, and I decided to use a hearing charm to hear the birds better. Instead, I heard Sarah moaning. I broke through into her prison, and I found her chained to the wall, her dress torn and her hair, which had been blond, was now a dark brown from all the grease and dirt and dried blood. She told me that her parents had locked her up, and she had been beaten and sexually assaulted.

"Her father happened to be bringing her evening meal, and he found me holding her. He pulled out his sword, and I pulled out mine. We fought, and I used magic to get us away. But as we were riding through the forest, the local men caught us. They had been told that I had kidnapped her and was going to kill her. I killed all of them except one, who ran off.

"Sarah was distraught. She pulled a knife from one of the men's pockets, told me that I was an evil bastard who should be hanged, and then stabbed herself in the heart."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. He ignored me.

"She died instantly, and I was forced to leave. I haven't been back to Germany since."

"Germany?" I asked. He nodded.

"The reason why I'm telling you this is because one of Ambrose's men is the one who got away that night."

"How do you know about Ambrose?" I demanded.

"I know many things." I looked at him. "Okay, your father told me. He and I knew each other years ago when this happened."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I told Mason to say hello to you in high school. I remembered that you were briefly friends in your elementary days. You two may not remember it, but you met through us."

"How does Sarah come into play?"

"Sarah? Your Sarah? Or my Sarah?"

"My Sarah."

"She's just a human girl who happens to be extremely beautiful. There may also be magic in her blood."

"What? Magic? In Sarah's blood?"

Krauvas nodded. "A very minute amount. It's not that unusual for some humans to have a bit of magic in their blood. It all depends on ancestry. Both our soulmates just so happen to be named Sarah."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The real reason why Krauvas told me his story made itself clear around midnight.

"Reese!" Ambrose rushed up to me and enveloped me in a rib-crusher. "I was so worried! I'd heard that you had killed yourself, but I knew it couldn't be true!"

"Why are you not in the dungeon, Ambrose?"

"Oh, please." He scoffed. "I'm always two steps ahead of Mordecai. Your father is unbelievably stupid."

"Hey-"

"Reese," Krauvas broke in,"-that's not Ambrose. That is an illusion."

I looked up at Ambrose. Now that Krauvas mentioned it, it didn't look a thing like Ambrose. The lips were too thin, nose too small, and the accent was nonexistent. It was more like a sloppy copy of him, if I'm being honest.

"Look at me, Reese," he said. "Tell me you love me."

"Ambrose wouldn't say that," I noted. "He'd wait for me to say it." The illusion kneeled.

"Reese, look at me and say I'm not Ambrose."

"You're not. Father is keeping track of the real Ambrose's movements since the last time he tried to kidnap me."

"Reese-"

"Glen, if you say you love me, I might throw up."

He frowned and the illusion shimmered away, revealing Glen in all his glory, or lack thereof.

"I won't ask how you knew it was me," he said, still glaring.

"What do you want, boy?" This came from Krauvas.

"Sarah," Glen answered. "She will be mine, Reese."

"This is getting old," I said, leaning back and folding my arms across my chest. "First you use that dead guy, now Ambrose. What's next?"

"Oh, I was thinking of going female next," Glen retorted.

"Not my female," I told him. He looked horrified.

"What kind of boyfriend do you think I am?"

"Boyfriend?" Oh, hell no. I stood up and got in his face. "Back off! She's mine!"

"Leave her alone!" Glen snapped. "Let her choose!"

"She's already chosen me!"

"You didn't give her a choice! You probably flashed your fangs at her!" I grabbed him by the shirt.

"I will not purposely hurt Sarah," I said lowly. "She's my soulmate!"

"That's where you're wrong! She's mine!"

Livid, I threw him against the wall. He bounced off of it. Cursing, he stood up and wiped his bloody hand clean.

"Reese? What's going on?" My head snapped at her voice and I wrapped my arms around her in seconds.

"Mine," I growled. In response to her trembling, I purred in her ear. "What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"I heard about Mason. I came to support him." I melted at her sweetness.

"Sarah," Glen growled. She frowned at him.

"What do you want?" she asked, voice tense.

"Your decision. Now."

"I told you, Glen, I choose Reese!" He shook his head furiously.

"Wrong answer. Choose again."

"Fine. I choose neither of you."

"Wrong again."

"What's it going to take for you to leave me alone?!"

His eyes trailed over her lechorously. "Sarah, don't be stubborn. Choose wisely."

"How's a restraining order sound?"

"A what? Sarah, you don't mean that."

"Yeah, I do."

They glared at each other for a moment, then Glen huffed and walked away.

"I really will get a restraining order," she said. "You might think about getting one, too, Reese."

"In my case, it wouldn't do any good." She looked concerned. "Because of my nature. I can handle anything." She still looked skeptical.

"Still, it might be worth a try," she said. "I should have done it a long time ago." She rubbed her belly. I rumbled and kissed her hair.

"I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you," I said.

"Date Evan?" she blurted, then blushed. "Sorry."

I chuckled. "That's probably true, hon." My stubborn angel stood on her toes and kissed me on the cheek. Then she sat down.

A few hours later, a doctor came to tell us that Mason had survived, and was being moved to a room. Krauvas wanted to talk to Mason alone, so Sarah and I stayed in the waiting room.

"Do you want to see a movie this Saturday?" I asked.

"Sure," she said. "Which one?"

"Um...how about the new superhero one?" She looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "No, you're right, we both hate those. Okay, how about the one with the aliens?"

"The one where they try to take over the Earth?"

"And one of them falls in love with a human girl."

"Sure!" I smiled. She's pudding for a love story. Her phone dinged.

"Who are you texting?" I asked.

"Caden," she said, her eyes not leaving the screen.

"Cartwright?"

"How many other Cadens do we know? Well, except for Kaydon Brighton, but neither of us really talk to her."

"Why are you talking to Cartwright?"

"Because he's nice," she said. "And he offered to help form a study group for senior year."

"It's not even July yet."

"Almost. I still need to get pamphlets and stuff to apply to colleges."

"Where are you thinking?"

"Um...Los Angeles School of Fashion or cosmetology." She avoided my eyes.

"Los Angeles?"

"Yeah. I went to California a few times and loved it."

"But I can't be out in the sun for long."

"It's just a thought. I need to really study if I want good grades this year. My grades slipped last year, and I can't afford that next year."

I thought about everything she'd just told me. Los Angeles. Caden Cartwright. Both sunny and popular and golden. Caden was...well, gorgeous. If she decided he was worth it...I'd be thrown into the dust. The thought made me angry.

"I have a plan," Sarah said. "I'm going to document my story."

"How are you going to do that?" I asked her.

"First, I'll talk about my experience with Nales and post it online. I don't give a shit about the trolls, I just want it out there to warn others and to tell the truth about what happened. Even my own mistakes."

"Sarah, you're not going to talk about..."

"About my kleptomania? No. I'm not that stupid. Besides, I've paid everyone back, even though I was never caught. I typed some anonymous letters and sent the cash in envelopes. Now I'm dealing with everything with a new addiction: books. I've always liked reading, but lately, buying books has become an addiction. I don't even visit the library any more. I've got all my book reports covered. I just need to review all those Cliff's Notes and then I'll get an A."

"You're not planning on lazing off this year, are you?" I asked.

"No. I'm...I'm going to try out for cheerleading. I should have never quit, but Scarlett always said cheerleaders are shallow and stupid. She's dead wrong. Most of the cheerleaders at North Hampton are really nice. I'm always on the electric bike or the treadmill. I want to get a six-pack before graduation."

"You don't need a six-pack," I said. "I've got enough six-pack for both of us."

"True," she said. "My stomach used to be really hard; now it's really soft."

"You are soft and curved as you should be. Is this book addiction the reason why you want to keep working?"

"Partly. Also, Sabine has picked up a bad habit. She started stealing Mom's cigarettes. She tried one of Grandpa's cigars, even. Cigarettes and hookah and cigars."

"A fourteen year old who smokes cigars?" I said in disbelief.

"She tried one, but she hated it. She also went out with an older guy who goes to our high school and they tried hookah."

"Hookah I can understand. It's popular and it comes in different flavors. It also burns the back of the throat."

She looked up at me in surprise. "Did you try it, Reese?"

"Yes," I said sheepishly. "With Evan when we were still together."

"I bet it tasted bad to you."

"It was horrible. Evan hated it, too. But who is Sabine dating?"

"That Jeremy guy. The one with the twin." I froze.

"Is Jeremy blond?" I squeaked. "Does he talk?"

"Yes, and not much."

"Sarah...he's a vampire."

She picked up a magazine and slapped it against her forehead repeatedly.

"I. Am. So. Stupid!"

"You're not stupid, you just didn't know. But now you do. I have an idea. Why don't you suggest that we all get together for a date, just you, me, Sabine, and Jeremy?"

"Perfect. Do you plan to threaten him?"

"Hell, yeah. He threatens not only your welfare, but hers as well." She leaned forward and kissed me.

"You are such a good boyfriend."

"If I'd been a better boyfriend, I'd have kept a better eye on Sabine as well as you. But my mind is full of brown hair and green eyes and brown skin, not ivory skin and blue eyes and blond hair."

"It's not your fault, Reese."

"Yes, it is."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought it through carefully. Toby would be standing guard, just in case. A "chaperone" of sorts. Sarah and Sabine would go into the theater first, and I'd corner Jeremy and demand to know why he was stalking Sabine and threaten him with death if he didn't leave her alone.

The first part of the plan went through perfectly. Sabine agreed to a double date without consulting Jeremy.

So the little fucker was surprised to see me arrive to pick up him, Sarah, and Sabine. Toby was squished in the backseat, and I introduced him as a friend.

"Hi, Jeremy," I said to his shocked look. "Where's your twin, James?"

"How do you guys know each other?" Sabine asked.

"His uncle rented our guest house," I half-lied. I gave Toby a significant look.

"They really trashed the place," he added as the girls got in. Jeremy hesitated, then squeezed in next to Sabine in the back.

"I didn't know you guys were still around," I said carefully. "My father will find that interesting."

"It's just me and James," Jeremy said, speaking up for the first time since I'd known him. "Our clan broke up. It's me and James, Adam and Janna, and Justina, Jessica, and Zeke."

"Yes, we need to talk to Adam," I said. "If you see him, tell him and Janna to head back here. Or I could send some more guys up to Canada."

"I swear I don't know anything," he said in one breath.

"Reese and I were thinking about seeing that new sci-fi flick," Sarah said. "Have any of you seen it?"

"I have," Toby said. "It's really good."

I mentally sighed. This was a huge mistake. He was on his own with the rest of the coven. I wanted to turn around, but I couldn't.

I stayed silent throughout the ticket-buying process, the previews, the entire two hour movie, and then on the ride home. At the end, I told Sarah I loved her and wished Sabine and Jeremy a good day. Toby moved up to the front seat. He'd also remained quiet unless he was spoken to.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked.

"Go home and hate myself."

But when I got home, Father literally pounced on me.

"You smell like the Ruthford clan," he said.

"Get off my chest and I'll explain."

And I did. His eyes got redder and redder, until he finally growled and nipped my shoulder.

"Ouch!"

"I'm sorry, Reese, I had a moment of rage. What were you thinking?! If I'd lost you-" Then he launched into a long, boring lecture about how all teenagers are irresponsible and he'd never forgive himself if he lost me. I stopped listening ten minutes in.

When he finally ran out of steam, it was time for dinner. Tonight's meal: a rapist who targeted a teenage blond girl.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE - FAMILY FEUD

"He's not even in North Hampton yet!"

I woke up to yelling the next day. It sounded like a huge argument between my father, uncle, and grandfather.

"Mathias kidnapped Reese because he thought he was Louis! He was trying to get to me, not the boys!"

"We need to tell Alexander-"

"What do you think he'd do?! He'd take Sarah and Marina and take off! We need him here!"

"Sarah's in no danger. Neither is Marina or Faolan. Only you, Soren."

"You as well! Don't be stupid, Mordecai! He wants revenge on all of us! Ar...oh my god, Ariella..."

"Why do you care about her? She dumped you for a wolf!"

"But she...I..."

"He still loves her, Mordecai, even though she hurt him."

I groaned and sat up.

"Shh, I think Reese is getting up."

I stumbled out of bed and accidentally stepped on Shadowfang's tail. He yowled and bit my toes.

"Ahh! Stupid cat!" The insult resulted in another bite. I clutched my foot, cursing, and went downstairs.

"Good morning, Reese," Father said.

"Morning, everyone. What has Mathias done?"

They all froze.

"I didn't know you heard us," Father said. "How much did you hear?"

"I started listening at the part where you said he's not in North Hampton yet."

"Oh, Reese." He licked my temple. I noticed Faolan behind him. Faolan put a finger to his lips, then grabbed Father around the waist. "Hello, my love. Did you sleep well?"

"I did," Faolan said. "The pack caught his scent, unfortunately. They want action."

"It's been too quiet," Father said. "Mathias hasn't bothered us much since he kidnapped Reese months ago. But now he's back, and he's with Ambrose. The real Ambrose. I've figured it out. Ambrose's clan drove Zeke's clan out of their territory. Adam was originally a member of Ambrose's clan, but he asked to join the Ruthford coven, which wandered to our territory.

"Adam was feeding Ambrose information. Mathias had also met Ambrose back in Germany after I rescued Reese. They agreed to work together, because they both want revenge on the Emerson coven. Adam and Janna fell in love, and she left her position as our guard to join him, which broke up the Ruthford coven. Jeremy spotted Sabine that day that Marina and Alexander brought Sarah and Sabine over, and he fell in love with her.

"Glen spotted Ambrose hanging around you, Reese, and that's why he decided to disguise himself as Ambrose a few times, to lead us away from Sarah. Now Mathias and Ambrose have split up, and Mathias is tired of planning. He wants his revenge now."

"Ingenious," I said. "So now what do we do?"

"Nothing," Grandfather said. We all looked at him. "Going to Mathias is exactly what he wants."

"Father, we don't know what he's planning," Uncle Soren said.

"Even so, we cannot take any risks. Even with Louis' information."

"Father, are you sure?" Father asked.

"I am. We should go about our daily lives. I have a meeting in three hours that I cannot miss or be late for. Soren, you should come too."

"Send Mordecai instead."

"Why me?" Father said.

"Just trust me," Uncle Soren replied. Father sniggered.

"Trust you? And why should we do that?"

"Mordecai, unless you want Reese caught in the crossfire-"

"Fine, fine. Okay, I'll go to the stupid meeting. If I come back and Reese is in more than one piece, you'll wish you were dead."

"Deal."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, Father and Grandfather left for their meeting, and Uncle Soren told me to get in his car.

"We're going someplace private," he said. "Oh, and don't tell your father."

 

We drove for nearly an hour, finally reaching an old factory.

"They used to make car parts here," he said. "Specifically, mufflers. In fact, this was an Emerson business when we tried out the car business. My father decided he didn't like it, so we sold the place to a tire mogul. It closed down about twenty years ago."

He popped the trunk open, grabbed a shovel, and handed the shovel to me before kicking the doors down. He loudly took the Lord's name in vain, followed by "damn it."

"Fuckers must have switched things around. I have to call Louis. Stay here, Reese."

I wondered what was going on. More specifically, what was the shovel for? The floor was reinforced concrete. He'd have a hard time digging anything up.

Maybe that's why he's calling Louis.

Indeed, we had to wait an hour and half for Louis to get here.

"What's going on?" I asked my uncle.

"I need...it's not important. Just say silent and go into the factory."

Instead of arguing, I went into the factory, and was immediately knocked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

This dream seemed too real. I was on a beach. I could hear the waves and smell the breeze. I sat up, and realized I was dressed like a romantic hero. White shirt, black khakis. I was barefoot. I looked up, and saw a female figure.

Realizing it was Sarah, I smiled and started toward her. She was smiling too. No, not smiling-grimacing. I looked down. She was barefoot as well, her tiny toes covered in blood. Her white dress was stained with dried and fresh blood.

Each time she took a step toward me, bits of glass cut her feet.

"Stop!" I cried. "Stay right there!" She paused, then collapsed. I rushed to her, ignoring the glass cutting my feet. I slid on my knees and held her up. Her stomach and chest were bleeding now. I smoothed her hair away, accidentally cutting her with my sharp nails.

"Sarah, I'm sorry," I said.

"That doesn't make it less painful," she said. She cupped my cheeks. "Kill me."

I was stunned. No, I couldn't kill the love of my life. Her skin began to bubble and turn pale, her eyes became black and almond-shaped, her hair darkened until it matched the color of the night sky.

"Scarlett!" I cried, and nearly dropped her. She cackled like a stereotypical witch, then she transformed. Her hair lightened, her eyes turned green again, and she turned into Jordan.

"Jordan?" Then Jordan changed. She turned into a girl I'd never seen before.

"Who are you?" I asked the blue-eyed beauty with black curly hair.

"Your sister," she said. "Selena."

"I don't-"

And then I was drowning in a river. I looked down. The girl was sinking to the bottom, her dress revealing more than I wanted to see, especially if she was my sister. The darkness swallowed her, and centuries passed, and I still drowned. My hair became long and white, my vision blurred. And then I had a tail.

I was jolted awake by a sharp movement. I sat up, realizing that I was in fact by an ocean. I could feel the wet sand beneath me and hear the waves. A seagull glared at me from a rock. I looked around, noticing a boat by the shore. I wondered if it was the same one that Ambrose tried to kidnap me in last time.

My heart leaped. There, standing in front of the boat, was Mathias. His hair was cut short, and his jumpsuit was replaced by sweats and a stained t-shirt.

"Hello, nephew," he growled.

"What happened?" I dared to ask.

"I'll ask the questions. Specifically, where is Mordecai?"

"I don't know."

"Liar!" He rushed forward and knocked my head into the water. A crab scuttled by. Seagulls were crowing, startled. Mathias grabbed me by the hair. "Tell me where Mordecai is, you little twink."

"I don't know, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!"

"Wrong answer!" He stepped on my arm, cracking the bones. I yelled out. I found it ironic that Father had told us what's really been happening for months, and Mathias attacked the same day. I wondered if that was significant. But right now, I was more concerned about my arm. I held, it, grimacing.

"I'm sorry that they locked you up!" I tried.

"Your stupid uncle accused me of killing his bitch of a wife! Alga died because she got mixed up the the mafia dei vampiri!"

"Yeah, I don't quite understand that," I said. "What exactly is the mafia dei vampiri?"

"What do you think, you stupid boy? The vampire mafia! More dangerous than the human version, but just as sneaky, if not more so. They're the reason why Ambrose wants to rule the world! The reason why Castro was caught! They're behind the recent attacks!"

"What attacks?" I asked cautiously.

"All those rapists and murderers you've been catching lately? Humans sent to kill other humans. That Vanessa Slaughterman girl you met months ago? She's part of it!"

"I find that hard to believe."

"Well, believe it, boy! Now, I'm hungry, so let's wrap this up. Where is Mordecai?"

"I don't know where he is!"

Mathias kicked me in the gut this time.

"Lying faggot! Tell me now, or I'll tear your head off!"

"If I tell you where my father is, you'll kill him!"

"Really? I'd've thought you'd want your faggot father dead. He's lied to you countless times! He kept his love for that mutt a secret! And now he's lied about your sibling as well!"

"Sibling?" I remembered the dream. "Mathias...do I have a sister?"

"You did. Years ago. She died. Don't tell me you don't know!"

"No, no one told me! Kind of like no one told me about you! Who else don't I know about?"

"You're lucky to even be alive, with all the mistakes Mordecai has made."

Crap. I needed to try another angle. "I believe that you didn't kill Alga. How did you find out that the mafia dei vampiri killed her?"

"Simple arithmetic. She always wanted what she couldn't have, but she never had the money for it. That's why she married Soren. She had dated a member of the mafia dei vampiri, and later broke up with him when he went to jail for forgery and laundering money. She had borrowed money from him, and when they broke up, he became angry. He sent a female vampire to kill her. A bitch by the name of Slaughterman; I don't remember her first name.

"This Slaughterman chick was the best female assassin in the world. She killed countless politicians and leaders before she gave up on mercenary work. That's why I said that Vanessa Slaughterman was involved. It was her ancestor who killed Alga."

"It's ironic that her name has "slaughter" in it and she was a mercenary," I said.

"Oh, it's no coincidence. She purposely changed it to match her life's work."

"Does Vanessa know?"

"Oh, goodness, no. The Slaughterman vampire would not want her descendants to know about her past."

Okay. One more try.

"I believe that Uncle Soren did try to kill you," I said. "He's famous for his physical strength as well."

"That son of a bitch tried to tear my head off! If Amalia hadn't been there, he would have succeeded!"

"Amalia? Eilief's wife?"

"Yes, Eilief's wife. She was the only good thing in my cold, dark world. She helped me fight my demons and took care of me just like a mother would. It's a shame that she had to die."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, Amalia had to die. I didn't want to do it, but she found out that I stole some of the family jewels. What was I supposed to do, walk around in rags?"

I noticed a silvery mist behind him. It slowly took shape. It took the form...of my grandmother, Amalia. She was looking at Mathias with such rage and hate. She noticed me, and put a finger to her lips. Then she disappeared.

"Why did you kill Amalia? Does Eilief know?"

"Of course not. Enough questions. Time to die!"

He lunged toward me, and I kicked out with my legs. He went sprawling down. I turned to run, but he grabbed my leg and bit my ankle. I screamed and kicked with my other foot. He grabbed the waistband of my jeans, and pulled me closer. I about lost my pants.

"How many other vampires have you killed?" I asked Mathias.

"Oh, hundreds. Including Eilief's brother, Lief!"

"Why did you kill him?"

"I had to. He was going to convince Eilief to cut me off!"

I punched him in the side of the head, dazing him. "Let go of me!"

"NO! YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE DEAD!" Mathias bit down on my side and tore off a chunk. I screamed. Then he pulled out a steel stake.

"A...stake?" I breathed.

"Sorry. Wait, no I'm not." He plunged the steel stake down into my chest, missing my heart by centimeters. Everything became blurry, and the pain was unbelievable. I furiously tried to contact Father with my mind, but I was becoming too weak.

I heard more yelling, and the sound of a vampire crashing into another vampire. It was like a clap of thunder. I saw a flash of blond hair, and a flash of red hair. My grandmother's ghost kneeled over me, pulling my head into her lap.

"You were so brave, grandson," she said.

"I..."

"REESE!" Father rushed over to me. "My son!"

The blurriness turned to frost, and then flashes of darkness.

"How do...you always...show up...at the right time?" I asked him.

"He's delusional," Father said.

"It's all my fault," Uncle Soren said, coming toward us. Father's eyes flashed at him.

"Yes, it is your fault. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Quiet, both of you!" Grandfather snapped. "Mathias got away. Again. How does this keep happening? How does he evade us?"

"Maybe he has some kind of gift?" I pondered.

"How are you still talking?" Father asked in amazement. "You should be writhing in pain!"

"It's the adrenaline," Uncle Soren said. "The shock hasn't worn off. At least he's still with us."

"Invisibility," Grandfather said. "It's the only possible explanation."

"Shut up," Father told him. "Reese is hurt, and you're worried about Mathias!"

"Mordecai, I am just as concerned about Reese as you are!"

"Mathias killed Amalia and Lief," I said. They looked at me. "Mathias told me himself."

"I will look into that, Reese," Grandfather said.

A sharp pain hit me then. It flowed from the center of my chest to my shoulders and ribs. The blurriness came and went. During a moment of clarity, I noticed my family members looking behind me, mouths agape.

"Mother?" Father said. He must have seen her.

"Amalia?"

The blurriness became blackness, and my consciousness strained.

I was laying...well, nothing. And then I started falling. The pain in my chest became unbearable as I fell into a lake full of acid. My nose and lungs burned as I fought to get to the surface. A chain was around my ankle. I fought with it, and it tightened.

My heart constricted, and I fought to breathe. Breathe? I didn't need to breathe. I was born undead! I looked around, noticing members of my family. Father. Uncle Soren. Grandfather. Louis. Sarah, even Alexander and Mother. Even the baby, who was purple and blue.

Sarah fought to get to him, and Mother fought to get to all of us. Father and Alexander were fighting to get to me, and Uncle Soren was trying to get to Louis. Grandfather stayed still, observing us. Then he whistled loudly, broke the chains on his ankle, swam toward Cirino and broke the chains around him, and Uncle Soren broke the chains on his ankle, Father's, and Louis'.

Alexander and Mother broke their chains, and I broke mine. I broke Sarah's chain, grabbed her, and swam toward the sun.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I started giggling uncontrollably.

"He's gone crazy," said a familiar male voice.

"He's loopy," Grandfather's voice corrected. "The drugs are affecting his brain."

"Drugs? What drugs?" I chuckled. "Ow! My head hurts."

"You might have a migraine," Grandfather said.

"Reese!" Father rushed to my side. "I was so worried! Are you all right? How do you feel?"

"Sore. Giggly. I had a weird dream."

"It's the drugs," Grandfather repeated. "The pain medicine. We had Ethan look at you and sew you back up."

I rolled over and vomited on the floor.

"It feels like a vise is around my skull," I complained.

"Reese, I'm so sorry," Uncle Soren said. "I should have never brought you along. It's my fault you got hurt."

"I'm okay now," I lied.

"He's lying," Father informed Uncle Soren. I tried to sit up, but the pain blurred my vision and I fell back onto the bed, hitting my scalp on the headboard.

"Ow! Shit, shit, shit," I groaned.

"Reese!" Father held my head up, then began licking and kissing my hair.

"How long has it been?" I asked.

"Almost a week," Grandfather said.

"Shit. Sarah's probably worried sick."

"She is," Grandfather said. "It's affected her greatly."

"I need to-ow."

"You need to do nothing," Father said. "She's just downstairs. Your mother has been comforting her."

 

To see Sarah was a great relief. Her skin had darkened, especially around her eyes, her makeup was smeared, her hair tangled, and she was complaining about the climb up the stairs.

"You're worth it, though," she said, sitting beside me. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," I said. "How is little man?"

"Very kicky. He knows something's wrong."

"I'm sorry I put you and him through all that."

"It's not your fault, Reese. How did Mathias get away?"

"Grandfather and I think he might have some kind of gift, such as invisibility."

"That's both creepy and cool."

I told her about my conversation with Mathias, she hoped he'd be caught soon, and I asked her if any new books or movies came out.

"That new book by Jamie Williams. It's about a guy with walking corpse syndrome who falls for a girl with porphryia. The vampire disease."

"For vampires, it's called porphyrina and it's completely different. And are you still crushing on that guy?"

"Hey, he's a great author. You'll always be on top in the gorgeous department, Reese."

"Thank you, Sarah. What else is new?"

"I'm on a Lois Duncan marathon."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was able to get out of bed a week later. I needed to do something. I texted Noah and Duke, called Mason, who was still recovering, and met up with them at Pon's, a bookstore cafe that Sarah had mentioned she might apply to work for.

I looked through the selection of titles.

"I have to thank you, Reese," Mason said, walking up to me. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Hey, don't mention it," I said. "That's what I'm for."

We discussed what had happened over the last week. Noah and Mason had talked and made up, and both of them agreed to start flirting with Amara and see where things went.

"Love triangles suck in real life," I sighed.

"Dude, you're only saying that because of that Crow dude," Duke said.

"Dude, do you ever say anything other than 'dude'?" Mason asked him. "It's like saying 'why', 'you know', and 'like' all the time."

"Who cares?" Duke said. "All of you are nuts. Girls ain't worth jack. Look at what happened with the Hart sisters and Ariella."

"Ariella and I were never a couple," I told him. "And don't forget about Sarah."

"First of all, didn't Ariella, like, date your uncle? And Sarah's one of the few good ones. At least for now, but believe me, before long she'll start thinking about other guys. Then she'll exchange numbers with one and start talking to him. Then comes the subtle flirting, and then comes the bitchiness phase. And then she'll stomp all over you and run you over with a lawn mower."

I was silent. Was Sarah capable of cheating on me? I couldn't risk being possessive. More possessive than I already was. I'd already screwed up at least twice, once when I kept my secret from her, and then again when I tried to get her to break up with me a few months ago. My heart was fragile at this point. Both literally and figuratively.

"Duke, shut up," Noah said. "Just because that trashy chick ran over your foot with her car-"

"Um, that was kind of a big deal," Duke retorted. "She shattered my foot."

"A girl ran over your foot with her car?" I asked. "When did this happen?"

"A couple years ago," Mason told me. "Duke was obsessed with this girl from the 'hood. She cheated on him, he confronted her while she was in her car, and then she got mad and slammed on the accelerator. Duke had to get surgery and a cast. Duke, just because Brianna shattered your foot, that doesn't mean that all girls are like that."

Duke shut up after that.

"Is it common knowledge that Ariella dated my uncle?" I asked.

"Rumors were going around that she was dating an older guy, and then someone saw her at your house with a guy who said he was your uncle," Noah explained.

"Who?" I demanded.

"I don't know...some chick."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wondered who it was. The only possible explanation seemed to be Sarah. But she wouldn't do that, would she? I decided to ask her directly.

We were in her favorite makeup store, and I told her to go crazy. She'd already decided on several lipsticks and eyeshadows. Now she was getting some help from a shop girl on finding a foundation that matched her skin tone.

They were talking about "summer skin tones" and "winter skin tones". It made sense. A lot of people get tanner or more orange in the summer, and they stay paler in the winter. As for me, I'm pale all year round.

She finally decided on a powder foundation and put it in the basket. She grabbed a few eyeliners, then said she was ready. I paid for her stuff, then we walked out. She was happy. Now was my chance.

"I heard something," I said. "Apparently, quite a few people know about Uncle Soren and Ariella."

"Yeah, it's not exactly a secret," she said.

"Any idea who could have told?" I asked. She looked at me.

"Nope. It could have been anybody."

"Sarah, did you tell?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Well, someone who knows me and goes to our school did."

"I have no idea."

Not entirely satisfied, I took her into Target to choose some art supplies and to grab a snack. She filled another basket with more sketchbooks and paint and painting tools, then we discussed what we would paint our house if we bought one together.

I bought her stuff again and then headed to her house. Alicia was still at rehab, and her grandparents, Gianna and Benjamin Abraham, were settling in nicely.

They had more control, which improved behavior in Sabine, and even got rid of an ear infection that had been growing in Spunk for a while. He and Coffee greeted me with the usual, a jump and a bunch of kisses, and Coffee actually approached me without barking.

"Hello, dumpling," Gianna said. "Did you and Reese enjoy your date?"

"We did. Reese got me some new art supplies."

"How fun! Art is important, and yours is wonderful. Thank you for buying her things, Reese."

"You're welcome," I said. I scratched Spunk behind the ears. I followed Sarah up to her room, where she put her bags on her desk. In one corner lay some bags from her latest shopping expedition. My girl loves to shop. And others usually bought her stuff.

"How is Evan?" she asked.

"Oh...I haven't talked to him in a while." My ex-boyfriend had moved in with his parents again shortly after he came back to America.

I looked around for any sign of other males. I sniffed the room. I got a few female scents, but no male scents, not even Alexander's. Thank the gods. I took another sniff. I smelled Ariella, Mia Rayport, Rachel Griffin, and Angela Montgomery.

"Have you been talking to your old clique?" I asked.

"Yeah, a few of them. We sort of made up. Full trust is still not there, but I obviously trust them enough to let them into my room. Truth is, we've been meeting up."

"Meeting up?"

"Yes. It's time to bring Scarlett down once and for all. She still thinks she's untouchable. The other girls have realized what a skank she is."

"Revenge? Sarah, I'd never have pegged you as one that was vindictive."

"As soon as this baby is out, I'm making my move. I just need to figure out what that move is. Not fighting; I don't want detention."

I wondered what was going on. Did she really tell about Ariella and Uncle Soren? And where was this quest for vengeance coming from?

Scarlett had lost all her friends, and was at her lowest point, or so I believed.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My family crest is a raven sitting on a fox's shoulders. No one in my family really wears the crest anymore, except on special occasions or when we are planning to meet allies or enemies. Or there were the rare occasions when one of us fell in deep, undying love.

Father was falling hard for Faolan all over again. Faolan rarely had time for him, with the wolf pack and the rival packs and clans, and when they did meet, it was like watching two teenagers in a horror movie. Okay, to me it was like a horror movie. Sarah said that it reminded her of a few of her favorite love stories.

Father had given Faolan a necklace with the Emerson crest to wear. He had also had one made for Sarah, for the right moment.

Something didn't feel right with Sarah, though. Something was very wrong. She seemed more snappish, more vindictive than usual. I wondered if it was because of the pregnancy, or if it was just her. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know.

I was worried that we were headed for the end. My own doubts had sprung up recently. I was feeling jealous of every male she spoke to. I was suspicious about her friendship with Mia, Rachel, and Angela. And now Sara "Honey" Blynn, who had left Scarlett's side at last.

I was worried about Glen Crow and the threat he posed. He was much better looking than me, and a wizard. I was a prince, but I also drank blood and had killed humans.

And I was starting to feel crowded with Sarah around. Like, I wanted to be left alone whenever she was around. I needed space.

But I couldn't break up with her now; it was already July, and the baby would be born in three weeks. She reported that he was kicking hard, he knew it was time.

My feelings for Sarah were confusing and irrational. I needed a break. But what could I do?

I put all my thoughts down on a piece of lined paper and left it on my desk. That was my second mistake. My first mistake was not telling Sarah what I was feeling. My third mistake was letting Sarah sit in my desk chair one night while we were hanging out.

I was playing a game on my phone, and she was watching a movie trailer on hers. She sat up, stretched, and looked at the paper.

"Um, Reese? Is there anything you want to tell me?"

I looked over at her. She was looking at the paper.

"Shit!" I flitted over, grabbed the paper, and tore it into tiny pieces.

"Reese, it said that you needed space. What does that mean?" she asked suspiciously.

"I...I just feel crowded all the time."

"You live with four other vampires."

"Yes, and I have visitors coming and going at all hours. I just need a break."

"In what, exactly?" Tears were pricking her eyes.

"If I'm being honest, I don't know where this relationship is going. I don't have a chance with all these other guys hanging on you-"

"First of all, you're the only guy I like. Secondly, they're just friends. And I took a restraining order out on Glen Crow. He's not allowed within two hundred feet of me."

"I know, but...what about Scarlett?"

She turned red. "That bitch made all our lives miserable for over three years! Of course we want to get back at her."

"The Sarah I know would never plan revenge on anybody!"

"And the Reese I know would have talked to me about his feelings!"

She was right. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I wasn't feeling like myself. Neither was Sarah.

"I think we need to take a break," she said.

"I agree," I said. Sarah looked at me, then began packing up her things. Not just her purse, but all the books and movies that were hers that had accumulated in my room. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Giving you a break. In other words, a breakup."

"Sarah, I just said I needed a break! I didn't mean a breakup!"

"Yes you did!" She grabbed a bag and packed up all her stuff in it, then went downstairs and slammed the front door.

I kicked the bookshelf angrily. "Women!" I'd talk to her in a day or two.

I didn't have to wait long. My phone rang, blaring her ringtone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, I thought about what you said. And you're right. The Sarah I want to be is forgiving, not vindictive. So I backed out. They're disappointed. They called me a wimp and a liar. At least, Honey and Angela did. Mia and Rachel told them to chill. And I'm sorry I overreacted. If you want a real break, fine. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Sarah, I'm sorry too. I should have just been honest from the beginning. Sarah?"

"Reese, don't put a gun in my chest."

"I'm not, Sarah. At least, I'm not trying to."

"Hello, Jordan. Why are you pointing a gun at me?"

"What the...?"

"Hello."

"What...Jordan Hart!"

"It's funny, I came up to her just as she was talking to you. Don't bother looking for her in the river. She'll be long gone by then. All of them will be."

And then she hung up.

I rushed out the door. Father grabbed onto me as I whizzed past him.

"Wow! What's the rush?"

"Jordan is kidnapping Sarah!"

"What? How do you know?"

"I heard it, too," Louis said, grabbing his keys. "Jordan has Sarah."

Father's eyes glazed over. His eyes widened, and he sucked in a breath. "She's taking her to the Passaic River!" Now it was my turn to suck in a breath.

"That's an hour away!" Louis said. "Why would she take her there?"

"Because of its reputation," I said. I buried my head in my hands. "This is all my fault."

"No, Reese, it's not your fault," Father told me. "I promise you, we'll get her back."

"Something doesn't ring right," Louis said. "I have to think about that conversation I heard with Reese and Sarah."

While I waited for them to call reinforcements (otherwise known as Mother and Alexander), I contemplated our conversations from earlier.

"She was with her when she called me back!" I cried. "Damn, damn, shit...it wouldn't have happened if I'd just been honest with Sarah in the first place. I'm so stupid!"

"Shhh, hush, young one," Father said, embracing me from the side. "Do not cause yourself more distress. We will flit toward the Passaic River now." He lifted me up, and Louis took his place beside him. And then we took off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With us flitting, it only took five minutes to get there. To my horror, Sarah was standing on the edge of a bridge, looking fearfully down at the water. I climbed up the bridge and hissed. Jordan literally had a gun pointed at Sarah's back.

"Hart!" I yelled out. She looked at me.

"She'll be the first one. And then the rest of them will die."

"Don't do this, Jordan. Think about what would happen to you!"

"I'm already dead! What more can they do?"

"What?"

"It's been a while since we've seen each other, Reese. I'm not the same girl I was before. I have learned from my mistakes and became one of you. A vampire."

I sniffed the air. I smelled adrenaline, the tang from the river, the sweetness from the light breeze and Sarah's natural scents, and a slightly salty tang that could only be vampire blood. Jordan wasn't lying. She was a vampire.

"Why don't you just bite her?" I asked.

"I'm not getting into a conversation with you. Jump, bitch!" She jammed the gun into Sarah, and my girl screamed and held on to the railing.

"Why a gun? Why not your teeth or nails? Sarah, hang on!" Her teeth chattered. She was shaking with fear.

A few minutes passed. Sarah became rigid, refusing to budge.

"Sarah," I said, "Mother and Alexander will be here soon. Hang on tight!" A few more minutes passed. "Sarah, I'm sorry about earlier. You were right. I wasn't being fair. I wasn't right. I wasn't trying to ruin us, I just needed to work out what I was feeling."

"It's my fault, too!" she said, speaking up for the first time. "I've had a bad week, I haven't been taking my medicine, and I overreacted!"

"No, baby, it was not your fault! We both should have been more open and honest! I should have asked you about it! I love you!"

"I love you- AAAAHHHHH!"

Jordan had jabbed Sarah in the side with the gun.

"SARAH! REESE!"

Mother rushed up to my side. "Let her go!"

Alexander rushed up on my other side. "Sarah!"

Sarah screamed again as Jordan jabbed her in the stomach with the gun.

"Hold on, baby girl!" Mother cried.

I noticed activity on the other side of the bridge. It was Spencer and Toby. They had climbed up the other side and were now quietly making their way across the bridge. Unfortunately, Jordan saw them.

"I'll shoot!" she yelled, pointing the gun at Sarah's head.

"Back up, guys!" I called out. They held up their hands in the univeral sign of surrendering and backed up a few feet.

"Good try, losers!" Jordan called out, cackling.

"Jordan, what are you doing?!"

I turned and saw a blond woman with a man wearing glasses that were too big for him.

"Are you Jordan's parents?" Mother asked them. They nodded.

"They're not my real parents!" Jordan cried. "I'm not a real witch! I'm not Scarlett's real sister! I believed that I was for years, until I found the birth certificate! This woman's name is not Claire! And his name isn't Brian!"

"Those are the names of Michael Nales' parents," I noted.

"Exactly!" Jordan continued. "I'm not a Hart; I'm a Nales!"

"Isn't Michael Nales the boy who assaulted Sarah?" Alexander asked.

"Yes," I confirmed. "He was in fact the boy who put Cirino in her."

"We love you, Jordan!" The blond woman apparently thought this would affect Jordan. It didn't.

By now, police and camera crews were starting to arrive. A cop stood by me. "Back up, son." He aimed his rifle at Jordan. "Let her go!"

A woman wearing a business suit started toward Jordan.

"Jordan, my name is Patricia Daley. We can work something out. What do you need?"

"For this bitch to die!" Jordan gave Sarah a hard shove, and my girl almost lost her footing. I was so glad that she was wearing running shoes and not, say, high heels or sandals. She'd been wearing flats when she left my house earlier. I wondered if Jordan had let her put shoes on or if she'd put them on beforehand.

"Why do you want Sarah to die?" Patricia Daley asked.

"Because she deserves it! She turned her back on the coven! She told our parents we were stealing from stores!"

"Why would she do that?"

"Because we were! She was a part of it! She should have known better!"

"Yes, she should have. You don't turn your back on your friends."

"I know what you're trying to do. You want to give it up!" That's when Jordan fired the gun.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Patricia Daley clutched her leg. Jordan fired again and again, and the negotiator lay motionless on the ground. I looked around for help. And then I saw Mason. I went up to him.

"Mason, what are you doing here?"

"Your father called my father. He thought we should stand by, just in case."

"In case what?"

"In case Sarah gets hurt or falls, or in case I could be useful in getting her free. I think everyone knows that she loved me."

"I still do!"

We looked over at Jordan.

"Mason, I still love you!"

Mason took a deep breath and headed toward her. A couple of officers tried to hold him back, but he just mumbled a couple spells and they let go of him.

"Jordan, if I go to you, will you let Sarah go?"

"Depends," she said. "Give me a kiss, and I might. Better yet, kiss her."

"Oh, hell, no," I said.

Jordan shoved Sarah toward Mason. My friend caught her in his arms.

"Admit it," Jordan cackled. "You love her, don't you, Mason? That's why you forced yourself to start crushing on Amara. You're in love with your friend's girlfriend!"

"It's true," Mason muttered. He tipped Sarah's head up. "Sarah, I love you. I don't know exactly when it happened, but it happened. I'm in love with you, and I have been for a while now."

Sarah burst into tears and ran to me, where I embraced her tightly and glared at Mason and Jordan.

"Aw, look, he's angry!" Jordan taunted. Some officers rushed toward her, but she jumped over the bridge and out of sight.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR - ANGER

 

To say I was livid would be an understatement.

Sarah was taken to the nearest hospital. They put her on some medicine to keep her calm and some more to knock her out. She was checked for internal injuries. Mother and Alexander stayed with her to talk to her and keep her calm.

I stayed long enough to tell her I had to leave. I couldn't stand the sight of Mason Godfrey. He was in the waiting room, and I glared at him as I walked by. He had the decency to look ashamed. The only reason why I had left was because I really, really, wanted to kill him.

Everything was going to hell.

Sarah made a full physical recovery, and was let out of the hospital a couple days later. Alicia had been called, and she left rehab early to be there for her daughter. Sarah and Mother talked for a long time, and Sarah again admitted that she hadn't been taking her medication like she should have.

Sarah had been taking anxiety and depression medication in addition to prenatal vitamins.

I saw her the day she got out of the hospital. She looked at me and greeted me, but didn't kiss me or tell me she loved me. I wondered if that meant it was truly over. I kissed her several times and told her I loved her, and she just responded with "Thank you."

I went over to Mother and Alexander's house later. The nursery was almost finished. The average couple spends about five thousand dollars on a nursery; Mother and Alexander spent almost a million dollars.

The wallpaper was littered with ducks and sailboats, the other side of the room painted a light blue. His crib was painted white to match his changing station, and Mother added a rocking chair from my own babyhood. A light brown bookshelf with dulled edges was added, filled with picture books. A chest of toys was in another corner.

Mother was talking about a baby shower, and Sarah told her that she should throw one for herself. Mother liked that idea.

Sarah herself was less excited. She was worried about something going wrong.

"It'll be fine," I told her, kissing her on the nose. "Sarah, I love you. Why don't you ever say it back?"

She blushed. "To be honest, I'm ashamed."

"Of what? You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm embarassed about the fight we had the other day. And about what happened later on."

"Sarah, the fight was completely my fault, not yours. And I would have never let you fall or get hurt."

"I have nightmares about it."

I kissed her forehead. "I'll tell Mother. Why don't you try out the rocking chair?"

She thought that was a good idea, and sat in the chair. "He likes it."

"I knew he would." I kissed her again. "I love you, Sarah."

"I love you, too, Reese," she said, turning pink again.

"I love you more. Much more."

She leaned forward and kissed me between the eyes.

"I'm going to therapy on Fridays," she said. "That negotiator who tried to reason with Jordan hooked me up."

"I'm amazed she survived," I said.

"I am, too. But apparently she was wearing a bulletproof vest. We should have known."

"Yeah."

"So, therapy on Fridays, I give birth on the seventeenth, and then cheerleading tryouts."

"Cheerleading? Oh, right. You were a cheerleader before."

"I was. And I loved it. I should have never quit." A tear fell out of her eye. I licked it away. I tasted the bitter taste of eye makeup and the salty taste of human tears.

"You'll be perfect," I told her. "Everyone loves you, or will, at least. You're very likable. You're beautiful, and smart, and kind, and you've been through a lot. You'll be okay."

Somewhere in the background, someone turned on some music, and "A Time For Us" by Barratt Waugh started playing.

"This song is gorgeous," Sarah sighed. "It always reminds me of the greatest love stories. Romeo and Juliet. Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. Tristan and Isolde."

"And now Reese and Sarah," I said.

"Sarah and Reese," she replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Aren't you done yet?" I growled.

"Do you want this done right, or do you want it done fast?" Louis snapped.

I grumbled. I had asked Louis to hack into all of Jordan Hart's social media. He was currently on the first one, Facebook, and he had already been working on it for an hour. The bitch needed to pay for trying to kill my Sarah.

Louis cursed. "She turned her location off. I need to check something." He typed away on the laptop. Sarah had bought a laptop months ago to keep here, but she never used it anymore. She said she didn't need it anymore.

I wondered how she could pay for it, and then I thought about all the money she'd saved by stealing. Still, she'd been working as a waitress at the time, and working at that cafe couldn't have paid much. Then again, she'd been added to the family payroll. I decided to ask her about it.

My abdomen tightened as Louis started fighting with random pop-ups.

"If Sarah's not going to use this anymore...." he trailed off. He looked at me hopefully.

"Don't you own five computers already?"

"Yes, but they're all junk. If she can sacrifice this laptop..."

"Fine, I'll ask her."

I started scrolling through speed dial.

"Hello?"

"Hey, beautiful."

"Hey, handsome. What's up?"

"You know that laptop you leave here? How did you pay for it? I remember you bought it while you were out with me one time."

"I'd been saving for a laptop for personal reasons, but I decided to quit using it, because I decided forgiveness is better than revenge. You can have it if you want it."

"Yes!" Louis pumped his fist.

"Wow, I...wow. You bought a laptop just to get revenge on Scarlett?"

"Yes, and then I decided that was stupid. I'd rather be known for my kindness rather than my beauty."

My sweet Sarah had bought a laptop just to get revenge on Scarlett Hart, and now she had decided she'd rather forgive than be vindictive. How sweet was that?

"I know it was stupid and selfish," Sarah continued. "Kind of evil, actually. But I don't want to be evil."

"Evilness is Alexander's game," I said.

"Exactly! So let's leave it to him."

I was surprised how nonchalantly she had told me this. Then I remembered our promise to be more honest with each other, and I was proud of her.

"Uh oh, speak of the devil," Sarah said. "Alexander's coming my way, and he looks mad."

"He always looks mad," I said. "Alexander, you'd better not hurt her."

I heard him speak over the phone. "What do you take me for? I'm not going to harm Sarah!"

I was suspicious. "You'd better not, or I'll tear off both your arms."

"Duly noted, son. Sarah, Marina wants to talk to you. She will call you later, Reese."

"If you hurt her in any way-"

"I know, I know. You'll tear off my arms."

I heard Sarah make a small noise. "Um, I guess I'll talk to you later, then." She hung up.

Louis was trying hard not to laugh. "You are crazy! But that's why I love you, little cousin."

I grumbled and told him to focus. He stuck his tongue out at me and turned back to the computer.

I needed a break. So I went outside and started sniffing around. Making sure no one saw me, I rolled in the grass like a cat. I noticed Father watching me from the door. I sat up and acted like I was going to pounce on him. He pounced first.

We wrestled for a bit, with him pinning me.

"Now your shirt's dirty," I told him.

"So what? Playing with you is more fun than stupid meetings all day."

I went back inside and questioned Louis.

"I found her location," he said. "It says that she, or at least the phone, is in New York."

Father nodded to Dimitri and Stephan, and the guys slipped out quietly.

"I need a break," I said.

"You need a shave," Father told me. I rubbed my chin. He was right. Did Sarah notice? Did she like stubble?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jordan was found ten miles north of New York City. Dimitri and Stephan brought her back in record time. I told them they didn't need to be gentle with her.

Now I faced her in the torture room, held up by the guys.

"Do you realize who I am?" I boomed.

"You're the Lone Goth, Reese Emerson," she grinned.

"No," I said. "I am Prince Reese Emerson. Do you realize what you've done to me?"

"Why do you care?" she snapped. "She's just a stupid bitch who got knocked up by my real brother!"

I slapped her. "Start explaining, and don't leave out any details, or I'll have Dimitri tear out your precious blond hair one strand at a time."

"Fine," she said. "It really began with Michael. His ghost appeared, and he told me to look at my birth certificate. It said Claire and Brian, not Gwen and Simon!"

"Scarlett's parents?" I asked.

"Yes, that bitch's parents. I may have put a little spell on Scarlett that made her more controlling and horrible after Mason rejected me. What's wrong with me? What do Scarlett and Sarah have that I don't? But while I was in New York City, I realized that Michael Nales' ghost lied to me. Claire and Brian are not my parents, either. I don't know who they are, but they aren't Gwen and Simon, either! I'm adopted!"

"Honestly, so what? Lots of kids are adopted. My uncle Mathias-" I broke off, because talking about Mathias seemed like a bad idea. "Anyway, that's no reason to be evil."

"Don't you know? We're full of problems. Mine is sociopathy, according to Doctor Kepner. She told Gwen and Simon that their adopted daughter is a sociopath and a narcissisist! Can you believe that?! I'm perfect! All except for one thing, and that is that my real parents gave me up as a baby. What did my real mother think when she handed me over? Did she know she would never see me again?"

She was crying now.

"Did she even care?"

"Your mother?"

"Yes. Who was she? Is she even still alive? Did she know that she was sending me to live with witches and warlocks?"

"Let her go," I told the guys. They released her. "You have six hours. Pack your shit, and leave this city. You are not allowed within three hundred feet of Sarah Harper Cresley. If you come within three hundred feet of Sarah Harper Cresley, the punishment will be death."

She ran out, still crying.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE - SIBLING RIVALRY

"Move it, fatty," Father said to Uncle Soren.

"You always call me fat," Uncle Soren grumbled.

"Because you are," Father retorted.

Uncle Soren pulled up his shirt and squeezed his stomach.

"Okay, maybe I do have a little belly. Still, you're worse than a preteen!"

"One, you have more than a little belly, and second, I am over two thousand years old with a seventeen year old son!"

"Mine is three hundred and sixty seven years old!"

"He acts more like a teenager than mine does!"

"Enough!" Grandfather yelled. "Fenrir's death, you two are like children."

For once, they both looked embarassed and ashamed.

"I wish I could say I'm sorry, but I'm not," Uncle Soren said.

"Stop that right now, both of you. You give me a worse headache than the actual children in this family." He glanced at me.

"Reese is not a child," Uncle Soren said.

"He's not a man either," Father argued.

"I'll be eighteen this October," I reminded him.

"But you will not be fully mature. You will continue to mature until you are in your mid-twenties!"

"According to who?" Uncle Soren snapped.

"According to science," Father said.

"Science, schmience."

"Didn't Uncle Soren help raise my father?" I asked Grandfather.

"He did," he said, rubbing his temples.

Louis walked in, singing "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard.

"Morning, boys," he singsonged.

"You're in a cheerful mood today," Grandfather noted. Uncle Soren and Father stopped bickering to listen.

"What's not to be cheerful about? Reese's girlfriend let me have her old laptop, my father and I are finally getting along, and...I've decided I'm done with women."

We stared at him.

"Are you serious?" Father asked him.

"Yep," Louis said, sipping some cold bagged blood. He made a face and stuck it in the microwave.

"But you bring a new one home every weekend," Uncle Soren said.

"Yeah, well, after Meiko...well, I...I fell in love. I actually fell in love with a girl. And she ripped my heart to shreds. Usually I'm the one breaking hearts, but to have it done to me...well, it hurt. A lot. And Reese, you said it yourself last year. I have issues trusting women. That's why I go through so many."

He avoided our gazes.

"Louis, I-I never thought you'd..." Uncle Soren trailed off, then grew serious. "What's this really about? Your mother?"

"Dad, she divorced you because she wasn't going to be queen anytime soon. She left you with a six month old baby and no clue how to feed him. I had to take sustenance from another female vampire. Grandmother."

"Yes, but Louis...this isn't like you. I mean, I'm proud that you're finally slowing down, but son...."

"Dad, my decision has been made. There's no one out there for me. I'm soulless."

"No, you're not. Your soul is intact, and there is someone out there for you, you just haven't found her yet."

"I'm not going to discuss this. I'm done with females. Even if I do find a soulmate."

None of us could believe it. The one who loved women the most was done with them. I didn't believe it for a second. As soon as the next cute girl passed, he'd be all over her.

Louis started singing "The Reason" by Hoobastank. I wish I could say that's when I knew he was serious.

A sudden boom caught all our attention.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Sounded like a sonic boom," Louis said. "Like a gunshot."

"They'd better not be hunting on my land," Father growled. He nodded to Toby, who started to slip out the back door, and suddenly doubled over.

"Toby!" Spencer ran to his mate's side. "You again!"

"Yes, it is me," said a familiar voice. It was Mathias. "Hello, boys." He stepped into the room.

"Mathias, we need to talk," Grandfather said.

"Screw talking," Father said. "He hurt my baby!"

"Mordecai, he's your brother!"

"No, I'm not," Mathias said. "I wasn't even a vampire when you found me! I was a human baby! My parents gave me up to be eaten by a bunch of vampires!"

"We didn't eat you, though," Grandfather said. "Amalia and I-" His eyes widened, then his irises started to turn red. He rushed forward and Uncle Soren grabbed him around the waist. "Let me go! He killed my wife!"

"Spencer," Father growled. Spencer grabbed Mathias by the collar of his shirt and threw him out, kicking and hitting him until he reached a safe distance from us.

"Set up a perimeter," Uncle Soren told Toby. "Spread your scent out as much as possible. Meanwhile, I will see about getting some more protection."

"That's my job," Father snapped. He grabbed me around the waist and put his chin on my head. "I'm the master of this territory. I chose to come here seventeen years ago to raise my baby boy. Now he's in danger, and I have to protect him."

"How can I help?" I asked.

"You will do nothing. You will be here, locked in my closet with food and blankets-"

"Father!"

"Fine, fine. My instincts are on overdrive right now. On one hand, they're telling me to chase Mathias down and rip him apart, and other half wants to stay here and protect you with my whole self."

"I'm here," Uncle Soren said. "I can post the guys around. I've watched over him before. We all have. Or Louis can."

"I'd be glad to," Louis said. "Remember when he was running around naked when he was about two years old, and you couldn't catch him, and I caught him with a blanket and said 'Gotcha!'"

"Yes, I remember that, Louis," Father growled.

"Please tell me no one else saw," I groaned.

Louis winked at me. "Well, Claudia saw, and so did several guards. Wasn't Francesca still alive at the time?"

"That's enough, Louis," Uncle Soren rumbled. "Be nice."

"Fine. Claudia said 'Oh, what a little grasshopper!'" He badly mimicked the old cook's voice.

"I said that's enough," Uncle Soren said, pinching his nose.

"I remember he laughed and pulled my hair," Louis continued. Uncle Soren shook his head in irritation.

"Father, are you all right?"

Grandfather was in a corner, shaking like a leaf. "I...I..."

"Father, it's okay," Father said.

Grandfather shook his head. "I almost killed my own son. The blackouts...the fear...Alexander was right. I am a monster."

"No, Father, you're not a monster," Uncle Soren said. "If anything, I'm the monster."

Grandfather kept shaking his head. "No...no....Amalia....Alga...it's my fault, it's all my fault...."

"No, it isn't," Father said. He gave Uncle Soren a significant look. "Soren, we have to get him to a private room. Somewhere safe."

"You're right, Mordecai," Uncle Soren said. He looked up. "The guards are still dealing with Mathias. How did he get through?" Father shook his head.

"Mathias...Mathias...." Grandfather mumbled. Uncle Soren took him and pulled one of Grandfather's arms over his shoulder.

"Louis, watch Reese for a few hours. Mordecai and I need to take care of this. Do not leave the territory, and if Sarah calls, tell her you're busy. Speaking of which, I should call Marina and Alexander."

"He was right," Grandfather said. "I'm a monster..."

"No, Father, you're not," Uncle Soren said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I heard banging around minutes later. I was in bed, trying to take a nap. Louis was sitting with one of my books open on his lap, but he was mostly listening to the noise.

"What's wrong with Grandfather?" I asked Louis.

"He gets these...episodes...it's hard to explain. See, he's been around for a long time, and with Grandmother gone, he's started to have...well, suicidal thoughts. That's why our fathers wanted him away from the drama. And he still blames himself for Mathias going haywire. Not to mention his temper. Whenever he gets a suicidal episode, he starts to block out bits of time and can't remember what happened later on.

"His temper used to be pretty bad. He used to yell a lot, mostly at our fathers. Grandmother kept him in line, but, well, with her gone, his temper got worse. He only started to control himself after he almost tore off my father's head. He tried to kill himself after that, but Uncle Mordecai stopped him. He's never really forgiven himself for any of that, and it's only made worse because he used to block out time whenever he lost his temper as well. That's why he acts emotionless now. He doesn't want to lose control and accidentally hurt one of us."

"He's worried about hurting us?" I said. Louis nodded gravely.

"Yeah. It was years and years before you were born when all this happened, so you definitely wouldn't remember it. That's one of the reasons why we came here. Because Grandfather was starting to lose his temper again and have suicidal thoughts. We thought that if he was around you...well, you're the youngest and the most spoiled. You need the most protection because the rest of us see you as more fragile. And we're glad we did. You've caused more drama in the past six months than you have in your entire lifetime."

"Thanks," I said.

"You know I don't mean it like that. Grandfather needed to see you, to remind him why life is beautiful."

I didn't know what to think. I turned and picked up the book I was currently reading. Louis and I read for a long time, ignoring the yells and bangs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grandfather was banging around.

"Father, if you don't stop trying to hurt yourself, I'll have to restrain you," Uncle Soren said.

"I...I can't," Grandfather said. "I need to see Amalia again." He closed his eyes. "I see her. She's so beautiful. I met her while I was out hunting one day. A beautiful woman picking wheat. We were the most advance civilization on the planet. We knew how to make bread and sew clothes, and we bathed in warm water. Alexander was a prince. Our fathers were brothers. Much like Louis and Reese. I don't know what I'd do if I lost either of them. Mathias-"

"Was not your fault," Uncle Soren said.

"If I'd been a better husband and father, Amalia would still be here today!"

"Not necessarily," Louis said. Uncle Soren glared at him.

"Yes, Amalia's death was my fault. And Selena's death was my fault. And now Mathias...."

"Celine?" I asked.

"Selena," Father corrected. "A female vampire from your mother's past. Ask Alexander about her, but do not mention her in front of your mother."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sarah was at the doctor's offices almost every week now. Each ultrasound produced good results. Cirino was growing fast, and his mother was constantly complaining about the extra weight, but she was also excited for him to arrive. She liked being pregnant, and she loved the baby. She liked feeling him moving around. I could see that she had strong maternal instincts.

Mother was equally excited. Her maternal instincts were going wild. First, there was me, then Sarah, then Cirino. Her biological son, her souldaughter, and her soon-to-be-adopted son. She enjoyed being a mother, and told Alexander that she wanted more. He just rubbed her shoulders and that it shouldn't be a problem for him. He missed Kieran.

It made it very hard to ask Alexander about Selena when he was constantly with Mother and/or Sarah. But I finally got him alone one day as he was installing a security system in Sarah's house.

"Who was Selena?" I asked.

"So you've finally heard about her, huh? All right, I guess I'll have to be the one to tell you. You are not your mother's first child. She had a daughter before, a beautiful look-alike named Selena. Selena's father was killed when she was an infant. Your mother's first husband. She raised Selena by herself until Selena was killed over twenty years ago by a vampire who became obsessed with her. Marina was devastated, and she becomes upset whenever Selena is mentioned, partly because she blames herself for her death. Do not under any circumstances mention Selena in front of Marina."

I had a sister? One who was dead before I was even born?

"Do they not consider that kind of important?" I said.

"Your father? Yes, he didn't particularly like Marina's first husband, and he probably didn't think to mention Selena because they were not very close. More like a 'you're the daughter of my love's first husband' sort of relationship. He feels guilty for that now, which is probably another reason why he failed to mention her."

 

I had a sister. One who died before I was even thought of. Father noticed my sour look that night and asked me what was wrong.

"Why didn't you tell me I had a sister?" I replied to him. "First Alexander, then Mathias, and now a sister! She shared half my DNA! We had the same mother!"

Father looked hurt. "You're right, Reese. I'm sorry. You had a right to know."

"Is there anyone else I should know about?"

"No. I promise that's it. Anyone else is either an enemy or an ally that you already know about." He hugged me. I tried to push him away, but he growled and tightened his grip. "Mine."

"Save me," I told Mishka, who was watching us curiously. She ignored my plea and started licking her back leg.

I wished I still had a piano so I could practice. I did have a guitar, but I hadn't played in years, and it simply didn't fit my body anymore. I went upstairs after escaping from my father's loving embrace, and started listening to a Shinedown CD.

I laid on my bed and tried to read, but found myself drifting. In fact, I was falling.

I didn't know how far I'd fallen so far, only that the fall seemed neverending. I was drowning in the air. Water filled my lungs and I couldn't breathe again. What was wrong with me? I didn't need to breathe. I was a vampire, for Thor's sake!

My father caught me just before I hit the floor.

"You were talking in your sleep," he said.

"How long was I asleep?"

"About an hour. That's a new record for you."

I stuck my tongue out at him and slipped my boots off. He pretended to nip my tongue.

"I'm fine," I told him.

"I don't believe you. I think you need me. Yes, son needs me. He's been dealt a cruel blow of truth."

"Father, how is Grandfather?"

"What? Oh, he'll be fine. Soren and I have decided to allow him to go back to Denmark. He'll be leaving within the week. Also...he's considering giving up the crown, so to speak."

"What? Really? Who will he give it to?"

"Either your uncle or Alexander. Most likely Alexander."

"We'll really be in trouble then."

"I will, but you won't be. Alexander adores you." He grimaced. "I'm your only father. I hope you remember that."

"You're my only biological father, but Alexander is going to be my stepfather soon."

Father growled. "I don't want him near you."

"Wait, if Alexander becomes king, what does that mean for me?"

"You'll still keep your title, but you'll be the only one who does."

I thought about that. Was I willing to keep my title when the rest of my family wouldn't? I wasn't Alexander's biological son.

As I considered this, I noticed movement beneath my window.

"Father, there's someone outside."

He looked out, and started to growl. "Stay here. Toby, come guard Reese."

Toby came fairly quickly, and Father posted him inside my room.

"Cool stereo," Toby commented.

"Thanks," I said, frowning. He was trying to distract me.

"When did you get it?"

"I got it a couple years ago for my birthday. I'd been wanting one for a while, and Father finally relented. How are things with Spencer?"

"Better," he said. "I've finally accepted that he's my mate. We're going to start sharing a room."

"That's good," I said.

We couldn't think of anything else to say, and soon we heard fighting. We walked to the window, and Toby looked horrified. Spencer was missing his arm. He was still trying to fight Mathias with his other one, grimacing in pain.

"I...I have to go," Toby said. He rushed outside and ran to help Spencer. Mathias tore off Spencer's other arm, and Toby tried to tear off Mathias' head. Mathias threw him off, sending him flying into the yard. I heard a sickening crunch, and my friend lay motionless. Spencer looked positively livid. He kicked out at Mathias, and my uncle simply tore off Spencer's head next.

Then he looked up, looked directly at me, and grinned. He started toward the house. Father rushed into my room, growling and hissing.

"He's too powerful," he said. "Father was right; Mathias does have a gift. He can turn himself invisible. My father was right all along. I'm so stupid. This is all my fault. I should have listened! That's the last time I trust Toby with Reese's safety!"

"Father, it wasn't his fault-"

"Yes, it was. But no arguments now. I need to protect you!"

I heard more fighting downstairs. I heard things getting broken and bones cracking.

"WHERE THE FUCK DID HE GO?!" Uncle Soren yelled.

"I'm in control," said Mathias' sinister voice. "I control all of you. Especially you, Mordecai and Soren."

He was getting closer. Father continued to growl and snap at the air. Mathias shimmered into view.

"Good thing you figured out my talent. I was getting bored with hiding it," he grinned. Father tried to grab him, but he disappeared again. I felt a pair of arms grab me around the waist and pull me up. I furiously nipped his neck.

"Ouch! Stupid boy!" He appeared again. Father rumbled.

"Let him go!" Father cried.

"No, I think I'll take him."

Father looked apprehensive. He wanted to kill Mathias, but he was worried about hurting me.

"Please, let him go!"

Mathias looked around. Dimitri was guarding the window below, and Father, and now Uncle Soren, were blocking his path out the door.

Mathias bent his knees and leaped out the window, twisting his body, and mine, like a cat. He disappeared somewhere in the air, and I felt us land, but I couldn't see him or myself. I was terrified to see Spencer's body crawling toward his head and arm. Toby still wasn't moving.

Dimitri and Stephan tried to grab Mathias, but failed. They started spreading their scents out, hoping to locate him by scent. And then Mathias took off, and the guards were fifty yards away.

Mathias started hitting my head against rocks and trees. I was dazed. I saw stars, and then I blacked out completely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I opened my eyes. The light seemed blinding, especially with my headache. I opened my eyes completely, still half-asleep. I looked over and saw Ambrose.

"You're awake," he said.

"Wha...where am I?"

"I'm not telling you."

I took in a deep breath, and then plugged my nose. "Smells like a sewer."

"Not quite."

"We're in the old factory," Mathias said. "The factory that your family owned for many years before they sold it."

"Why is this factory so important?" I asked.

"Soren buried something here, something precious. I want you to find it."

Ambrose glared at him. "Not now, Mathias! He needs to recover from your abuse!"

"He's a tough boy, he can handle anything."

"What exactly am I looking for?" I asked.

"A book. You like books," Mathias said.

"He's very smart," Ambrose noted.

"What kind of book?"

"Again, we're not telling you. Now, find it!"

"How am I supposed to find something I know nothing about?!"

"I told you, it's a book. A very old one. Now start looking." He tossed me a shovel. The sharp end hit me in the stomach, and I doubled over.

"Mathias!" Ambrose got off his perch and came over to me and rubbed my back. "Tell him exactly what you need!"

"A necromancer's diary," Mathias said.

"A necro...no way in hell am I going to find that!"

"Yes, you will!"

"I mean, it's almost impossible! All those spells and enchantments, and who knows what kind of evil lurks in the pages!"

"It'll be all right, love," Ambrose said. "I'm here for you."

As far as I could tell, the only way I'd get out of this was if I found the stupid book. And played along with Ambrose, pretending to be his mate.

"All right. Where do I start looking?"

"You figure it out!"

"What?! Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Mathias! We had an agreement!" Ambrose cried.

"Yes. I would let you take him, if, and only if, he found the diary."

"Well, he won't be looking alone." Ambrose grabbed another shovel and hit the floor hard with his foot. The cement cracked. He hit it again and again until he made a small hole.

"Work fast," Mathias said, then he went up to the office. Ambrose sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Reese," he said. Then he started digging.

I knew there was no way I was getting out of this one. Not without a miracle.

I started digging.

 

I don't know how long we dug before Ambrose hit something. He threw the shovel aside and started digging with his hands. He came across a paper cover. He carefully picked it up and blew the dirt off of it. Mathias snatched it out of his hands.

"Finally!" he said.

"Now let us go," Ambrose said.

"Hold on." Mathias leafed through the book. "This is the one. But I'm afraid I can't let Reese go."

Ambrose's eyes widened. "Deceiver! Traitor! You promised you would let him go!"

Mathias pulled out a long knife. "I will, but not in the way you think, Ambrose."

"NO!" Ambrose stepped in front of me, and received a knife in the gut. He growled and pulled it out.

Mathias grabbed me around the neck and started squeezing. I kicked, desperately trying to reach Father but getting no response. Something was wrong. I kneed Mathias in the groin, and he clutched it.

"Little bitch!" he cried.

I started running. Again, I was caught around the waist by Ambrose, but instead of stopping me, he threw me over his shoulder and started running himself. He stopped suddenly when several of his coven members appeared.

"Kill Mathias," he commanded. They did nothing. "What the fuck are you all doing? Kill him!"

"They follow me now," Doyle said.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're not in charge anymore, Ambrose. Destroy all of them."

Jenette and Nick grabbed me, while Thomas and Cassandra grabbed Ambrose by the arms.

"Traitors! Liars!" he called out.

Father, I need you now!

Reese! I've been trying to reach you for hours! Where are you?

At the factory! Uncle Soren will know which one! Mathias made me dig up a necromancer's diary, now Ambrose's coven is going to kill me and him!

Keep your mind on, I'll find you!

 

The coven took myself and Ambrose to a clearing in the woods.

"Doyle, you fiend! I'll have your head for this!"

"Even though you never chose me?"

"What?"

"You should have chosen me as your mate! I've been with you the longest and I've been the most loyal!"

"We were never together! I do not love you! Now let me and Reese go!"

Doyle turned and kicked me in the gut. I doubled over, and he grabbed my hair and pulled me up. He turned me to face Ambrose and grabbed my chin.

"Look at him," he ordered. Ambrose and I looked at each other. "Now, tell him how you really feel."

I kept quiet. Ambrose looked hurt. Doyle pushed me onto the ground. Ambrose fell next to me.

"I'm sorry, Reese," he repeated.

I heard a distant, gutteral roar.

"What was that?" Doyle demanded.

The roar sounded again. Doyle's eyes widened.

"Werewolf! Run!" The coven started to scatter, but were stopped when they were surrounded by my family members. Uncle Soren, Father, Faolan, halfway through his change, Alexander, Grandfather, Louis, and even Peter and Dean.

Doyle looked truly terrified of Faolan. He stared at him, frozen in place. Faolan's ears were back, his teeth bared, his eyes more yellow than green.

"Reese, are you hurt?" Father asked me.

I stood up and walked over to him. Father growled at Ambrose.

"Father, he saved me."

"Huh?"

"He saved my life."

"I wish I didn't believe that."

"Father!"

Doyle started running. Faolan took off after him. He caught him within seconds, and tore his head off. Then it was utter chaos. I flattened myself on the ground and crawled to the edge where I could safely watch the fight.

Peter and Dean tore apart the rest of Doyle. Uncle Soren was tearing off Jenette's head.

"Reese, I'm so sorry," Toby said as he ran past me to fight Nick. I blinked as Louis crushed a vampire's arm and she let out a howl. Adam was being torn apart by Grandfather, and Janna had her head torn off by Faolan.

Father and Ambrose cut off their argument when Dean had his leg torn off and he yelled in shock and pain. Peter ran to his mate's side, tearing off Cassandra's head in the process. Her husband Thomas let out a roar, and he grabbed Peter around the waist and threw him down. Thomas gathered up Cassandra's pieces and took off. They were not seen again for a long time.

Ambrose was fighting another vampire from his ex-coven. Uncle Soren tore off this vampire's head, and then all was silent. Pieces of the coven lay scattered, including those of Doyle.

"That was fast," Louis said, rubbing his hands on his wifebeater. "They didn't even put up a fight."

"Hardly a battle," Uncle Soren agreed.

I started to speak, then felt a blow on the back of my head.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I woke up again, my family was over me, frantically yelling my name.

"I'm..." I winced as my head felt like a clamp was crushing it.

"He's awake," Ambrose said. "Baby, what happened?"

"I don't know. Something hit the back of my head."

Then they started yelling again. "Where did he go?!"

I was being dragged along the grass. I kicked and fought, and the invisible hands still had a grip on my ankles.

Soon, I reached the factory. "Mathias, let me go!"

He shimmered into view. "Smart boy."

He tossed me onto the ground. I rolled onto my belly, and he stepped on my ankle, breaking it. I cried out. I rolled over and clutched my ankle.

"I still need you," he said, looking through the necromancer's diary. "Stupid Soren suspected that I needed this, and he thought he could find it himself before I did. When will he learn?"

My family appeared seconds later. Ambrose, Father, Grandfather, Uncle Soren, Louis, and Alexander.

Father and Alexander rushed to my side.

"His ankle's broken," Alexander informed the rest of them. He lifted me up in his arms, Father growling at him. They turned to Mathias. Mathias was outnumbered, but he did have an annoying talent. He disappeared again.

We all started searching for him. Then Louis cried out, and fell forward. Uncle Soren knelt beside him and turned him over.

"Louis!" He felt around him. "His neck's broken! Louis!"

Father started spreading his scent outward. He had taken on a defensive stance, and so had Ambrose and Grandfather. Uncle Soren was still holding Louis, and Alexander was still holding me.

Uncle Soren was lifted into the air and thrown about a hundred yards away. We heard him cursing and complaining about his elbow. Father clutched his neck, and his head was jerked to one side. He fell over, neck broken. Grandfather rushed over to him, as he was more badly hurt than Uncle Soren, who was still cursing loudly.

Grandfather lifted Father's head into his lap and sniffed.

"Mathias!" Uncle Soren called out. "It's me you want! Leave them alone! I'm the one who got you locked up." He stood up slowly, then doubled over, then jumped forward. "Mathias!"

He looked around wildly. I felt someone hit Alexander, who dropped me and was knocked to his feet. I hissed as my ankle was bounced.

"Reese!!"

Mathias appeared, holding a knife to my throat.

"One false move, and I'll cut his head off," he warned. Grandfather, Alexander, and Uncle Soren looked terrified.

"Mathias, none of this is his fault!" Uncle Soren cried. "It's my fault! You be trying to kill me instead!"

Wait, where's Ambrose? I thought. He was here a second ago.

I heard slight movement behind Mathias. While he and Uncle Soren argued, I tilted my head slightly, listening carefully. Ambrose was behind Mathias.

He pounced. They fought wildly, with Mathias trying to stab Ambrose in the stomach every few seconds. Finally, Mathias gave that up, and started trying to tear his head off instead. Ambrose and Mathias danced around each other like a couple of male lions.

Finally, Mathias rushed Ambrose. Ambrose prepared for the blow, but Mathias jumped at the last second, taking Ambrose's head with him. I screamed.

"Shut up already!" Mathias yelled, grabbing my shirt.

"Put him down!" Alexander cried.

"Okay," Mathias said, dropping me on purpose so that I landed on my ankle.

"You son of a bitch!" Uncle Soren cried.

Alexander grabbed Mathias' arms. Uncle Soren stepped up to him, and Grandfather turned his eyes away. Uncle Soren grabbed Mathias by the shoulders, and Mathias disappeared.

"Where the fuck did he go?!" Uncle Soren cried. "Show yourself!"

Mathias appeared twenty feet away. Uncle Soren flitted toward him, and they started pounding the shit out of each other. My uncle was stronger, but Mathias was more precise and faster. They had both had experience. Uncle Soren landed a blow on Mathias' nose, and Mathias retaliated with a right hook.

The fight soon became so fast, I couldn't keep track of who was winning. I ran over to my father instead, who was still unmoving. Grandfather was hugging himself and shaking, muttering tht it was all his fault. I lifted Father's head into my lap, and he moved slightly.

"Reese?" he questioned.

"Yeah, it's me," I said. He looked up at me, wincing as his neck moved.

"I'm all right. You have to get out of here. Alexander, take him and run."

The only thing that surprised me more than Father asking Alexander for help was Alexander actually trying to follow through. He grabbed me around the waist and threw me over his shoulder. I fought and slipped out of his arms. He growled and tried to grab me again.

"Quit it," I said. He frowned at me and shook his head in irritation.

Mathias and Uncle Soren were still blurs. And then they became clearer. Uncle Soren punched Mathias in the cheek, and then Mathias jammed a right hook into Uncle Soren. He kicked Uncle Soren hard in the stomach, and he doubled over.

Mathias took the opportunity to try to remove his head. Uncle Soren kicked Mathias in the privates, and he fell over, holding himself.

"You hurt my son," Uncle Soren said.

"Worth it," Mathias replied.

"You hurt my nephew, my brother, and my father. You killed my mother. Die!"

Uncle Soren clutched Mathias' head, and Mathias clutched Uncle Soren's head. That began a war where they each tried to remove the other's head.

"This is ridiculous," Alexander said. He lazily walked behind Mathias and grabbed his arms.

"Let me go!" Mathias said, starting to disappear.

"Don't even think about it," Alexander growled, and Mathias stopped himself. He grumbled, then attacked. He kicked the back of Alexander's knee, sending him down. Then he ran forward and grabbed Uncle Soren's head again.

A cry was let out behind us. I turned around, and Grandfather was now a blur. He was running toward the fight.

Seconds later, Mathias was missing his head.

Grandfather took a deep breath, then fell to his knees and began sobbing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

We burned Ambrose's ex-coven members, and Mathias. Ambrose was getting his head reattached.

The sight of home calmed me. I needed a bath and a long sleep. I fed the cats first, then took a shower, threw on clean boxers, and crawled into bed.

 

When I woke up, Father was holding me.

"You're okay," I told him.

"Of course I am. I wasn't that badly hurt. Louis was, however. His hyoid bone was broken. He's in a lot of pain right now."

"It's all my fault," I sighed.

"For the last time, none of this is your fault. It really is all Soren's fault, and he knows that. By the way, we're going to have a death ceremony next week for Mathias."

I crawled out of bed, threw sweatpants on, and went downstairs. I was relieved to see Spencer up and around; I was sure he was a goner. He and Toby hugged, kissed each other on the cheeks, and then resumed their guard duties.

"Glad to see you're awake," I told Spencer.

"Thank you, Prince Reese," he said. "It is good to be alive."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We spread Mathias' ashes into the Atlantic. Grandfather couldn't deal with it himself, so Father and Uncle Soren did it. Of course, it was close family only, and we all dressed in morbid clothing.

The ashes of Ambrose's ex-coven were spread by himself. He had recovered, and he and Father had come to an uneasy truce. Everything was going to be okay.

 

Epilogue

Sarah gave birth to Cirino on July seventeenth. She went into labor first, then had her C-section. I was thrilled when I came into the room and saw him for the first time. She handed him to Alexander first, who gazed at Cirino lovingly.

The baby himself was beautiful. I felt something in my chest when I saw him, a mixture of love and resentment.

"Do you want to hold him after me?" Mother asked. Still not trusting myself completely, I nodded. After she held him for about an hour, she gave him to me.

He was so tiny and cute. I loved everything aboout him. I honestly felt like a real father for a few minutes. That's the only way to describe the love in my heart for him.

I smiled as he gurgled.

Sarah would have to stay in bed for about a week, and then she could get up and work again. She was excited.

And so was I.

 

Impressum

Cover: Google
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 01.02.2018

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