The Nicolai Chronicles

PROLOGUE

“Mazel tov!”

CHAPTER ONE – WHEN IT RAINS

Tears spilled down Sarah’s cheeks as the fire raged on. My grandfather had finally succumbed to his mortality, and died. He wanted a typical Viking funeral, except all his wealth was now ours, legally. He left everything he had to me and Sarah. My final parting gift.

He’d looked so sad, laying there in that large bed, his eyes blind, his hair white and short and wispy, his skin cracked and wrinkled. He was now dust, like we all become eventually. My heart broke for myself and my family. Uncle Soren blamed himself. It was his experiment that caused Grandfather to lose his immortality. He kept repeating It’s my fault, it’s all my fault.

Selena and her new mate, Raoul, stood together on the pier. Mother and Father. Louis by himself. All our family and friends, including my aunts and cousins from Grandfather’s side, who were angry that he left nothing to them, despite the fact that they already had innumerable wealth.

Sarah turned away as the mast broke in half and began sobbing in my shoulder. I knew she’d have makeup trails down her face in less than a minute.

On top of that, we still had no clue where the crazy indestructible child-vampire known as Marie was, or Mathias, or even if the wraith from Bram’s attack had survived and was out to seek her vengeance.

I let myself cry. If I’d been able to put the pieces together earlier, if I’d made the connection…we wouldn’t be dealing with this right now. But we were, and it was our own damn fault.

Gizzy, Sarah’s therapy pitbull, put her paw on Sarah’s black funeral dress. Sarah scratched the dog’s ears, and Lola, Gizzy’s sister, put her paw on my suit. The two dogs were never without each other, something the previous owner hadn’t told us until we’d already arrived to pick up Gizzy. Sarah said it would be cruel to part them now, so she got both dogs, plus a husky named Koda and a Boston terrier named Scooter. She also still had Spunk and Coffee, her previous dogs.

Sarah decided to let her little cousin Bow have Scooter, and she had renamed him Aubin. So Scooter was now Aubin, and Gizzy and Lola were with Sarah pretty much all day every day, and considering that I was with her that much as well, I had to deal with them. We’d already had one or two incidents where a fight broke out between a cat-shifter and a dog.

“I’m going back to the car,” Sarah informed me. Her eyelashes were already caked with snow.

“Go ahead,” I told my new wife. “I’ll meet you there.” She loved the Lamborghini I’d gotten her before the wedding. I’d also gotten her three horses, but had yet to present them to her, with one thing after another. I was already overwhelmed with all our generous gifts from family and allies. Sarah and I were set for the next couple thousand years.

But something else had been niggling at my mind. How long would Sarah live? She was part human, part fairy. Part mortal, part immortal. And her mortal part was more prominent. Would I have to suffer a fate worse than death? Would I have to live without my one true love?

My heart squeezing, I blew one last kiss to my grandfather’s corpse and followed my Sarah to our car. She was already in the passenger seat, Gizzy and Lola in the back. I sat in the driver’s seat, not sure what to think anymore.

Louis got in the back seat.

“Did I invite you?” I grouched.

“Relax, dude. I just came to say that our aunts and cousins are here.”

“And that’s news how?”

“My dad expressly forbade them to come. They’re PO’d that you and Curvy here got all the money.”

“Curvy?” Sarah turned around in her seat. “Just say it, Louis: I’m fat.”

“No, honey, you’re not fat, you’re pregnant. Most women get a bit of belly when they become pregnant.”

I bonked Louis on the head for that one.

“Okay, that came out wrong,” he said.

“Just shut up and get out.”

Louis stuck his tongue out at me, but did as I said. I was dangerous at the moment. Because my new wife, Sarah, my true mate, my soulmate, the love of my life, the Aphrodite to my Hephaestus, was pregnant with our twin babies. Little half-vampires known as dhampirs. They were also part fairy, due to their mother’s lineage.

I purred and put my hand on them. They were asleep, wrapped up so warm and snuggly in her womb. I did worry about how the pregnancy would affect her, but she seemed to be taking it well. In fact, she loved being pregnant. Not so much the swollen feet or back problems, but she loved being fed and mothered by all the women in our families.

My girl was a bottomless pit even when she wasn’t pregnant, but now she was insatiable. She was constantly eating. She ran to the bathroom a lot. And she couldn’t get enough of me. One day she actually used her wings to hold herself up so she could wrap her arms and legs around me. It was a bit of a problem, as that was also the day we were meeting some allied covens, and I had to introduce her as my very affectionate wife.

I don’t know who was more excited about becoming grandparents: my parents or her parents. Beckett and my father actually got into a shouting match about who would be the better grandfather. These little mixed dhampirs were going to be the most spoiled children on the planet. I’d have to watch that.

I was already taking my duties as a father seriously-I helped Sarah bathe, read to her and the babies, brought her endless food, watched Disney and girly movies with her, put up with her video games and TV wrestling addiction, and took her shopping for new clothes and baby products. Our mothers had already stocked the nursery with more baby items than I knew what to do with.

I was brought back to the present when Sarah sneezed several times.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“It’s just a cold,” she said.

“A cold lasts for two weeks. This has been going on for half of January.”

“Really, Reese, it’s not a big deal. I’m just feeling rundown because of these little turkeys.”

She winced and leaned back. I felt her forehead. “Honey, you’re cold to the touch. I need to get you home.” I sent my parents and Beckett texts describing Sarah’s condition. Beckett and Mother agreed that I needed to get her home and they’d meet us later.

Sarah’s head tilted and she closed her eyes. Within seconds, she was snoring. The poor girl had fainted and then fell asleep.

I rushed back to the castle, where it was warmer than the car. I parked in my designated spot in the garage, then carried Sarah, the dogs following behind. I carried her up to the elevator, pressed the right button, and nuzzled her neck. She was still cold. I smelled her. There was something off about her scent. I smelled the usual: her female musk, the children, her floral scent, her Spanish amber perfume…but also sickness. She was very sick, and she didn’t even realize it yet.

I carried her to our room, unlocked the door while halfway holding her, and let the dogs in first before I carried my girl in. I set her on the bed and slowly stripped her of her accessories and clothes. Her shoes, her jewelry, her coat and her dress, then her tights and bra. I took the elastic out of her hair and put her under the covers.

She snorted. “Mom?”

“No, baby, it’s me,” I said, stroking her soft brown cheek.

“Husband? Why are you all blurry?”

“You’re exhausted, honey, go back to sleep.”

“No-“ Then she went quiet, and started to shake.

“Oh no, not another one,” I said to myself. She’d had seizures before, but they were only stress seizures. This was different. This was a part of her new sickness. I hoped she wouldn’t have another heart attack as well. She was too young for those, anyway.

I didn’t restrain her, as I’d been taught. I kept her head propped up on a pillow, and checked her mouth for gum or any other obstruction. I waited until the seizure was over, then catalogued it.

Third seizure this year. January 15. Lasted a minute and twelve seconds. Fainted and then fell asleep in the car earlier. Louis basically called her fat. Also, Aunt Elsa, Aunt Gudrun, Raquieca, Rebeka, and Rainess showed up at Grandfather’s funeral today. They’re angry because all his assets went to me and Sarah. I don’t smell any urine on her.

I thought back to earlier. Did anything else seem out of place to me? No, other than the fact that Scorpia was also there. I made a note of that and then set my phone on the nightstand beside her. I took off my boots and stripped down to my underwear, then climbed in with her. She was colder than I was. Poor, sweet Sarah.

She was still shaking, but from cold. I got out of bed and put the heater next to her and turned it on.

“Reesh,” she muttered. “Husba…yes, the babies are sshhfine. I’m hungry. What’s for wine?”

“Shh,” I soothed, petting her hair. “No wine for you. You’re ill.”

“What? No, I’m shiiiiiiiiiittt….”

“Sarah, do you need to go to the bathroom?”

“Bafroom? No, I took a shower last night. Reesie was with me. He showie with me now. He think I will fall and bonk my head on the faucet. He bonked Louis today because Louis’ a jerkface. He called Sarah fat. Wait, I’m Sarah! Hehehehe!”

Poor girl was hallucinating and talking nonsense.

“I’m Jewish, and Reesh is As…As…”

“Asatru,” I reminded her.

“Dat’s right. I celebrate Hanukkah and Reesh chelebrates…er…Christma…no…I’m confuzzled.”

“I noticed.”

“Shut up, Mom. I’m tired of your verbal abush. Leave me alone. I wish Marina was my mommy. But then Reesh would be my bro, and that would be wrong, because he’sh my hubba…”

“Be quiet, Sarah.”

“You shut up, Ree! I tired of your bickering with Lou. So just shut up! Forgive me. I’m such a bish…”

“No, honey, you’re not.”

She started crying. “He’s the one who got away! Reese! I liked him, and he dumped me for Scarlett!”

Sweet girl was delusional.

I laid next to her, purring against her, my throat vibrating against her head. She felt for me, and tried to punch me. I grabbed her wrist, kissing her collarbone.

“Get osh me! You crazy, Caden! I no like you like dat.”

“Sarah, it’s Reese. Do you remember me? I’m the one you married.”

“Married? I’m married?”

I shushed her and muttered into her ear. She was snoozing in seconds. I hated using hypnotism on her, but lately it had been more necessary than ever to get her to stop mumbling nonsense and fall asleep faster.

As soon as she was snoring, I kissed her and adjusted the covers so she was extra warm. I went into my own private den next to the bedroom, and grabbed a bottle of donated blood and warmed it up. I opened my laptop, and typed in the date. I typed in what Sarah had done and said, and what had happened earlier. I also noted that the funeral was today and my cousins and aunts had shown up.

I also looked in on Sarah’s Facebook profile. She hadn’t posted anything since the wedding a month ago, which was unlike her. She loved posting on social media. And she’d had reason to, which was even better. She normally kept all her friends updated on the pregnancy. We hadn’t seen much of anyone since we graduated last year, other than Mason and Scarlett. Scarlett was unplanned and unwelcome, however. Mason was my friend and a male witch/warlock-in-training.

I’d finally gotten over his little crush on Sarah, and so had he. Except now, he was dating two girls at once. Scarlett, and a girl he’d met at the North Hampton Public Library named Elsa. I told him he was going to get caught eventually-I had-but he insisted he had it under control.

Fine, but when Scarlett blew him up for being indecisive, don’t expect me to pick up his body parts.

I updated my records and checked my finances for the millionth time…it was still there. All gazillions of euros and dollars of it.

Then I checked the built-in baby monitor. We’d had a small camera inserted inside Sarah so we could check up on the babies at any time. My little Joseph Eilief and Caitlin Juniper. I hoped Sarah liked the middle name I’d chosen for our son. She’d picked our daughter’s name, naming her after a childhood best friend, so she let me choose our son’s name. I chose the name Joseph because of her Jewish heritage and Eilief because that is my grandfather’s name. Besides, I’d already met him in my dreams.

I was tempted to read her diary, but that was too personal. Besides, I trusted her. She had no reason to trust me-I’m a vampire, I’m a prince, I’m rich, and I had already lied to her before and cheated on her. My sweet Sarah.

I tried to read a novel, but I found myself focusing on her breathing. As long as her heart beat, I was happy. Of course, I’d wanted to change her into a vampire, but she didn’t want that, and I wasn’t about to take that choice from her. Still, I worried. How long would she live? How long would our kids live? Would I outlive all of them?

I lit a cigarette to calm my nerves. The familiar scent of tobacco and nicotine soothed me. Taking a long drag, I blew out the smoke and tapped the ashes off. Damn, this felt good.

Later that night, we were all sitting around the fireplace in my uncle’s room. Uncle Soren was breathing heavily-he’d gorged himself on blood and was now dealing with a bloated stomach. Louis had produced Kahlua, vodka, and margarita mix, and now we were all drinking, except Mother, who sipped water. Sarah was still asleep in our room.

I stared at the fire. Fire was the only surefire way to kill a vampire. Oh, sure, a stake made with the right wood might do it, but he could recover from a wound like that. Vampires healed fast. Toby was already up and around again after losing his head.

Shadowfang was curled up in a soft, plush pillow, snoring and purring, and the dogs laid together comfortably, beside the rest of the cats.

“Fuck,” Uncle Soren said, loosening his belt. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” Mother asked. He looked at her.

“I’m the king now. By law, I have to take over. It’s the last thing I wanted. This whole thing is the last thing that I wanted.”

Heart squeezing, I watched them cautiously. Uncle Soren had once been in love with my mother, and sometimes I wondered if he still was.

Uncle Soren sat up, wincing. “Crap, I’m bloated. He’s dead because of me, Marina. He’s dead because of something I did!”

“Geez, when you look at it that way, it really is your fault,” Louis said, earning a glare from his father.

“Mordecai, say something,” Mother urged. My father looked at her, then sat up and looked at his brother.

“Father would have died anyway, Soren,” he said. “Remember, he wanted to die.”

Uncle Soren rubbed his face. Then he sat back. “Go get Mitra, Louis.”

We all looked at each other. He kept Mitra’s ashes in a small heart-shaped urn. Louis knew not to argue about Mitra. Uncle Soren had loved her. He was willing to move to America permanently so she could stay with her family and continue to be the Lenape Guardian. She was more than just one of his many crushes.

“Now!” Uncle Soren snapped. Louis quickly got his butt in gear, then Uncle Soren looked regretful. “I shouldn’t have shouted at him.”

“You’re under a lot of stress,” Mother soothed him, rubbing his arm. He looked at her hand touching him, then at her.

“You’re a good woman, Marina,” he said.

“She’s also my woman,” Father reminded him through clenched teeth.

“Relax, brother. I have no intention of stealing away your woman. I can have a woman of my own within hours.”

“Then why do you constantly flirt with mine?”

“Because Marina is the greatest woman I know who is still alive.”

Mother placed a kiss on his cheek. He looked embarrassed, and was about to say something, but then Louis arrived with Mitra’s urn. He placed the scarlet metal object with a rose design on his father’s lap.

“I’m king now, baby,” he said, stroking it. “I knew you’d be proud of me. Mordecai and Louis don’t think I can do it. Reese has been silent on his opinion.”

“I never said you couldn’t do it- “

“Shut up, Mordecai. Don’t you see we’re having a conversation? Baby, I love you. I wish you were here with me physically. I miss your tanned skin, your short black hair, your bad attitude, and your thin frame. You’re dead because of me. I promise you, I’ll make it right. I’ll go back to America and watch over the tribe myself.”

By now, we were all looking at him worriedly. He only spoke to her ashes when he didn’t think he could do something or was really stressed. We all knew he knew she wasn’t answering back-but having her to talk to soothed him.

“Apollo’s back,” Louis announced, and we all groaned. Apollo was the start of all of this…he was Alexander’s father. Louis continued. “He said he’s sorry he missed the wedding and the funeral, but he hopes to make up for it. He’s especially excited to see you, Marina. Speak of the devil.”

There was a knock on the door, and I went to answer it. Apollo was standing there, smiling at me.

“Hello, Reese,” he said.

“Hello, Uncle.”

“I told you, Reese, call me Apollo. Hello, Soren. Mordecai. And the sweet Marina, as lovely as ever.”

He strode across the room without an invitation and kissed her knuckles while I closed the door. Apollo sat beside my mother and put his arm around her. She scooted away from him, closer to my father.

“What do you want, Apollo?” Uncle Soren growled, clutching Mitra.

“What if I told you that I could bring your little girl back, Marina?” he asked.

“I’m listening,” she said, although her shoulders tensed.

“You know who I am and what I can do. I can bring your baby back. I can give you so many little ones, you’ll need help.”

He got on one knee. “Marina, there is one thing I want you to do. Forgive Alexander. Go back to him.”

“Why do you care?” Mother asked.

Apollo huffed. “You know why.”

“I told you, Apollo, I do not love you. I love Mordecai now. And Alexander is the one who killed my girl.”

“It was an accident. Your baby was very weak, weakened by malnutrition. Her brothers were stealing all your blood and nutrients from her. They are just as responsible.”

“They’re babies! And you are the last person who should talk about responsibility.”

He paused. “I know. Marina, at least let me try. I do not have the powers of your God, but I can try. Trust me on this, please. I want to help.”

“Oh, very well,” Mother said after a pause. “You may try.”

“Good, then. Come with me. And get undressed. None of you are allowed to come with us, except you, Mordecai. And you, Reese.”

“They are family,” Mother told him.

“Oh, fine.”

“No, that’s okay,” Louis said, waving his hand. “I’d rather not see my uncle run his hands over my aunt’s belly and mutter in Greek.”

Father looked furious.

“You will be needed, anyway, Mordecai,” Apollo said. “Your seed will be needed.”

I knew right then that I didn’t want to see it, either. After politely declining the show, I went back to my and Sarah’s room with the dogs and Shadowfang. Gizzy, Lola, Spunk, and Coffee all jumped onto the bed and maneuvered themselves around their mistress. They would protect her with their little canine lives, according to the cats, who could understand dog-language.

Shadowfang yawned and stretched before jumping onto my bookshelf and licking his leg.

“What am I going to do, Shadow?” I asked.

“About what?” he inquired, switching to the other leg.

“About Sarah. She’s so sick, and I can’t help her unless I know what’s going on. No one knows where Ethan is, and no vampire doctor wants to help after the mortality experiments that Uncle Soren and Grandfather performed. Or the Bram incident. I can’t believe Bram spied on us for years using our own guards and we didn’t realize it. Do you realize that nobody wants to work for us now, except for Claudia? We’ve already had twenty-three maids, a hundred guards, three governesses, six cooks, fourteen farmhands, and our pilot quit. And I feel like it’s partly my fault.”

“No, Reese, it makes total sense for a vampire with superior senses to miss something and not realize he’s being watched,” Shadowfang said sarcastically. “Especially when you know the guy hates you and would love to see your family out of the picture. What I don’t get, though, is, why let Marie and the wraith go?”

“He wanted to make us look incompetent. Marie is one of those rare vampires who can’t be killed by fire. We don’t know what, if anything, can destroy her, besides a god. She should never have been changed. What makes this worse is the identity of the vampire who changed her.”

“Who was it?”

“My own father.”

“Mordecai? But he’s an upstanding guy! And he was against child vampires! Why would he change a child into a vampire?”

“Maybe he thought Marie could be tamed. You know, like a good fledgling. She’d had a hard life. Accused of witchcraft, actually being a witch, the daughter of a High Priestess, being immune to fire due to a spell her mother laid on her, watching her mother be pressed and then burned, being chased through the woods, nearly being eaten by a werewolf…you know that that’s where the story of Little Red Riding Hood came from? Marie being taken in by her grandmother and then watching her grandmother be swallowed whole by a werewolf. And then the werewolf was too bloated to eat Marie, so he locked her in a cage and tried to keep her well fed, but my dad rescued her in time. She sort of developed a crush on my dad after that, but he rejected her, because he’s not a pervert. She didn’t take it well. On top of that, she had delusions of all sorts and a psychosis break, according to my father.”

“Wow. That is one screwed-up little girl.”

“Yeah. So we kept her at a secret nunnery in France for over two hundred years, kept her in isolation, in a sleep that she wasn’t supposed to wake up from. But a corrupt nun wanted Marie’s power, so she did what Bram asked and let Marie go. That was a big mistake. And now my dad thinks Marie’s on her way here. The few survivors she leaves behind say she’s saying “Where’s Mordecai? Where is Mordecai?” So he’s scared…not for himself, but for me and Mom. He can handle a kid vampire just fine, but when she’s jealous and has delusions…that’s a recipe for disaster. He knows that it’s his fault she’s still alive. He took pity on her when he shouldn’t have.”

Sarah whimpered a little, and I went over to her and nuzzled her.

“I’m here, baby,” I whispered.

“Reese?” she asked. “I’m so tired.”

“Sleep, then, mi amore.”

“That means “my love” in Italian.”

“I know, that’s why I said it. Sleep for now, lover. Sleep. Sleep…”

My eyes glowed and swirled, hypnotizing her. My last hypnotism was too weak. I was too gentle with her, too soft. I hated doing anything against her will. She’d already had her choices taken away before we even became friends. Fate had conspired against her. I would destroy Fate.

CHAPTER TWO – SLEEPING BEAUTY

I knew something was wrong. It was noon the next day, and she still hadn’t woken up. I got Beckett to try to wake her, but he couldn’t. He became worried as well and got his mother, Birdie, to try to wake her up. She couldn’t, either.

We got Krauvas, who was staying with us, to look at her. He examined her for a long time. He looked at her eyes, he looked at her throat, listened to her heartbeat, examined her brain.

Mason stood beside me, biting his lip. He and Krauvas had arrived two days before the funeral, to pay their respects. He watched his father examine my wife just as strongly and apprehensively as I was.

Krauvas finished his examination, and sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why she won’t wake up. For some reason, she’s shut down, but I can’t find a reason. There’s magic involved, magic that even I don’t handle. It’s dark, and it’s what’s causing her to sleep.”

“What about my children?” I asked.

“They seem healthy and awake. I sense that they’re confused as to why their mother won’t eat-they’re hungry. There’s really nothing I can do. I’m sorry, Reese.”

Birdie looked at Sarah and studied her. She was in her true, fairy form, and she was observing her granddaughter.

“This is fairy magic,” she said. “She’s asleep because of our magic. I don’t know who else could have done this, except…” She trailed off. “Something’s wrong with her brain.”

“Sarah,” I whispered, stroking her cheek, “I’m here. I’m here. Our babies are hungry. They want jalapeno ice cream, and chocolate milk, and cheesy chips, and chocolate mints.”

She still didn’t wake up. Damn, I thought that would wake her up for sure. My little bottomless pit didn’t even wake up for weird food. Gizzy sensed something was wrong. She nudged Sarah’s limp hand, whining.

“What’s she saying?” I asked Shadowfang.

“The mutt knows something’s wrong,” he answered. “She wonders why Sarah won’t wake up and is wondering if she’s asleep for good.”

I shuddered at the thought.

Coffee and Spunk both made their moves then. Coffee moved Sarah’s other hand over her back and Spunk stood up on his hind legs and licked her face. Nothing. Spunk whined and sat back on his butt.

“Sarah,” I tried, “Jamie Williams is releasing a new novel based on you. Come on, baby.”

“We need to take her to France,” Birdie said.

Beckett looked at her. “Mother, you don’t mean…”

“I do. Avalon.”

I shuddered again. Avalon was the home of the notorious King Oberon and Queen Titania, the leaders of the fairy kingdom. They were also Sarah’s great-grandparents, according to Birdie and Beckett. They were responsible for sun fairies, the Day and Night Courts, moon fairies, pixies, and so on.

I sighed and looked at her. Anything for Sarah.

CHAPTER THREE – AVALON

My stomach dove and Gizzy and Lola whined and held back. I eventually just picked them both up and carried them to the place I needed to be to save Sarah. It didn’t look like much from the outside, just a dilapidated palace. But this was the Fairy Palace, and it would be grand inside.

As I approached, I handed the dogs over to Krauvas, who took their leashes, and took Sarah from Beckett. I carried her to the front gate, where a pair of brutish men whom I knew were trolls in disguise stood.

“What do you want, vampire?” the one on the right snapped.

“Help,” I said. “My wife needs help.”

He yanked the blanket from her face, and scowled.

“No, not this one. She is sang de traitre. Traitor blood.”

“But she’s dying!” I protested.

He shook his head. “We cannot help you. Take her back to your hovel, vampire, and-“

“What is going on here?”

A woman appeared out of the garden behind the dying daylight. “Why is this vampire here?”

“He has brought traitorous blood, madam,” the troll said, returning to his normal façade.

The woman gasped, her blond curls shaking. “Could it be?” She snatched the blanket away from my girl’s face, and gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Great-granddaughter?”

“Are you Queen Titania?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I am. Is this Sarah?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Bring her inside.”

“But my lady, your husband- “

“Will not hear of this, am I understood? Now let him pass.”

The two trolls reluctantly let me through into the foyer. I glanced around at the gold walls and diamond chandeliers before Queen Titania led me through the elevator where we entered and she pressed a button for level 2.

My heart continued to sleep soundly, not even snoring as she usually did. Her heart still beat, but she was virtually lifeless. We reached Level 2 and the fairy queen led me to a small bedroom with a massive bed in it, and a fireplace. She took the girl from me and laid her on the bed. Queen Titania moved the blankets away from Sarah’s pretty face.

“She’s beautiful,” the queen said aloud, stroking Sarah’s cheek. “I always knew they were, but to see one of them in person…”

She moved her arms down Sarah’s arms, put one hand on her belly, and gasped.

“She’s pregnant,” she noted.

“Yes,” I said. “They’re mine.”

Queen Titania moved her hand over Sarah’s body, muttering in a language I didn’t recognize.

“Sleep well, and sleep deep, my daughter,” she said. “Sleep hard, and sleep well, little ones. Sleep. Sleep….”

I conked out right next to Sarah.

When I woke up, I was under the covers, and I was naked, and so was Sarah. I rolled onto my side and nuzzled her, purring.

“Wake up, baby,” I said, placing my hand on her abdomen. I felt movement under my fingers. She’d grown. Odd. First she wasn’t big enough, but now that she was almost due, she was finally growing. Her eyes fluttered and moved under her lids.

I reached into her mind, hoping to discover what kept her asleep. There was a block.

“Sarah,” I said, “Come on, lover. Wake up. It’s me. I’ll give you a glass of chocolate milk if you wake up. I’ll buy you a hundred books. I’ll buy you that new makeup palette you keep talking about. We need to send your old mascara wands to that wildlife rescue. Remember? They use the wands to help animals who have been caught in oil spills and stuff. Speaking of oil, I saw an oil fire on the way over here. It was amazing, great blue flames climbing to the sky. Ash and debris everywhere.”

I kissed her cheek. “Come on, Sarah. Wake up, please. Our babies are hungry, and I bet you are, too. Would it help if I gave you a little bit of my blood? The babies are half-vampire, after all.” I moved down. “Kids, can you hear me? It’s Daddy. Stay calm, I know Mama’s still asleep, and has been for days, and I know you’re probably hungry. I have an idea, hold on.”

I bit open my own wrist, then bit Sarah’s wrist. I carefully licked her skin to calm her angry nerves, then pressed our wounds together. I kept it like that for a few hours, just waiting for our blood to do the exchange.

When it was finished, I licked her wound again, healing it with my saliva. I had given her a bit of my blood-enough for the babies and her. Heart squeezing, I kissed her face.

“Sarah, it’s me again. I love you. I want you to know that. I never meant to hurt you. But I know I did, and I’m sorry for that. Please forgive me. I’m sorry. Please, please wake up, please.”

Shut up, came a voice in my mind. It sounded like Sarah.

“Sarah?”

Yeah, Reese, it’s me. I don’t know why I can’t wake up. I would have gotten to you earlier, but there was some kind of block in my mind. I think it lifted when you exchanged our blood. I appreciate that, sweetheart.

“Sarah, I love you. Is there anything I can do?”

I love you, too, and no, I don’t think there is. I think I’m stuck in limbo.

“Limbo? What do you mean?”

You know what limbo means. I’m somewhere between life and death. I don’t know why I can’t wake up, yet my heart is still beating, and I can communicate with you. How are the babies?

“They’re worried. And hungry. I gave them some blood, but I’ll have to keep doing that if we want them to survive this.”

I hope they do. I don’t want to lose one baby.

“I’m glad Mother didn’t hear you say that. And I don’t, either.”

Marina’s not here. And frankly, I don’t care who heard it. It’s how I feel. You shouldn’t apologize for saying how you feel, as long as you’re nice about it.

“You’re right, as usual.”

I’m right ninety-five percent of the time.

“A sad truth. But at least you can hear me, and I can hear you.”

I could hear you before. You appeared like a…I don’t know…almost like a ghost in my mind. I saw your upper half, and you were talking to me. I heard every word you said.

“That’s good. Is anyone else in your mind?”

“There’s Jamie Williams. He’s like a giant, holding me in his hand, telling me that you’re no good for me and that I deserve someone better. That’s bullshit. I can’t think of a better person than you, and I feel like I don’t deserve you.

“Let’s not talk about who deserves what. Let’s talk about who loves who. Is there anyone else?”

No, just Jamie. Reese…I think he’s immortal. A warlock, maybe, or a vampire.

“Surely I’d have smelled the venom in his blood if he were a vampire. It is possible he’s a warlock or a male witch, as they can hide the scent of the magic in their blood.”

Is that so? Huh. Weird.

I nuzzled her. She muttered a little in her mind, her thoughts scattered.

I kissed her softly, urging her to trying to wake up fully. But she fell asleep again. Her dreams were as scattered as her thoughts. She dreamed of our babies dying, of her dying, of her having demon children, growing so big she couldn’t move, and so on.

Reese, she thought. Reese, Reese. Help me, Reese.

I kissed her furiously, trying to calm her down.

The door opened a crack, and I hissed at the intruder.

“It’s only us, Reese,” Louis’ voice said. I hissed again. He opened the door anyway, and he, Krauvas, Mother, Selena, Father, and Birdie entered. Beckett was loitering behind, probably afraid of what he’d see.

“Where’s Uncle Soren?” I asked.

“Still in Denmark. Dealing with his new duties and his old duties. He is the new king, after all,” Louis said.

“How is my baby girl?” Mother asked, sitting beside her on the bed.

“I can communicate with her telepathically. She’s scared. She doesn’t know why this has happened to her any more than we do.”

“My daughter,” Mother muttered, nuzzling noses with Sarah.

“Mine,” Beckett corrected.

“My wife,” I said.

The door opened, and a tall fairy appeared. He had long black hair, porcelain skin, and eyes that looked tired.

“Hello, Cobweb,” Birdie said.

“Hello, Birdina,” he replied. “Is this the girl?”

“Yes. She’s been like this for days. We had our warlock friend look at her, but this is beyond his skill.”

“I see. I will need privacy with her.”

I hissed.

“Hush, Reese,” Father said. “He only wants to help her, not mate with her.”

“I have no interest in mating with the girl,” Cobweb said. “I prefer men, anyway.”

I relaxed slightly and looked at my lovely Sarah one last time.

“I’ll be back,” I whispered, kissing her forehead. “Tell me if he violates you.”

“Shut up, Reese,” Louis quipped.

I was led to a large dining room while Cobweb did his thing with Sarah. I stayed quiet as Queen Titania sat down beside me. Birdie sat across from her, Beckett on her left, my father on her right.

“Tell me about your life now,” Queen Titania said to Birdie.

“Well, after Beckett and I married, we had Beckett Junior here and three other children. Our children and their spouses now include Dominic, Simone, Martha, Adaline, Francine, and their children include Beatrice, whom we call Bow, Philip, Archimedes, Jacqueline, Kazimir, whom we call Kaz, and Rosaleena, who is nonbinary and prefers the American name Riley. And of course Sarah and Sabine, who live primarily in America until Sarah married Reese this past December. She was the first to get her wings and the first to marry of the grandchildren. Kaz got his wings recently, and Jacqueline will soon get hers. It’s odd, though, because they’re both older than Sarah. They should have gotten their wings before she did.”

“I think I know why that happened,” Queen Titania said. “It’s because Sarah was feeling powerful emotions. She was in love with Reese, felt pain over her trauma in her short life.”

“That makes sense. And frankly, she’s the only one of the children who won’t use her wings arbitrarily. She got in trouble once for using her wings in public, and that’s it. Kaz has only had his wings for a few months and he’s already been in front of the French Court twice.”

“What’s taking Cobweb so long?” I demanded. Father placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t worry; this is impermanent. She will wake up,” Queen Titania said. “Cobweb is the best apothecary we have. He is well-versed in fairy health. He personally delivered all of my babies.”

“I need to see her,” I said, standing up. Father grabbed my arm.

“Calm down, Reese,” he said. “She’ll be all right. She’s getting the best care possible.”

“She is,” Queen Titania affirmed.

I thought about my poor, sweet wife and our unborn hungry babies. I felt sick.

But I still had to wait until Cobweb was done. I tried to connect with Sarah’s mind, but was blocked by her own exhaustion. My Sarah. I’d been obsessed with her since day one, but she showed me true love over time as our friendship and then our relationship grew. She’d had a baby, found out she was part fairy, lost her mother, had both her parents turned into vampires, her sister wouldn’t talk to her for the longest time, she’d met her favorite author, she’d had several unwanted suitors, she’d been raped, she’d gotten pregnant again, and she’d married me. Oh, and she graduated high school with perfect grades and as co-captain of the cheerleading squad. And she’d lost and gained friends.

Some of this was due to my involvement in her life. If I hadn’t introduced her to my mother, my mother wouldn’t have fallen in love with her as a daughter and tried to kill Alicia. If I hadn’t been the inspiration for her poem, who knows if she would have met Jamie Williams? But Michael Nales was responsible for her rape and original impregnation with Cirino. Scarlett and her clique cast her out of their group out of pure jealousy. She was more beautiful than all of them combined, even Scarlett.

Sometimes I wished she weren’t beautiful; it would even up the field between us. Or that I wasn’t rich. I’d gladly give her all the money I had if I could. Of course, now our accounts were joined, so that didn’t matter. She was so kind, and selfless, and warm, and fun. I adored her.

We waited a few more hours. Queen Titania led us on a house tour. Her house had a fucking bar next to the kitchen. A gym, an indoor pool, a sunroom, a library, a toy room for any little ones, and lots of bedrooms and bathrooms. It was bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. And each room had its own secrets.

For example, the bar had a vintage wine that hadn’t been touched since 1600. The kitchen had a chocolate fountain, a soda fridge, and lots of milk. Fairies love milk and wine and chocolate. I was tempted to taste the bottle of human blood in the apothecary/medical room that had been around since 1798. The right kind of blood ages well, if stored correctly, like a fine wine or cheese. My stomach turned, however, when I smelled the four-hundred-year-old vinegar.

Unhappily, I was led, not to Sarah’s room, but to a room next to hers. I could hear Cobweb humming to himself as he poked and prodded my wife. My only comfort was that he preferred men, as he stated. When I tried to connect with Sarah’s mind again, I became as exhausted as she was all of a sudden. I yawned and stripped my clothes off, crawling into the soft warm bed with the white silk sheets and warm quilt. I drifted off to sleep.

I wasn’t in the ocean anymore. I was floating, the top of my head facing the sky. I looked around me. Then I saw Reese. Reese? Wait a second, I was Reese. I looked down, and saw Sarah’s body. She was naked. She reached out for me, but I was asleep. She tried to speak, but no words came out. Her lips were stitched shut. Then she was under water.

She swam to the surface and saw sharks and snakes circling her. They were going to kill her! I reached out to her, and she reached out for me. Suddenly, I was in my own body, no longer in Sarah’s. Then I saw a large, grinning face looming over us. It was Jamie Williams. He laughed evilly, and grabbed Sarah, who was suddenly in a pale pink dress. She struggled and fought, even trying to use her tiny teeth once or twice.

“You can’t fight this, Sarah,” Jamie said. “We were made for each other. You know it, I know it, and he knows it. Stop wiggling.”

And then, to my horror, he put her up to his mouth, and swallowed her whole. Furious, I tried to leap on him, but then a tentacle appeared out of the depths and grabbed my ankle. It started to drag me down.

“Sarah!” I cried. “Sarah! Sarah!”

“Sarah! Sarah!”

“Reese, wake up!”

“What-Dad?”

“Yeah, it’s me, son. You were having another bad dream. Was it about Sarah?”

“It was odd, Father. It was like I was actually inside her mind for a few seconds. Like we shared the dream. I was in her body for a minute. And there were sharks, and snakes, and this tentacle monster, the same one who dragged me down last year-“

“It’s all right now, Reese. Sarah’s fine. Cobweb says he’s finished, and if he’s correct in his treatment, she should wake up soon.”

I relaxed slightly. I fell back asleep again, and this time, I dreamed of soft curly hair and soft brown skin and a curvy physique.

I was still purring and reaching out for her when I woke up the next morning. I was anxious, so I slid out of bed and opened the door, then opened the door to Sarah’s room. I entered and closed it behind me. It was still dark out and I needed my soulmate. It was physically painful to be without her. I slid in next to her and purred again.

I covered both of us with the blankets and kissed her cheek. She smelled like her usual scent, but this time, there was an air of patchouli and fairy blood. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my chest. Gods, I was crazy about this woman. She belonged with me. She was mine.

Mine. Mine. Mineminemineminemineminemineminemine.

Reese?

Good morning, beautiful.

Is that you I feel beside me?

Yes, it’s me. I love you so much, Sarah.

I love you too, Reese. I think I’ll be able to wake up today. My eyes want to open, but my brain is still tired.

You are probably still mentally exhausted from Cobweb’s treatment. He did his best, baby.

I know he did. I was able to talk to him using our minds. He’s quite the telepath.

Did he touch you?

Reese, he had to touch me to help me. If you mean did he lay a hand on me, then no, he didn’t. Don’t be silly. He’s an apothecary. He took an oath to help fairies get well and stay healthy.

Are you hungry?

You’re changing the subject. But yes, I’m starving.

Do you want me to get you something to eat?

Not yet-Cobweb said something about a healing vessel. He said it should take any hunger pangs away.

I kept purring as the minutes passed, and the sky slowly lightened. By then, a sticky covering had enveloped Sarah, and I wondered if this was the healing vessel she’d mentioned.

Soon, Cobweb came, and it took both him and Father to pry me off of Sarah.

“The princess’ healing vessel is covering her,” Cobweb said. “She needs to rest and recover now.”

“She needs me,” I argued, clinging to her.

“She needs her healing vessel,” Father told me. “She’ll still be there when it breaks, Reese. And you’ll be there with her.”

I groaned and grumbled, but I reluctantly let her go. Father was right-she’d still be there when it broke.

Sulking a bit, I went into the living room, and saw someone I did not want near Sarah.

“You!”

CHAPTER FOUR – ENEMY

I growled and hissed, then prepared to pounce. When I did, though, Father grabbed me around the waist and held me back.

“Calm down, Reese,” he ordered. “He’s not going to hurt you or Sarah.”

“Of course I won’t,” Caden Cartwright said. “I didn’t even know I was related to her or that we were supposed to marry until she did. I swear, Reese.”

“Where is Puck?” I demanded.

“Right here,” Caden’s fairy father said, stepping out of the shadows. “I must apologize for my behavior, Reese. I acted just like my father did when I was betrothed to Moth. I must explain. It’s called the father’s choice. Fairy fathers have the right to choose who their children marry. Beckett and I had an agreement, but he went back on it when Sarah’s curse was discovered. I’ve held a grudge for too long. It’s not her fault, and it’s not yours. It’s ours. We should have been more accepting and open.”

“There’s another thing you should know, Reese,” Father said. “Do you remember me briefly mentioning that you were also betrothed before you were born?”

“How could I forget?” I said sarcastically.

“Well, Zita’s here, and so is Scorpia.”

“Ah! What the fuck, Dad? Scorpia’s fucking crazy!”

“I told her to leave you alone, Reese, or she’ll lose an arm. She knows that you’re married to Sarah, and she will respect that, or I will make her respect that.”

“She stalked me! She kept me in a closet until I said I loved her!”

“Be quiet, Reese. I have it under control, so don’t worry about Scorpia. The reason why Zita’s here is because we have to discuss how to handle everything that’s been heaped upon us. The whole Council, except for Bram, of course, is arriving, and you will be required to attend.”

“I hate those yuppies!”

“I do, too, but it’s a necessary evil for the good of the world. Marie is still running rampant, and it’s me she’s looking for. I have to go find her myself, and they know where she is, seeing as they control the vampire militia as well.”

“Vampire militia?” Caden squeaked.

“Long story,” I growled.

“Basically the American government wanted to experiment with vampire soldiers during World War Two,” Father told him. “A vampire using his natural talents is a force to be reckoned with, but pump him full of certain chemicals and drugs and he’s invincible. That’s how the formal vampire militia was created.”

I grunted and sat on my haunches.

“What’s he doing?” Caden asked.

“He’s frustrated,” Father explained. “He wants everything to go back to normal again. When he and Sarah were in their own little world and nothing else mattered.”

I growled and paced the floor on all fours. I saw Caden trying hard not to laugh.

“He’s almost like a cat,” Puck said. “Or a dog.”

I went outside to chain-smoke cigarettes, and saw boats arriving on the island. I lit up and inhaled, then blew out the smoke.

First, I saw Scorpia. She glared at me, and I glared at her.

“Can I bum one of those?” she asked. I tossed her my half-empty carton, and she took one and lit up with a lighter from her pocket. “So the world’s in danger, huh?” she tried as conversation.

I nodded. “It’s more than just me and Sarah this time, or the vampire race. It’s the whole world that’s in danger. Marie is that deadly.”

“Well, we’re close, aren’t we? Avalon is right by France, and Marie was last seen in France.”

“Yes, true.”

I heard familiar footsteps, and looked up to see Toby approaching. He had Shadowfang in one arm and a suitcase in the other hand.

“What are you doing here, Toby?” I asked.

“Your uncle asked me to come, to provide some protection. Spencer is coming as well.” It surprised me to hear him say Spencer’s name. Their divorce had not been smooth sailing. In fact, Spencer cheated on Toby with a sixteen-year-old natural-born. Which I found odd, because Toby was forever frozen at eighteen, having been bitten and changed by my uncle in the 1800s. Now he set Shadowfang down, who stretched out and yawned.

“This fog is wet,” my familiar said. “I don’t know how you furless creatures deal with it.”

“It’s just water,” I told him. “Besides, the cold doesn’t bother us.”

“It bothers me,” he said, then began washing a paw. “Lead the way, Dracula.”

“Don’t let my father hear you call me that,” I half-joked. I stepped on my cigarette and led the way.

While we walked, Shadowfang searched for snakes and mice. He loved to chase and kill them. I said nothing else as I led them to the house/palace.

“Oh, yeah,” Shadowfang said when he saw the place. “My stomach is happy already. I can tell these people have plenty of tuna and sardines.”

I didn’t bother telling him that they had milk as well. He wouldn’t be able to take the excitement. When I opened the door, Shadowfang wiped his paws on the rug before going inside, until-

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT IS THAT CAT DOING HERE?”

Queen Titania’s piercing scream hurt my ears, and then to hear her ask what Shadowfang was doing there sent my heart into my stomach. Would she make him go outside? That was too dangerous.

“It’s just Shadowfang,” Birdie told her mother. “He belongs to Reese.”

“Technically, Reese belongs to me,” Shadowfang corrected.

“A familiar?” Queen Titania’s eyebrow was raised. “Is he a shifter as well?”

“Yes, he is,” I said. “Sorry, I’ll keep him in my room!”

“You will not-“ Shadowfang began, but I pinched his mouth shut.

I picked him up and carried him to my room, Toby telling me he’d be there soon, he just needed to meet the fairy queen. I heard him introducing himself as I plopped my familiar onto the bed, where he sulked, and immediately began washing his paws.

“Sorry, that was my fault. I should have asked if cats were okay,” I said.

“Damn straight,” he growled. “Damn, damn, damn, damn. What am I supposed to do now?”

“You could read,” I said, gesturing to the bookshelves behind me. “There’s a bathroom there, and the window’s there. You could watch the birds.”

“I’d rather chase them,” he grumbled.

“Well, we’ll be here a while. Might as well get used to it. Speaking of which, Sarah’s next door, but she’s in some sort of healing chrysalis. Don’t be alarmed if you see a girl covered in sticky green goo.”

“Yum!”

I gave him a disgusted look and went out to the kitchen. My father was speaking harshly to someone on his phone; I didn’t bother to eavesdrop. Scorpia was typing away on her laptop, for what, I didn’t know.

I pulled out Sarah’s laptop from my backpack. I’d taken it in case she woke up or it had any information. I opened the laptop and typed in her password. It was easy enough to figure out-I’d watched her fingers move across the keyboard to put it in.

sarahlovesreeseforever

The background screen popped up, along with all her tabs. I opened a folder entitled Books, and a page opened up filled with documents with different titles. Huh. She was writing more than I thought she was. I opened one at random, and read the premise.

When Stacy Abrams falls for a teenage alien rogue, she gets more than she bargained for when she meets his ex-girlfriend and his furious parents.

Interesting. I looked through, and spotted one titled Letters. I opened it up, and it was a copy of every letter she’d written to me. Every time she got angry with me, or frustrated, or I’d done something wrong, she wrote me a letter detailing why and how I’d hurt her. It broke my heart to read.

I closed the tab and sighed. She deserved better than me. But for some odd unfathomable reason, she loved me, too. If I’d been the cause of her sleeping…but no, everyone said it was fairy magic.

I wondered if I should text Mason, then decided not to. Scorpia was muttering under her breath, Father was still on the phone, and Shadowfang was grumbling at being left in my room. Then I saw something. Queen Titania, walking quickly across the grounds. I shrugged it off. There was nothing unusual about that…until she tapped on a rock, the rock opened, and she crawled under it.

I blinked. Then blinked again. It was definitely odd, but I was a stranger here. Maybe that was her personal retreat, or a secret technological wonder, like in Batman. Either way, it was none of my business.

But as the hours passed, I found myself wondering about it.

Get a grip, Reese. You’re a guest here. If you go asking questions, who knows if she’ll continue to help Sarah?

The next day, my wife was completely covered in “sticky green goo”, and I was obsessed with finding out what that little place under the rock was. Luckily I was slender, so I’d easily fit. But as I was considering it, Father read my mind, and caught my eye.

“What you’re thinking, it’s a bad idea, son,” he said. “It is none of your business, and besides, maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s her own little seclusion or connected to one of the rooms or the basement.”

He was right. I sighed and went back to my wife. She curled up in her little chrysalis and sighed in her mind. I loved her little contented sighs. I loved her more than any man had ever loved his wife.

But if you truly loved her…you would not have cheated on her, or made her think she needs you.

That little truth bugged my mind. No, I couldn’t think that way. I was as in love with Sarah as ever, possibly more in love with her than I’d ever been. She needed me now more than ever, and I needed her.

I found a good secondhand bookstore on the French beach close to Avalon, and spent several hours each day in there. The employees got to know me as “that American goth boy”. I knew enough French to know when they were talking about me. According to them, my hair was too long, I was too skinny, and my nose was too big. I read several French romances within days, which seemed to impress the employees.

I bought a few books each time I went and read them to Sarah. I occasionally needed help with a word or sound, but other than that, I was reading steadily. I found several vampire books and bought those as well as the romances.

I didn’t expect anything suspicious or grievous to happen, but it did, one day while I was talking with Beckett and Queen Titania.

“Well, well, well,” a voice said. “I go away for four weeks, only to find that my wife has plunged a knife into my back!”

The fairy queen paled, if that was possible, and faced the voice. A tall, muscular fairy appeared out of the shadows. He had a shock of short white hair, wore leather pants and a long leather coat, and a black wifebeater and leather boots.

“Hello, dear,” the queen said nervously.

“King Oberon?” I questioned.

“A vampire, too? Titania, how could you? Blood traitors and vampires and…is that a cat I smell?!”

“King Oberon,” Beckett said, “I’m Beckett Cresley, Birdina’s firstborn son. My daughter-“

More blood traitors? Hah! I want all of you gone, now!”

“Oberon-“

“And you!” He turned to his wife. “You of all people! You’ve gone soft, weak! I should punish you!” He grabbed her wrists roughly.

“Take your hands off me, Oberon!”

“Let go of her!” I shouted, bring Father, Birdie, Louis, and Puck into the room. I grabbed Oberon’s wrist, but he blew a mouthful of fire at me, hitting the floor where I’d been standing seconds earlier.

“Son of a bitch!” Father shouted. “That’s my son you’re trying to set on fire!”

“Let go of Mother, Father!” Puck shouted, grabbing Oberon’s arm. Oberon grabbed Puck by the throat and lifted him off the ground.

“Blood traitors and vampires and cats! What next?”

Then Caden entered the room. King Oberon let out a scream and threw Puck against the wall. I heard bones break as King Oberon flew out of the room using four gigantic black wings.

“I’m sorry, Mother, we shouldn’t have come here,” Birdie said apologetically.

“He’ll get over it,” Queen Titania said. “Right now, healing Sarah is what’s important.”

Father noticed me and embraced me. “Are you all right, Reesie?”

“I’m okay,” I said. “My hair is slightly singed, but otherwise okay. I wasn’t going to let him beat her.”

“That’s my boy.”

“There’s just one thing I don’t understand.” I turned to Queen Titania. “What does King Oberon have against cats? Is he allergic or something?”

“Oh, no, he just lost a bet to Bastet once and has never recovered,” Queen Titania told me, smiling gently.

CHAPTER FIVE – HEALING

King Oberon didn’t return for two weeks. My princess was still covered in her sticky green chrysalis and healing like she should. I tried to read her mind, but all it was, was dreams. Me, Sabine, the babies, her dogs, my mother, her father, her grandparents, her cousins, aunts, uncle, and so on. She missed Sabine and the dogs and her father especially, even though he was there and spoke to her often and visited her every day. He often read the books I’d bought to her.

Mother came by after the two weeks and announced that she had three babies again, one of whom was my father’s, the other two still Alexander’s. A girl, of course. I was excited for my new siblings to arrive. The first thing she did was find my father and hug him, then she asked where Sarah was.

Mother told Sarah all about her shopping sprees with Selena and Sabine and how she’d gone crazy buying all the things five babies would need. Five cribs, bassinets, formula, diapers, changing stations, wipes, toys, books, and so on. She said she had a surprise for Sarah, then produced Coffee out of her bag. Coffee sniffed the chrysalis and licked it, trying to get to Sarah. She had missed her, too. Mother said she wished she could bring the rest of the dogs, but the airline would only let her bring the little brown tyrant.

She spoke about how the other mothers had gossiped about her, and how several older women had commented on her pregnancy and asked how far along she was. She said that she was due any day now with Alexander’s children and had loved the attention she got from other women.

King Oberon got back around this time, and he attacked Birdie this time. He grabbed her and started shaking and yelling at her, until Puck punched him in the face, and they got into a fistfight. Birdie knew she wasn’t wanted, but she didn’t want to leave her granddaughter, either.

I promised her I’d watch over Sarah, and she said she trusted me, it was Oberon she didn’t trust. Meanwhile, Mother was showing signs of distress. She no longer wore high heels, or tight dresses, instead preferring my father’s boxers and shirts. Similar to Sarah preferring my clothes over her own-she’d explained to me that it was because my clothes smelled like me and that comforted her. A female will naturally prefer her mate’s scent over another’s, no matter if she was human or vampire or fairy.

I calmed myself by smelling her clothes. They smelled like her-I was just like a lovesick female. I wanted to smell her always, smell like her. I growled when I reached her underwear and buried my nose in the lining.

“Reese?”

I hissed at the intruder. It was Caden. He carefully held up his hands and backed away.

“Um, why are you smelling Sarah’s clothes?”

“Because they smell like her,” I growled. “She’s mine. Mine! MINE!”

A few more weeks passed, and the days slowly churned into mid-February, and Sarah didn’t wake up from her slumber. My mother and father spent a lot of time together, and the world could have been in a pandemic and I wouldn’t have cared, so long as my family was safe.

Mother and Sarah were both growing quickly-almost too quickly. I often saw Mother hunched over, looking nauseous, and Father rubbing her back and shoulders. She was sick on occasion, but she did not throw up nearly as often as Sarah did, or would have. The babies wanted lots of blood-human blood. They would not accept anything else, even water. Krauvas and Cobweb did frequent checks on both women-they said they were healthy and progressing nicely.

“Nausea is normal,” Krauvas told me, while mixing herbs one day. He took out a wand and blue magic poured from the end, followed by a sprinkle of water. “Sarah will likely have more nausea when she wakes up.”

“Are you a pregnancy expert?” I asked.

“Eh, sort of. I practiced as a gynecologist for many years and have studied both male and female anatomy extensively. I know fairies, witches, and vampires inside and out. My ex-wife, Antonia, when she was pregnant with Mason, would often run to the bathroom during the day and night. He got his flighty tendencies from her. She also gave him his pale skin and we both gave him his black hair and brown eyes. She also gave him his short stature.”

He stiffened and sniffed. “Mason is my only child. When I thought I’d lost him, it destroyed me. Your father is nicer than me, but that doesn’t mean I love Mason any less. I’m a strict father, but it’s because I care about him. I forbade him to teach Scarlett that kind of magic, and he disobeyed me. Now he’s torn, and she’s got no money or a home. I wish he’d let her go. She’s poison, and she’s reached his gut.”

I could tell that Krauvas had been wanting to say this for a long time, so I didn’t interrupt him.

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

Sarah finally woke up one day when Oberon was back. Heart pounding, I sat beside her and waited and watched as her chrysalis broke. Cobweb, Mother, Krauvas, Mason, Queen Titania, Birdie, Puck, and Caden were with us. So was Beckett. This girl was so loved, she’d never want for anything.

The green leafy skin broke, and Cobweb took a hold of it.

“She’ll need assistance,” he explained.

The chrysalis kept cracking, leaking clear fluid. More breaking. Cobweb pulled, then took my hand and put it on the slimy thing.

“When I give the word, pull,” he instructed. “Pull!”

I gave it all my strength, but it took some effort, even for me. That shit was stronger than me! Father and Mother each grabbed a half, and pulled. It took the combined effort of three vampires and a fairy to get the chrysalis open. Sarah emerged, curled into a ball, covered in slime. She yawned and stretched, then opened her eyes, and looked all around the room, then directly at me.

“Reese,” she said, embracing me. I hugged her back just as tightly.

“Sorry, honey, but you need a bath,” I said, letting her go.

“Shit, this is my favorite sweater,” she complained. We laughed as Beckett embraced her next, followed by Mother and Birdie, then Sarah hugged Mason and Krauvas, to their surprise, then my father , and she finally saw Queen Titania.

“Hello,” she said.

Queen Titania was in tears as she took Sarah and hugged her tightly.

“Great-granddaughter,” she purred.

“You’re my great-grandmother?” Sarah questioned.

“Yes, dear,” Queen Titania said, pulling away. “I am Birdina’s mother, Queen Titania.”

Sarah did a weird version of a bow, which amused the queen.

“Stand up straight, dear,” she gently chided. “A princess’s back is always straight.”

Sarah laughed, tears running down her face. “It’s good to meet you. Should I call you Queen Titania or-?”

“Nonsense, dear, call me Nana or Grandmother or Great-Grandma, but do not address me as Queen Titania.”

“I’ve always wanted a Nana.”

“Then your Nana I shall be.”

I was reminded of Mitra’s human family, one of whom she’d referred to as Nana. I wondered how they were doing since Mitra died.

“Where’s Mom?” Sarah asked.

“Sorry, dear, she couldn’t be here,” Beckett gently explained. You could see Sarah’s heart break in her eyes.

“I get it,” she sighed. “It costs so much to travel, and she probably didn’t want to leave Bubbe and Zayde, and since everyone’s in Denmark, I get it.”

“Actually, they all went back to France,” Beckett told her. “Remember, the younger ones have school.”

“That’s true,” she said, but I could tell she was hurt by this news.

She curled up in my lap, and they all left to give us some privacy. After they left, she began crying.

“It’s all right, baby,” I said, running my fingers through her damp hair. My nose wrinkled. “Sorry, Sarah, but you stink.”

“I probably do. Where’s the bathroom?”

I showed her the shower room and let her clean herself. When she finished, I wrapped her in a towel and a robe and helped her. She slipped, and I caught her. She looked at me. I looked at her. Somewhere in the house/palace, someone played music. I stared into her minty orbs and she looked into my daffodil-colored ones.

I lifted her up bridal-style and carried her to the (now clean) bed. I stared at her lips, her collarbone, her throat, her breasts. She had perfect breasts. I pressed a kiss to her right breast, and she squeaked.

An hour later, I was rocking back and forth on the bed, she was on top of me, my junk in her skilled hands. As I came, my eyes rolled back in my head, and I laid back fully on the bed, letting her lick me clean. She’d told me that semen was good for unborn children, and I believed her.

I panted, her panting beside me. I rolled over and nuzzled her, loving the smell of her musk and sweat.

“Why do you always smell like gardenias and roses?” I asked.

She looked at me and laughed. “It’s my body wash! I’ve been using gardenia and rose-scented products for years! I’m glad you love it.”

“How did your body wash get here?”

“I don’t know, but it was in the bathroom. I assumed you had brought it.” She smiled. “I also love the smell of Gizzy, which is why I named Gizzy, Gizzy. I’ve always preferred floral perfume over fruity or earthy-slash-woodsy perfume.”

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

“It’s so good to be home!” I said.

“True,” Sarah said, sighing softly. We were on the plane. I kissed her scalp, breathing on her. “What’s he doing?” Sarah asked Louis.

My cousin smiled at her. “He’s making you smell like him. He loves your scent as much as you love his. Also, making things smell like us is our way of marking our territory. He’s claiming you, basically.”

“By breathing on me?”

“Yes, or we can extend our scents through our skin, or through our urine. Normally we don’t urinate, unless we drink a bunch of water, but we can.”

Sarah leaned up and kissed my jaw. She nuzzled my shoulder.

“You got a little stubble,” she noted.

“I was focused on you,” I said. “I didn’t give a shit about my facial hair.”

She kissed me again. “You’re too good for me, Reese. I don’t deserve you.”

“On the contrary, it is I who is unworthy of you.”

“Is that a book reference?”

“Yes, indeed. North and South, if I remember my classics correctly.”

Sarah and I might have had different book tastes, but the one thing we agreed on was the classics. I’d read several to her while she slumbered in her cocoon.

I kissed her again and again, growling to myself.

Across the aisle, Mason and his father were deep in conversation about the use of moonstone in a spell. Louis was playing on his phone, Father was asleep, and Beckett was chatting with his mother about Queen Titania and King Oberon.

All was well…for now.

Things came to a head when we landed. The first thing I noticed was that Toby looked nervous. That was odd. He was never nervous. I looked and saw Reid Lockhart, the vampire whom I’d introduced to my ex-boyfriend, Evan. Evan had come to me afterwards, and I’d suspected Reid of verbally and emotionally abusing him. And then Evan ran away, and now he was dead. I wondered why that made Toby anxious. He was older than Reid, at least in the age he was frozen in, at eighteen, and Reid was seventeen.

But it wasn’t Toby who needed to worry. Reid flitted across the room with his fist outstretched, and I flew back milliseconds later from a throat-punch.

“You!” Reid shouted. “You’re responsible for his death!”

He was restrained by Toby, but he elbowed him hard in the gut and Toby let go. Then a guard whose name I did not know restrained him, locking his arms in place and locking his ankles so he couldn’t kick me.

Sarah was over by my side a second later, her beautiful face full of worry.

“Are you badly hurt?” she asked me.

I tried to answer her, but could only manage a squeak, sounding very much like her when she was nervous.

“I’m all right,” I assured her. I took her hand and let her (attempt) to help me stand up. Reid was raging at me, calling me all sorts of names.

“Reid, shut up,” Louis snapped. “It’s not Reese’s fault that your boyfriend died. If anything, it’s my dad’s fault. But he’s not here right now, so settle down.”

Reid collapsed, looking defeated. “Evan,” he muttered. “What have we done to you?”

The guard let Reid go, and he fell to the floor.

“Pick yourself up,” Father ordered. “You’re a disgrace, Reid.”

“Screw you!” he shouted, jumping up and socking Father, who went back a few feet. “Reese, I swear to God, I’ll kill you one of these days. You are responsible for Evan’s death!”

He shoved Sarah out of the way and grabbed me around the throat. He tried to tear off my head, but Toby put him in a chokehold.

“I’ll snap it if you don’t let him go,” Toby warned.

“Snap it, then,” Reid said. “I was going to kill myself afterwards, anyway.”

Toby looked at me for confirmation.

“Don’t kill him,” I said. “Put him in a locked room in a straitjacket if you have to. Just don’t let him kill himself.”

Reid’s eyes filled with tears, and he said nothing as Toby and the unnamed guard led him away.

“Are you all right, Reese?” Father asked.

“Yes, I’m all right. Sarah, are you all right?”

She had fallen hard on her butt, and now she was having trouble getting up.

“I don’t know,” she said. “My ankle hurts.”

Louis examined her ankles. “I think she has a hairline fracture. We need to get her to a hospital so she can be put in a cast. Might want to get her a wheelchair, too.”

The doctor concurred Louis’ examination. She had a broken right ankle, and the other ankle was severely bruised, along with her tailbone and a few of her ribs were cracked. Reid was too rough with her. Furious, I promised myself I’d kill him later for hurting Sarah. But then I remembered his heartbreak. If I’d lost Sarah, would I have reacted the same way? I didn’t know. I’d want to be with her, for sure. But what if she died and our babies survived? What then? I couldn’t leave Caitlin and Joseph alone.

The babies themselves were okay, just a little shaken from the assault. They clung to their mother like the lifeline she was.

While Sarah was put in casts and bandaged up, I was in charge of holding her purse. I felt the gun inside rattle around. She still didn’t trust me to keep her safe. Or maybe she did, but if I was attacked and killed or knocked unconscious again, she wanted to be prepared. I peeked inside on occasion, just to see what she carried now.

Geez, the girl’s purse was a mess. Makeup, coins, gum, receipts, hairbrush, hairspray, face wash, and so on.

Sarah was wheeled out on a hospital-loaned wheelchair. Since both her ankles had breaks, she would need a wheelchair to get around. She sulked while the nurse pushed her into the waiting room, where I took over.

The rest of the ride home was uneventful. Sarah fell asleep, so I carried her to our room when we got back to the castle. While Father explained what happened to Mother, who had traveled separately, I carried Sarah to our bed.

“No shit, Sherlock,” she muttered in her sleep. “Buttermilk is better.”

“Silly Sarah,” I muttered into her hair. Mother came in and sat beside her. She stroked her hair.

“My daughter,” she whispered. I swear, sometimes I thought that Mother had convinced herself that Sarah really was her daughter. She was practically obsessed with her, nearly as obsessed as I was. I leaned forward, and she hissed at me. I hissed back and leaned over Sarah.

“Mine.”

“No, mine!”

I dipped my head in acknowledgment that she was Sarah’s mother. Well, adopted mother.

I checked with Toby on Reid’s mental state.

“I have him on suicide watch,” Toby told me.

“That’s good,” I said.

I sighed and thought for a moment. What could I do? I still hadn’t presented Sarah with her second wedding gifts-a stallion and three mares- and she hadn’t been able to drive the Lamborghini that I bought her before we moved to Denmark. Maybe I could show her the dovecotes later or the swans on the river. Denmark was home to a few different types of swans and many different duck species.

Luckily, my chance came the next day. I drove Sarah out to the stables, telling her that I had a gift for her.

“More presents?” She was in disbelief. “Reese, you spoil me. Oh, Reese! This is a stable!”

“Yes, lover, it’s a stable. I’ll show you your gifts now. I’m sorry that I didn’t give them to you sooner, but with everything going on, I didn’t have time.”

“That’s all right.”

I wheeled her into the stable, taking her to the other end. She looked around, then looked at me, confused.

“He’s right there,” I said, petting the nose of a large black Arabian.

“Reese! A horse?!”

“Four horses. He’s just the stallion. Those three there are his mares.”

“Reese, I…I don’t deserve this.” Her voice cracked.

“Nonsense. You deserve all this and more. Besides, I’m going to spoil you, whether you like it or not. I know you can’t ride him now, but maybe when your ankles heal, you will be able to. Would you like to name him now?”

“Yes!” She thought for a few minutes. “Okay, that mare I will call Skye, the one beside her I will call Amber, and the one on the end looks like a Priscilla. The male, I don’t know. What names can you think of?”

“He’s yours now, babe. You can name him whatever you want.”

“That’s not helpful, Reese.”

“Sorry.”

“Well, a few years ago, Grandpa’s old horse Lucky died, so maybe that’s what we’ll call him. Lucky. Lucky, Skye, Amber, and Priscilla.”

She stroked the horse’s nose for a few minutes, then went over to Priscilla. Then Skye, then Amber. The three females, Amber being gray, Skye being black, and Priscilla being chestnut, all allowed Sarah to stroke their noses and I gave her a few apples to give to them.

She had tears in her eyes. Sweet Sarah. I was overwhelming her with all her gifts. I had to slow down, or I’d stress her out even more. She felt like she couldn’t repay me enough for everything I’d done for her. But she’d done just as much for me. She kept me alive, her love kept me sane. Her patience taught me to control my jealousy, and her fidelity taught me to trust her.

We spent a few more minutes petting the horses and feeding them, but then we had to go, because it was about to rain and Sarah couldn’t get her casts wet.

She was tearing up the half-kilometer home. Now it was really raining, and I needed to carry her inside. I parked in the garage to keep her casts dry and carried her in.

“She loved them,” I whispered to Louis and Uncle Soren. Louis gave me a thumbs-up.

“Told you she would.”

“Where would you like to go now?” I asked Sarah.

“Well…” She bit her lip nervously. “I’d like to be involved in the family business somehow. Right now I’m just getting money without having actually earned any of it, and that doesn’t feel right. Can I get a job somewhere?”

“I’ll see if you can help our librarian or something. He’s always looking for new blood.”

She winced.

“Sorry, bad choice of words. But he’s always looking for help, and all he does is order new books and shelve them and expand the library space. We don’t really have a cataloging system, since our servants and guests can borrow as many books as they want for however long they want, but maybe there’s a way you can help keep track of the books in storage.”

I took her straight to the second-floor library.

“Hello, Prince Reese, Princess Sarah,” Rolf said, adjusting his pile of books on his desk. He was a skinny vampire with messy brown hair and brown eyes who wore brown slacks, white shirts, and a vest every day.

“Hello, Rolf. You remember Sarah? She wants to help out in here. Is that possible?”

“Absolutely. She can come help whenever she wants. Right now there are three hundred new books arriving from America today. She can help me list them.”

“Excellent. Sarah, are you all right by yourself?”

“Absolutely. You said that everyone here has excellent control and won’t bite me.”

“I would never dream of it,” Rolf said, horrified, clutching his chest. “Princess, would you like a tour? May I wheel you around?”

“Yes, and yes. See you later, Reese.”

“Bye, lover.” I kissed her. Rolf sighed.

“If only I could find someone to love like that. Well, Princess, I’ll show you our largest section, nonfiction, first. Here we have books about music and bands of all kinds…”

I sighed and left them to it. I trusted Rolf with Sarah. He’d been our librarian for two hundred years. According to my father, the old one was murdered by a jealous rival.

I thought about what to do next. I hadn’t seen Claudia in a while, and I wondered how the old cook was doing.

She was making lunch when I arrived in the huge kitchen.

“Oh, hello, dear,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron. “Are you thirsty? I can open a bottle of blood for you. Which type would you like?”

“O positive,” I told her, and she prepared it for me.

“Did your Sarah like her horses?” she asked.

“Definitely. She gave them all names. Lucky, Skye, Amber, and Priscilla.”

“I knew a Priscilla once. She was not very nice. She was my dear late husband’s sister’s love partner. I adored my sister-in-law, but I never understood the concept of homosexuality. It seems so unnatural to me.”

I was surprised to hear Claudia say that. She knew I was bisexual, and she also knew that Louis was pan, and my father had had both male and female lovers.

“Actually, homosexuality is quite common in the animal kingdom, especially among birds,” I corrected.

“Oh, really? I had no idea. What sorts of animals?”

“Penguins, pelicans, gazelles. Older female gazelles will mount younger female gazelles during mating season while the males are off fighting with each other. And male birds have been known to attempt to lay eggs and steal other couples’ eggs. There was a story a few years back about two male penguins who tried to hatch a rock.”

Claudia laughed. “That is humorous. A rock, really? They must have really wanted a chick!”

“Yes, they must have.” I chuckled.

Claudia got this strange look in her eyes, then looked worried, then turned back to her cooking. I played a game on my phone while she worked, and then she turned around again.

“Oh, hello, Reese. When did you get in?”

I was confused now. “I’ve been here.”

“Oh, have you? I didn’t hear you come in. Would you like some blood? There’s some fresh B negative in the freezer downstairs.”

“No, I’m fine,” I told her.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

“O positive? All right, then.”

She opened another bottle.

I turned and saw Father come in. He gestured for me to follow him out.

“What did I say?” I asked below human hearing.

“It’s not you,” he assured me. “Claudia is showing signs of dementia. Be prepared for the worst, Reese. She’s over a hundred years old.”

“Wait, really? I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah. Did you know how Claudia came to work for us?”

“No, you never told me.”

“Claudia swallowed a little bit of vampire blood when she was in her twenties. She stole it from us for her lover, named Priscilla.”

“She told me that Priscilla was her sister-in-law’s partner.”

“She would say that. She’s ashamed of it now, but she had several female lovers before Priscilla. Priscilla was a vampire who had heard about a vial of blood that could turn you back into a human. So she asked Claudia to steal it. Claudia got caught, swallowed it, and the mixture caused her to age slowly. She’s been working for us ever since instead of being imprisoned for theft of an invaluable resource.”

“Wait, I don’t understand something. It prolonged Claudia’s life, but it turned Grandfather into a human and eventually killed him?”

“The mixture’s ingredients were lost when Claudia swallowed it. We’ve been trying to recreate it ever since. Well, Soren has. Soren made the mixture as a favor to Father for helping him out with the Alga and Mathias issue. But somewhere along the lines, he screwed up and added the wrong ingredients. Magic prolonged Claudia’s life, but it also killed your grandfather. So now you know why I’m reluctant to use it nowadays.”

I sighed.

I drank a bottle of blood, and then I looked at my list of things to do. I needed to dry-clean my suits, get my hair trimmed, get a pedicure (men get those, too!), and find a new doctor for Sarah, someone who knew vampire pregnancies. I also needed to check on Reid Lockhart, and find out whether Marie had been spotted yet. She hadn’t caused any new fires in weeks, but she was still a danger, leaving a wake of blood and death behind her.

We also needed find a new Head of Council. Now that Bram was a dead traitor, the position was open. I didn’t know all the names of the Council members, only the current top two-Mariette Boda and Gasha Riveli. Both had been on the Council for over five hundred years after the previous Head of Council died and Bram took over.

First, my hair and suits. I dropped off the suits first, each jacket alone was five hundred dollars each. Then, my hair. It was out of control and too long. I had six inches cut off and got rid of my bangs. Feeling better already, I called Toby to check on Reid. Toby reported that Reid had withdrawn into himself, not eating nor saying a word. Not even sleeping. Not good.

I did some research and found a vampire psychologist that was willing to help with Reid-his specialty was the loss of a mate. He had even lost his own mate years ago, so he knew what it was like. His name was Dr. Goodwin, and he agreed to take on Reid’s case. I’d pay him for his services. All I cared about was that Reid was no longer a danger to my family, especially Sarah. If I were him, I’d want revenge too. I may even have gone after his mate if he was responsible for the death of mine.

My uncle was at a meeting at the United Nations, dealing with the Marie and the wraith issue, and my father was dealing with the lack of guards, and Louis was dealing with his own problems, so it was left to me to find a new gynecologist for Mother and Sarah.

Selena was away with her new mate, Raoul, so she couldn’t be here to help me. Birdie was already back in France, and since I couldn’t trust any of the female servants or guards, I was left to my own devices when it came to researching for a doctor. I didn’t know anything about pregnancy, but I knew a little about female anatomy, and that would help a little.

I made an appointment with a gyno named Dr. Lainey and interviewed her. She was all for the advancement of vampire medicine and thought that telling the human population at large that we were real was a good idea when my father had done it.

“Are you comfortable dealing with a non-vampire?” I asked.

“Is your wife not a vampire?” she inquired.

“No, she’s a quarter fairy and then mostly human,” I told her. “The babies are dhampirs.”

“Absolutely,” she said. “I’ve dealt with a dhampir pregnancy before. The mother was the vampire, however, as I’ve never had a human patient before. I may have had one years ago, but medicine and medical issues and knowledge have changed since then. How far along is she?”

“Nine months,” I said.

“It is possible for a dhampir pregnancy to last up to a full year, maybe a little over. Vampire pregnancies are usually much, much shorter, but can last just as long. And human pregnancies last for nine months, or forty weeks, unless the baby is born premature. How many babies are in her womb?”

“Two-a boy and a girl. We’ve already named them. And my mother has triplets, two of them from the same man, one from my father.”

“That’s rare, even in vampire pregnancies. It can also happen in human pregnancies, but it’s even rarer for them. I’m not sure of the exact statistics, though. I’d love to meet both your mother and your wife. My first free day is…” She checked her appointment book. “The twenty-fifth of March. I know that’s a long way off, but it’s my first day that I can completely devote to two new clients.”

“Very well,” I said. “You’re hired, Dr. Lainey. I’ll tell Sarah and Mother.”

“It was nice to meet you, Prince Reese.”

“Please, just call me Reese.”

“Reese.”

We shook hands, and I left, feeling accomplished.

Sarah was in our room, reading in her wheelchair. I knew better than to disturb her while she was reading, so I just sat beside her and played on my phone.

“Hello, husband,” she said after a moment.

“Good afternoon, Sarah. What did I do now?”

“You didn’t tell me that Scorpia was in Avalon, too,” she said.

“She was just there as a research assistant, nothing more. Really, Sarah, there’s no need to be jealous.”

She huffed out a laugh. “Jealous? What I have to be jealous about? She’s known you your whole life, you didn’t even tell me about her until recently, and you…” She trailed off.

I sighed. “I know, Sarah, I haven’t been faithful to you in the past. I screwed up. You’re welcome to leave at any time.”

“You’re not even going to try to keep me here?!”

“Of course I will! I adore you, Sarah Harper Nicolai. I’ve been obsessed with you from day one. When I fucked Sadie, I was upset about our row and I was only thinking about my own pleasure. I didn’t know it was just a fight; the last time I fought with someone, we broke up. I was confused and inexperienced.” I sighed again. “I’m sorry. I should have told you. I understand that you still don’t trust me completely; I totally get it. I deserve your anger. But know this: I will never be unfaithful to you again.”

She reached out to me, and I hugged her. I smelled salt, and realized she was trying not to cry.

“I love you, Sarah Harper. I always have, and always will.”

She reached out to me, and I bent down and hugged her. We held each other for a few minutes, her heart beating in unison with my breath.

“You’ve got chest hairs,” she noted.

“Took me a while, didn’t it?”

“It’s okay. I like smooth chests. Wait, that came out wrong.”

“I can shave it.”

“No, no, I like chest hair too.”

I kissed her cheek. “I love you so much, Sarah. It hurts to be without you.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Wait a second, what did you say?”

I chuckled at her pregnancy brain. She stuck her tongue out at me playfully.

I wheeled her out to the den, where the rest of my family was congregated, including Selena and Raoul. Uncle Soren was on his phone, Louis and Father were playing cards (Louis threw all of them off the table when he lost, and Uncle Soren snapped at him not to be a sore loser), and Mother was playing with Cirino, who was giggling and trying to stick his feet in his mouth.

“No no, that is not food,” Mother gently chided. “You need real food. Toby, be a dear and go get some milk from the kitchen.”

Toby bowed to her and left.

“Have you told him yet?” Father asked Uncle Soren.

“No,” Uncle Soren replied after a minute.

“Told who what?” I asked.

Louis chuckled. “Dad wants to invite Toby to be a part of the family.”

Mother gasped. “That’s wonderful!”

“He’s like a son to me,” Uncle Soren said. “He is my fledgling, after all.”

“You’re his sire?” Sarah asked, and Uncle Soren nodded.

“Reese didn’t tell you the story?”

“It’s not mine to tell,” I argued.

“Please, you’re as much a gossip as the rest of us. Anyway, when I found Toby, he was chained up in a bedroom and dying. He had been abused for hours every day for a year. Beaten, raped, choked, tortured. Well, I can’t abide by a vampire torturing a human like that. I knew it was too late to preserve his humanity, so I broke the chains and turned him into a vampire. I dealt with his abusers later. They are no longer allowed to do business with us or any humans. They had bought him from his owner, who was the master of a corn plantation. Jonah McCree had quite a few slaves, and he particularly liked Toby. He was kinder than most slave owners, and it surprised him when they came up with the money on the spot for him. He’s coming back now.”

Toby came back with a bottle of milk for Cirino, which he handed to Mother.

“Thank you, dear,” she said, sitting Cirino up and giving him the milk.

“Toby, we need to talk,” Uncle Soren said.

Toby looked worried. “Did I do something?”

“Yes, you’ve done many wonderful things throughout the years. You are our best guard member, and you’ve proven your loyalty time and again. You’ve even saved all our lives before, even Sarah’s. I’d like to invite you to join our family.”

Toby sank onto the couch. He looked amazed. “Wow, really?”

“Yes. Seeing as you have no living family of your own, and we are the closest thing you have. You may, of course, have all the privileges of being a member of this family and you may step down from guard duty.”

Toby’s eyes filled with tears. “You’re right,” he said, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I have no other family. Yes, I accept. I’d like to be a member of your family…Dad.”

Uncle Soren’s eyes lit up, and Louis, of course, was the first to embrace his new brother.

“Come here, bro!”

He squeezed Toby and spun him around once before setting him down. Then it was Father, then Mother, then me and Sarah (Toby bent down to hug her), and then Selena. He even got a hug from little Cirino. The only person who didn’t hug him was Raoul, who, as I was realizing, I hadn’t even heard speak yet or make any face except a scowl.

Tears kept falling out of Toby’s eyes, so he excused himself to get a grip.

Our family just kept getting bigger.

CHAPTER SIX – SISTERS

The only person who wasn’t happy was Raoul, Selena’s new mate. I was beginning to doubt him. He never spoke, never made any face except that damnable scowl, and never moved unless Selena did.

I even said hi to him once and he just nodded at me in acknowledgment. I thought that was very disrespectful, but I didn’t say anything about it to anyone except Sarah, who advised me to talk to my older sister.

Speaking of sisters, Sabine was still around, as was Beckett and Alicia. Everyone else had either gone back to France or to America. I offered to introduce Sabine to some guys I knew, but Sarah said that probably wasn’t a good idea, as Sabine wanted to be single for a while. She was getting tutoring lessons from the best vampires in our education system, but she still wasn’t happy. She’d been turned into a wolfgirl by someone in Faolan’s pack. She wouldn’t say who, though.

And we got more bad news. My and Louis’ cousins were coming to visit us. They had their own homes in Denmark by the sea, but of course, they preferred ours. Louis and I had both suffered greatly from their envy of our wealth and power. Raquieca had even tried to bed Louis before. And I was nervous about their behavior around Sarah. She was vulnerable, pregnant and a human/fairy. I knew Mother could stick up for herself, Selena too, but Sarah was fragile. She was way too nice sometimes and treated everybody with the same respect unless they showed her otherwise. Those succubi would break her.

I put on an Italian cashmere Todd Snyder suit, preparing to meet my succubi cousins. I was not happy about this. Father kept fussing with his Thom Browne tie, loosening it, then tightening it. It wasn’t until Uncle Soren threatened to staple it to his neck that he stopped messing with it. Not that staples would do anything against my father’s skin. My uncle’s hair was actually brushed for once, and tied back into a tight ponytail, and he wore a Hugo Boss suit.

Louis messed with his Ralph Lauren jacket, buttoning and unbuttoning it. Mother was dressed in a long, loose floral dress with cap sleeves, covering her baby bump for once. Sarah was in a purple sleeveless dress, her arms resting on the arms of her wheelchair and her ankles still in their casts. I’d brushed and braided her hair into a bun at the back of her head. Mother had showed me how so I could do Sarah’s hair for her while she was in the chair.

Her dogs, Coffee, Spunk, Gizzy, Lola, and Koda were all by her side. Gizzy put her paw on Sarah’s knee, soothing her. Sarah rubbed the dog’s ears. Koda and Spunk played with each other, behaving until Koda tried to hump Spunk, who wasn’t having it and nipped his new brother.

Toby was standing beside me, looking nervous in his new Armani suit. His hair had been washed, trimmed, and combed, and he looked good.

Selena and Raoul were nowhere to be found, despite having been told the time and place repeatedly. In front of the castle by the fountain with the Freya statue.

A long limousine appeared in front of the gates, and the gate agent opened them. The limousine drove forward, and around the fountain to rest in front of us. The first to exit was Aunt Gudrun. Then Aunt Elsa. They walked up to us and greeted us.

“Good morning, Soren,” Aunt Elsa said. “Good morning Mordecai, Marina, Louis, Reese, Sarah. And I see you have someone with you.”

“You know Toby,” Uncle Soren said. “He’s part of the family now. I asked him to join us, and he accepted.”

“Aha,” Aunt Elsa said. “Nice to have you join our family, Tobias.”

Toby smiled but said nothing about her using his full name. “It’s nice to be a part of the family I love so much.”

My aunts smiled and turned to the limousine. My cousins were filing out. Raquieca, Rebeka, and Rainness were as lovely as ever, but their beauty was marred by their scowls.

“Reese, I see you’re still married to the human,” Raquieca said meanly. Sarah smiled shyly.

“I love her,” I said. “She’s my soulmate.”

“Even though she’s now a cripple? And who is the Jim Crow?”

“Be extremely careful, girl,” Uncle Soren growled. “Sarah and Toby are now a part of our family and as such, they deserve the proper respect. You will show it, or there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?”

Raquieca paled, if that was possible, and nodded dumbly and quickly. I looked at Toby, who looked slightly hurt at the slur. So did Sarah, who was biting her lip.

“Ignore her,” I whispered in Sarah’s ear, but spoke so Toby could hear me as well. “She’s just jealous.”

“Jealous?!” Rebeka laughed. “What do we have to be jealous about a fat half-breed and a skinny boy?”

“That goes for you too, Rebeka,” Father growled. “One more insult and you’re leaving.”

“Please forgive my daughters,” Aunt Gudrun purred. “They do not have any manners anymore. That is why we are here: to teach them how to be proper young ladies.”

“They haven’t had great role models,” Louis pointed out, and Aunt Gudrun looked furious.

“Yes, well, now they do.”

Mother barked out a laugh. “You expect us to teach your offspring how to behave?”

“Ma’am, please,” Aunt Gudrun begged. “We are desperate. Raquieca is going to meet her betrothed soon, and we need to fix their behavior now before it’s too late!”

Mother sighed. “I am the last person you should be asking. Raquieca and Rebeka insulted my son’s mate, who is carrying my grandchildren. She is in a delicate state right now, and does not need this added stress.”

“It’s okay, Mom, I can handle it,” Sarah insisted. Mother brightened at the word “Mom”.

“Okay, well, if you are sure you’re up to it. I accept. Now vote, the rest of you.”

Toby said yes. Louis said yes. Father said yes. I said no. Uncle Soren said no. The vast majority won. We would show my cousins how to behave. But it would not be easy.

“Who is your betrothed?” I asked Raquieca.

“His name is Xavier Engles,” she said. “That’s all I know.”

“I had a betrothed once,” Louis said. “She dumped me for my father.”

“That never happened,” Uncle Soren argued.

“Be positive,” Mother said to Uncle Soren.

“Okay, I’m positive that never happened.”

Sarah nudged me. I looked at her, and she pointed to the sky. Two ravens were circling around us. Thought and Memory. I wondered what they wanted.

Meanwhile, there was an awkward silence, until Father broke it.

“Well, shall we go inside?”

“Follow me,” Uncle Soren said, turning on his heel and walking back into the castle.

Claudia was furiously vacuuming the rug in the front room.

“Dear, why are you doing that?” Mother asked, gently taking the vacuum from her. Claudia looked up at Mother.

“Mrs. Nicolai? When did you get here?”

My heart broke. Claudia had been a staple my entire life, and she was slowly declining now, when I was about to become a father.

Claudia looked confused as Mother led her into the den, where she had her sit down.

“What’s going on? Why are they here?” she asked.

“Don’t you remember, dear?” Mother said. “They are here to visit us.”

Claudia looked even more confused. “Where is Reese? I haven’t seen the boy for days.”

“I’m right here, Claudia,” I said, sitting on her other side. She looked at me and smiled.

“You’re a good boy, Prince Reese. I wish I had met your girlfriend.”

“It’s Sarah, remember?” I said. “She’s right here.”

“Sarah? The short brunette?”

“I’m here, Claudia,” Sarah said, offering her hand.

Claudia took it and smiled. “It’s good to see you, dear. OH, my! What happened to you?”

“I was pushed to the ground by somebody who got into a fight with Reese,” she reminded the old woman.

“What about the babies?!”

“The babies are okay. They’re sleeping now,” Sarah assured her.

“That’s good. Have you chosen names for them?”

“Yes, remember? Caitlin Juniper and Joseph.”

“Why Caitlin?”

“It’s the name of my best friend from Atlantic City. She was like a sister to me. I know you haven’t met her, neither has Reese, but I trust her completely. She always stood up for me when her brother’s friend would pull my hair or try to kiss me.”

“Oh, that’s good. She sounds like a good friend.”

“She is!”

“It was so sad when you lost touch when you moved to Reese’s town.”

Sarah looked at me.

“Yes, it was,” I said quickly. Sarah had infinitely more patience than I did, but I could tell she was getting annoyed with Claudia’s memory problems. So was I, for that matter. I took a deep breath and told myself not to be an ass.

“Old coot,” Rebeka muttered. Claudia looked at her, tears in her eyes.

“Rebeka!” I chided.

“I think I’ll go make some tea,” Claudia muttered.

“Don’t let her out of your sight,” I told a nearby guard named Ava. She nodded and followed Claudia into the kitchen.

“You need to respect Claudia,” Mother told Rebeka. “She’s very old, and she has dementia. She’s had a long, hard life.”

Rebeka rolled her eyes. “She’s also human.”

“Vampires are not superior to humans,” Mother said. “I mean, we are physically and mentally, but not ethically.”

“Do you know how many racist and homophobic vampires I’ve encountered?” Toby asked. “A lot.”

“Shut up, fledgling,” Raquieca snapped at Toby.

“Watch it, girl,” Uncle Soren growled. “Remember, he’s my son.”

“Your adopted son.”

“Yes, but he’s still my son, and I love him just as much as I love Louis or Reese. So be extremely careful how you speak to him.”

Rebeka frowned.

“Tes cousins sont-ils toujours comme ca?” Sarah asked. (“Are your cousins always like this?”)

“Oui,” I replied.

“What did she say?” Raquieca demanded.

“It’s a private conversation,” I said quickly.

“Whatever. French bitches have nothing on me.” She flipped her hair and I snarled at her back.

“Show my cousins where they are sleeping,” Uncle Soren said between clenched teeth.

A guard offered his arm to Raquieca first, and she glared at it, until he lowered his arm and led her and her sisters to their room.

Sarah wanted a job. She was still volunteering at the library inside the castle, but she also wanted to contribute financially. She also wanted to see her horses, the ones I’d bought for her, so I took her to the stables, where she spoke to them and fed them for about two hours, and then I took her to a bookstore where we both went crazy and bought about the whole store. Sarah also donated money to a charity and asked for a job application.

Then I took her shopping for new clothes with Selena. Along the way, lots of people asked her what happened to her ankles. She told them the truth-she’d been pushed down by someone who got into a fight with me, her husband. She was learning Danish quickly.

When we got home after a long day of shopping and talking to people, we both got a surprise.

“David!”

Sarah was the first to recover. “We thought you were dead!”

“I had to pretend I was,” David told her. “I didn’t know for sure if Bram survived the explosion that Dad created. But I think he’s dead, and anyway, I missed my little brother.”

He held out his hand to me. I took it and wrapped him in a bone-crushing hug.

“Does this mean you forgive me?” David asked.

“Forgive you? You had every right to be angry with Father! And you did save us in the end!”

“I’m glad you forgive me, then. Where’s Father?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since this morning.”

David looked around nervously. “The thing is…no one else knows I’m here yet.”

“I know now.”

David paled and turned to face Uncle Soren. Uncle Soren put his hands on David’s shoulders and wrapped him in a massive hug. “Can you ever forgive me, David? I was wrong. You are in fact Mordecai’s son.”

“You’re my uncle. Of course I forgive you.”

Louis hugged David next and gave him a loud smooch on the cheek. We all went into the den room, where Mother was comforting a crying Claudia.

“What happened?” I demanded.

“Nothing, there was just a kitchen knife incident,” Mother said. I noticed she was cradling Claudia’s hands. They were bleeding.

Heart breaking, I sat on Claudia’s other side and took her hands, licking the blood away. Claudia stopped crying and stared at me. “Who are you?” she asked.

“It’s me, Reese, remember?” I asked. I felt like crying myself. “I’m your favorite boy.”

“Where is your girlfriend, Sabrina?” she asked. “I liked her.”

“I’m right here, Claudia,” Sarah said, wheeling herself forward. “And my name’s Sarah.”

“David is here,” Mother said, looking at my brother.

“Yes, I’m here,” David said. “I’m here for good.”

“It’s nice to see you, alive,” Mother said, smiling sweetly at him. He stared at her.

“You don’t hate me?”

“How could I hate any child of my soulmate?”

David bit his lip.

“David?!”

Father was at the door. Then he flitted forward and wrapped David in a crushing hug.

“My son, my son,” Father muttered. David hugged him back just as tightly.

“Dad,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

“Shhh. It’s all right. It’s okay.”

He looked over at Claudia, who looked confused.

We all hugged and told David we forgave him, then we all sat down to talk. But what was there to say?

David spoke first. “I traveled the world for a while, then I started the search for the destructive vampire named Marie. I couldn’t find her, so then I began the search for Bram’s body. I couldn’t find that, either, and I assume he died in the explosion. Then I just wandered for a while, not really going anywhere or doing anything. After that, I started to look for you, Dad, and Reese.”

“Sounds like an adventure,” Father said.

“It was. I had no luck searching for any of the people who escaped the explosion, so I found my family instead, hoping you’d take me back.”

“Of course we would, don’t be silly,” Mother said. “The greatest thing about my life is becoming a mother over and over again.”

“I need a mother,” David said. “My siblings aren’t speaking to me because they blame me for Ferri’s death.”

“Nonsense,” Father said, “Her death isn’t your fault, David. They are welcome to stay with us as well.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

I heard Sarah’s heart pounding next to me, and I saw her bite her lip and her eyebrows furrow in worry.

“What’s wrong, Sarah?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she said. “I’m happy David’s all right.”

“Don’t lie to me, Sarah Harper,” I warned.

“Fine.” I’m worried what this will mean for the babies.

What are you referencing?

I’m glad David’s here, but what if he brings danger or stress with him?

Father and I will handle any danger or stress David brings with him. You shouldn’t worry about the babies, sweetheart.

I leaned over and pecked her soft pink mouth.

“How far along are you two, Sarah and Marina?” David asked.

“Ten months,” Sarah said.

“Same here,” Mother said. David let out a low whistle.

“Why are they still pregnant?” he asked.

“Sarah is part fairy,” Father explained. “Fairies are pregnant for about ten or eleven months. Plus the babies are half-vampire, with Reese being their father, and vampire pregnancies can last up to a year.”

“Humans are so lucky,” Mother sighed. “They get to meet their little ones much sooner.”

“Have you thought of names? David continued.

“My kids,” I said, “will be called Caitlin Juniper and Joseph. Sarah picked the names. Caitlin is a friend of hers from childhood, and Joseph is a Jewish and Christian name. It’s a homage to her roots.”

“We have not yet decided on names for ours,” Mother said. “Two of them are Alexander’s, but he forfeited his right to be a father when he killed our daughter. Then your father planted his seed in me and produced a little girl. She’ll never replace my beloved unborn child, but she is worth more than platinum or diamonds or gold. I was thinking of naming her Ella.”

“I like that,” Father said. “Ella Nicolai. Ella, Magnus, and Valdemar. What do you think, my love?”

“I like those names. Emil, or Elias?”

“Elias is too close to Ellis, which is the name of Mitra’s male friend. Better not.” Uncle Soren got up and left the room. Father winced. “Sorry, Soren.”

“What about William?”

“Maybe. What about Frederik?”

“Fred? I like that. One of my ex-stepsons is named Viktor.”

“Victor with a C instead of a K?”

“Theodore?”

“Yes, that’s good.”

While they discussed names, I wheeled Sarah and took Claudia to the library.

“Look after them,” I told the librarian. He nodded and led Claudia to a small nook in the corner.

“What are you working on?” I asked Rolf.

“Getting some books together for your father and uncle,” he said. “All the books I have on sea monsters, merpeople, water demons, creatures of the deep, and the deepest trenches on the planet.”

I remembered the tentacle that had grabbed me a few months before.

“Can I help?” I asked. Rolf smiled at me.

“Thank you, my prince, but I have it under control. I’ll have the princess search for books on vampire talents and powers.”

I remembered Marie, the destructive vampire child. “I’d like to read those, as well,” I told him.

“All right.” He gestured to the stacks in front of him. I looked at the titles.

Sea Monsters and the Deep: Mermaids, Krakens, Whales, Fish, Sea Serpents, and Sea Dragons.

The Ocean’s Depths: How to Survive the Great Deep.

Pirates, Monsters, and Gold: Who’s in the Right?

I picked up Sea Monsters by Valerie Davidson first. I found the chapter about the Kraken.

No creature is more surrounded in mystery and fear than the Kraken. Capable of diving down to the bottom or breaching the surface in a second, this monster has been known to sink ships, go after merpeople, sirens, and whales, and has only been spotted off the coast of Scandinavia, which includes Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.

Capable of reaching up to six hundred feet including its tentacles, this monster was first spotted by humans in the 1330s by a sailor named Hans Knoll, who thought he’d seen a giant sea serpent at first. Knoll was one of the few survivors of the consequent attack; the others were all either dead or too frightened to speak.

Both the vampire Council and the Council of Elders of the dragon race decided to work together to eliminate as many of these beasts as possible. The dragons employed those who could swim and were absolutely fearless to destroy the creatures. Unfortunately, most of the dragons were eaten, and not even bones were left.

Prince Soren and Prince Mordecai of the vampires thought that employing merpeople and sirens would be better, since they know the creatures and the ocean better than anyone. This was a mistake, as more sirens and merpeople died.

As luck would have it, the giant squid was soon discovered by humans and thought to be the mysterious creature by the non-magical beings. Not a single Kraken has been seen in over a hundred and fifty years at the time in which I write this sentence.

“Until now,” I muttered.

“Hmm?” Rolf looked up at me.

“Talking to myself,” I told him. He nodded and went back to work.

I sat down at the counter and read the first half of the book. Sarah came by once and asked what I was doing here, and I told her that I was doing research. She gave me an odd look, then went back to her duties. A few minutes later, she came back to ask if I had a hair tie. I handed her one without hesitation.

I read until my wife’s shift was over, and she put the last book away. She loved working in the library, being surrounded by books and knowledge and resources.

I researched Krakens and destructive vampires.

Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Avoid at all costs.

The last picture was of a child vampire in the air. One with long blonde hair and a long dress. Fire raged all around her. My throat tightened. This was what my father was dealing with. She could easily kill him. My heart squeezed as I considered the thought. No, I couldn’t live without my father. I had to find Marie on my own. But I couldn’t leave Sarah, JoJo, and Caitlin. They needed me here. But if Marie worked her way up north, I might not have a family to protect. We needed allies.

I found my father and told him my thoughts.

“I know, Reese,” he said, running a brush through his hair. “Marie can destroy the whole world, and she will if she’s not destroyed herself. But I need to do this on my own. She’s my responsibility. And there’s something else you should know.”

“What?”

“She’s my fledgling.”

“What?!”

“I am her sire. That’s why I’m taking responsibility for her. This is what being a sire is all about. Making sure your fledglings stay in line.”

“But, Father, what if you die?”

He smiled weakly. “That’s a remote possibility. But I need to take that risk to keep my family safe.”

“Why can’t Uncle Soren do it? He’s stronger than you.”

“He’s stronger than me, but he’s also reckless, and he knows that Marie is the way she is because of me. Besides, he’s the new king, and he can’t die, at least, not right away. Things would fall into chaos if anything happened to Soren. I know you’re worried about me, Reese, and that’s fine, but I need to do this myself.”

CHAPTER SEVEN – STOWAWAY

I was uncomfortably cramped in the cargo area of the small plane that was taking my father to Marie. The noise from the plane also hurt my ears. I’d said goodbye to Sarah, telling her I was going on a mission to meet allies. She’d accepted my explanation without questions.

Finally, the plane started to descend. I crawled around on my belly, adjusting myself so that no one would see me exit the cargo area.

We finally hit solid ground, and my entire body jolted. We slowed to a stop, and the vampire who opened the cargo bay didn’t notice me as I slipped out. I flipped my hood to cover my face. I quickly ran into the airport using a back door, heading straight for the bathroom. Ignoring the sounds and smells of the man doing his business beside me, I held my breath and climbed up to the ceiling. If the man looked up, he’d see an eighteen-year-old man climbing up and lifting a plate, crawling up into the space on his belly and carefully putting the plate back.

Let me just state for the record, that airport bathroom vents really do stink. I crawled forward until I spotted my father below. He was waiting for his suitcase. I noticed several women giggling and staring at him. Oh, good grief. He was with my mother, for Thor’s sake. He even wore an engagement ring. One of the women went up next to him and casually asked where he was going. He said something to her, and she giggled and fluttered her eyelashes at him. She asked if he was meeting anyone, and he lied and said he was meeting his fiancée. Even though Mother was still in Denmark, not here in France.

The girl scowled and pouted and asked what his fiancée was like. He stated that she was the most wonderful woman on the planet and he couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. Suddenly, he looked up. I rolled over so he didn’t see me. Then I heard him sniffing. He was smelling me. I chanced a glance down and saw fury and worry cross his face as he grabbed his suitcase and headed out to the parking lot.

He got into a car, and I crawled out of the space, brushing off a spider and her web, and found another car. I asked the driver to follow my father’s car, and gave him plenty of money, plus some extra.

He followed the car reluctantly, but surely.

My stomach churned as Father got out at a hotel. I told the driver to stop here and waited until Father was inside and going up to his room before I asked for my own room. Sarah had taught me a little French, and I knew enough for a brief conversation.

I went up to my floor, and walked to my room. Then I felt like I was being watched. And then I was tackled from behind.

“What are you doing here?!”

Oh, yes. Father was definitely furious.

“I came to help you,” I said dryly.

“You should have stayed home, Reese. This isn’t a game. Marie is dangerous.”

“You think I don’t know that? I have a family to protect too, you know. I’m about to become a father!”

“You could still be a father at home! How did you follow me, anyway?”

I told him the story of hiding in the cargo bay and the crawl space. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

“I’m at a loss,” he admitted. “I can’t ground you, because you’re an adult and married, and lecturing you does nothing. I’m sending you back.”

“NO!”

“YES!

“Father, I can help you!”

“No, you can’t! I can’t lose you, too!”

“David came back!”

“That was a lucky break! Next time, he may not be so lucky, and neither will you. You’re going home, and that’s final.”

“You can’t order me around!”

“I outrank you as prince and father! I most certainly can order you around!”

“I’m not going home!”

“Reese, please don’t argue with me on this. I’m begging you, go home. I can’t lose you!”

“Father, I have two babies on the way and a wife who loves me. Do you really think I’m going to risk their lives?”

“Reese, I had a plan, and you just put a wrench into it. I hadn’t planned on you coming. I specifically told you I wanted to handle this myself.”

“You won’t be by yourself. I’ll be with you.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

We glowered at each other for a long time. Finally, Father spoke up again.

“Fine. You can help. But if I think it’s too dangerous, I’m sending you home. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good. Where’s your room?”

Turns out our rooms were on the same floor, next to each other. I went into mine and took a shower while Father set up his laptop.

“Needs an encryption,” he muttered. He looked at me. “Son.”

“Father?”

“The password is ‘son’.”

A set of red letters saying “Access Denied” appeared on the screen. Father cursed.

“Damn it. I’ll try ‘daughter’.”

Access denied.

“What are you trying to do?” I asked.

“This is a database of all the vampires that are registered with the Council. The most dangerous are listed first. Marie is at the top, and Bram is at the bottom. But I have a feeling the rest of the Council knew what Bram was trying to do. I can’t prove it, though.”

“They don’t like us, Father.”

“No, they don’t, but surely they wouldn’t allow one of their own to try to kill us, would they? Ah, got it. The password is ‘Nicolai’.”

A smooth female voice spoke next. “Welcome to the Vampire Database, which lists every registered vampire, their powers, sire, fledglings, mate, allies, and coven.”

“Father, what is this?”

“Shush.”

“Marie Zokosi. Born in Russia in 1632, this original child vampire was created by Mordecai Eilief Nicolai, a prince of vampires. Marie was a phenomenon not only for her creation, but for her powers. She was changed at nine years old, and from the beginning, her powers rivaled every other vampire’s. She can create and control fire, hypnotize, can see fifteen times better than a cat, has the strength of ten werewolves, can read minds, fly, can see into the future, and turn invisible. She is also faster than the speed of light by fifty times. This child vampire was created for one purpose: to control vampires.

“The thousand years between 999 AD and 2000 AD were marked with turmoil for vampires. Everyone wanted a mate, everyone wanted a coven. Since more males than females made the change, competition was fierce, and since vampire births rarely happen or survive, females fought among themselves for the best mates to produce children. Without a mate, some are driven mad, others become so depressed that they commit suicide or turn to murder. In the 1500s, vampire suicide rates were at an all-time high. Vampires killed themselves before their mates could find them. This rate of depression and suicide was known as the Purge.

“The Purge continued into the 1600s, until Prince Mordecai implemented a way to control vampires-the ultimate vampire. She would be able to destroy mass crypts, covens, wraiths, murderers, cannibalistic vampires, and she would be in his control. Thus, Marie Zokosi was created. She was injected with the blood of many different vampires with different powers, to create one super vampire capable of destroying a whole country.”

“Dad,” I began, “Did you do this?”

He sighed and turned to me, his eyes full of tears. “I did, Reese. It’s my fault.”

The female voice continued. “In the 1940s, the United States government got the idea to create super vampire soldiers to fight the Nazis. They asked Prince Mordecai for the use of Marie Zokosi, but he denied them. During this time, Prince Soren went missing. Later, he turned up in the woods, completely naked, claiming he’d been experimented on. At this time, the Allies were about to lose the war, until the humans got the message to go to Normandy. At Normandy, they not only defeated the Nazis and prevented a world takeover, but they also found an eternal sleeping princess at a small nunnery. This was Marie. They paid the nuns approximately one hundred thousand in French money to use the princess. The Mother Superior declined the money and the request, claiming that the safety of the world was more important at the moment.

“And so Marie Zokosi continues to sleep on, forever waiting to be used to control the world.”

My phone rang. “In the End” by Linkin Park. My current ringtone for Sarah.

“Hello?”

“You are in big trouble, mister!”

“I can explain,” I said hurriedly.

“Do you know how worried I’ve been? I almost didn’t eat breakfast, and that never happens.”

Not eating breakfast was a rarity for her. She must have been unbelievably worried.

“I’m sorry, Sarah,” I said. “I had to do this. I hope you understand why.”

“I can’t lose you, Reese!”

Huh. Those were my father’s words, too.

“You won’t lose me, I promise. I’ll come back to you alive and uninjured.”

“Promise?”

“I promise. Honey, are you crying?”

She sniffed. “No.”

She was.

“I’ll miss you,” she said.

“I’ll miss you, too. Take your medication, be good, drink lots of water, talk to Mother if you need anything, and she will get it for you.”

“I need you.”

“Sarah, I miss you like crazy, but I have to do this. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Goodbye.”

“Bye.”

My heart jumped into my throat. And it just kept getting better.

Marie was no longer in France. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn! She was in Denmark!

Apparently, she flew above the clouds, almost colliding with several planes, and the humans were confused and freaked out. We had to do damage control.

According to the Council, they had rejected our offer to tell the human race about us. It was too late, anyway, but now they wanted Father to retract what he’d said about us and tell them it was a lie in an attempt to produce a movie.

“I don’t have a choice, Reese,” he said. “Do you not realize how in danger we are? Twenty vampires murdered by humans in the last three months alone. And three humans murdered simply because they were goth. It’s my fault, Reese. I have to fix this.”

I could tell how upset he was; he was close to tears.

We had another studio here in Denmark for the V Channel, so Father taped a formal apology and asked the humans to leave vampires alone. Afterward, he went into his dressing room for several hours and didn’t come back out.

We had no more leads on Marie. She was off the grid.

When I got back to the palace, my beautiful wife threw her arms around me, punched me in the chest for leaving, then winced and shook her sore hand. Sarah clung to me for the next few days.

Mother and Selena were pinpointing ways to help out vampire women, and discussed opening up a hospital just for vampire women. They also pointed out areas of land that needed to be bought in order to be protected from deforestation and Mother donated a large sum of money to Planned Parenthood.

Sarah was thinking a lot. She needed to see a new therapist.

I researched different therapists, and finally decided on a middle-aged female named Carolina Vincent. My initial thoughts were that she seemed kind and knowledgeable. One thing I pride myself on, is I’m usually a very good judge of character. Usually. Unless I feel like a specific male spends too much time with Sarah.

But anyway, Carolina Vincent was over in America, so I set up a video call with her and Sarah. From what I heard, the meeting went well. Sarah told Carolina about how we’d met, her past, and how she felt about everything that was happening now.

But things are not to be at peace for long. Sarah had gone weeks without speaking to Alicia, and Alicia was not happy with this.

I found her pinning Sarah to a wall one day, arguing with her.

“You’re not my mother,” Sarah said, glaring at her. “A mother does not abuse her children. A mother does not blame her daughter for things out of her control. A mother does not drink herself to death.”

“You know I didn’t drink myself to death,” Alicia countered, glaring at her daughter. “That bitch Marina bit me and turned me into a vampire! She told you I was dead, remember?! But I wasn’t!”

“You were never there for me. Not when we had to move, not when Daddy died, not when I was raped, not even when I got married!”

I could tell Sarah could handle herself, so I was not required to get involved…yet. But I still stuck around, just in case.

“Sarah, I am your mother! I gave birth to you! I got pregnant with you after your ungrateful father and I got married.”

“Buzz off, Mother.”

Alicia grabbed Sarah’s wrist, and lifted her hand as if to hit her. I was about to intervene when a blur of blue and black flew by me. The sound of the colliding vampires was like two boulders.

Mother held Alicia down, baring her teeth at her. She grabbed her by the hair and started banging her head against the floor.

“DO…NOT…HIT…HER!” She punctuated each word with a bash.

Sarah ran out of the room in tears. I went after her.

“Sarah,” I reached for her hand.

“Don’t touch me!” she shouted, slapping my hand away. “I can’t take this anymore! I want to leave! I want to go home!”

“This is your home now!”

“No, it isn’t! It’ll never be my home! It’s yours! I never wanted to be pregnant, I’m tired of being married, I hate my mother, my family from France hasn’t spoken to me in weeks, and I want to leave! LET ME GO!”

She stormed off, and I sighed. Oh, Sarah. You should have told me.

I needed to go after her.

“Sarah,” I said, knocking on the door to our bedroom. She was hiding under the covers in bed. “Sarah, baby, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wanted you to be happy,” she replied.

“Sarah, I’m not happy if you’re not happy. If you really want to move back, just tell me and I’ll buy a house.”

“I want to move back. I miss America.”

“Done. Where, exactly, do you want to go?”

“Well…I’ve always wanted to see Kansas.”

“Kansas it is, then.”

“No, New Jersey. Princeton.”

“Princeton, then.”

CHAPTER EIGHT – HOME AGAIN

“Wake up, beautiful,” I whispered in her ear. She muttered nonsensically and leaned into me. “Wake up, lover. We’re here.”

“Frazzam?” she muttered, yawning. At my feet, the cat carrier was being knocked around.

“This is cruel and unusual,” Shadowfang cried. “A disgrace to cats!”

“Be quiet,” I told him. “We’re almost there.” A cacophony of meows accompanied my words. I knew the dogs weren’t happy, either.

On the other side, Beckett was reading a book. He knew about Sarah’s little breakdown, of course. After telling her should could make any decision she wanted, she told him she wanted to move to Princeton, and of course he, Sabine, and Alicia were coming with us.

After we landed and Sarah fell asleep again, I carried her to the baggage claim, then the car. Shadowfang had transformed into a man, pretending to be a straggler. The rest of the cats had all transformed into people, albeit very odd-looking people. For example, Mishka had gray hair and yellow eyes. Catniss’ hair was black and her eyes were a bright shade of yellow-green. Belle was still a cat, mewing in her crate. The rest of the male cats were all in various forms, trying to blend in as people, but failing. Frodo’s eyes were even yellower than mine, his hair just as black. Anakin was in his crate, Remy beside him as a human, slightly hissing at someone else’s dog, who was furiously sniffing the crate with his brother in it.

We all went to the van, where I paid the driver to take us to a hotel. I paid for five rooms and Sarah went straight for the dining area, where she loaded up her plate with hash browns and bacon. I gave her a sideways look, looking pointedly at the bacon. She ignored my look and dug in.

I carried her bags up to our room, leading the cats up to their room, where they let their siblings out and transformed back into cats. Beckett went into his room, where he took Spunk, and Sabine took Coffee. I took the pitbull sisters into our room. Koda was staying behind-he’d grown attached to Toby.

Settling in, I ran a brush through my hair, then Sarah came back in, her eyes full of tears.

“I’m a disgrace,” she said. “I ate bacon. Do you realize what I’ve done? How much this will hurt Zayde and Bubbe? I will never eat again!”

“You have to eat, dear,” I said, amused. “Do you think I’m innocent when it comes to getting my food? I’ve drunk directly from humans before.”

“That’s different. You’re a vampire. You need blood to survive. I don’t need bacon to survive, but it sure felt like it!”

“Sarah, you’re pregnant. You have cravings of all sorts. It’s okay.”

She began crying again. “I can’t take this anymore! I got married too young! I didn’t have a chance to date! I hate being pregnant! I love you, but I hate being married so young! I can’t handle this!”

Tears stung my eyes. “Sarah, why didn’t you tell me? I tried not to pressure you into anything, but if I did, I’m sorry. If you want a break, that’s okay. If you want to see other guys, that’s okay, too.”

She cried harder.

I needed a break from her hysterics, so I went out and walked to a coffee shop, where I bought a cappuccino and slowly sipped it. I thought about our relationship. Poor Sarah was falling apart, and it was all my fault. I pressured her to marry me right out of high school. The fact that she was pregnant just hurried it along. And she wanted to make her grandparents and parents proud by being married before she gave birth.

She was torn between what she’d grown up with, and her real convictions towards religion and vampires. I knew she was having doubts about God’s existence, now that she’d met Queen Titania, her great-grandmother.

I took a cab to North Hampton and picked up my car, checked on the privacy fence being built, and drove back to Princeton.

The guy I was planning to meet was an old friend of Uncle Soren’s. They’d known each other in the 1940s.

Marco Silver was a vampire whose strength and speed nearly rivaled my uncle’s-they’d both been experimented on when the United States government tried to create super vampire soldiers.

I spotted him at the University of Princeton campus. He wasn’t hard to miss-he was as tall, broad, and muscular as Uncle Soren-the only differences were that he was black, had short hair, and had a scar ranging from his eye to his mouth.

“You must be Reese,” he said, taking my hand and shaking it.

“Yes, that’s me,” I told him.

“What exactly did you call me for?”

“I need to become human. Soon.”

Marco smiled. “Sorry, can’t help you. I don’t have the equipment or chemicals.”

“But you have humans.”

He hesitated, then nodded. “Yes, I have humans.”

Marco Silver had a human harem with human employees at his ranch. He dealt in donors. Humans that got a high from vampire bites and donated their time and fresh warm blood to us. His harem was full of beautiful human women. Some vampires prefer a warm body to a cold one. Like me.

As much as I wanted Sarah to become immortal, that wasn’t what she wanted, and there was no way I was going to live without her. So that left me with one choice. Become human, or die when she did. I could handle an afterlife while she lived: I couldn’t handle a life without her, or our kids.

Marco rubbed his chin for a moment. “Okay, yeah, you seem like I can trust you. You’d be perfect for Mae, you seem like you like ‘em short and dark-haired.”

“I do,” I confirmed.

He led me to a short Asian girl with short black hair.

“Hi,” she said, wrapping her arms around me. “Do you like Chinese girls?”

“Sorry, I prefer French and Israelite girls,” I told her, removing her arms from my neck. She pouted.

“Aw, come on. She can’t give you what I can. I’m still a virgin.”

“All I need is your blood.”

She tilted her head to the side, revealing her carotid artery. “Drink away.”

I did.

A few minutes later, my stomach was full, Mae was asleep, and I was handing Marco a stack of bills.

“Next week, same time?” he asked.

“Absolutely.”

“Where were you?” Sabine asked, folding her arms across her chest. “She was worried about you.”

Indeed, I heard Sarah vomiting in the bathroom.

“What’s with you lately?” Sabine asked. “You’ve been gone more than usual. You take off for another country without telling her, you don’t stop a fight, you don’t spend any time with her anymore. Do you realize she hasn’t been taking her medication for weeks? Mom and Daddy just found out today. She says she hoped you would notice. We’re about to take her to a hospital.”

With that, she stormed away, grabbed her purse, and left.

Realizing I’d been putting her off, I followed them in my car to a local hospital.

I felt sick when Beckett turned me away, telling me Sarah didn’t want to see me. Heartbroken, I went back to the hotel and went into the cats’ room. Shadowfang stretched and yawned, Mishka and Belle were napping, Catniss was flipping through the TV channels, and the boys were all discussing spaying and neutering.

“It’s cruel,” Frodo said. He looked up at me. “Hi, Reese. Why are you crying?”

“I’m a bad husband,” I said.

“And you’re figuring this out now?”

I glared at him. “She needs me now more than ever, but it would be healthier if I left. I should have never asked her to marry me. She was too young. She had too many issues. So did I, for that matter. I’ve been too concerned with Marie, and my own boredom, and trying to keep the peace, I took her for granted. Did you know she stopped taking her medication?”

“Yes, actually,” Catniss said, turning to look at me. “I counted the pills in the bottles. She was skipping her Zoloft and Xanax and heart medication.”

“She stopped taking her heart medication too?!”

“She hoped you would notice if she had another heart attack. Did you know she had another seizure when you left to find Marie without telling her?”

“What?! Why didn’t anyone tell me?!”

“She asked them not to say a word,” Shadowfang told me. “Believe me, the elder female wanted to tell you, the one who is pregnant with three kittens, but the small female told her not to.”

“Small female?”

“Your mate’s sibling. The skinny one.”

Sabine!

I put my head in my hands. What have I done? I needed to become human, now!

Sarah came back the next day around six in the evening. I had spent all day working. I called several times, getting Alicia or Beckett each time, who said she didn’t want to speak to me.

I knew that wasn’t true. But I tried to enter her mind, and she had blocked me. Not intentionally, I was sure. She was capable of so much, why would she upset me on purpose? Maybe it really was all my fault. I hadn’t spent as much time with her lately. But I spoke to Father about it, and he had an idea.

“It’s mate rejection syndrome,” he told me over Facetime. “It’s more common than you think, but the longer Alicia and Beckett keep you away from her, the more she’ll seclude herself. She’ll eventually go mad, or turn into a suicidal hermit. Better make yourself available for her sooner rather than later.”

“What are the symptoms of mate rejection syndrome?” I asked.

“She’s trying to get your attention by hurting herself by not taking her medication, she’s constantly overwhelmed, she’s pushing you away subtly because she feels that you rejected her by ignoring her. She needs you now more than ever, son. She misses you.”

He was right. She needed me. I should have gone to him sooner. And her.

Beckett was guarding the doorway. He scowled when he saw me.

“She’s not in a good mood,” he warned. I swallowed.

“I’ll do my best,” I said, holding up the pink and orange roses. He eyed them, his lip quirking.

“You know her well.”

I did. She thought that red roses were cute, but cheesy. She liked books of every kind, including manga and graphic novels. She watched professional wrestling every week. She played Xbox. She wore makeup, but she was also comfortable not wearing any at all. She loved her curly hair, but not the brown color. She loved her younger sister. She had gotten Coffee for herself originally, but she connected more with Spunk. She had gotten four more dogs as an attempt to save them from death row, especially the pitbull sisters.

She gave Scooter, now named Aubin, to her younger cousin Bow, and Koda she gave to Toby. The pitbull sisters, Zoey and Lola, she hoped to train to become emotional therapy dogs, but so far that wasn’t working well because they were both dumber than shit, but very sweet.

She liked cats and dogs, but she preferred dogs because they made better companions in her opinion. Her favorite colors were pink, blue, yellow, and purple.

She was laying on her hospital bed, playing on her phone. When she saw me, she turned over on her other side and ignored me.

“Hi, beautiful,” I said tentatively.

“Hmph.”

“I brought you flowers.”

She rolled back onto her back, her green eyes filled with tears, and she accepted the roses with slow hands. She smelled them.

“They’re beautiful,” she said. “Thank you, Reese.”

“Am I forgiven?”

“You know I can’t stay mad at you. Okay, you’re forgiven. Am I forgiven?”

“Of course.”

I kissed her, then moved down. The babies squirmed inside her. They wanted to touch me. I put my hand against her bare skin, and I felt a little fist touch my palm. My son was saying hi.

“They’re almost ready,” Sarah said. “I’ve been talking to them. They don’t talk back, but I can tell. They want to meet you and me.”

I moved my hand over. Caitlin Juniper touched my hand with her little foot. I kissed Sarah.

“I love them already,” I said. “I wish they could have seen me last night. I was a wreck.”

“Why didn’t you come over?”

“Your parents said you didn’t want to see me.”

Her jaw dropped, her eyes widened. “They what? Of course I wanted to see you! You’re the love of my life!”

“I think they thought you needed space.”

“Space, schmace. I needed you!”

She held out her arms to me. I hugged her, and she squeezed me tightly.

“I love you, Reese. I’m sorry for how I acted.”

“No, no, don’t apologize. It was my fault. I should have treated you better. I’ve just been so consumed with my own problems and bored from not being able to do anything, I sort of left you in the dust. That’s not how a husband should treat his wife. I love you more, Sarah.”

She needed to rest, so I let her get some sleep and I distracted myself with a science magazine. After a few minutes, she began to mutter and wiggle, so I tried to enter her mind, but again, I encountered the block. I knew she wouldn’t block me out on purpose, would she? My Sarah was far too kind for that.

Damn, damn, damn, damnededy damn.

“No,” she whispered. “No, stop…Michael…no…”

She was dreaming about her rape again. Poor Sarah. I put my head against hers and purred. She stiffened, then relaxed with a contented sigh.

“Ree…”

A few minutes later, she began to mutter again.

“No, Reese, I didn’t mean to…I’m sorry…I didn’t cheat on you…”

What? She was dreaming about the time we fought and I mistakenly thought we’d broken up. Fuck. I kept hurting her. I didn’t deserve to have her.

I tried purring again, and she barely relaxed. So I tried singing next. She liked my singing. I sang the song from the 2017 Beauty & the Beast.

She relaxed then, but tears still streamed down her cheeks.

“Shhh, shh, baby, it’s me,” I whispered. She whimpered. Damn it. I needed a female vampire. Someone whom she trusted completely. A firmly mated female.

I called Mother.

“How are you and Sarah?” she asked.

“Not good. I realized that I’ve been ignoring her, and-“

“Your father filled me in. She needs you, more than anyone else right now.”

“But she still doesn’t trust me. I don’t know what to do. She’s having nightmares.”

“We all have nightmares sometimes. She has been through so much in her life.”

“Mom, she needs you!”

“I know, but you took her away from me.”

“She missed America!”

“No, she missed you.”

“How’s Dad?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Not good. He blames himself for all the vampire prejudice that is going through all the population right now, especially the humans and werewolves. He thinks he revealed the presence of our race too early.”

“It’s not his fault. It’s not a secret anymore. It hasn’t been since 1950. Heck, there have even been vampires on television before! Reality TV! The news! Talk shows!”

“I have been trying to tell him that, but he refuses to listen. And Marie is still on the loose, and we still don’t know what attacked you last December while you were surfing in the ocean, and now there have been attacks on our employees, including our guards. Just yesterday, a vampire tried to grab Toby! You should have seen Spencer. He was furious. He charged at the vampire, tore off his head, and bit him multiple times. Toby is all right now, but he’s angry at Spencer for helping him because that means he owes Spencer for saving his life. There is nothing that Selena and I can do, except talk to the Council, but they don’t treat us well. The Council is divided. Half of them want to punish us for killing Bram Sterling, even though he plotted against us for years. Half of them want to be the Head, and the other half think we should be thrown off the vampire throne. They say that because your father took you to America, you should not be in line for the throne.”

“But I’m last in line, anyway. If Uncle Soren dies, Louis will take over, unless he dies first. Besides, I don’t want to be king. I’ve been at a loss for what to do for the problems we have now, and because I can’t do anything, I’ve been bored out of my mind, and I haven’t exactly treated Sarah well. Or Cirino, for that matter. I’ve been too focused on myself.”

“So focus on other people. Donate money and time to a charity. Buy someone a meal.”

When I got off the phone with her, I knew what to do.

When I finally donated money to the women’s shelter in North Hampton, I was three thousand dollars poorer, but when Sarah found out, she gave me an extra-long kiss and told me she loved me.

Sarah got out of the hospital two weeks later, fully medicated and happy. We had another long talk about what she needed from me, which was my love and attention. She didn’t need expensive gifts or new pets. She needed me. I bought tickets to go back to Denmark, and we left three days later. This time, her family stayed in America.

She hugged Beckett and Sabine for a long time, tears in her eyes.

“I hate leaving you, Papa,” she said.

“I hate that you are leaving,” he said. “You are always welcome back. Come home soon.”

“Bye, sister,” Sarah said to Sabine, who hugged her back.

“Your birthday’s next week,” Sabine said. “Can’t you stay that long?”

“Sorry,” Sarah said. “I’m need to be with Reese.”

Beckett threw me a hate-filled look. I lowered my eyes, and bent to scratch Shadowfang’s ears.

As soon as the cats and our things were packed, Sarah and I took off for Denmark again.

CHAPTER NINE – ANOTHER PROBLEM

“Wake up, beautiful,” I whispered in her ear as we started the descent. She squirmed in her seat and nuzzled my shoulder with her hair.

Then her eyes shot open, and she winced.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“A kick,” she answered. “A hard one.”

“Do I need to be concerned?”

“It’s just a kick, honey.”

But her pained expression continued even as we landed and she exited the plane with me and the cats, most of whom were in human form. And her breathing got shallower. I didn’t want to leave her, but she needed help. My first thought was Ethan, but he was in Prague for the next few weeks.

Damn it all. I’d have to call somebody. I set Shadowfang’s crate down and tried to get a decent reception. The reception in this particular airport was notoriously bad, which was a real problem at times.

“Shit,” Sarah said, dropping her bag. “It’s really hurting!”

“Are you giving birth?!”

“I don’t know!”

She winced as tears streamed down her cheeks. Shadowfang pawed at his crate, indicating he wanted to say something.

“What’s up?” I asked him.

“Is she okay?”

“I don’t know. Sarah, can you walk?”

“If I knew military secrets, I’d talk.”

“Damn it! Now’s a bad time!”

She gave me a dirty look.

“Okay, forget I said that.”

By now, a few people were watching us. I flagged down a passing security guard.

“I think my wife’s going into labor,” I told him. He radioed for an ambulance and medics while his supervisor arrived with a blanket for her to lay on.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“S-Sarah,” she said shakily.

“Sarah? That’s my daughter’s name. How do you feel, Sarah?”

“The contractions are getting worse!”

“Okay, take some deep breaths. The ambulance is on their way. Hold my hand, and squeeze when you feel a contraction.”

She whimpered. I laid next her and pressed my cheek against hers, purring softly. She squeezed my hand. By now, the cats were ready to turn back into cats, and Shadowfang and Belle wanted to get out of their crates.

I called Father quickly.

“Reese, are you home yet?”

“I’m still at the airport. We just landed. Listen, Sarah’s gone into labor. Can you alert Mother?”

“She’s here with me. She heard you. She says she’ll be there as soon as possible.”

Sarah’s contractions were extremely irregular. I stayed by her side, hoping, praying, for a miracle. No progression.

Mother arrived soon after, and so did the ambulance. By now, people were crowding around her, trying to get her picture. I hissed at anyone who got too close. My protective instinct flared up.

The paramedics brought over a gurney and put her on it. Mother arrived and started rambling in Greek. I caught words like “false labor”, “useless medical men”, and “poor sweet girl”.

I got our suitcases from the baggage claim and carried the cats in my arms (they were bulky) and carried them to the car. Spencer was driving, Toby was in the passenger seat.

“Need help?” Toby asked, taking Shadow.

“Thank you, Toby,” I said. “Why is Spencer driving?”

Toby shrugged. “It wasn’t my idea. Believe me.”

I believed him. Spencer had cheated on Toby with a sixteen-year-old vampire and ruined their brief marriage. Toby wanted nothing to do with him after that, even after he agreed to be part of our family.

The rest of the cat-shifters jumped into the car and settled into their seats, now once again looking like regular cats.

We went to the hospital first. The cats turned into people before jumping out of the car. Remy actually put his hands on the ground and stretched like a cat. Anakin spotted a coffee shop nearby and wondered aloud if they sold plain milk. I gave him some cash and told him to behave himself.

Remy, Frodo, Catniss, and Belle followed their brother into the shop and Mishka and Shadowfang followed me into the hospital. I told Spencer to wait with the car.

I went inside the hospital to find Sarah, only to find her asleep. I gathered the cats from the coffee shop, who were all slurping up coffee creamer happily, much to the disgust of the employees, and asked Spencer to drive us to the palace.

As soon as we arrived, the cats jumped out and started to go into the garden. I grabbed our suitcases and went straight to my and Sarah’s room, where she was laying on her side, Mother rubbing her back. To say I was furious would be an understatement.

“Why weren’t you at the hospital?” I demanded.

“It was a prodromal labor,” Mother said. “Not real labor.”

“But she could have died! Do you know how embarrassed I was to find that she wasn’t there?! And then the cats were prejudiced against and accused of being vampires when they tried to go into a coffee shop! That was humiliating.”

I saw Sarah shaking slightly and I realized I’d upset her.

“I’m sorry, Sarah,” I said. “I don’t blame you.”

“But I rejected the hospital’s help,” she said. “They’re charging more to treat people who they think are vampires. And when they find out I’m part fairy…”

She trailed off.

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were worried about that. You shouldn’t be. It’s okay. I’m sorry if I overreacted.”

I bent down to her level and tried to kiss her, but she pulled away. I gave her a hurt look. Maybe this was my fault. Maybe I stressed her out so much that she went into prodromal labor, whatever that meant.

I needed another dose of the human shot.

Marco had given me his contact in Denmark, whose name happened to be Raoul…as in, Selena’s new boyfriend, the one who never spoke. I was shocked when I learned he was Marco’s contact. That made me wonder if he was using Selena to get close to us.

That didn’t stop me from finding him in Selena’s room.

“I need your help,” I told the scowling vampire.

“With what?” he said in a snippy tone.

“I need to become human, fast. Marco said you were good.”

His eyebrows raised. “You know Marco?”

“He said you were the best. He said you’ve never had an experiment fail. Help me to become human, and I’ll pay whatever you want.”

“What about your girl?”

“She’s the whole reason I need to become human. She’s my reason for being alive.”

“You realize there are risks, like with every experiment? You could die, the change could take years to complete, you could become a dhampir.”

“I’ll do anything for Sarah.”

He pulled out a vial of a red liquid that smelled like a mixture of human and vampire blood.

“Do you know why vampires need blood?” Raoul asked. “It’s because we are technically dead. Even natural-borns, like you, are dead. Therefore, your marriage to Sarah is already ended. But once you become human, you can marry her again and be happy. But your soul is still connected to your body. You are basically a zombie who drinks blood. Other beings who have good blood like humans and Elves and fairies have the resource of life. The essence of life, with the addition of magic if you drink from fairies such as your Sarah. You will be completely human when I am done.”

He injected me with the precarious potion, and I took in a deep breath as the liquid flowed through my veins, rendering me temporarily high. I was blissful. I needed Sarah. I needed…something…but what?

My heart pounded. Pounded? My heart didn’t beat. But wait…a beat! My heart had a beat! And then I died again. My lungs fell into my stomach, the only organ in my body being my heart. A beat…Sarah had to love me after this.

Did I suspect she only loved me because of what I’d done for her? Damn straight, I did. No matter what she’d said about me in the past, no matter what she said about me now, I’d always have those doubts.

I needed to find Sarah. But no, the male vampire was holding me down. I hissed at him, and he growled back.

I blacked out.

When I woke up again, I had a pounding headache. My heart had stopped beating, and my stomach felt like an empty sack. I sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in my head, and I noticed Father looking at me worriedly.

“Where did you come from?” My voice sounded weak and raspy.

“I sensed your distress. I had to slip out of a Council meeting, but you come first. Reese, what the hell were you thinking?”

“Oh…Raoul told you?”

“He didn’t have to. I saw it myself. Reese, if you keep this up, you’ll die. Why on earth would you want to kill yourself?”

“I don’t plan on living long after Sarah dies.”

“Reese…” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “For Odin’s sake, Reese. You knew she was mortal when you began dating her. You knew she would die one day.”

“Father, please don’t tell her!”

“I don’t plan to, but I will tell your mother.”

“No, don’t tell her either! I need to be human! Sarah won’t become a vampire because she loves the sun too much. She gets her fairy magic from the sun.”

“What magic?”

“Her…oh, just don’t tell anybody!”

“Fine, my lips are sealed. But please, I beg you to stop. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Reese. My life would be over.”

He stormed away.

I slipped into the Council meeting a few minutes later. All eleven Council members sat in front of us.

“It’s a conflict of interest,” said Octavius.

I looked at Uncle Soren. He ignored my look and spoke up. “It is not a conflict of interest. My son has proven himself trustworthy and brave. He doesn’t even lie to me.”

“He has a male mate!”

“Males having male mates is not a crime in our world. It’s quite common.”

“His mate is a shapeshifter!”

“Interspecies relationships are more common than you think. Vampires and humans date each other all the time. So does the Fae. I often see a fairy or pixie sitting on the lap of an ogre when I go to the Night Market. You would not be saying this if his mate were a reverse vampire.”

“Reverse vampires are still vampires! What does a shapeshifter know of vampire politics?”

“Paul won’t be involved,” Louis said, speaking up this time. “I can teach him, but he won’t be involved. I will be. You’ve run out of reasons for me not to become the new Head of the Council, so you attack my boyfriend. That’s low, Octavius.”

“Homosexuality is a sin!”

“I’m not a fucking homosexual, Octavius! I’m bi!”

My father took in a low hiss. Louis had just cursed at a member of the Council. Uncle Soren grabbed Louis by the back of the neck and pushed his head down.

“Forgive us,” he quickly said. “Louis’ new friend is very important to him. But this is ridiculous. You have not said the same thing about Reese and Sarah.”

“Leave her out of this,” I muttered. My father whacked me upside the head.

“Reese is not old enough or experienced enough to be a Council member,” Father reminded everyone.

“That’s your own fault, brother,” Uncle Soren snapped. Octavius cleared his throat.

“All in favor of allowing Louis Soren Nicolai to become the Head of Council?” Octavius asked. Seven hands shot up. He looked around and scowled. “Oh, very well. Granted. Congratulations, young vampire, you are the new Head of Council. Your first assignment is to reverse Prince Mordecai’s mistake of telling the world we exist.”

“Now wait a minute,” I began. “It’s not my dad’s fault. It was a mutual agreement between us and you, the Council, that it was time to let the world know about us. Several of you agreed that humans were accepting enough. But you didn’t take into account how humans still kill each other over skin color, of all things. Even some vampires are racist and species-ist. You chose him because he has a calm temperament.”

Octavius looked stunned at my mouth. His jaw had dropped, and a couple of the women on the Council stifled giggles.

“Reese is right,” Uncle Soren said. “It’s not my brother’s fault, it’s all of us who are to blame. And besides, it’s too late now. And unless we can change time so that my father never abolished the Law of Secrecy, we are stuck. He abolished that law because more and more vampires were taking human mates. Humans had hunted us for a long time, but now they were slowly becoming more and more oblivious to what was going on around them.”

“Humans are a menace,” Octavius growled. “We had to hide because they overpopulated the Earth.”

“Not just us, though,” said Dawn, a woman on the Council. “Elves, the Fae, werewolves, ogres, trolls, we all had to hide because of humans having sex left and right and resulting in many births. Humans are the most fertile of all races on this planet, after all. Even Prince Mordecai’s own mate gave up after many years of trying to get pregnant. Selena and Reese were surprise babies.”

“Thank you, Dawn,” Octavius said. “But the assignment is still the same. Remember, we hold precedent over you.”

Louis looked like he was about to throw up.

“We are equal partners,” Uncle Soren corrected. “Give my son a chance. An easier assignment.”

I spoke up. “I think the first way to handle this prejudice is by showing them we have family ties.”

“Shut up, Reese,” Louis muttered. Uncle Soren whacked him upside the head.

“He’s right,” Father said. “My son has a good suggestion. Prove to the humans that we are a family, not just a coven.”

A few days later, the TV camera was set up. Sarah was not speaking to me, and that broke my heart, but she would do this for us.

We would answer questions sent in by skeptics and curious humans.

“Hello and welcome to V TV. My name is Kate Un and I’m here with the Nicolai family, also known as the royal vampire family. Sitting beside me is Prince Mordecai, Prince Louis, and Prince Reese. Tell me, what’s it like being a vampire?”

“Dangerous,” Father answered. “You are constantly in danger: from vampire hunters, monster hunters, religious fanatics, prejudiced beings, and from other vampires and covens.”

“What’s the difference between a coven and a family?”

“There is no difference. Your coven is your family, unless you leave them. Vampires of different covens are often blood-related as well as being vampires from the same sire, different lone vampires coming together, known as ex-nomads, and vampires from different times.”

“How old is the average vampire?”

Father smirked. “Never ask a question you don’t want answered, Ms. Un.”

“Are you and your coven blood-related?”

“Many of us are, yes. Reese and David are my sons. Louis is my nephew. Soren is my older brother. I have another brother who was adopted by my parents. Alexander Nicolai is…was…my father’s cousin. I also have a mate, Reese’s mother, who is pregnant with three children and who has another daughter with her previous mate. Reese and Louis both have mates. Reese’s mate, Sarah, is pregnant with twins. She’s mostly human, but we’ve accepted her into our family and we all love and adore her. Louis’ new mate is not a vampire either.”

“Wow! Triplets and twins! Is that the usual number for vampire pregnancies?”

“No, it’s extremely rare. We are extremely blessed to have children at all. Vampire women, especially natural-borns, often have trouble procreating. Women who were human first often have better luck. My love tried for years to get pregnant, and eventually gave up, but then my stepdaughter was born, and years later, my son was born. Now I have three wonderful unborn children on the way. We have been blessed by the goddess of fertility.”

“What’s it like having so many children when so many vampires don’t have the same luck?”

“I feel lucky. I love my children, all of them, and I wouldn’t give them up for anything.”

“Reese, this question is for you. What’s it like knowing you’re about to become a dad?”

“I’m over the moon. We’ve even already named them: Joseph and Caitlin Juniper. I can’t wait to meet them.”

“According to video, Sarah went into early labor. Is that true?”

“She went into prodromal labor, which is different. The babies were not actually born, they were contractions brought on by stress. My Sarah cannot be too stressed or…well, let’s just say she’s been hospitalized before because of too much stress. I was there for her as much as I could be, though. I love Sarah more than anything. She’s my soulmate.”

“When you say she’s been hospitalized before, how do you mean?”

Father squeezed my hand, warning me to keep quiet. “Our family’s medical issues are no one’s business but ours. Sarah is on her way to recovery, and we hope she’ll be fully well soon.”

“I hope so. Why a human, Prince Reese?”

“Because I love her. Vampire and human matings are not as uncommon as they used to be. More and more interspecies relationships are being formed, especially between humans and other beings.”

“Why all the secrecy?”

“Because of prejudice. We’ve been hunted for years by the same families who want to see all of us dead and gone. We’ve managed to evade them each time, but not everyone has survived. Many vampires who are no longer of this earth were killed by humans.”

“How do you kill a vampire?”

“Ah, that would be telling.”

“But the Law of Secrecy was abolished in 1950. Why open up fully now?”

“It has been decided,” Father began, “Between the royal family and the Vampire Council that humans were ready for the knowledge. We were wrong. We apologize to anyone who has been hurt or killed because of our decision. I feel especially guilty, because I’m the one who spilled the beans.”

“How many vampires have been hurt or killed since the secret was revealed?”

“Oh, dozens. I blame myself for it, and I’m sorry again. It’s our fault, which is why we’re having this discussion.”

“How many other types of creatures are there?”

“I can’t say. Some have been hidden for thousands of years, and others don’t want their secrets revealed. I made promises not to speak those secrets, and I intend to keep it.”

“What about dragons?”

“As my son said, that would be telling.”

“Can you sing?”

“I’m sorry?”

Kate Un clarified. “Is it true that vampires can sing?”

“We are blessed with entrancing voices, and some of us can sing better than others, yes.”

“What about you personally? Are you a good singer?”

“I’m…I’m not too bad. My son can sing better, though.”

“Can he?” Kate Un turned to me. “Will you sing a melody for us, Prince Reese?”

I looked at Father. He nodded encouragingly, and Louis patted my arm.

I began to sing “What Hurts the Most” by Rascal Flatts.

Everyone looked pleasantly surprised at my voice.

“Wow,” Kate Un breathed. “You really can sing!”

“I was briefly in the choir when I went to high school,” I said. “I was in the bass section.”

Kate Un smiled. “I bet you were good then, too. Can your wife sing as well?”

“She’s even better than me,” I admitted. “When she sings, it’s like she’s reaching into your soul and tugging at your heartstrings. When she sings, the birds copy her. She’s a high soprano, so you can imagine what her voice is like when we sing together.”

“What about you, Prince Mordecai? Will you sing for us?” Kate Un asked.

Father sang a few lines of “These Dreams” by Heart.

“And now for the most important question of all,” Kate said. “Do you drink blood?”

CHAPTER TEN – BLOOD DRINKERS

“Yes,” Father said. “We all drink blood in some form or another. But none of us kill humans. We get most of our fare from blood banks and donors. I will admit, there’s nothing like drinking directly from the source, but it’s been so long since I’ve actually drank from a human. I get most of what I need from blood that’s been stored cold and then warmed up in the microwave. I tried cooking it on the stove once, but the blood became thin and the fumes made me lightheaded. Some vampires still drink from humans, but we have strict laws governing how to drink blood from humans. Vampires are not permitted to kill humans unless they plan to change them into a vampire. Vampires who kill humans must turn themselves in. Humans must also agree in advance to be changed. A sire is responsible for every fledgling he creates.

“But we have more laws than that. Vampires are not permitted to drink from other vampires unless there is no other food source. We strongly recommend drinking human blood, but some vampires are like the vampires from Twilight, they prefer animal blood. We don’t drink it because it has very little nutritional value. The blood of an intelligent being is much more satisfying and nutritional. We drink mainly from humans, but we drink from other beings as well.

“And there are different types of vampires. Chlorophyll eaters, also known as vegans, which suck the chlorophyll out of plants, which we are debating are true vampires, soul eaters, which consume the souls of beings, reverse vampires, which take in energy from the sunlight, and there are evil vampires called strigoi. We are working to control them, but it has proven difficult. An evil vampire named Marie has recently been set loose in Europe. She was the original immortal vampire child created by a sire. If you see her, do not engage her. She has the power to control fire, can fly, has excessive speed and strength, even for a vampire, can turn invisible, and drinks from humans. We are working to capture her.”

We answered a few more questions, and then the show ended. Sarah had arrived during the last segment, with Cirino. I gave her a questioning look, and she smiled nervously.

“Mom was busy,” she explained. She called my mother “Mom”. Mother had adopted Cirino, who was actually Sarah’s biological son, but I hadn’t seen much of him lately due to my own problems.

He’d grown a lot. He was also talking more. Not real conversation, of course, just toddler-babble. His hair had gotten curlier, his eyes greener. When he saw me, he smiled and held his arms out to me.

“Daddy,” he said.

We stared at him, stunned. He had called me “Daddy”! If he considered me his father, he had poor excuses for male role models. I held out my arms for him, and Sarah passed him to me. He giggled and reached for my hair. I moved my head out of the way, and he giggled some more and tapped my shoulder with his little hand.

“Who is this little guy?” Kate Un asked.

“This is Cirino,” I explained, noticing the camera behind her.

“He’s my son,” Sarah continued. “I gave him up for adoption, but I still get to see him whenever I want.”

Cirino laughed and waved at the camera.

“How old is he?” Kate continued.

“Almost two?” I asked Sarah.

“Almost,” she confirmed.

Cirino blew kisses at the camera. He was fricking adorable, I had to admit that. I was glad Sarah had decided not to abort him. She had seriously considered it, but her mother convinced her to keep him. It turned out that Alicia was more interested in the money involved than his actual welfare, however. He was a product of rape.

Cirino continued to show off for the camera, and then turned to me and babbled.

“Daddy,” he said, pointing to me.

“Nope, I’m not your daddy,” I corrected. He laughed and continued to smile.

“Who’s his daddy?” Kate pressured.

“A classmate of ours,” I said. I looked at Sarah. Kate looked at her.

“I was raped,” she confessed. “Cirino was the result.”

“Did you think about abortion?”

“Oh, yes, I definitely did, but my mom convinced me not to. If I could go back in time, I still don’t know what I’d do. I think women should have the right to decide, especially women like me, who have been hurt by someone they trusted.”

“But the father’s opinion counts, too,” I said.

“Not if he raped the mother,” Sarah reminded me. “Michael gave up any rights the moment he touched me.”

“Michael? Is that his name?” Kate Un hedged.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” I snapped.

“Don’t be rude, Reese,” Sarah reproved. “They deserve to know.” She turned to Kate. “I’d be happy to tell you the story.”

“I’d be glad to hear it,” the nosy reporter said. “Bob, let’s go. Let’s get some makeup on her, people!”

“You’re making a mistake,” I warned. “She won’t leave you alone until she gets the full story.”

“Don’t be a worrywart. I’ve got it under control.”

“Okay. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be here. Just say a safe word, and I’ll get you out.”

“A safe word…how about ‘pickles’?”

“Why pickles?”

“Because I like pickles.”

“Okay, pickles it is, then.”

A makeup artist approached her with a makeup brush set and powder.

“She’s got a nice tan,” she said, dabbing the powder on. “Are you Mediterranean?”

“I’m part Italian,” Sarah confirmed. A hairstylist approached with a hairbrush and hairspray.

“She’s got beautiful hair,” he said, mussing through her layers. “Nice bouncy curls. Good color. Not a boring brown, but a pretty kind of brown. I see some highlights in there, too. Do you color your hair?”

“Just highlights,” she told him.

“Her eyes are green, so I’m thinking gold and dark brown,” the makeup artist said. “Maybe a pinkish rose lipstick. Do you wear makeup?”

“Usually, yes.”

They dolled her up, made her look TV-worthy (to them, she was always TV-worthy in my mind), put her hair in a high ponytail, made her look beautiful.

She sat on the couch, and Kate Un came back, freshly made up and hair brushed.

“I’m here with Sarah Nicolai, the wife of Prince Reese Nicolai. Get this: she’s not even a vampire. She’s human. What’s it like being a human married to a vampire?”

“Surreal,” she replied. “I love him so much, I’d do anything for him.”

“Have you considered becoming immortal yourself?”

“Well, yes, but I’m not ready. I may never be ready. I want to give him and our children the best years of my life. It’s still so new to me.”

“Do you miss your hometown?”

“Daily. I wish I’d gotten married there instead of a foreign place sometimes, but Reese gave me everything I wanted in a wedding, so I didn’t mind giving him the one thing he wanted.”

“What kind of wedding was it?”

“Beautiful. I was already pregnant, and it was hard to find a perfect dress, but I managed to find one and the ceremony was beautiful. I’m Jewish, so we had a rabbi perform the ceremony and do all the Jewish traditions, plus his vampire traditions.”

“What kind of traditions does a vampire wedding have?”

“Well, there’s the vows, of course; always necessary. And the shedding of blood, which was a surprise to me. I’d only ever been to one vampire wedding, so I was surprised to learn that all vampire weddings involve blood.”

“How did you shed blood?”

“We used a knife to cut our palms open and held them together for three minutes. One for each branch of the vampire realm: the royalty, the Council, and the private citizens.”

“Ooh, interesting. What else did you do? Did you do the big It?”

“No, because I was pregnant at the time. I’m grateful that he’s managed to hold off so long. Vampire babies are stronger than human babies. You should see all the bruises on my belly!”

“Bruises? Wow! Reese mentioned that you were having twins?”

Sarah nodded. “Yes, a boy and a girl. I love them so much already, and they’re not even here yet. We plan to have more children in the future.”

“Will you name one after Reese’s grandfather?”

“I’m open to that. I loved his grandfather, and I was so sad when he died. He was a great man and a great vampire.”

“What about your father?”

“Maybe. My father’s…well…he’s…he’s one of my favorite people, but…well…I’d be open to that as well.”

“Even though your father was confirmed dead when you were sixteen?”

I shot up. Fricking bitch.

“Well, he’s…”

“Rumor has it that he didn’t actually die, he was turned into a vampire. He didn’t have cancer, did he, Sarah?”

“No, but-“

“So you lied to everyone.”

“No, I said what I thought was the truth. I was wrong. He did die, but for reasons I still don’t fully understand.”

“And then your so-called mother-in-law killed your mother in a fit of jealous rage. How do you explain your close relationship to her?”

“My biological mother was never really a mother to me. She cared more about money and alcohol than me and my sister. That’s why I kept Cirino. She thought he’d bring in some money.”

“You’re lying, Sarah.”

“I’m not!” Sarah was close to tears.

“All right, that’s enough,” I said, taking Sarah’s hand. “You’ve gone too far this time, Kate Un. You’d better not air this story.”

But of course she did. And Sarah got a furious call from her mother and father, asking what the hell she was thinking, why did she say those things about her mother, why didn’t she just say her father was dead, and so on. I finally took the phone and told Alicia and Beckett to shut the fuck up. Bastards.

Sarah hid in our room for days. She wouldn’t come out except to eat, and even then, she ate very little. Kate’s interview had done a number on her.

One day, I saw her with her suitcase and bags.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“I can’t stay here,” she said, crying a little. “My parents are angry at me, the rest of Mom’s family won’t speak to me, and only Sabine will even text me anymore.”

“Again?” I was aghast. Gianna and Benjamin really were terrible people, at least, Gianna was. “What about Beckett’s family?”

“Reese,” she said, “Grandpa’s gone into renal failure. He doesn’t have much time left. And Grandma wants to teach me a few things about being a fairy. I still have a lot to learn. I’ll be back, though. I don’t know when, but it won’t be soon, I know that.”

“Sarah, I’m so sorry. This is my fault.”

“No, it’s my fault. I should have listened to you when you said it was a bad idea to do the interview.”

I held out my arms, and she ran into them. I squeezed her tightly.

“I love you,” I said, tears streaming down my face. “What about your birthday?”

“I’ll be in France.”

“Damn. I don’t know if I’ll be able to come see you. But I’ll try. Don’t worry, we’ll fix this mess. Wait a minute, where’s your ring?”

She blushed and hid her hand behind her back. “My fingers are swollen.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry,” she said. “I’ve got to go. The plane leaves in three hours.”

I kissed her one more time, and watched painfully as Chris put her bags into a car and drove her to the airport.

Damn, I missed her already. And my babies.

Louis came to me one day as I was warming up some blood.

“I want you to be my personal assistant,” he said. “I know you want to be more involved, and I need a few things done but I don’t have time to do them. This will take some of the burden off both our shoulders.”

“Sounds good,” I said, as the microwave beeped. “What’s my first assignment?”

“Researching Krakens and demons.”

“Again? Louis, that was months ago.”

“Reese, something’s not right down there. My gut tells me it’ll attack again.”

“I need more than your gut feeling.”

“Don’t be stupid, little buddy. I’m usually right.”

I grumbled. Sadly for those of us trying to contain his ego, he’s usually right about him being right.

A short man with dark blond hair appeared in the kitchen, walked up to Louis, and kissed his cheek.

“Hey, baby,” Louis said. “I’m glad you’re here. Reese, this is Paul. Paul, this is Reese.”

“Nice to meet you,” Paul said.

“Nice to meet you as well,” I said. I knew who he was by now, but like everything, an introduction was required as per protocol. And it was good manners, which Louis rarely had.

Paul looked up at Louis. “Louis, I’ve been thrown out of my clan.”

“You what?”

Paul nodded. “They tried to burn down my apartment building, killed my cat, and…” Paul trailed off, tears appearing in his brown eyes.

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry,” Louis said, holding his new mate. “I’ll do anything I can. Does your sister need protection, too?”

“She won’t speak to me,” Paul said. “She took off after Omar dumped her.”

“I’m so sorry,” Louis repeated, his face full of concern. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll get it for you. Reese, keep this conversation between the three of us. Paul has lost everything because of your father revealing our secret. My and Paul’s relationship was supposed to be hidden from his clan, since most shapeshifters and vampires don’t get along. But they found out, and they beat him, and took everything from him, even killing his cat.”

“Okay, when somebody kills a cat, it’s personal to me,” I said, taking the glass of blood out of the microwave. “I’ll help you get everything back.”

“Thank you, Reese,” Paul said, his eyes full of tears. “Louis said you were too nice. We all know what Louis’ version of “nice” is.”

“It’s not my fault,” Louis protested. “I didn’t have a mother growing up.”

“I didn’t have a father, and didn’t I turn out okay?” Paul asked.

“Of course. That’s why I love you. Reese here didn’t have mother growing up, either, but for different reasons, and he’s like a little brother to me. That’s why I call him my little buddy.”

“That, and you were fully grown by the time I was born.”

“Boy, I was grown years before you were even conceived. Before your sister was conceived.”

“But not before my mother.”

“Eh, Marina and I grew up around the same era, but we lived in different countries in different cultures and different families. I grew up Asatru, she grew up with a dark witch for a mother and a Catholic father.”

Louis took Paul into another room. I overheard their conversation.

“Paul, it’s all right. I’m here.”

“Louis, I can’t do this anymore. I just can’t.”

“Paul, don’t do anything stupid. Stay with me.”

“Louis, I can’t. I’m sorry. I have to go.”

“NO! Don’t go! You’ll die out there! I can’t let that happen. I love you, Paul, more than I ever thought I’d love anyone. Calm down, take a deep breath. Hey, focus on me. Forget what everyone else thinks. Focus on my eyes. You are getting very tired. You haven’t slept well lately.”

I scoffed. Louis was using hypnotism on his mate? I’d tried that before-never again. It not only felt wrong to me, but she found out after I confessed. She asked me not to do it again, and I couldn’t say no to Sarah. Except when her life was at stake.

My cell phone rang, startling me. It was a song I used for unknown numbers- “Somebody Told Me” by The Killers.

I answered it. “Hello, you’ve reached Prince Reese Nicolai.”

“Reese! Thank God!”

“Who is this?”

“This is Kaz. I’m Sarah’s cousin, remember?”

“What happened? Is she all right?”

“We don’t know yet. She had a seizure on the plane.”

“Another one?”

“Yes. And her heart was acting weird. We still don’t know what’s wrong with her heart, but we know the seizure was brought on by stress.”

“Damn! Where is she now?”

“She’s in the hospital. She wants you to stay in Denmark.”

“I-wait a minute, how could she speak to you if she had a seizure and you don’t know if she’s all right yet?”

He hung up on me. Damn it. Her family wanted me to stay away, not her, necessarily. But Kaz still felt the need to let me know, which I was grateful to him for. I cursed out loud, cursing my life, my species, the Council, humans, the Fae, Sarah’s family, myself, and my love. If I’d never fallen in love…I wished I hadn’t.

If she hadn’t fallen in love with me, she wouldn’t be in this mess.

I wished she hadn’t.

I should have just left her alone that night. Helped her get to the hospital and then left her alone. She would marry Caden Cartwright and be happy, or maybe Jamie Williams. She didn’t deserve what this life had done to her. What I’d done to her.

I sat on a kitchen stool and put my hand on my head. I felt nauseous.

Something was nagging at the back of my mind. I knew something didn’t add up. They were planning something. They would try to take her away from me. I just knew it. And after she’d just made up with Gianna and Benjamin and Sabine.

My heart was shattered. Broken.

I didn’t know how long I sat there, just moping, feeling a ball of apprehensiveness in my gut.

My uncle came in sometime later, looking odd in a white button-up and brown slacks.

“Hey, Reese,” he said.

“Uncle Soren,” I said, “Did you ever regret meeting somebody?”

He thought for a moment. “No, I don’t believe I have. I wouldn’t have as many allies as I have if I hadn’t met certain people. I wouldn’t have my son if I hadn’t met Alga. Heck, I’m the one who introduced your parents to each other.”

“But if something happened to them that was your fault-“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” He held up a hand. “Is this about Sarah? Because if it’s about her, it’s not your fault. She was born into a dysfunctional life, being part fairy and part human. And having Alicia for a mother. I love the girl, but she brings drama with her, and it’s not her fault, either. It’s just her life, a part of who she is. You were also born into a dysfunctional family and a stressful life. Combining both your lives together was bound to go wrong at some point. But that’s marriage. You share your life with someone. When Alga divorced me, I was devastated, but over the years I realized it was a blessing in disguise. She was trouble. And I wouldn’t have met Mitra the way I had. Thank you for that, by the way. If I hadn’t introduced your parents, your father wouldn’t have mated with your mother, you would not have been born, and I would not have gone to America in a last-ditch effort to save Father from himself.”

“But if I’d been born into a different family…”

“If I was your father, you would have gone to a private vampire-based school and not met Sarah at all. Life is a series of choices, and those choices define our fate, not mythical witches who spin a tapestry guarded by a gigantic spider.”

He took a drink of the blood from my glass, then made a face. “This is cold, Reese.”

“Serves you right for stealing my lunch.”

He laughed. “See, that’s exactly what your father would have said. You’re so much like him. Even some of your life decisions have been the same. Marry young, have children.”

“My father was married when he was young?”

“Oh, yes. We’ve both been married hundreds of times. I’ve divorced, been divorced, lost wives, but the one thing that remained in my life constantly was my brother. He helped me get through hard times, and I helped him through his. I don’t know how I don’t have any children other than Louis…none that I know of, at least. But that will change soon.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve hired a private detective to search for any children I may have. David inspired me to do that. He really is your father’s son. I caught him chatting up one of the human maids. I told her to buzz off, then reminded him that he is a prince now. He can have any woman he wants, and I’d rather he married someone respectable.”

“Like who? There’s no vampire women our age. No one other than Scorpia, I mean.”

“Oh, I know a few young ladies. Even your father spoke to a young vampire’s parents when you were born. They were trying to get him to betroth you to her.”

“Sounds like you’re trying to control him.”

“Reese, I’ve been trying to control my own son for years. What makes you think I can control David, a new family member and still very much a stranger?”

“He wants you to like him.”

“I do, I just…I need more time. I know I doubted him at first, but that has changed. He saved all our lives when we were dealing with Bram.” The marble counter crumbled under the pressure of his fingers. He was angry just thinking about Bram.

He sighed and took in a deep breath. “So much responsibility. I’ve put too much on Louis’ shoulders. Yours as well.”

“I wish Grandfather were here.”

“If he were, he’d chide us for feeling sorry for ourselves. He’d tell us to formulate a plan, and put it into action. He always was the level-headed one. That’s what made him a good king.”

“But now you’re king.”

“Yes, and I wish I weren’t, but I only have myself to blame. If I hadn’t experimented with that potion, he’d still be alive, and I’d still have my father, and you would have a grandfather.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

“I don’t know yet. But I have a rough idea. I’m not sure if it will work. It isn’t right, and maybe even ill-advised, but damn it, I have no choice. We have to hypnotize the humans.”

“All of them? There’s billions!”

“Only the ones who saw the program. I have to talk to Mordecai. He’s the best hypnotizer out of all of us.”

“Bad idea, Soren,” Father said, looking at a plan of a building. “They’ll figure it out, and things will be worse.”

“We don’t have a choice, brother.”

“There’s always another choice. I learned that years ago.”

“You think of something, then!”

“Don’t you think I’m trying?!”

“Don’t yell at me!”

“You started it!”

They both shut up and stared at each other. Father sighed.

“If Father were here, he’d tell us to stop fighting.”

“Our arguments always did annoy him more than Mother.”

They glared at each other, then Father’s scowl softened and he sighed. “This is my fault.”

“No, brother, it was a mutual agreement. We were all wrong. I was wrong. The Council was wrong. Bram knew this would happen. He betrayed us. He tried to kill our sons. He tried to kill Reese, David, Louis, even Sarah, sweet as she is. He tried to kill your stepdaughter, your love, your children. Alexander’s children. My child. You. Me.”

“I’m out of ideas, Soren.”

“I’m not. Reese gave me an idea.”

“What did I do?”

“Your love for Sarah. Louis’ love for Paul. Your father’s love for you. Show them that we’re a family, more than a coven.”

“I could have come up with that, Soren!”

“Why didn’t you, then?”

“Shut up, Soren.”

“Don’t tell me to shut up! I’m three thousand years older than you! And I’m a king. King outranks prince.”

Father muttered under his breath.

Mother came into the room then, panting slightly.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Father asked.

“The babies are becoming strong,” Mother said. “Especially the girl. She wants to meet Mommy and Daddy and her big siblings.” She smiled at me. “Hello, Reese. What’s the matter, son?”

“Sarah’s family hates me.”

She nodded. “I know. Alicia hates me, too.”

“You turned her into a vampire.”

“But Sarah and Sabine also prefer me as their mother. I’m happy to oblige. I love being a mother more than anything.”

“Being a parent-there’s nothing like it,” Father agreed. “The more children I have, the happier I feel. I was thrilled when I found out David was my son. Now I’m about to have a daughter as well.”

“And two sons,” Soren said.

“Those are Alexander’s children, Soren.”

Uncle Soren sighed. “We need to have a family meeting. Go get Louis and Toby.”

Father went off to find his nephews.

When he came back with them, Toby was looking confused, Louis apprehensive.

“I have some bad news,” Uncle Soren said. “Mordecai, hold on to Marina. Alexander is dead.”

Mother’s face went into shock mode.

“What happened?” Louis asked.

“He stabbed himself in the heart, then set himself on fire,” Uncle Soren explained. “He couldn’t find any reason to live. Kieran’s on his way over now with the ashes.”

“Poor Kieran,” I said. “He must feel horrible.”

“He does, for sure. Marina, are you all right?”

Mother started to fall off the stool, but Father caught her in time. Her short dress showed off a lot of leg.

“Ambrogio…is dead?” she whispered, her voice quivering. Uncle Soren nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

“Baby?” Father hedged. “Baby, are you all right?”

“I…I don’t know,” she said. “Hold me, Mordecai.”

“I’m not letting go.”

She buried her face in his shoulder and began to cry. I put my hand on her shoulder, and she grabbed me and pulled me into the circle.

We stayed like that for a long time, even when I ran out of air.

Mother finally let go of me, and I took a deep breath. My heart began to beat. Mother looked at me curiously. My heart wasn’t supposed to beat. She could hear it.

Mother needed some time to herself, so Father, Louis, and I sat and spoke with Toby and Uncle Soren.

“A penny for your thoughts?” I asked Father. He smiled weakly at me.

“This was bound to happen. He’s lived so long, and he’s been through so much pain. There is more than one reason why every vampire has a mate. Mates ease the stress of eternity, they prevent madness and loneliness, and they provide companionship. Alexander has lost three of his mates.”

“Three?”

“Kieran’s mother and another woman years before.”

“Damn.” I couldn’t imagine losing Sarah, let alone three mates. But I suppose I already lost Evan before. Reid Lockhart was still locked up in an asylum under suicide watch. My heart ached for him.

My Sarah needed me more than ever, and I couldn’t be with her. She needed a break from the stress of vampire politics and her family’s constant bitching about her choice of a husband. I was ecstatic that she’d chosen me: she could have any man she wanted.

“There’s something else you should know,” Uncle Soren whispered. “I don’t want the girls to know just yet. This involves you, too, Toby, since you’re a part of our family officially now.”

“What’s up?” Toby asked. “Should I start calling you Dad now?”

Uncle Soren shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind that. You’re Louis’ adopted brother now.”

Toby smiled and lowered his head. I knew he’d wanted a family for years, ever since he lost his own family over a hundred and forty years ago. He hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye to his father, since his father had died in the year he was gone.

Uncle Soren turned to Father. “There’s been a series of strange deaths.”

“Again?” Father and I were aghast. “But Samuel is dead.”

“It’s not him. It’s someone else. The first victim was a young human man. Three stab wounds to the chest. His body was drained of blood, and his heart had been removed. Three days later, a young human woman. Same result, except her neck was snapped. Three days after that, another man died. This man’s ribs were removed as well as his heart. Three days after that, a woman was found dead. Heart removed, neck bones removed. A man, scalped and brain removed.”

“I notice a pattern,” I said. “Each victim is a different sex than the first one. Was that done intentionally?”

“And what would he need with bones and organs?” Toby asked.

“Trophies,” Uncle Soren told him. “Trust me, I’ve been around enough killers to know one.”

“And what does the Council think?” Father asked.

“They think it’s a vampire,” Louis explained.

“How are they getting the victims?” I asked.

“Well…” Uncle Soren bit his lip. “Dog hair was found on each victim’s clothes. Half of them are dog owners, but this hair is from a hybrid of some kind. Like a wolf/coyote/dog sort of creature.”

“Wolfdogs exist,” I said. “The Chupacabra was a wolf/coyote hybrid.”

“I know, Reese,” Uncle Soren said. “But this is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. And I was born before parchment was created.”

My heart stopped beating.

CHAPTER ELEVEN – “IN SILENCE” – LORD OF THE LOST

I looked down at him. His eyes were closed, the sheet covering his cold body. All the victims were in front of me, in front of Toby, Louis, Father, and Uncle Soren. The Council was here as well.

My heart pained for these humans. I swallowed the lump in my throat, which landed in my chest.

“Could it be Marie?” Toby asked. Father shook his head.

“Whoever killed these humans is calculating. Marie is still a child…a vampire, yes, but a child nonetheless. Few children are this calculated. Plus, there is the dog hybrid to speak of. Marie does not own a dog, wolf, or coyote.”

“This is all your fault,” one of the Council members said to Father.

“Be quiet, Gestappo,” Octavius growled.

“Could it be a human pretending to be a vampire?” I wondered aloud.

“Vampire venom was found on all the victims,” Father told me. “This is a new vampire, brand-new.”

“Not brand-new,” Louis corrected. “His movements are too precise, too controlled. New fledglings are out of their minds and have virtually no control. That’s why sires are so important. A responsible sire always takes care of his fledglings.” His phone rang. “Shit, I have to take this. It’s Regina.”

“You’re still talking to that woman?” Uncle Soren growled.

“I know, Dad, but she’s rich. She could help us out. I…I also…” He bit his lip. “I sent an email to Anderson Goodard and my friend Glen Crow.”

“Glen,” I growled.

Louis smiled weakly at me. “I know he hit on Sarah…okay, he more than hit on her, but he’s a good warlock.”

“There is no such thing as a good warlock.”

“I hope you don’t mean Krauvas,” Father warned. “

“Oh, no, Krauvas is okay,” I said, referencing my friend Mason Godfrey’s magically powerful father. “But Glen tried to mate with Sarah?”

“Who is this Glen Crow?” Octavius demanded.

“He’s a witch and a friend of mine,” Louis said. “He’s very, very smart, and very, very powerful.”

“How good is he?”

“He’s very, very good-“

“What is he like?”

“A bit abrasive, but overall a good guy with good intentions.”

“Prince Reese said he tried to mate with Princess Sarah.”

Louis looked like he had a stomachache. “Okay, yes, he did, but that was only because a psychic told him about her. The psychic happened to be his sister and Sarah just happened to go to her to get a reading.”

“You know we no longer work with wizards or witches. They use our venom for their own evil purposes.”

“That’s not true, and you know it,” Louis said. “Working with Glen Crow and Krauvas Godfrey could benefit everyone.”

Thoughts of Glen Crow turned my thoughts to Sarah. Damn, I missed her. How was she faring? Were her relatives being nice? Were the babies okay?

“Reese! Someone thump him.”

I felt a whack on the back of my skull, wincing and rubbing the spot.

“Pay attention, Curly,” Louis ordered. “Do you vote in favor of having an alliance with the witches, wizards, and warlocks?”

“Yes,” I said. Krauvas could be a huge asset, not to mention I hadn’t seen Mason in a while. I missed my human friends. Not that Mason was fully human.

I snuck away during the meeting and found a spot in the garden to mope. I put my head in my hands and groaned. I needed her. Craved her. Her scent, her voice, the sound of her heart. I could almost feel her soft, cool hands in mine, her hip against mine, the contours of her shapely form curving into me, completing the picture. I needed to be with her.

What was I thinking? I should have gone with her, not stayed in Denmark. I was being stupid. She needed me more than my family did at the moment.

“Reese?” Father sat beside me. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

“Sarah,” I said.

“I’m sure she’s all right.”

“No, no, no! She had a seizure, Dad! Another stress seizure, and Kaz wasn’t being honest on the phone, and she could give birth any day, and I don’t know how I can possibly help you and Uncle Soren-“

“Whoa, whoa! Slow down there, boy. If you want to go see her, no one’s stopping you. Her family can’t keep you away from her. She got what she wanted, and you got what you wanted. You wanted to marry her in Denmark, and she wanted to stay with you.”

“But she could have done that without marrying me. Dad, what have I done? I pushed her into an early marriage because I wanted to claim her. Now she regrets it, and I don’t know what to do. We don’t want to divorce each other, but she doesn’t want to stay married, either.”

“She agreed to marry you, agreed on the date, and agreed on the location. If she regrets it, it’s her own fault.”

“No, it’s mine. I pressured her into this. What if Jo Lawrence was right? What if she’s just using me for protection?”

“She has plenty of protectors in her arsenal: her father, Marina, her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, her friends. She doesn’t need you as well.”

I felt tears in my eyes. “You’re right, Dad. She doesn’t need me. She never did. She needed my power, that’s it.”

“Hold on, son, I didn’t say-“

“I have to divorce her. I already cheated on her once. It shouldn’t be…too…” I buried my face in my arms and tried not to cry.

The airplane landed in Paris. My heart was shattered. It continued to beat off and on, and I saw her in the window. Hard to miss her, because she was my soulmate, and in a wheelchair. And I was about to break her heart.

I hadn’t bothered to bring any of the cats, even Shadowfang, a fact of which he was highly offended.

Sarah was not wearing any makeup, her hair was in a messy ponytail, her perfume was overpowering, and I could tell she hadn’t bathed in two days. She didn’t smell bad, just different. She reached for my hand, but I pulled away. She looked hurt.

“Reese, what’s wrong?” she asked.

A few hours later, I was with her in her bedroom at the country house, and I asked her straight up: “Why did you marry me?”

She blinked. “Because I love you. I know we’ve both been having doubts about being married, lately, but it’s too late to turn back now.”

“No, it isn’t,” I said. “There is another option.”

“Reese, I’m not going to divorce you.”

“Please, Sarah! Please do. You’re not happy, and I can tell. I don’t know how you can possibly be happy with me.”

She pointed to her belly. “I have these two chicken nuggets to look forward to.”

I cracked a smile at her term of endearment for Caitlin Juniper and JoJo.

“I’m sorry,” she continued. “I admit, I wasn’t happy about getting married so young. Or in Denmark. I’d rather get married surrounded by all our friends and family in America. I thought I was making you happy by relenting.”

“Sarah, I’m not happy if you’re not happy. I don’t care where we would have gotten married; I should have made that clear. I shouldn’t have pressured you into marrying me so soon. This is my fault.”

She shook her head. “We’re both to blame, Reese. Our communication should have been clearer. That’s a sign of a good relationship: clear communication and mutual trust and respect. You shouldn’t have to work so hard in a relationship. Oh, sure, it takes a little work, but if you’re right for each other, you’ll both feel it.”

She was right. My heart lightened, and I burst into tears again: happy tears.

“Does that mean you’ll stay with me?”

“Yes, Reese, I’ll stay with you. No question.”

I kissed her roughly until she needed to breathe. Damn human needs. She pecked my nose, then went to the bathroom. While I waited for her to return, I noticed her cell phone. I knew the password, because I knew her birthday.

Speaking of birthdays….

Her birthday was on the weekend, and I still had nothing planned. I wondered what I should do. Take her shopping? Take her out to dinner? Take her to a movie?

That was it. A shopping spree, then dinner and a movie, if she was up to it. Her ankle was still healing, but at least she didn’t need the wheelchair anymore.

She came back, carrying an orange cat in her arms.

“Say hi, Clementine,” Sarah said, burying her nose in the cat’s fur. The cat took one look at me and jumped out of her arms, running away.

“Did you know that most orange cats are male? A small percentage are actually female.”

“No, I didn’t, actually, but that’s interesting to know. We got lots of orange cats around here. They’ve been allowed to breed for decades, and most of them are inbred at least a little by now.”

“That’s not good.”

“No, it isn’t, but Grandpa refuses to spend the money to have them all neutered or spayed. Poor Clementine’s parents were uncle and niece.”

“Gross.”

“Yeah. And Bow wants to learn how to breed cats for profit, but the ones we have on the farm all have issues.”

“It’s not hard to breed cats. Females go into heat once a month, and they’ve got boys on the brain the whole time. You should see Mishka in heat. She starts yowling, holds her tail to the side, and shoves her butt in Shadow’s face.”

Sarah laughed at that mental image. “Poor Shadow!”

“He doesn’t care, believe it or not. I mean, he does, but…ah, you know what I mean. What do you want to do for your birthday?”

She frowned, deep in thought. “I mean, we’ve been doing the same thing for two years. On my seventeenth birthday, you gave me an awesome pool party. On my eighteenth birthday, you took me shopping. I think a nice dinner would be perfect this year.”

“Dinner, and how about a movie?”

“Okay, sure. Dinner and a movie. Oh, but, you don’t know as much French as I do.”

“I can learn.”

“In three days? You can learn French fluently in three days?”

“I can try.”

“Silly Reese. It took me years to learn, and my dad is French.”

“I know Greek, Spanish, Japanese, German, Mandarin, Aramaic, and Latin. The least I can do is learn French.”

“What about Italian?”

“I know a little Italian, mostly because of you, my sweet little potato chip.”

“Potato chip?”

Before I could say anything else, Kaz appeared in the doorway.

“Dinnertime,” he announced. “Reese, you’re welcome to join us.”

I could see the lie between his lips, and I could tell it hurt him to say it, so I declined the dinner invitation.

“I’ll be right here,” I said, holding Sarah’s hands.

“Okay,” she said, pecking me, and then she got up (it took a few tries), and she walked to the dining room.

Kaz glared at me when she left. “She can do better than you.”

“I know,” I said. He looked surprised, then went to dinner as well. I wondered if he had feelings for her.

I sat on Sarah’s bed and looked around the room. There was a small bookcase full of French classics and romances, and a vanity with perfume and a hairbrush and a gold comb. Her closet was full of clothes.

I unpacked and put my stuff away, then got out my phone to check the news.

“Another body has been found,” the news article said. “The body of a young man, approximately mid-twenties, was found drained of blood with his heart removed. Could this be the work of a vampire or human killer? What kind of monster are we dealing with? The police urge the public to not go out at night and to travel in groups. They also urge the public to learn self-defense in case of an attacker.”

I thought back to when we were dealing with Samuel and Alana. Samuel and Alana had a reason for their crimes: Uncle Soren killed Samuel’s son, Samuel Jr. The Book of Transformation and Death was the ticket item during that trial. What was the ticket item now? Just innocent lives.

I felt cold all over. Was this our fault? Did we do this?

And Marie was still on the loose, the Council hated us, the humans hated us, Sarah’s family hated me, Sarah was dealing with her own issues (the dogs, her family, her regret, her pregnancy, her heritage, figuring out her curse), and I couldn’t do anything about any of it. I was a boring loser.

I thought back to America. We still needed to find Kole’s sire. Right now she was Katonah’s problem, but he was not responsible for her; her sire was. We thought it was Bram because he wanted to make a vampire army against us, but when we actually saw his cronies, we realized we were wrong. Kole was too skinny and too female to be Bram’s fledgling.

Sarah leaned into me, her head against my chest. My heart began beating again. Maybe it was when I was feeling a strong emotion when my heart beat? Right now I was feeling like I was deeply in love with Sarah. She began to purr, her eyes fluttering. I purred as well, except my purr was more catlike than hers.

“I’m so glad we’re friends again,” Sarah said.

“Friend?” I asked.

“Well, yeah, you’re my best friend as well as my husband.”

“I love you, Sarah. You’re my best friend, too.”

She smiled and began to close her eyes.

“Are you falling asleep?” I asked.

“It’s so sunny,” she muttered. Shit. She was right. She got up and closed the curtains, thankfully, and I laid down after kicking my boots off. Her bed was so small that we had to spoon. I enjoyed being the big spoon. Being the dominant one.

Sarah kicked off her flats, then cuddled into me, her butt against my pelvis. I closed my eyes, and napped. For the first time in weeks, I didn’t dream.

I woke up hours later. Sarah was now in her nightgown and cuddling with me again. Her hair was braided as well. I checked the time. It was six in the morning. I fell asleep around four the previous day. That was a long sleep.

But I was comfortable. I pulled her into me, putting my hand on her stomach. The baby reached out his little foot and touched me, saying hi.

“Hey, JoJo,” I said. I closed my eyes and pictured him and my daughter, what they would look like. Would they have their mother’s curly hair? Would they have my black hair or her brown hair? Her green eyes or my yellow eyes? Would JoJo have my big nose? Would Cait have her mother’s full lips?

While I wondered, I lay between consciousness and unconsciousness, and began to see my future….

JoJo looked very much like me. He had my hair, my eyes, my nose. I looked at him.

“Joe, I love you, but the answer is no.”

“But, Dad-“

“I’m sorry. I don’t trust her.”

“Dad, she’s the only girl who has ever loved me. Let me go on one date with her.”

“Again, no. I know what you’re going to try to do, and if you do it, you won’t go to the concert. Am I clear?”

“Dad, I don’t care about the concert anymore! I’ve never even been kissed!”

“You’re not missing much.”

“You’re so unfair!”

“I know. But we can’t always get what we want in life. When you see that I’m right, be prepared for an ‘I-told-you-so’.” He scoffed. “And lose the attitude.”

Being a father was the greatest joy of my life, and I adored my son, but damn, he could get on my nerves. He reminded me of me when I was fifteen, except my power to predict the future wasn’t as potent as his power to predict the future. My power came to me in dreams only, and it was only about my family, similar to my father’s power to see the present when he was wide awake.

Something hit me then. I hadn’t seen my father use his power in months. But I was able to predict the future with my dreams, but only if it was about my family and my future as a husband and father. I wondered what that meant. I sent a quick text to Louis, not expecting him to text back right away. He liked to sleep in.

I got up and out of bed, careful not to wake Sarah. She muttered, then shifted around. I whispered that I loved her, kissed the babies and slipped out of the room.

I went to the kitchen, where a stash of blood was kept for me. Sarah’s uncle Dominic was already up and sipping coffee.

“I owe you an apology,” he said.

“For what?” I asked, pouring the A positive into a glass.

“For Kaz’s behavior. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. We are all very happy that Sarah found someone who makes her happy, even Dad. We were wondering who would marry first, her or Jackie. Sarah has had a lot of boyfriends, but not as many as Jackie. I’m afraid Kaz has gotten it into his head that you’re no good for Sarah. They used to be best friends; there was never a time when one was in trouble that the other wasn’t.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“What was she like growing up?” I asked, sitting beside him. He leaned back a bit from me, instinctually.

“Well…she was bright and funny. She enjoyed working on the farm and being outdoors. She made a lot of friends during her summers here. I remember once or twice when she brought friends from America. There was her group of friends from high school, of course, but there was also Caitlin, her childhood friend, and Caitlin’s brother and his friend. The brother’s friend clearly liked Sarah.”

I sat and drank my blood. If I had never met her, would I still marry her?

No, I didn’t believe that. Soulmates always find a way to each other, and we had met at school, brought to the same town by our fathers. My father wanted to protect me, and Beckett wanted to protect Sarah and Sabine.

Dominic Cresley made some more coffee and offered me a cup. I took it after adding a bunch of milk. Did you know milk is technically a blood product? That’s why so many vampire mothers choose to nurse their young.

After a while, the rest of her family joined us. Her aunts, her grandmother and grandfather, then her cousins. Beckett Sr. cooked eggs and bacon, while Adaline made toast and Simone blended fruit in a blender. Jackie made porridge for herself, while Kaz, shooting me a dirty look, settled down with a cup of coffee.

“Don’t you have something to say to Reese, Kaz?” Uncle Dominic pressed.

“Fine.” Kaz was really grouchy. “I’m sorry I lied and treated you like shit.”

“Language!” his mother called out. “Really, Kaz, what’s gotten into you? You’ve never treated him like this before. You don’t like Sarah, do you?”

“Gross, Mom. No, I don’t love her like that. She’s my cousin, and my best friend. I was just looking out for her. Besides, I’m not the only one. Uncle Beckett doesn’t want Reese around Sarah, either, or Aunt Alicia.”

“That woman is an abusive alcoholic, and Beckett was dead when Sarah and Reese began seeing each other.”

“Only because he died for her. Her curse would have killed her!”

“I know, and while I’m sad that he became a zombie, I’m glad she survived. She’s a good girl and a good niece.”

“Reese turned Beckett into a vampire!”

“No, it was that other vampire who did. Stanley, I think his name was.”

“Samuel,” I automatically corrected. “He was trying to get back at my uncle for something he did. He tried to hurt him by hurting me, and he hurt me by hurting Sarah.” Her family all looked at me, even the kids. I could feel the blood bubbling in my gut. Then the front door opened, and Beckett came into the room.

“Reese,” he said, nodding at me. He hugged all his family members while Alicia and Sabine arrived, dragging their suitcases.

Sometime during the greeting, Sarah came out of our room, fresh from her morning routine. She saw her father and squealed before squeezing him as tightly as she could. Then she hugged Sabine, but ignored Alicia, who looked hurt.

“Now that we’re all here,” Beckett said, “There are some things we need to clear up. First off: Puck. Mom, who is he?”

“He’s your uncle,” she said dryly.

“And he cursed my girls anyway?”

“What? He cursed both of them, not just Sarah?”

He nodded. “He sent a werewolf to bite Sabine. She’s been a werewolf her whole life, it was never Reese’s fault.” He looked at me. “I’m sorry I blamed you, son. I should have been totally honest with you before. That night on the balcony, I didn’t tell you the whole story. Puck didn’t just curse Sarah-he cursed our whole family. She was just the beginning.”

Sarah wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned against my chest. I held her while Beckett talked.

“Puck, who I don’t believe is the real Puck, married Caden Cartwright’s mother and had Caden. I think he hoped Caden and Sarah would marry, but when he proposed it to me, I didn’t agree. I wanted my daughter to marry for love, like my mother and I had. Fake-Puck cursed me out and then suggested my other future daughters, which I declined as well. Then he cursed our family, telling me that I’d regret not joining our children. Did Birdie tell you about our traditional marriages?”

All the kids shook their heads, but the adults nodded.

“We have something called the father’s privilege. A father chooses his son’s bride, and a father chooses his daughter’s groom. It’s been our tradition for thousands of years, until our mother and the so-called Puck changed things up a bit. As you know, Mom married Dad, and Puck married Lena Cartwright. They had Caden, and of course we all married our own spouses and had our own little brood here. But our grandfather, Oberon, didn’t like that. He gave Puck permission to curse us. Sarah was supposed to die on her sixteenth birthday, but I begged a warlock to help me. He told me he could save Sarah, but someone else would die instead. I told him to kill me.”

“Beckett!” Birdie gasped and her hands flew to her mouth.

Beckett nodded. “I lied about having cancer. I needed an excuse for my heart to stop beating. But I didn’t die completely. When I was in the ground, I woke up, and realized that I could still move around and had all my senses, but my heart didn’t beat. I was a zombie. I used the time I had to keep an eye on my girls. I could detach my soul from my dead body as I pleased and watch everything. I didn’t like what I saw.”

He looked at Sarah. “I love you, honey, but I didn’t like those girls one bit.”

Sarah blushed and looked at her feet. Beckett continued.

“After a while, she started hanging out with Reese. Stuff happened, stuff that Reese should tell you about himself. But what was really important was a vampire named Samuel. He wanted to hurt Reese’s uncle, and he knew that by hurting Reese, he’d be hurting Soren. So he used some old book to turn me into a vampire. Sarah was there, too. He knew that by hurting her, he’d be hurting Reese, and therefore Soren. So that’s why I’m a vampire now. Alicia became a vampire after Reese’s mother, Marina, flew into a jealous maternal rage and bit her.”

“What kind of things happened to you, Reese?” Aunt Simone asked.

“A lot,” I said. “There is a…well, there’s several vampires, that don’t like me and my family. They sent covens and other vampires to spy on us, and raised an army against us. We managed to kill the leader, but there are still a lot of vampires who want to see the empire collapse completely. I also had to defend myself and Sarah a few times from rivals.”

Aunt Martha and Aunt Simone went over to Sarah and hugged her.

“What about the rest of us?” Jackie sniped.

“I don’t know,” Beckett admitted. “It may be only my girls.”

My heart began to beat furiously as I buried my nose in Sarah’s hair. When I looked up, Beckett and Alicia were giving me quizzical looks, and I realized they could hear my heart beating. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.

“Sarah and I have done some talking,” I said.

“We have,” Sarah confirmed. “I’d like to eventually go back to America, but I need to rest for a while. I’ve been flying a lot in planes lately, and that radiation can’t be good for the babies.”

“Radiation?” Jackie questioned.

Sarah nodded. “Reese told me that I can get more radiation from flying around the world five times than from an x-ray. I’m not taking any chances. Not with Caitlin and Joseph.”

“We’ve also discussed having another wedding ceremony,” I said. “We had one for our family and allies, but not for our friends. It’s not really what Sarah and I wanted, so we’re doing a do-over. Hopefully we get it right this time.”

“There’s another thing,” Sarah said. “Reese and I aren’t officially married yet. We still have to do the paperwork, but we just got so busy that we kept putting it off. Besides, Rabbi Levi was a quack. I found that out when I discovered he was stealing from the temple.”

“Anything else we should know?” Birdie asked.

“Not from us,” I said. “Unless Sarah has something else she’d like to say.”

She shrugged. “I think that’s it. Our marriage was a fuck-up and our family is cursed. Oops, sorry, kids.”

Bow, Archimedes, Philip, and Francine just stared at her.

“Maybe this is too much for them,” Uncle Dominic said. “Go out and start the morning chores, kids. There’s something else we must discuss.” He looked at us. “Jackie got her wings.”

“Congrats,” Sarah told her cousin. “What color are they?”

“Green,” Jackie said with disgust. “An icky swamp green that reminds me of throw-up. I hate it. Can you change the color of your wings?”

Sarah shook her head. “You’re stuck with the color, unless you dye them or all the feathers fall off or your wings are pulled off.”

“Kaz also got his,” Aunt Simone said, smiling. “His are blue.”

“Angel blue,” he muttered. “Now Riley needs to get hers…theirs…and the kids need to get theirs later.”

“That’ll be a while,” Aunt Martha said. “They still have some growing up to do.”

“My question is why we weren’t told we were fairies until I got mine,” Sarah said.

“That was your grandmother’s and parents’ decisions,” Uncle Dominic said.

“What about me?” Kaz demanded. “I’m your son!”

“You are also irresponsible and reckless and a show-off. Same for you, Jackie. Sarah got hers first because she was ready for them.”

Jackie glared at Sarah, who ignored her.

“I wasn’t ready for any of this,” Sarah argued. “I had to grow up fast because I was forced to. I found my soulmate before any of my cousins or my sister did and I also got pregnant first.”

“No, you didn’t,” Jackie muttered.

“What’s that?” Aunt Simone asked Jackie.

“She’s not the only one who’s pregnant right now.”

“Are you saying-“ Beckett began. Uncle Dominic’s jaw dropped. Then he went to the closet and got out a shotgun. He started heading toward the door.

“Hold on, son,” Beckett Sr. said, blocking the front door. “Before you kill Jackie’s boyfriend, let’s ask how and why this happened.”

“We all know how it happened,” Aunt Simone argued. “I had that conversation with her when she was Bow’s age.”

“Let’s all take a breather,” Aunt Adaline said, as Aunt Martha wrapped her arms around her waist. “Dominic, put the gun down. Go take a walk, talk to Beckett.”

Beckett shook his head. “Not me. I’m still angry over everything that I couldn’t prevent from happening.”

“Talk to the gods, then, or Jesus, or Aphrodite.”

Sarah sighed and leaned into me.

“Tired, baby?” I said.

“I’m so sick of fighting,” she said.

“I know, little swan.”

“Little swan?” She looked up at me.

“Yeah, because you’re little, and you’re as graceful and beautiful as a swan.”

“Swans are aggressive, though.”

“True. And you’re not really aggressive. Not unless you’re defending someone. I love that about you.”

“Papa told me there’s only two reasons why someone should fight: in defense of herself or someone else, or in defense of moral values.”

“He was right.”

“I’m always right,” Beckett said, and I realized everyone was watching us. “Everything else is baboon behavior.”

“Well, we need to figure out a solution to our dilemma,” Birdie said, catching everyone’s attention. “Our family is cursed-thanks for telling us at the last minute, son.”

“I said I was sorry!”

“Yes, well. We need to find Puck and fast. Sarah, you’re friends with Caden, right? Can you text him and find a place to meet?”

“Yes,” Sarah said, whipping her phone out. She had a new phone case, I noted. On the back was the sonar picture of Caitlin Juniper and Joseph. They were getting big. I hoped she’d give birth soon. She was reaching the due date, fast. I swallowed a lump in my throat, which fell into my stomach and settled there. What if she was pregnant for a whole year? That wasn’t uncommon with female vampires who were pregnant. Vampire babies take a long time to grow.

My girl leaned against me, and I could hear her heart beating. I wondered if she could hear mine.

“We need to start the morning chores,” Beckett Sr. noted. “It’s almost time to start school, too.”

“And I need to work on my book,” Aunt Adaline said, removing Aunt Martha’s arms from her waist and pecking her on the cheek.

“I’ll keep you updated,” Sarah said.

“Oh, by the way, dear,” Birdie said, “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks, Grandma,” Sarah said, beaming.

“Oh, that’s right, you’re nineteen today!” Beckett said, snapping his fingers. “What do you want to do today?”

“Reese promised dinner and a movie,” she said, wrapping her arms around me. I smiled weakly, while Beckett gave me a dirty look, until Sarah said that anyone who wanted to come along was welcome to.

She looked at her watch. “I’ve got to feed the dogs, then I’m going to my room to write.”

“Write?” Beckett asked.

She looked at him. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m writing a couple of books.”

“No, you didn’t,” he growled.

“Well, now you know.” She got out dog bowls and filled each of them with kibble, except for Coffee’s, which she filled with wet food.

“Coffee’s teeth are going bad,” she explained. “The vet put her on a soft food diet.”

While the dogs attacked their food, I asked Beckett Sr. what I could do to help on the farm.

“Would you like to help me shoe Jaja?” he asked. “She’s a feisty old mare, and mighty strong.”

“I’d love to help,” I said, and I followed him out to the stables where he and Uncle Dominic reined a gray horse with speckled hindquarters and brought her out to me. I held onto her while Uncle Dominic prepared to shoe her. He put on gloves, turned on a small oven, removed her shoes, filed and trimmed her hooves, and reattached the shoes after a quick makeover.

Next, we did four more horses, then the humans went to have a quick lunch while I sat reading under a walnut tree. Jackie sat across from me. I nodded to her and went back to reading Carmilla. Fascinating, this lesbian vampire story. Based off of multiple true stories, yet with some fiction thrown in there, too. Very few vampires actually had the ability to turn into animals, let alone cats.

“So, you and Sarah are really tight, huh?” Jackie said.

“Yes,” I said, without looking up from my book. “I can’t imagine a better soulmate than Sarah.”

“I can,” she said.

“What-“ The moment I looked up, I realized she was only inches away.

“Come on, Reese. You and me, what do you say?”

“Not interested.” I held the book up, but she used her fingers to tip it down.

“Come on. Don’t you like redheads? Everyone else does.”

“I personally prefer brunettes.”

“Wow.” She sighed and leaned back. “You’re really loyal to her, aren’t you?”

“I am. I love her and don’t want to hurt her like that. Or at all, really.”

“Well, damn.” She laughed. “I can’t believe I just said that to you! You, of all people! You’re so…goth! I’m disgusted with myself!”

She got up and left, still cackling like a witch. I was confused. My first thought was Sarah, then Kaz. No, he wouldn’t. Would he?

I had to find out. I got up and left my spot, running at human speed towards the house. I slowed down when I reached the house, but I still rushed through the foyer, the den, the kitchen, and the family room, to the small bedroom that she and I shared.

“Are you all right?” I asked, poking my head in.

She looked up from her laptop, surprised. “I’m all right, why do you ask?”

I couldn’t tell her. Not this. “Did Kaz or Jackie do anything to you?”

“No…did Jackie say anything to you?”

I couldn’t lie to her, either. “She propositioned me, then laughed and said I was too goth, and she was disgusted with herself for asking me out.”

She blinked, then sighed. “I knew she’d do something like that sooner or later. Uncle Dominic and Aunt Simone wouldn’t listen to me. They won’t listen to you, either, so let’s just keep this to ourselves for now. If she tries anything else, tell me. Damn it, I don’t want to believe you, but I have to. You don’t lie about things like that, and I know Jackie. She’s a slut. And no, Kaz hasn’t tried anything…yet. If he does, I’ll come find you.”

I sat down beside her and held her around her shoulders, purring. She purred as well, matching my vibrations.

“Look at them,” said a voice to my right. “So content. So in love.”

Birdie and Beckett Sr. were standing in the doorway-Birdie in her real form, which was a beautiful blond fairy with pink wings. In love. That was a good way to describe us.

“But he’s immortal,” Beckett Sr. said, sighing. “Just like you.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Sarah said. “I’m staying with him as long as possible.”

“I offered to make her immortal, but she loves the sun too much,” I said, sighing.

“Of course, she’s a sun fairy,” Birdie said. “Just like her father.”

“Where is Dad, anyway?” Sarah asked.

“He’s out in the barn,” Beckett Sr. said. “Sophie is finally having her puppies.”

“Who’s Sophie?” I asked, stupidly.

“She’s one of our herding dogs,” Sarah explained. “She and Boss are together as a mated pair.”

“Who’s Boss?”

“Our guardian dog.”

“Are you trying to make a sheepdog-slash-Border collie combo?”

“Grandpa thinks that if we combine their breeding, it’ll make the ultimate farm dog who can do both.”

Something hit me then. This was her world. If her life was a ballet, it would be Gisele. A beautiful poor maiden who loved to sing and dance, and a nobleman in disguise who loved her, along with a village boy. I wondered who would play the part of the noblewoman, then I realized that part would be perfect for Scarlett another rich female vampire. Maybe my old betrothed, Zita? Not that I had met Zita yet, or even seen her.

My heart pounded, for once, and I kissed Sarah softly. She wouldn’t have Gisele’s fate. I wouldn’t let her.

Beckett Sr. and Birdie smiled at our conversational skills and affection for each other.

“Ah, to be young again,” Beckett Sr. said. “I remember when I first saw you. I was walking along a street, and you were sitting on a bench in front of a bookstore. I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”

Birdie smiled and kissed him. “I remember the name of that bookstore. Tenez vos Livres. Hold Your Books. I felt so sad when the owner died later that year.”

I looked at Sarah. She looked at me and blinked.

“You’re thinking,” she said. “That’s your thinking face.”

“Does that bookstore still exist?” I asked.

“Oh, no, it was abandoned with Maurice died. But the building’s still there.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Sarah was so close to her due date, I didn’t want to make her travel too much more. She’d been carted to Denmark, the United States, and France a lot the past few months. But now we had finally reached Copenhagen, and Sarah was asleep on my arm. The babies inside her were kicking and punching, very active and fussy.

Sarah drifted in and out of consciousness, going between sleeping and talking to the babies. She was tired, yet wanted to stay awake.

When I reached the palace, I knew something was off right away. Uncle Soren was outside, on his cell phone, chattering away. He paced back and forth, not caring about the sun on his skin or eyes. He was panicking about something.

“Is that Soren?” Sarah asked, yawning. “What’s he doing?”

“I don’t know,” I said. Something was wrong.

The moment I stepped out of the cab, Uncle Soren raced up to me and grabbed my shoulders.

“Reese, have you seen Paul?” he demanded.

“Paul? Louis’ boyfriend? Why would I see him?”

“No, he hasn’t seen him,” Uncle Soren said into his phone. “Louis, don’t pester him. He hasn’t seen Paul and doesn’t know where he is. I know, son. No, don’t send Toby out. Send another guard. I’ve already contacted the authorities, and hired an investigator.”

“What’s going on?” Sarah said. I ran over to her and helped her out of the car. The cabbie handed us our suitcases and bags and quickly left after I paid him.

Sarah conked out on the sofa in the den while Mother sat with her head in her lap, stroking her hair. Mother had gotten even bigger, which I would have thought was impossible. They had chosen names for the triplets: Lydia, Phoenix, and Emery. I liked those names, and so did Mother, apparently, judging on the cool manipulation she used to get Father to agree to those names. He owed her. (Of course, I happened to agree with her on that, but don’t tell Father I said that.)

I got more information out of Mother than Uncle Soren about the Paul issue. He’d been missing for days. No note, no text, no phone call, nothing. Louis was frantic, and had even torn off Toby’s arm in a fit of rage. While Toby was currently having his arm reattached, Louis had to be kept separate from the general palace or he’d kill somebody. He really loved Paul, despite having known him for a short time.

Sarah muttered in her sleep during all the commotion. When she started giggling to herself, she got a few odd looks from servants and guards.

“Silly girl,” Mother said affectionately.

“Belly buttons, belly buttons everywhere,” Sarah muttered. I chuckled at her goofiness.

Suddenly, Louis ran in, yelling at the top of his lungs. “WHERE IS HE?! WHERE IS HE?!”

His volume woke Sarah, who snorted and looked around, as if confused as to where she was.

Louis looked terrible. He wore dirty jeans and a white wifebeater, and his feet were bare. Half his hair was gone, either cut or pulled out. He even had a couple bald spots, and what hair he still had was tangled and greasy.

“WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS HE?”

He was a distraught mess. My heart pounded as his crazed blue eyes trained on me. He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me, shouting incoherently. He smelled like death.

“Let him go, son!” Uncle Soren cried out. He grabbed Louis around the waist. Louis tried to elbow him in the gut, but my uncle held on tight.

I sat next to Sarah, who was watching Louis with terrified eyes. Poor, sweet girl.

“Hi, Louis, how are you?” she tentatively asked. I thought she was brave to even acknowledge him in this state. I knew she wasn’t thinking about bravery, though-she was concerned for him.

“Where is he? Where is Paul?!” Louis demanded, then he started crying. Uncle Soren put his fingers around Louis’ collarbone, and my cousin collapsed on the floor.

“You did the Vulcan thing?” Sarah asked.

“It works, it does,” I told her. “We needed to get him under control before he hurt anyone else. Toby’s already lost his arm once.”

She thought about that, then shuddered.

“Are you all right, kids?” Uncle Soren asked. Sarah and I both nodded.

Uncle Soren picked up Louis and set him on the other couch. Father entered the room, and when he saw me, he came over and hugged me.

“Are you okay, Reese? Sarah?”

“I’m okay,” my girl said.

“I’m okay, too,” I said.

“Do you have any idea where Louis’ boyfriend might be?” Sarah asked. Uncle Soren shook his head.

“Not a clue. The only thing we know is he didn’t go willingly. A piece of his jacket was found shredded with vampire venom on it, and some of Paul’s blood. Louis was the one to find it, and you can see how well he’s handling it now.”

“How’s Toby doing?” I asked.

“Better. Dimitri is attaching his arm now.”

“Dimitri’s back?”

“Yes. He apologized for temporarily leaving us, but he has assured us he was not working for Bram and has no plans to betray us or go against us.”

“Well, that’s good,” Sarah said, smiling. “Anything I can do to help, just let me know.”

“Thank you, dear,” Uncle Soren said, “But we’ve got it under control.”

“Clearly, you don’t,” I countered. “Louis is a mess and Paul’s missing.” Louis must have heard me, because he made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a groan. He opened his eyes.

“Where is he?” he asked weakly. “Where is my mate?”

“I don’t know, and no else does,” Uncle Soren snapped.

“Soren!” Father chided. “That wasn’t necessary.”

Louis groaned and yelled into a pillow. Then he hissed and lashed out at the nearest person, which was Sarah. I grabbed her and hissed at my cousin in warning.

“Reese, you’re squeezing my arms,” Sarah said. I let her go. “Is there anything at all I can do?” she asked.

“I’m afraid not,” Mother said, stroking her hair. “We just have to wait and see what happens. Hopefully we find Paul soon.”

Louis moaned and sneezed.

“I’m so tired,” Sarah said.

“Go upstairs, baby,” I said, kissing her softly. “Mother, would you?”

“Of course,” she said, lifting Sarah up and helping her into the elevator.

Father sat beside me. “How was France?” he asked.

“Odd,” I said, and I told him what Kaz and Jackie had done, which he found just as strange as I did.

Louis breathed heavily into the pillow, occasionally crying or moaning. The poor pillow was soaking wet with his tears and saliva. Uncle Soren rubbed his back.

“I need to destroy something,” Louis said. He looked at me. “Come here, Reese.”

“Not him!” Father cried. “Dimitri, bring in a couple of trees. Toby, stay with Spencer.” Toby gave him a disgusted look, then flinched when Spencer put his hand on his shoulder.

“Baby, please,” Spencer said.

“I’m not your baby anymore, remember?” Toby snapped. Louis growled, then turned to the nearest guard, a young redhaired female, who looked terrified, then slowly stalked toward her with murder in his eyes. The girl’s mate stepped in front of her and growled at Louis in warning. Louis circled the young dark-haired male, who crouched defensively.

“Louis, stop pestering the guard,” Uncle Soren growled.

“Two of you, contain Louis,” Uncle Soren commanded. “Two others, bring some titanium cuffs. Hold him prone until we get answers.”

“Er, Dad?” Toby said, holding a box. “A package just arrived. It’s addressed to Louis.”

“Show me.”

Toby opened the box, and when he looked inside, he ran to the kitchen and retched. Uncle Soren turned pale. It was a male organ. The one shaped like Florida.

“Oh my god!” Louis fell to his knees. “They’ve killed him!”

“No,” I said, “They haven’t killed him yet. This is a warning of some kind. I think the only thing we can do is wait for the next message, unless there’s an address or a number on the box.”

“There is none,” Uncle Soren said, tipping the box over. “I think Reese is right. Paul may still be alive.”

“But that’s his-“ Louis began.

“I know, son, I know. I’m sure it belongs to him. But unfortunately, we can’t do anything about it. Did a messenger show up with the box, Toby?” he asked as Toby came back into the room. Toby shook his head.

“Just that…thing.”

“THING?! THING?! IT’S PAUL’S PENIS!” Louis roared. “IF I DON’T GET SOME GODDAMN ANSWERS SOON, LIVES ARE GOING TO END!”

“Sedate him,” Uncle Soren commanded, as the guards came back with titanium cuffs. “Sedate him and lock him in his room. Guard his windows and doors. Guard the air vents and the rest of his room.”

“Dad, I need to know now!”

“Do it!”

Louis was taken away upstairs, the male organ was taken away for study, and a maid began to clean up the mess.

“What are we going to do?” Father groaned. He put his head in his hands.

“I need to think,” Uncle Soren said, before going upstairs, I assume, to his office.

“I need to see if Sarah’s all right,” I said.

“I’m sure she’s fine, Reese. What are we going to do about this mess?”

“I don’t know. But I think that Paul’s kidnapping may have something to do with the murders going on. They’re warning us to stay away.”

“Possibly. If it was Marie, she’d just torch his body. Why, oh why, did I ever create a child vampire?”

“Father, can I do anything to help?”

He perked up. “Actually, you can. Run these names through the vampire registry database. Find out if they have any unregistered mates or coven members. Use the good computer.”

He texted me a list of names, and I went upstairs to my office, after checking on Sarah (she was asleep), and looked through the names. I typed in each name, their age, whether they were alive or deceased, any mates or children, their fledglings, even their sire, if it was known. I worked on the registry for a few hours, then scoured the news for any new information. There was a fire in Germany caused by an unknown child, and there were three new murders in Denmark. Denmark was becoming the murder capital of the world, outranking Britain, France, the Czech Republic, America, Yemen, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Honduras.

A stone seemed to form in the pit of my stomach and settled there. This was our fault. We did this. We created this mess. Father was Marie’s sire, and not even he could stop her. I wondered if anyone could stop her. But as I typed, a message popped up on my message board.

Anonymous: I can fulfill your greatest desires and make your wishes come true. I can make your wife the happiest woman on the planet. Meet me at the statue of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen. Midnight tonight. Don’t tell anyone, especially your father and uncle.

Who is that? I wondered. Who could possibly fix all our problems?

But at eleven, I was on my way to Copenhagen on my uncle’s motorcycle, borrowed with his permission. He had no idea what my plan was or where I was going, nor did he ask. He knew how stressed I’d been.

Poor Sarah was still asleep in bed, my sweet little angel. I justified my actions by telling myself I was doing this for her.

I spotted a car as soon as I reached the statue. No one was about, considering that it was a chilly night. I heard music playing, “Come A Little Closer” by Cage the Elephant, which was on Sarah’s playlist. At first you were my father, now I love you like a brother….

“Fuck me,” I said, realizing how stupid this was. I should have brought backup. Or sent a guard instead.

“That’s not a nice word,” said a sexy feminine voice.

“Regina Bleedfellows,” I said, turning around. “Sorry, Louis has a mate now. He’s got no reason to-“

“That’s not why I called you here, you stupid boy. I have a proposition,” she purred, sidling up next to me. Her silvery blonde hair smelled like coconut and strawberries. Dazed, I looked up at the tall female vampire.

“Why did you call me?”

“I have a way to stop Marie for good.”

“Oh? I’m listening.”

“This person whom I will send to stop Marie will do it for a price.”

“What does he want?”

“She wants a favor from you.”

“From me?”

“Yes, but she won’t do it until you agree to her conditions.”

“What are her conditions?”

“Ah, that would be telling.”

“I notice you’re alone. Where are your men?”

“Oh, they’re around.” She moved my bangs out of my eyes. “You’re so handsome, Reese Nicolai. It’s a shame you’re married to that fairy child. I could have given you so much more.”

“I don’t want much more. I want Sarah.”

“And for Marie and these murders to stop.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll tell you what-you give me your position in the royal line, and I’ll give you my mercenary.”

“What?! You’re crazy, lady!”

“Or smart. You give me your position in line, and not only will I stop the destruction, but I will keep your sweet Sarah safe.”

“Leave her alone!”

“Oh, I don’t intend to kill her, I couldn’t care less about that fairy child. But you need to think of her, and your children, including your stepson. Or is he your brother?” She smirked at me. “You know, it would be a shame if something bad were to happen to the boy….”

“Are you crazy? He’s an infant!”

“And you are my ticket to becoming queen eventually.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll agree to it. But you have to promise my family will be safe.”

“Oh, I guarantee it.” She produced a knife from nowhere and cut my palm with a sudden swipe. I groaned in pain and squeezed my palm together. She held a piece of paper under my hand, which glowed gold when my blood fell on the paper. My name appeared in crimson blood.

The next thing I remembered, I was lying on the marble floor in the den, and I heard angry voices.

“What the hell are you doing here, Regina?”

“I came to complete my end of the bargain.”

“What bargain? Is that our blood you’re sipping?”

“I just borrowed a little from the old cook.”

“Claudia?! You bitch, I’ll-“

“Now now, Soren. Is that any way to speak to your future queen?”

“What the fuck are you talking about, woman?”

“Who is this bitch, Soren?” My mother’s voiced chimed in. “And why is my son lying on the floor?”

I felt cold strong hands lift me up. I winced at the pounding headache and rubbed my eyes.

Regina laughed. “Poor, simple woman. You must be Marina. I’m Regina Bleedfellows, the second richest vampire in the world, after Reese and Soren.”

“What did you do to my boy?!”

“He and I have a deal.” She showed them the piece of paper. Uncle Soren snatched it out of her hands and read through it. Then he glared at me.

“You and I are going to have a serious talk, Reese. For now, let the bitch get comfortable. I’ll have to inform my brother of his new bride.”

“What?!” Mother cried.

“Reese apparently signed away my brother’s freedoms to stay single or marry anyone but Regina. If she’s not queen within the year, Mordecai has to marry her!”

“You didn’t tell me that!” I shouted. “You just threatened Cirino and Sarah!”

“You threatened to kill my babies?!” Mother shouted, standing me up. “And you dare steal my husband away? You whore!”

She reached out to slap Regina, who caught her wrist and squeezed it. I heard Mother’s wrist bones break, and she cried out in pain.

“I don’t care if you are pregnant, Santorino, you will respect your future queen or else,” Regina threatened.

“Take your hands off my wife, Regina!” Father shouted, rushing toward her and separating them. “How could you?! Threaten my family, forcing my son into a dishonest contract! How dare you?!”

“She said she had a mercenary who could stop Marie,” I muttered. Father looked at me, then her. “Is this poppycock true?”

“It’s not poppycock, Mordecai. My mercenary will ensure the child never sees another night the moment I give her the signal.”

“And you want me to marry you in return?”

“That would be correct.”

“But why Reese? That doesn’t involve him.”

“On the contrary, it does. You see, when the mercenary kills Marie, he promised to divorce Sarah and marry my mercenary instead!”

I fainted.

Someone was fanning me.

“Hush, my love, hush,” Mother whispered. I was talking?

Yes, I could hear myself repeating the word “no” over and over again.

Uncle Soren and Father were shouting at Regina, who kept a serene smile on her face.

“It’s one thing to marry me, but for your assassin to marry my son is unforgivable! Sarah will be heartbroken!” Father shouted.

“Ah, but see, I have another husband for her,” Regina said. “A husband who will spoil her and treat her well. Like the princess she is.”

“Who?!” I demanded.

“You’ve heard of Jamie Williams, yes?”

I fainted again.

When I woke up, Sarah was fanning me this time. I looked into her worried eyes and felt tears stinging.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” she asked.

“I fucked up, Sarah. I fucked up big time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, she doesn’t know yet,” Regina laughed. “Well, I’ll leave you to it.”

She looked at Regina, then me. I sat up and took her hands in mine. “Sarah, I signed a contract. Regina would stop Marie, the destruction, and the murders…but I agreed to divorce you and marry the assassin instead.”

She burst out laughing. “You’re kidding, right?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m not. I’m so, so sorry, Sarah. This is completely my fault. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know…she didn’t tell me until I’d already signed it, and she threatened both your life and Cirino’s.”

Sarah burst into tears and slapped me, then stormed off. I heard her collapse in the hallway and start bawling. Mother glared at Regina and went to comfort Sarah.

“This is all your fault, Regina,” Father growled.

“No, it’s Reese’s fault,” Uncle Soren growled. “He should have known better. He’s way too smart for this.”

“What was he supposed to do, let her kill Sarah?!”

“Yes!”

“Soren, you don’t mean that. You love the girl as much as I do, maybe even as more than a niece.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Come on! You haven’t taken your eyes off her ass ever since you met her! You’re a pervert, Soren!”

“Screw you, brother.”

“At least my son isn’t pining over a person he met months ago!”

“That’s rich, considering how fast your son fell for Sarah!”

I curled up in a ball and sobbed. This was all my fault. I was going to lose Sarah, possibly my kids and the rest of my family, all because I signed a stupid contract.

The contract!

I saw it poking out of Regina’s Loro Piana bag. I snatched it, cutting myself on the paper in the process, and tried to tear it apart. Regina laughed.

“It’s protected by magic!” she said, grabbing a match, lighting it, and holding it close to the paper. The flame burned out in less than a second.

Later, I was sitting on the bench in the garden, praying that the gods would find it in their hearts to strike me down. I heard soft crying. I recognized that crying.

I followed the sound of her voice to a spot by a small pond covered with plant life.

“Will you do me a favor?” she asked.

“Anything,” I said.

“Will you erase my mind?”

I was stunned. “No, no, honey, I won’t do that. There’s so much I want you to remember. I’m sorry, this is my fault. I should have read the stupid paper.”

I knelt down and put my hands on her shoulders, and she shook me off. I bit my lip and fought back tears.

“Isn’t there anything you can do?”

“I’m sorry. Our lawyers looked through the contract. It’s rock-solid.”

Her eyes sparkled with her thoughts. “Wait a minute, are you the only one who signed it?”

“Yes.”

“Then Mordecai may not have to marry Regina at all! Because you don’t own him!”

“I thought so, too. But it’s been pointed out that I carry both my parents’ DNA in my blood. I can sign for them as well.”

She deflated. I was struck at how selfless she was. Her first thought was how to get my father out of this deal. What did I do to deserve such an amazing woman?

I wrapped my arms around her and held on tight. I saw her lips part in surprise, and she reached up to take my hand.

“If you dip your toes in the pond, the fish will nibble them,” I suggested. To prove it, I took my boots and socks off, pulled my jeans up, and stuck my feet in the pond. Immediately I felt the fish nibbling at my toes. A gold one came up and looked at me eagerly, hoping for a treat. I stroked its head instead.

Shadowfang came up to the pond and looked at the fish. He dipped a paw in, then licked it. Sarah took off her shoes and rolled up her jeans, dipping her feet in.

“It tickles,” she noted. “That one likes you.”

“I used to have a koi fish named Pearl,” I said. “He lived in our koi pond. He was special to me, because he liked me. I used to toss him crackers and bread and he would eat them out of my hand sometimes. We grew as close as a koi fish and a vampire could be, until I saw him floating in the water one day. I was upset, but Father said that Pearl was a very old fish and another fish probably attacked him.”

I sighed. “Sarah, I hope you realize that I never meant for this to happen. If I don’t marry the assassin, you will die. I can’t let that happen.”

Tears shined in her eyes. “I want to die.”

“Don’t say that!” I cried. “Don’t ever say that!”

She laughed dryly. “I’ve been wanting to die for a long time. Ever since Michael Nales.”

“Not him again!” I shouted. “Sarah, he’s out of our lives forever! I know he destroyed you, but-“

“Is that how you see me? Destroyed goods?”

“No! But I have to protect you-“

She guffawed. “Jo Lawrence was right. You do see me as a china doll. Every female in my life except your mother and sister have treated me like dirt, and every male has abandoned me! I can’t deal with this! My own mother couldn’t deal with me! I even caused my father’s death! The only reason why he’s around now is because he’s one of you!”

“I never meant to ruin your life!”

“My life was ruined long before I met you.”

She sighed, and her body shook.

I gathered up my socks and boots and went up to my room.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN – CONTRACT

Life goes on. Even when you don’t want it to. Later that evening, I found out who my wife-to-be was.

“It’s done,” Regina said, hanging up her cell phone. “Marie is dead. Now, sign the papers.

My hand quaked as I held the pen tightly. A bit of ink squirted out. I signed the paper, then handed the pen to Sarah. She signed it next.

We were officially divorced.

This was a nightmare. Sarah went up to our shared room and continued packing. Father put a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up at him.

“I’m so sorry, Dad,” I said.

“Don’t be,” he said. “You did the only thing you could. You had no choice. She would have killed Sarah and your children otherwise.”

“But you have to marry her now.”

“It’s worth it. To keep you and your mother safe.”

“Is she still not speaking to you?”

“Not a word. She said she hates me, punched me in the face, and then ran off, sobbing.”

“This is all my fault.”

“Son, don’t blame yourself. It’s our fault, for creating Marie in the first place. And for not being able to stop her.”

“At least the death and destruction will stop, now.”

“I hope so.”

Sarah was gone that night. She packed the essentials and I promised to send the rest of her stuff by air mail.

I laid on my stomach in bed, staring at the wall. Remy jumped up on me. He purred and headbutted me.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“I’m a piece of shit,” I told him. “I’m fecal matter. No, I’m pond scum. No…what’s lower than pond scum and fecal matter?”

“Even fecal matter serves a purpose,” Remy said. “Lots of animals eat it.”

“Gross.”

And then, in that moment, I sunk to the lowest point in my life. I had nothing going for me. My love left me, my uncle hated me, my cousin was losing his mind, I caused my parents to split, twice, and I wasn’t any use to the vampire race. The only thing I had going for me was my massive amount of wealth and my cats.

I laid in bed for two nights. On the third day, Father came in and literally dragged me out of bed.

“Come on, Reese, you need a shower,” he said. “And you need to shave, and you need to change clothes. You stink.”

I forced myself to take a ridiculously hot shower that burned my cool skin. It felt good. My skin was red and raw when I got out, and I forced myself to pull a razor down my cheeks and chin. Then I brushed my hair, which was extremely knotted, and pulled on a clean white t-shirt and blue jeans for a change.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen you in anything but black,” Shadowfang noted. “If my sons were half as pathetic as you, I’d have a coronary.”

“Thanks.”

SARAH’S POINT OF VIEW

When I call Papa and tell him I’m coming home, I can’t say he seems surprised. He’s been waiting for this.

He’s even less surprised when I tell him Reese and I were having issues. But he doesn’t say he told me so, which is a point in his favor.

I collapse into Papa’s arms when he opens the door to the house they’re living in now. It’s a low-rent neighborhood, very sketchy.

Sabine gives me a hug when she sees me, she already knows. Mom, of course, says nothing and just glances in my direction.

I need some coffee, but I can’t because I’m pregnant with his children. I love them already, and I love being pregnant.

Spunk and Coffee and Gizzy and Lola and Koda greet me when they are let in from the backyard. I missed the dogs. I got Gizzy for an emotional therapy dog, but I didn’t know that Lola came with the package. I also got Koda because I thought Reese needed another pet. I was wrong. I was wrong about a lot of things.

I head to my new room, which I have to share with Sabine. It’s because of me that we have to do this. I’m the one who got together with Reese. I made his mother my second mom and then she killed my mother in a jealous rage. I caused my father’s death when I was cursed to die.

I also got four extra dogs that we didn’t need. I gave Scooter to Bow, who renamed him, but now we have three extra mouths to feed.

Papa and Sabine put some sheets on my new bed and help me organize my clothes. I open my phone. No new messages. I lost a lot of friends when I moved to Denmark. For him. I got married and divorced for him. I’m having his children.

My grandparents were right. Reese was no good for me.

I’d only been in bed a week when Caitlin came in. She’s my friend from childhood. We had lots of sleepovers, braided and combed each other’s hair, gossiped about our crushes (for her it was girls, for me it was boys) watched wrestling and played video games, binged chick flicks and scary movies, and she defended me when her brother’s best friend pulled my hair in what he claimed was a show of affection.

Caitlin came in now, carrying a huge bag on one arm, holding a DVD in the other.

“Which would you rather do on a Friday night, mope and sulk or watch bad movies?” she asked with a smile.

“Watch bad movies,” I said.

Soon we were watching stupid people run from mutant cannibals and laughing and screaming. I peed myself a few times. Oh, sure, Reese stayed on my mind. I almost died without him. But if it wasn’t for Papa, and Sabine, and Caitlin, I’d probably already be dead.

I fell asleep, as I seemed to be doing a lot these days, and I was somewhere between consciousness and slumber when I felt a soft finger stroke my hair. I smiled, knowing it was Caitlin. She loved my hair, as she’d told me numerous times.

“Caitlin, what are you doing?” I asked.

“It’s not Caitlin.”

My eyes shot open. I sat up in bed. “What are you doing here? How did you get into my bedroom? Where’s my family? And why are your eyes bright red?”

Jamie Williams leaned toward me. “I never forgot you, Sarah Cresley. I never stopped loving you.”

REESE’S POINT OF VIEW

This was not happening. I was not going to marry Samuel’s daughter, Alana!

“This is the assassin?” I shrieked.

Regina smiled evilly. Alana looked genuinely hurt. The albino woman with magical powers was not going to be my wife! Not there was anything wrong with being an albino with magical powers, but the fact that she’d killed Mitra, along with several others, put a huge dent in her favor.

Uncle Soren was furious. Livid, actually. He’d stormed off and later, I heard him collapse in the other room.

“But first, a trip to America,” Regina said.

Which was how I found myself on a plane to my hometown in America.

Shadowfang squirmed in my lap, trying to get comfortable. Alana sat across from me, and she kept looking over at me, but I pointedly ignored her. As for Regina, she chattered away on her cell phone.

I leaned against Father, who was reading a book. He leaned over and pecked my hair. I grabbed my iPod and turned on my music. I missed little moments like this. Being close to my best friend, listening to my favorite songs. My music was more diverse, though, because during my relationship with Sarah, I’d discovered a few alternative songs that weren’t too bad. I also listened to a few artists like Matt Maeson. I was addicted to his song “Hallucinogenics”.

I slept halfway through the plane ride, and when I woke up, Father was petting my hair and waking me up.

My heart still beat in my chest, which surprised me.

I turned off my iPod and sat up straight as we landed. Shadowfang dug his claws in, which was uncomfortable at best.

We entered the airport, Shadowfang in his carrier (the rest of the cats decided to stay in Denmark).

We went to our hotel first, then I went to the car and started up my Nissan GT-R. It had been a while since I’d driven her, so she coughed a bit.

I thought and thought about what I’d find. Would she still want to be mine? Was she all right? How were the babies?

I saw her new house in a shitty neighborhood where I saw two guys fighting next door and a couple of kids riding bikes around broken glass. One kid crash-landed and shrieked like the dickens. He started crying, and I was tempted to check on him, but I had a mission.

I looked over at the kid. He was still crying. Oh, my mission could wait. I got out of my car and went over to him.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I hurt my arm,” he whimpered.

“Let me see,” I commanded. I lifted his arm and saw that it was bloody and full of the broken glass. “You need to go to a clinic. Here, take this money.” I handed him a couple hundred bucks, which he stared at in amazement. He immediately stopped crying.

“Is it real?” he asked.

“As real as that glass in your arm,” I replied. “Go tell your mother that she doesn’t have to pay me back.”

“Mama’s dead,” he sniffed. “It’s just me and Grandma and my sister and Skyler.”

“Here, take a couple more,” I said, reaching into my wallet.

“Are you sure, mister?”

“As sure as salt. But you need to take care of your arm first. Does your grandma or Skyler have a car?”

“My sister does,” he said, smiling a little. “It’s not very often that white guys help us.”

“We both have beating hearts,” I said. “That’s enough for me.”

The kid ran off, yelling for Grandma.

Mission one accomplished, I headed for mission two. I paused, swallowed the lump in my throat, which landed in my gut, and knocked on the door.

She opened the door. I was struck again by how beautiful she was. I was even more struck at her smile.

“Hey,” she said. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

I was struck dumb. “S-Sarah?”

She tilted her head. “Have we met before?”

I was stunned. “You don’t recognize me?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, no. Are you a friend of Jamie’s?”

Jamie. The name alone made my blood boil. She leaned against the door.

“Hey, it was really nice what you just did for Tyrone. I was watching through the window. He’s been through a lot, and they’ve been here longer than we have. Their landlord keeps changing, and they can’t always afford to pay for medical stuff. Oops, I’m gossiping.” She giggled to herself.

“S-Sarah…”

She looked at me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

“It’s me, Reese!”

“Reese?”

“Sarah!” I reached out for her, and she backed away.

“I’m sorry, but can you back up a little? I’m pregnant, and personal space is kind of a big thing right now!”

“I know you’re pregnant! They’re my kids!”

She looked stunned. “That’s not true, first of all, and secondly, why are you lying? They’re Jamie’s!”

Oh, I was going to murder him and rip out his spleen.

She looked terrified. Of me.

“Look, if you’re just here to harass us, can you please go? I’m not in the mood. One of my friends is missing.”

“What? Which friend?”

She looked suspicious, but still answered. “Scarlett. Mason’s going crazy.”

“Why would Mason go crazy over Scarlett? And since when is she your friend?”

“I’ve known her since, like, freshman year. And Mason is her boyfriend, duh!”

She slammed the door in my face.

Jamie had really fucked up now. Whatever he’d done to Mason and Sarah, he would pay for it. I wondered why Scarlett was involved. Did Regina somehow rewire Sarah’s mind? And Mason’s? Why Mason, anyway? He wasn’t involved in this anymore, and neither was Scarlett. I didn’t like Scarlett at all, but I’m sure she didn’t deserve whatever they’d done to her.

I stormed off and headed back to my car. As I was about to open the door, I saw a girl in a tank top and flip flops running toward me. She was out of breath.

“Hello, can I help you?” I asked.

“Are you the one who helped Ty?!”

“I assume you mean the boy with glass in his arm. Yes, he fell off his bike, and hurt himself, and I couldn’t just stand by while he cried.”

“Did you mean it when you said we could keep the money?!”

“Yes, I did. Keep it. Maybe you can use it for bills or something.”

She wrapped her arms around me and planted a raspberry-scented kiss on my lips. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to us! I promise, we’ll pay you back!”

“No no, none of that,” I said, waving my hand. “You don’t have to pay back a cent. I promise it’s real, and I promise I’ll be back. I’m Reese Nicolai.”

“Talia,” she said, fluttering her dark lashes. “Talia Windstrom.”

“Nice to meet you, Talia,” I said. “Er, do you know Sarah?”

“The girl who lives in that house there? I know she’s around my age, and she’s pregnant, and super nice, but other than that, I know squat.”

We exchanged phone numbers and I promised to call her later.

Next, I went to find Mason.

I found him at his home. I knocked, and he opened the door.

“You,” he snarled.

“Mason, do you remember me at all?”

“Yes, you moron. Jamie completely fucked up everyone’s memories. He put himself in your place!”

“What?!”

I wanted to rage. I put my head against a post and banged my skull against it. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!

I decided to do some more investigating. I walked into Mason’s house without being invited, and he began shouting at me.

“Seriously, Reese? You haven’t had permission to enter! Get out!”

“Mason!” I grabbed his shoulders. “What happened to Scarlett?”

“Scarlett disappeared after she confronted Jamie Williams in front of Sarah. She and I are pretty much the only ones not affected by the spell, because of our magic.”

“And Jordan?”

“Who the fuck knows where she is? I certainly don’t!”

“Then why did Sarah say you were upset about it?”

“Because I am!”

“Mason, she used you!”

“You think I don’t know that?! But she was still a witch, one of my kind. Her parents knew mine long before we were born.”

I sighed. “I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m at a loss.”

Mason glared at me. “It’s your own damn fault.”

“I know…I made a huge mistake. I wonder if Regina and Jamie know each other?”

“Regina?”

“She’s a super rich and powerful vampire. I signed a contract in blood that I would divorce Sarah and marry the assassin who would kill Marie. Well, the assassin killed Marie. And you know who the assassin is? Alana!”

“Alana? The vampire witch?”

“Yes! Samuel’s daughter! The one who killed Mitra and a few others!”

Mason raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“I had no choice. I had to divorce Sarah, and it destroyed her. Seeing her…what I did to her…it destroyed me, too. Maybe it’s for the best. She can do so much better than me.”

“But didn’t Jamie push her into the sea?”

“He did…and he manipulated her mind, something she asked me not to do to her. Until I broke her heart.” I leaned against the doorframe. “And I did something else. I forced my dad to marry Regina. With the blood contract.”

“That won’t work.”

I looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“A person cannot make a blood contract for somebody else, it’s against magical law.”

“Well, I did it.”

He smirked. “And now you know about threefold karma.”

“Fat lot of help you are,” I snapped, then turned around.

I made it to the hawthorn tree in their yard before I collapsed. There was a massive hole where my heart should have been. I felt like it had been punched, and nothing could repair it. I really was pathetic.

I felt a hand on my back. I shook him off and stormed off.

I went to the house where I hadn’t been for almost a year. It was the same as when I’d left it. My father was there, and he looked at me but didn’t say a word. He quickly turned back to what he’d been doing on his laptop.

“Soren threw us out of the palace,” Father said. “We can’t ever go back. He’s sending our things now. And the cats.”

“Father, I-“

“Don’t. Don’t speak to me. Just go to your room.”

I went to the library instead. We’d had a maid come by every week, so it was fairly clean. But half the books had been stolen. Damn. I knew Father would take care of it, and they were only books, but that was the last straw.

I went to my bedroom, where Shadowfang laid on my bed, and collapsed on top of it. I was too upset for anything but sleeping. So I slept. And I dreamed. I dreamed of Jamie and Sarah, of Regina and Uncle Soren, of my mother’s broken heart, of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, of death and oceans.

Sometime in the night, I woke up to someone taking my boots off and slipping me under the covers.

“I’m sorry, Reese,” Father said. “I’m so sorry. This isn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have blamed you.”

He kissed my hair, and then left.

I spent the next half of the day in bed. I was sure I was going to die of a broken heart. But Sarah was fragile…she really could die of a broken heart. And it was my fault.

I decided to call her. It went straight to voicemail. “Hey, Sarah, it’s Reese. Call me back, we need to talk. I…I’m sorry. And I love you. Goodbye.”

The next day, I went straight to her new house. But when I got there, Sarah was already out, sipping tea on the front porch. She smiled and waved at me. Then that girl from before, Talia, came out of her house and approached me.

“Did you come all this way to see me?” Talia asked, fluttering her long lashes.

I looked over at Sarah. Talia saw where I was looking, and grimaced.

“She has a boyfriend, you know,” she said.

“I know, but I still love her,” I said. “Besides, I thought you were with Skyler.”

“Skyler doesn’t have to know,” she mischievously quipped. “Besides, I like tall guys.”

I grimaced. “Sorry, not interested. Do you need more money? By the way, how is Tyrone?”

“Much better,” she said, looking annoyed. “Come on, why don’t you give me a chance?”

“One, you’re with Skyler, and two, I don’t like you like that, and three, I’m interested in someone else.”

“Fine, be that way,” Talia snapped. “You just made a big mistake.”

I was not intimidated by a skinny female human of average height. She gave me the finger, then stormed away.

Sarah was trying not to laugh when I approached her. “You must have really made her mad.”

“I think I did,” I said. “She wanted to be my girlfriend.”

“Really? But she has a boyfriend already!”

“That’s what I said. A little respect for the boyfriend goes a long way.”

I wondered if I was talking about Skyler or myself. I saw Tyrone on his bike with his arm in bandages, and gave him a little wave. He waved back.

“Do you like kids?” Sarah asked.

“I do,” I admitted. “I didn’t used to, but things change. A lot of things have been changing for me lately.”

I looked at her, hoping for a flicker of memory. Nothing.

“What are you doing today?” I asked her.

“I have to work,” she said. “I work at Zu’s Boutique. You ever heard of it?”

“Yes,” I said. That was one of the places where she worked when she first became my friend. It was a small women’s clothing shop that also sold accessories and beauty products and candles.

I heard a car pull up, and turned around. It was a Bugatti, of all things, with Jamie in the front seat. He honked the horn.

“Be patient,” Sarah admonished him. “You just pulled up.” She rolled her eyes at me. “I swear, he could be a little more patient with me. And less nosy.”

She slowly stood up, grabbing her purse, and I helped her down the steps.

“Text me,” I said. She blinked.

“I don’t have your number.”

“Oh, well, here,” I got a pen out of my pocket and wrote my number on a receipt.

“Sarah!”

“I’m coming! Geesh!” She took the paper and stuck it in her purse while she headed towards the Bugatti. I saw Jamie smirk at me. I wanted to rip his head off.

Instead, I took a few deep breaths of the stinky neighborhood and went to Emerson’s Electronics, the store that my father had opened as a cover business. Richard was still manager there, and he recognized me, thankfully. He welcomed me back with a pat on the shoulder and showed me the register and inventory.

I went to the office and did some inventory work. It was very boring. But I was glad to be doing something useful.

After a few hours, I got a call. It was a phone number I didn’t recognize.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Hey, it’s me.”

It was her!

“Can you meet me at Moore Park?”

“Of course,” I breathed. Anything for you.

She was at the park bench where we’d had our first real conversation. This time, she wore a maternity shirt, maternity jeans, and tennis shoes. Her hair wasn’t in a bun, but loose and curly. She wore little makeup and her perfume wasn’t nearly as strong. She smelled floral, with a hint of earth and rain and citrus, like lemons and oranges.

She said nothing at first as I sat beside her.

“I feel like I know you,” she finally said. “I know we’ve met before, but I can’t remember how or where. I feel like we were in love once.”

She blushed.

“We were,” I said. “I still love you. A lot’s happened, and it’s better this way. I’ve realized. I don’t feel any different than I did…no, that’s a lie. I am different. You’re different. I admit, I didn’t treat you well. I was a bad boyfriend.”

“Were you?” She winced and grimaced, putting one hand on her stomach.

“Are you all right?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m so confused right now. I thought I loved Jamie…”

“He made it that way,” I said. “He erased your mind and put himself in my place.”

She blinked. “So the babies that I’m carrying aren’t his?”

“No, honey, they’re not. I’m sorry.”

She grimaced again and clutched her belly.

“Something’s wrong,” I said.

“It hurts,” she complained.

“How bad?”

“If I knew government secrets, I’d talk.”

“Take a deep breath,” I said. “Where is most of the pain located?”

“Down…down there. Crap, I think I’m having contractions.”

“Are you sure?” I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her. “Take some deep breaths. Did you take any pregnancy classes?”

“No…shit.”

She breathed hard and cried out as another contraction hit her.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN – BABIES

I laid her on the grass and she shivered at the cold hard ground. I got on the phone with emergency services.

“911, do you need police, fire, or medical?” a male voice asked.

“Medical,” I answered. “My…wife…she’s in labor.”

“She’s in labor? How far are the contractions?”

“Five minutes apart. We’re at Moore Park in North Hampton, New Jersey, on Moore Street. We are by a park bench.”

“How is your wife?”

“She’s dealing. She’s in a lot of pain.”

“Keep her head elevated, take her shoes off, and check for the head. Do you have any water?”

“No,” I said. “The only water nearby is a duck pond.”

“Yeah, that won’t do. I’ve sent the ambulance, and they’re ten minutes away. Stay with her and stay with me on the phone. What’s her name?”

“Sarah.”

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Reese.”

She grunted and cried out again.

“Can’t you make the ambulance go any faster?”

“Sorry, I can’t. Just keep her head elevated and keep track of contractions. Talk to her if you can.”

“Sarah,” I said, “I screwed up. I pressured you to marry me when you weren’t ready, just because you got pregnant. It was my fault, I should have made sure the condom wouldn’t break, but it did, and for that, I’m sorry. I messed up. I forced you to get married in an unfamiliar country and then I forced you to move in with me in the palace. I turned your family against us, and they hate me now. I ignored you, I ignored my brother and sister, I ignored my stepson, I ignored everyone. I’m a bad father, mate, and brother. I’m also a bad nephew and son. I messed up majorly. I wouldn’t blame Uncle Soren if he never spoke to me again.”

She grunted and hissed. I knew she wasn’t listening, only focused on what was happening inside of her.

I held her hand and told her to squeeze it whenever a contraction hit. She squeezed…hard. I wasn’t hurt, but I would have gladly taken her place if nature would allow it. I began to sing to her, hoping to distract her from her pain. I sang the song “Love Builds a Garden” by Elton John from the movie Gnomeo & Juliet. She loved that movie.

The ambulance arrived, and I paused. She looked up at me. “Don’t stop singing.”

Surprised by her words, I continued to sing. Then I sang “My Immortal” by Amy Lee from Evanescence. A band we both liked. I kept singing in the ambulance, until the paramedics told me to shut up.

“Keep…singing…” Sarah breathed, and I continued to sing. I sang “Sarah’s Song”, “Emerald Eyes”, and “Hate Me” by Blue October, another of her favorite bands.

I wanted so very much to hold her, but I couldn’t.

When we reached the hospital, I was told to wait in the waiting room, until Sarah said, “No, I want him in the room with me.”

So I went into the room in the maternity ward of Mercy Hospital where my children were about to be born. While I waited, I called Mother.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Mother.”

“Reese! How are you? Your father filled me in on what’s happened.”

“There’s more. Sarah’s in labor right now. “

“What? Where are you?!”

I told her and hung up, then I called Beckett, then Father, then Selena.

Before long, Selena, Mother, Alicia, and Gianna were in the room with us.

“You’re here,” Gianna said when she saw me.

“Yes,” I said. “They’re my kids.”

“Yes, yes. But why are you here?”

“Because they’re my kids and Sarah is my mate. I wouldn’t be a good mate if I wasn’t here. Besides, I want to make sure they’re all okay.”

Sarah let out a scream of pain.

Jamie opened the door and forced his way in. He snarled when he saw me. “You!”

“Me,” I said. “I’m sorry if I’m not invited to my own children’s birth!”

“They are not your children!”

“You’re fucking lying, Williams. You manipulated her and everyone around her just because you have some sick fantasy about her!”

“Don’t you believe me, Alicia?” Jamie asked. “Mrs. Abraham?”

“I’m confused,” Alicia said. “Sarah, who is the father?”

Sarah didn’t answer, she just yelled out, the veins in her throat stretched tight.

The doctor, a bald man wearing a large white coat, stepped into the room.

“All right, let’s get this show on the road. Which one of you is dad?”

“Me,” Jamie and I answered at the same time. We glared at each other.

“Sorry to say, but you can’t both be the father.” He looked around. “All right, which one is mom?”

“Me,” Alicia and Mother said at the same time.

“Okay…you can’t both be the girl’s mother. Which one of you gave birth to her?”

“I did,” Alicia gloated. She stuck her tongue out at Mother, who scowled.

“Do you know which one the father is?”

“Jamie,” she said proudly.

“She’s wrong,” I said. “I’m the one that broke the condom, damn it!”

They all stared at me, except Sarah, who kept screaming.

“Okay, well, I only want three people in here. The girl in the bed, the mother, and dad. Everyone else, out.”

Gianna was first to leave, followed by Jamie, after a glare from Mother.

“I’m not leaving,” Mother said firmly. “Sarah is like a daughter to me. I promised her when I first met her that I would be a second mother to her.”

“Ma’am-“ Mother glared at the bald doctor. “Okay, okay, you can stay if it’s okay with Sarah.”

Sarah just screamed.

I went to her side and she grabbed my hand and squeezed. She was sweating heavily now.

“She’s my daughter!” Alicia cried.

“Some mother you are!” Mother shouted.

“I gave birth to her!”

“I took care of her when you couldn’t because you were too damn drunk to care!”

“Enough!” I shouted. “If you’re going to fight, do it outside this room! Otherwise, shut up and help me with Sarah!”

Suddenly, the doctor’s pager went off.

“Oh, sorry, there’s a mama in the making next door!” he said, then waved and left the room.

“Asshole!” I shouted. “One of you, check the dilations. The other, come over here and hold her hand.”

The women did as I commanded. Alicia took Sarah’s hand, and Mother checked the dilation.

“It’s crowning!” she shouted. “Get over here, Reese!”

My stomach dropped to the floor when I saw the head. I carefully grabbed his head, and urged Sarah to push. She somehow managed to give me the middle finger while she was in labor.

A few more minutes, and I realized the baby was stuck. He couldn’t breathe! I looked over to Mother, who looked as desperate as I felt. My baby!

“Last time, she needed a C-section,” I shouted over her yelling. “Where is the damn doctor?!”

“She needs morphine!” Mother shouted. “Reese, I am going to reach in there and pull the baby out manually. I need you to help me deliver it. Can you do that?”

I nodded vigorously.

Mother did as she said she was going to do. She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled. He came out slowly but smoothly. His cries pierced my ears.

Mother shoved my son into my arms and prepared to deliver my daughter. Caitlin Juniper was tougher.

“The cord is around her neck!”

“Do something!” Alicia shouted.

Mother leaned in, teeth bared, and cut the cord with her teeth. Sarah let out a scream. Her screams were like knives going into my heart. I had already managed to calm Joseph some, and he was burying his tiny face in my chest.

Throughout, the smell was unbelievable. Blood and other bodily fluids were covering my Sarah and my kids.

Mother gave an almighty pull, and Caitlin Juniper was born. But she didn’t cry.

“She’s not breathing!” Mother shouted. She rubbed Caitlin all over, trying to get her to cry. Suddenly, Caitlin choked and started crying.

Then the idiot doctor came back in, and said, “So, are we ready to deliver?” I wanted to strangle him.

A few hours later, I stared in the nursery at the maternity ward at my babies. They were even more beautiful than their mother, who was resting. Sarah had got to meet her babies after she rested some, then the babies needed to be washed and blanketed and fed. Another mother offered her breast milk as sustenance, which we were grateful for.

My little dhampirs were so damn cute. I couldn’t stop staring at them. My father stood beside me, whispering, “I’m a grandfather” over and over again.

Sarah came to the baby room in a robe.

“You should be resting,” I admonished her.

“I had to see them,” she said. “Which ones are they?”

“That one’s Caitlin, and that one’s JoJo,” I pointed them out. “How do you feel?”

“Reese,” she said, “I remembered.”

“You…remembered?”

“I remembered. After Caitlin was born. The second after she was born, I remembered.”

“And?”

She sighed. “My mom wants me out of her house by next week.”

“Oh, Sarah, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Papa is going to help me find a place. But he also sort of blamed me for Mom acting crazy. Even my own father is turning against me.”

“I’m not,” I said.

She looked up at me. “But you divorced me.”

“Yes, because I had to, not because I wanted to.”

I told her all about the contract, my promises to Regina, Alana killing Marie finally, and Father being forced to marry Regina.

“So that’s it,” she said, sighing. “Well, I can’t fault you for that. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

“Did you just quote Star Trek?”

“I did,” she said, giving me a side smile.

“Still finding out stuff about you.”

“That’s the adventure.”

“Did you just quote Family Guy?”

“Yep.” She sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I have no one.”

“What makes you think that?” Mother’s voice demanded from behind us. Sarah and I turned around to see Mother, frowning at Sarah with her hands on her hips. “Girl, I promised you that I would be your second mother, and I intend to keep that promise. I have no house now, but as soon as I do, you are more than welcome to move in.”

“Can I hug you?” Sarah asked.

“Of course, dear,” Mother said, smiling.

The next day, the kids were still in the hospital, and Sarah refused to leave them, and I refused to leave her, and I heard from Mother that Alicia had a massive fit and tried to set Sarah’s stuff on fire.

“Luckily,” Mother sipped her water, “Beckett put it out in time and told Alicia to go to Walmart and buy those big cardboard boxes for shipping and moving.”

“Poor girl,” I said, looking at my woman, who was singing to the babies. “This is all my fault. I put her through this.”

“You mustn’t blame yourself for this,” Mother said. “This has been coming a long time. Alicia was never a good mother or a good wife to Beckett. That’s why I bit her. She treats the girls like horse shit.”

I thought of the horses I’d bought as a wedding gift for Sarah, which were still in Denmark, and sighed. I’d bought her all sorts of gifts, but the greatest gift I could have given her was my attention and love, which I failed to give her. I even bought her a goddamn Lamborghini! Which she had yet to drive.

Sarah was now singing “Hush Little Baby” and her soprano voice was filled with sorrow. Great. Pregnant with half-vampire children for eleven months, and she couldn’t even hold them yet because they were still weak and small and would probably not survive.

Beckett came in with Cirino, who smiled and babbled when he saw me. He liked me for some reason. When he saw Mother, he reached his little arms out, saying “Mamamamama.” He saw Sarah and pointed at her, then gave Mother a questioning look.

“That’s Sarah,” she reminded him. “Can you say Sarah?”

“’Ar,” he tried. “’Arah.”

Sarah turned around and held her arms out for Cirino, who smiled at her and reached out for her. She took him to meet his siblings.

“Bah,” he said, pointing at the babies.

“Babies,” Sarah corrected. “Can you say baby?”

“Bah-bee,” Cirino tried. “Bah-bee.”

“Baby,” Sarah said. “Say baby.”

“Bay-bee,” Cirino attempted again. He pointed at the babies. “Bay-bee.”

“That’s right. Baby,” Sarah praised. I said nothing and looked at my kids. I needed a cigarette. I went outside and lit up. Sarah came out a few minutes later.

“Can I bum one of those?” she asked. I handed her a stick and she lit up.

“I didn’t know you smoked,” I said.

“I usually don’t,” she said. “I just need a comfort source right now.”

“And I’m not it.”

She blushed. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I know I didn’t treat you as well as I should have.”

“I needed more than cars and horses and shopping trips, Reese. I needed you.”

“I was so focused on myself…my own issues and problems. Except for that time we were in France.”

“You treated me well around my family, and that’s good, but I need your attention all the time. So does your family. Did you know Selena thinks you don’t like her?”

“She does?”

“Yes, and she feels bad because she feels she can’t tell you anything.”

“And David?”

“He feels the same way. He thinks you don’t like him. I want to be important in your life, but I also want your family to be important in your life. They’re your family.”

“I…you’re right,” I said, choking up. “This is all my fault. I love you, Sarah, and I want you to love me, too.”

“I do,” she said. “But I need a break.”

“A break?”

“To focus on myself and my education and careers. And my family. I don’t know whether my family will ever recover from this. And Mom and Sabine both blame me because they think it happened because of my connection to you.”

“They’re not wrong.”

“Reese, don’t. Don’t blame yourself. I’m setting you free.”

“What?”

“Like I said, I need a break.” Her voice choked up and tears spilled down her cheeks.

I stepped on my cigarette, putting it out.

A few minutes later, I drove to the back of the library parking lot. I spent some time crying there, then I wiped my eyes and decided I needed something. I went into the library for the first time in months and found a few new fantasy books to keep me occupied.

I spent some time reading in my car, then I went home. I saw Remy sunning himself on the porch.

“Are the rest of the cats here?” I asked him.

“Yup,” he replied. “Your uncle is a royal douchebag, you know? He kicked me in the tail.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well, shit happens. That’s life. You have problems, and then you ignore them until they become too big to handle by yourself.”

“Do you blame me, too?”

“I blame all of you. I swear, are all vampires as stupid as you?”

“Thanks.”

“You know what I mean.”

I went upstairs with my new books and spent some time reading in my room. I needed to think and work. I finished reading the first book, and by that time, it was dark, so I went to my computer to write. At first I didn’t know what to write. Then I opened a Word document and titled it Unraveling Sarah Cresley. Then I began to write.

I wrote as much as I could before midnight, and then I saved it and opened another document. I titled it Covens.

I wrote down all the covens I’d met over the past few years, practically since I started dating Sarah. I knew now that all those rogue covens had been sent by Bram to try to weaken us and spy on us. I wondered if Bram and Regina worked together. I wrote down all of their minions’ names and acolytes. I wrote down Regina’s plan and contract and shot an e-mail to Mason.

I even wrote down Kole and Isiah’s names. The two abandoned fledglings.

Then I wrote down what I knew about Sarah’s curse and family history. Which wasn’t as much as I’d like to know. I wrote down as much as possible. Puck, or the Puck imposter, had cursed Sarah to die after Beckett refused to force her to marry Caden. On her sixteenth birthday. And then Beckett lied about having stomach cancer and begged a wizard to help him, probably Krauvas. I wondered if that was how Sarah and Scarlett met-through Mason.

I wrote down that theory and went back to the curse. Beckett died, but the wizard or warlock made it so he’d be a zombie instead of fully dead. He was a soul occupying his decaying body. Until…that night, when Samuel gathered a bunch of us together, including Aphrodite and the Odin imposter, and turned Beckett into a vampire using magic. Alicia was already a vampire due to my mother’s actions.

Then I wrote down my non-action and actions since before the wedding and after I tried to find a pattern, but had no luck. I wondered if I was cursed as well, or if I was just an asshole. Probably the latter.

I was asleep when I felt a body next to me. It wasn’t a cat’s body, nor my father’s, but small and petite. I opened my eyes.

“Sarah?” I asked. “When did you get here?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” she said, by way of explanation. “Cuddle?”

“Of course,” I said, wrapping my arms around her waist.

She buried her face in my chest. I kissed her softly. She had a new scent, like baby powder. I growled and pulled her into me. Her small hands against my stomach, my nose in her hair, my chin on her forehead.

When I woke up, she was still asleep in my arms. I gave her a good morning kiss, and she sighed girlishly. I loved her little contented sighs. She began to nibble on my shirt.

“What are you doing?” I asked, laughing.

“Shh, bacon, it’s breakfast time.”

“You don’t even eat bacon. Unless it’s turkey bacon.”

“Milk? Is that you?”

I chuckled at her silliness. She loved milk.

She was so soft and warm, I would have cuddled with her forever if I could. My little angel.

She began to whimper and mutter, and I knew she was having a bad dream. I kissed her again, nuzzling her, loving her. My heart. My sweet Sarah. She was cold. I had to warm her up. She shivered, and I wrapped the blankets around her. My newly-beating heart only beat for her, literally.

The sound of her wet thudding heart was music to my ears. The sound of her breathing, her dreaming mutters.

“Reese,” she muttered. “Come here. You’re hard.”

I laughed at that.

“Silly Sarah,” I said.

She snorted and opened one eye. “Shut up.”

I laughed harder. I carefully eased myself out of her grasp and went to the kitchen. We had no food. I’d have to shop.

I grabbed my wallet, keys, cell phone, and jacket, and went out to the nearest Walmart. I found eggs, shredded cheese, milk, turkey bacon, bread, butter, jelly, cinnamon, and a few movies in the bargain bin. I went to the checkout, where the pierced and tatted cashier flashed me a smile and asked me my name. Her nametag said Tori.

When I got home, I unloaded my groceries and saw Father, sitting at the breakfast bar and clutching his head.

“Headache?” I asked.

“Like no other,” he replied. “Damn you, Soren.”

I didn’t ask. I soon had the turkey bacon sizzling on one part of the stove, and the eggs and cheese on the other.

“Damn, I forgot coffee,” I said. “Sarah will be grumpy without her coffee.”

“Go get her some.”

“I can’t leave the stove. Will you watch the food while I run to Starbucks?”

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t burn.”

“Thank you.”

I make a quick stop at Starbucks, got three coffees, and went back home. But when I got back, all hell had broken loose. The kitchen was on fire! And Father was passed out cold on the floor. I grabbed the fire extinguisher and put the flames out first, turned the stove off, then went over to my father. I felt his forehead. He was warm.

I was at a loss as to what to do. I called emergency services in a panic. I managed to get key words out. Father. Fainted. Out cold. Kitchen fire.

Sarah came downstairs, still half-asleep, saw the mess, and looked at me in confusion. Instead of answering, I just handed her an iced mocha. She took a sip and sighed in pleasure. She loved coffee.

My stomach felt sick as I waited for the ambulance and fire crew.

Five long minutes later, they arrived, and the fire crew checked the stove while the paramedics lifted Father onto a gurney.

“Let’s go, big guy,” one of them said as he took my father’s left side.

I watched as my father’s body was lifted onto the stretcher and taken out to the ambulance. My heart pounding, I looked at Sarah, who looked worried.

“I’ll get dressed and meet you there,” she said.

“I, er…”

“Go. I’ll be fine. I can check on the babies,” she said.

I kissed her then went to my Nissan and followed the ambulance to the hospital. While there, they took him to the emergency room, and I realized they would soon realize he had no heartbeat and his stomach was full of human blood.

I watched as they cut his shirt open. I winced when the nurses began to take off his boots and cut his jeans.

“Dad,” I said, “I don’t know if you can hear me, but please pull through. You’re a grandfather now. The babies want to meet you.”

Suddenly, he seized up. His chest lifted into the air, and he foamed red at the mouth. His eyes rolled back into his skull. Just then, Mother appeared.

“Did Sarah call you?” I asked. She nodded, looked to Father, and gasped.

“Mordecai!”

Proof that she loved him. That was something to think about later. For now, she turned to me.

“What happened?!” she demanded. I detailed the morning’s events to her, and she sank into a chair nearby. This was not a good time for her to be stressing out about this as well.

Regina had messed up our lives (I messed up our lives), Alexander was no more, Kieran was not speaking to her, Selena was being isolated by Raoul, who still had not spoken a single word to me, even a hello, Sarah had just given birth and been thrown out of the house by Alicia, Sabine was on Alicia’s side, and Beckett was not being fully honest with her. I realized he and I had something in common: we both kept things from her, but it was to keep her safe. Neither of us meant to cause the mess we did.

My stomach roiled as my father stopped seizing and his chest lowered. His yellow irises were back, but still blank.

“No heartbeat!”

“He stopped seizing!”

“His mouth is full of blood!”

I sank into a chair and put my head in my hands. I really didn’t need this right now. Damn it, I was thinking of myself again instead of my paternal parent, who was possibly dying. My maternal parent had tears in her blue eyes and watched as the nurses and doctors inserted needles and attached lobes to him.

Before I knew it, they brought out a Defibrillator.

“Clear!”

“Stop immediately!” I shouted. Too late. They shocked him.

“STOP!” Mother roared.

They all looked at us, stunned. But then I heard it…a heartbeat. From my father’s chest.

I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. Half an hour later, Sarah showed up and sat beside me, pecking my cheek.

“He’ll be all right,” she assured me. I smelled her hair. She smelled good, like flowers and female musk.

“You’re sweet,” I said. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Hush up,” she said.

I smiled a little and kissed her scalp. “As you wish, my love.”

“Did you just make a Princess Bride reference?”

“Purely unintentional, I assure you.”

“You just made another movie reference!”

“How about a nice game of chess, instead?”

“You know War Games, too?”

“I’m surprised that you do.”

She blushed and buried her face in my sleeve. “Shush, you. Or I won’t kiss you for a whole month.”

“My lips will sorely disappointed.”

Mother came back in the room, interrupting our banter.

“He’s all right,” she informed us. “But…his heart has started to beat. What’s going on, Reese? First you, then Mordecai. What is happening to my men?”

“Well, Mom, you see, there’s this little thing called the human experiment-“

“Oh, no.”

“Yeah. Anyway, it was started by Grandfather and Uncle Soren, and that’s what killed Grandfather. I did the experiment too, just enough to make my heart start beating, but I still have all my vampire powers, but I don’t know if I’m still immortal or not. But the thing is, once you’re past a certain age and you do the experiment, you start to die.”

Her hands flew to her mouth. “You…you…”

I thought she was going to hit me, but she resisted, and then who should come into the room, but Regina?

“You!” Mother ran to the blonde-haired woman, grabbed her around the throat, and began to shake her. Regina held up a stick that I recognized as a wand, and point it at Mother’s throat. Mother let go quickly, then stormed over to sit next to me.

She bit her lip and looked like she was going to cry as the evil bitch twirled the wand in her fingers and sat across from us. It was subtle, but I saw that she pointed the wand at my chest. I needed a break. I took Sarah’s hand and walked to the coffee shop on the other side of the room.

Sarah ordered a chai tea, while I just ordered water. I also got some water for Mother. Sarah texted her friends on her phone, updating them on the situation, while I started to browse the newspapers.

French Fires All Gone: How and Why?

Strange Vampire Child Missing

Denmark Now Murder Capital of the World, Outdoing America, Yemen, the Congo, Somalia, India, the Ukraine, and Honduras

Vampires: Friend or Foe? An Insider Spills the Tea

I sighed when I saw those headlines. This was our fault.

“Watch it!” a female voice snapped as I ran into her.

“I’m so sorry,” I began, but then paused when I saw who it was. “Scarlett? What are you doing here?”

“I have to work here, doofus,” she snapped. “Because of you and Mason and Sarah and Jordan, I’m now forced to live without my trust fund or my parents’ support.”

“It wasn’t my fault or Sarah’s that you turned to dark magic to become popular,” I snapped back. “I’ve never heard of anything so pointless.”

She stomped hard on my foot. I didn’t react and just smirked at her.

“My lease is up soon and I have no place to go,” she said. “It’s all your fault!”

“How is it my fault?”

“If you’d just loved me instead, I wouldn’t have had to put a spell on Michael Nales to attack Sarah!”

“You didn’t do squat to Nales; it was his own stupidity. And I can’t love someone who only loves herself.”

She burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.

“Look,” I said, “I’m sorry your parents kicked you out, but I can’t help you. Goodbye.”

“Maybe she can live with us,” Sarah piped up.

I looked at her like she had three heads.

“Lover, you’re not serious,” I said.

“I feel really bad,” she admitted. “Scarlett and Jordan weren’t the only ones who toyed with dark magic. We all did. And I know what it’s like to lose your head over a boy. Of course, you’re the only one for me, Reese, but…”

“But?”

“But maybe this is a sign. Maybe Scarlett and I can forgive each other and move on, maybe even be friends again. No one knows where Jordan is, and I’m pretty sure Michael Nales doesn’t even live in town anymore. Mason’s nearby, and we’ve got Caitlin and Ariella as extra support.”

“Did they start calling each other girlfriend finally?”

She smiled. “Ari told Caitlin that she loved her. And Caitlin said it back.”

She looked at Scarlett, who was staring at her with her eyebrows raised and her lipsticked mouth open. Finally, Scarlett spoke.

“I don’t know if you meant that, Sarah, but thank you.”

“Of course I didn’t mean it. But I feel bad about your parents acting like dicks to you. I know what it’s like to have one bad parent, I can’t imagine having two bad parents.”

“Your mom?”

“Bipolar and an alcoholic. Also had a stillborn before I was born.”

“You never told me that,” I said.

She shrugged. “It was in the past. I don’t even know my sister’s name. Mom was having trouble conceiving, and she had several miscarriages and a stillborn before getting fertility treatments to have me and Sabine.”

“And yet she treats you like she hates you?”

“I know, it doesn’t make any sense.”

“None at all. My mother also had trouble conceiving and would have loved to have children like you and Sabine, so why couldn’t you be born to her instead? Or even Selena?”

She shrugged. “We can’t control who our parents are, silly Reese, we can only choose how we handle them. And having Beckett Cresley for a papa isn’t bad.”

I put my hand on top of her head, and she squeaked in surprise before moving my hand off her head and putting my palm against her tiny heart.

“Want to go see the twins?” she asked.

“You don’t have to ask twice,” I said.

We went to the elevator, leaving Scarlett staring at us, and I pressed the up button. While we waited, several people passed by. I noticed one guy checking out Sarah’s behind. When we got into the elevator, there was an old woman on a bed sleeping with a male nurse who kept checking his watch. When we reached the right floor, we stepped off and let someone else get on.

My heart sped up when I saw them. They were so small and fragile. So breakable. Caitlin had the hiccups. Sarah went into the room and carefully picked up our daughter. I picked up our son. His little heart beat and he opened his eyes and frowned up at me, his eyebrows pinching together in confusion and irritation at being woken up.

“Daddy’s here,” I told him. I felt his small hand, which was a like a cat’s paw in my hand, except, you know, without the sharp claws. I kissed his forehead. I looked over at Caitlin, who was grasping her mother’s finger. She had tanned skin like Sarah and brown curls. Jojo’s hair was jet black like mine and much straighter.

Mother came in a few minutes later and demanded to hold both of them, and you not argue with an irritated female vampire about her offspring or her offspring’s offspring. Sarah was reluctant to hand Jojo over (we’d switched), but eventually acquiesced after Mother promised not to drop him on his head, either on purpose or by accident. I didn’t want to hand over my daughter, either, but it was important for the babies to bond with as many people as possible, vampire or human or fairy.

Finally, news reached us of Father’s condition. He was stable, and he wanted to speak to us as soon as possible. It was already noon, and I reluctantly left my children in the care of humans who thought they knew better about their condition than me.

Father himself was sitting up and looking irritated.

“Marina, please, look at me,” he begged. She shook her head and sat on the bed with her legs crossed and her arms folded, watching the door.

“It looks like she’s mad, but she’s actually protecting him,” I whispered to Sarah. “He’s vulnerable right now to other vampires and predators.”

Mother frowned at me and Father smirked.

“How were the babies?” he asked.

“Quiet,” Sarah replied. “They missed you.”

“I bet,” Father said. “Okay, there’s an explanation why I passed out this morning and why the kitchen burst into flames. It was a magical attack.”

Mother scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“Let me explain,” Father said. “When Reese signed Regina’s contract-thanks, Reese-he couldn’t sign for me because my blood is not his blood. He could only sign for himself. Krauvas pointed that out to Regina, which made her angry, so she sent some of that leftover human blood to mix with mine, trying to stop my heart from beating.”

“Krauvas…Mason must have talked to him,” I said.

“I don’t know, but Regina’s plan only partially worked. My heart is beating now, thanks to those stupid human doctors, but I am only half-alive. I don’t know what this means for my mortality.”

Mother wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. She muttered apologies over and over again, and he told her to hush, it wasn’t her fault. He was right. But it wasn’t his fault, either. It was mine.

I sunk into a chair and sighed.

This was too much.

But now what? I had no ideas, no plan. I was useless. I wasn’t smart like Louis or brave like Uncle Soren or interesting like Toby. I had been so focused on myself and my own worthlessness that I almost lost Sarah.

I needed a swift kick in the rear.

The only thing I had going for me were the kids, whom I loved with every fiber of my being, and I hated that they had to stay at the hospital until they grew stronger.

Seconds later, I realized my parents were making out, and nearly vomited.

I heard footsteps and then a knock at the door.

“Enter,” Father called.

David entered with Selena and Raoul, who looked as sour as ever. David had a bunch of flowers, which he handed to Mother.

“Thank you, dear,” she said, smelling the peonies and carnations and lilacs.

“How are you, Dad?” David asked, taking our father’s hand.

“I’ve been better,” he said. I couldn’t take anymore.

I left the room quietly.

I was falling apart.

I was not sure what I wanted to do anymore.

A few hours later, I was at the piano in the basement, absentmindedly tapping the keys. I didn’t deserve to live. I didn’t deserve to have Sarah, or the twins, or anything I had.

I stared at the keys.

I had killed Evan, I had driven what friends I had away, I drove Sarah away, I treated my family badly, especially the newer members, and my cat constantly pointed out my mistakes. Uncle Soren was right. I was useless.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN – MAGICK

When I fell asleep that night, I had nightmares. First, my arm was bleeding, and then I looked down and there was a hole where my stomach should have been. Then my organs fell through and I melted onto the floor, falling through a grate and into a sewer. Then I was in the ocean. Damn it, what was with all the ocean dreams?

I saw Apollo, Alexander, and several black-haired men with blue eyes. They all looked at me, and I fell through the ground and landed on my back in a very hot place. A yellow-eyed demon grinned at me with his sharp teeth. He jammed his pitchfork into my abdomen and I screamed. Then I melted again, and started falling. I landed on my back again, this time on top of a bunch of stalagmites.

“Reese! Reese! Wake up!”

“Is the boy hurt?”

“No, Raoul, thank you for alerting me. He just had a bad dream and sleepwalked.”

A bad dream? I wasn’t in Hell?

I opened my eyes. It took a moment to adjust to the night. I was outside, at the edge of the woods, in nothing but my boxers. How embarrassing.

My father had a hold of my arm. When he saw that I was awake, he let go.

“When did you get home?” I asked.

“Just a minute ago, actually. You were already outside.” He lowered his voice. “You haven’t sleepwalked in years, son. You’re always quiet, even quieter than usual. You’re drawing away from your family and from Sarah. You haven’t spoken to Ariella, or any of your other friends other than Mason in months. And I see that you’ve been scratching your arm. What’s going on?”

I sat on the cold grass and clutched my head. Father kneeled beside me. “Reese, talk to me. What’s going on in that brain of yours?”

“I keep screwing up,” I finally said. “I can’t stop making mistakes. I stopped talking to my friends because they’re all human. They’re all going to die anyway, but they’ll die sooner by knowing me. I only talk to Mason because of his magical power. I drew away from my family because I don’t trust certain members of my own family. I don’t trust David or Selena or even some of the guards. I can’t stop being a jerk to the humans I love, and it was my mistake that killed Evan. Sarah will die just by knowing me. Uncle Soren hates me, and Louis is a mess because Paul is missing, and I just don’t know what to do, and I feel useless and worthless, and I’ve been self-centered lately, and I don’t know if I can be a good father, and I’m thinking of killing myself, and I just can’t do it anymore.”

Father paused before answering. “You are justified in not trusting Selena and David; I don’t, either, to be honest with you. Uncle Soren does not hate you. He hates what you did, but he’s under a lot of stress and pressure to stay in control. He sent us back to America to keep us safe. Denmark isn’t safe right now. I understand your fears about being a good father. I don’t think you were quite ready, truth be told, yet you were thrust into adulthood without much preparation, and that is my fault. You were pressured to marry Sarah by our family because we need heirs. The Council is trying to take full control, and many vampires would love to be in our position. You did not cause Evan’s death; it’s not your fault. He was going to die, anyway, being with Reid Lockhart. I know that sounds heartless, but it’s true. Reid was not only physically and emotionally abusive, he had many enemies. He even pushed down Sarah, don’t forget, and she’s mostly human.

“As for causing your friends’ early deaths, I understand your confusion and frustration. Unfortunately, it’s the way life goes. Human lives are short and fickle. The fact that most of your friends are humans should mean nothing; they’re still good friends. Call them, I’m sure they want to see you, too. You have been kept from this life because I didn’t want to expose you to so many dangers, and for other reasons, of which I will not get into right now. As for making mistake, you think I haven’t made countless mistakes? You yourself are the result of a few. Soren has made mistakes, Louis, despite what he may think, has made mistakes. Heck, even Sarah and your mother have made mistakes. I wish you’d come to me sooner about feeling depressed. I don’t know if you can really help with anything right now, but I’ll find something for you to do. You can always do something for the environment or volunteer at a food bank or the homeless shelter or pick up trash by the highway. There are many ways you can help your community, me, or Sarah. Heck, even Richard needs help with the store right now. I’ll message him and see if I can’t get you your old job back. Now come, it’s too cold out here to sit on the grass in your underwear.”

When I came back in, Sarah was in the living room in her nightgown, her hair braided over one shoulder, watching me curiously.

“Is he all right?” she asked.

“He had a nightmare and sleepwalked,” Father explained.

“Mordecai, when did you get home?”

“A few minutes ago. Now, help me get him upstairs.”

She took my other arm and led me up the stairs. The bedroom window was open, letting in the cool night air. Somewhere in the distance, I heard a loon’s call. Stomach twisting, heart aching, I laid down in bed on my side. Sarah crawled up onto her side, wrapping her arm around my waist. Father tucked me in, and Sarah’s dogs, Lola and Gizzy, jumped up onto the bed and laid by our feet. Shadowfang laid on my chest.

I was comfortable, until I heard vampiric footsteps.

“What was that?” I demanded.

“It was just Alberto,” Father said, referring to one of our guards. “I sent for several guards. I’ll remind him to be quiet.”

He pecked my forehead, feeling my temperature, and clucked his tongue before closing the curtains and leaving the door partly open for the animals.

I slept dreamlessly for the rest of the night. When I woke up, it was ten in the morning. Sarah was already dressed and running a comb through her long hair. Her curls bounced as the comb pulled on them. She grabbed a hair tie and made a ponytail with it.

“Good morning, handsome,” she crooned.

“You’re chipper today,” I noted.

“Because I got good news. You remember Talia and Tyrone? Well, they’re moving out of that crappy neighborhood and closer to the middle-class area of town. Also, they finally arrested Jamie for erasing my mind, your dad, I mean. And Sabine and Papa are finally moving out of that crappy home with Mother and buying a house in our old neighborhood.”

“That’s great,” I said, smiling weakly.

She turned and looked at me, her mint-green eyes full of concern, her dark eyebrows furrowing.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“I still screwed up,” I said. “I have to marry freaking Alana.”

“Actually,” she said, smiling again, “Regina only caught Marie, she didn’t actually kill her. Mordecai told me this morning.”

“What? Are you serious? So we got divorced for nothing?”

“I wouldn’t say for nothing. Neither of us was ready for marriage or children. I talked to Marina, and, well…she said that she is willing to take care of JoJo and Caitlin, until we are ready.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. We can still see them, of course, just like with Cirino, but now some of the responsibility is off our shoulders.”

“We’re still parents, though. We have to make sure they’re being taken care of, fed and clothed and diapered.”

“But they’re still in the NICU. I didn’t know vampires had such rough pregnancies.”

“It actually killed Kieran’s mother, Celine.”

“Alexander’s son?”

“Yes. Kieran is the first known dhampir, but he hated Alexander, and he doesn’t care for us, either, so he never speaks to us. I don’t think we even have his phone number.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah. Well, anyway, I’m glad I don’t have to marry Alana now. How did they catch Marie?”

“By using ice. Regina conjured up an ice cage and trapped Marie inside, literally freezing her in time. A little chloroform, a little alcohol, a little gas, and she’ll be an eternal sleeping vampire.”

I was surprised at how nonchalant she sounded. That wasn’t like her. Something wasn’t right here. I stood up and walked over to her. I took her face in my hands, and looked into her eyes. Her lipstick was a beige color. She never wore beige lipstick. She wore red or hot pink shades. Also, her eyeshadow was too neutral, her mascara more brown and less black. But what really got me were her irises. Forest green. I only knew one girl with eyes that shade of green. Jordan Hart.

“Let her go, Jordan,” I growled. She hissed and crouched low, fangs growing from my love’s mouth.

“You should have loved me,” she said.

“What the hell, girl? You had no interest in me!”

“That doesn’t matter! I’m beautiful! I’m young forever! Sarah won’t stay young forever!”

I grabbed her arms. “Sarah, Sarah, can you hear me? It’s me, baby. It’s Reese. Look at me. You have to fight it! Fight it!”

The bitch pretending to be my Sarah just laughed evilly. Then she whipped out a knife. I growled and grabbed at the knife, but she held it out of my reach. I could easily overpower her, but I didn’t want to hurt Sarah.

“Sarah,” I said, “I love you. I always have. Please don’t do anything rash, Jordan.”

“You think I care about you?” she snapped. She winced. “Damn, this body is weak. Let me have yours.”

“Yes, anything! Just let her go!”

“What a tragedy it will be when you kill her with your own bare hands!”

“What?!”

I blacked out.

Sarah

After Jordan left my body, I collapsed on the ground. I looked up at Reese. His eyes were white, his mouth was open, Jordan’s soul going into him. There, in his room, I knew that Jordan would use my own lover to kill me.

“I should have taken this body in the first place,” he/she said, looking at Reese’s hands. “The power! The strength! The agility!”

He did a back flip, grabbing a bookshelf by the corner and pushing it down. I jumped out of the way in time. Shadowfang, who was nearby, was hissing at Jordan/Reese. His yellow eyes turned to me, his white teeth in an evil grin. Then his fangs began to extend.

“What a tragedy this will be,” Jordan/Reese said, “When Reese kills the love of his life with his own hands!”

He/she wrapped their hands around my throat and began to squeeze. My vision began to blur. I could feel my strength waning, could feel the fight in him. I could see into his soul and realized that he was fighting his hardest, but Jordan was just too powerful.

His black hair hung like a curtain around his face, his nostrils flaring.

“Goodbye, Sarah,” he/she said.

Then someone grabbed him around the waist.

“Get off of her!” I was never so glad to see Mordecai than I was at that moment. He had Reese around the waist. Reese stiffened, then his mouth opened and the same black substance poured out and tried to enter Mordecai. Mordecai kept his mouth closed, however, and set Reese down. Reese saw me and came over to me. Still a bit afraid of him, I shrank back, and he whimpered.

“It’s me,” he assured me. “I’m so sorry, baby. Come here.”

I ran into his arms and held on tight. He whispered sweet nothings in my ear while Mordecai fought Jordan.

Reese

I held onto Sarah with all my might without crushing her. I couldn’t believe I’d almost killed her. I looked back. Father was still struggling with Jordan’s soul, which start zipping around my room, knocking books off the remaining shelves and causing clothes to go everywhere. She swept my desk, knocking my laptop to the floor. She entered my stereo, causing it to blare “Crazy Train” by Ozzie Osbourne.

Jordan knocked into Sarah, pulling her out of my arms. Sarah held Jordan back, keeping her mouth closed, but Jordan found another way in: through Sarah’s eyes. I watched, horrified, as Sarah’s eyes turned pitch black and she began to seize.

“Jordan!” I cried out. “Leave her alone! Take me!”

I noticed blood seeping onto Sarah’s shirt. I lifted up her top, and I noticed that her C-section scar had been torn open. She was going to kill Sarah from the inside! My Sarah already had a bad heart and stress seizures: she didn’t need this as well!

“Why do you hate her so much?” I demanded. Tears ran down my cheeks and onto Sarah’s beautiful face.

I picked her up and carried her outside to Nissan GT-R. I didn’t care if she bled on the seats, she was dying! I knew exactly who to go to, as well.

Mason was on his father’s porch, smoking a cigarette. He stomped on it when he saw me.

Wordlessly, I brought Sarah out for him to see. His eyes widened, and he opened the door. I set her on the couch as blood spurted out of her.

Mason muttered a few words in Latin. I caught the words like “evil”, “vampire”, “witch”, “victim”.

“Where’s your father?” I demanded.

“Not here,” he snapped. “Damn it, Sarah, don’t leave me now!”

He laid on top of her. Jealousy ripped through my entire being, and I grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him off. Suddenly, Sarah stopped writhing.

Jordan’s soul left her body through her scar, which was still bleeding, and took the form of the manipulative blond witch.

“You too, Mason?” she gaped. “This is too rich!” She began to laugh crazily.

“Hail Mary, full of grace-“

Jordan took off.

“You!” I shouted. I swung at him, but he ducked in time. “You tried to fuck her!”

“I tried to protect her!”

“You love her! You always loved her!”

“Yes, all right! I love Sarah!”

“You son of a bitch!”

“Don’t call my mother a bitch, Reese!”

I swung at him again; he ducked. “This isn’t helping!” he shouted. “Sarah needs medical attention, now!”

He held his hands against her stomach. “I can’t keep the pressure on for long. Reese, you have to bite her.”

“Bite her!”

“I know, but it’s the only way she’ll survive Jordan’s attack. I wouldn’t ask you to do it if I knew any other way!”

“I love her!”

“So do I! But I stayed away because I knew she never liked me like that. She loves you. Before you, there was Caden, Jerome, Elliot, Jamie, Eric, Glen-“

“I know, I know!” I leaned down to her level. “Forgive me.”

My teeth slid into her throat easily as if I was biting into butter. Her blood tasted sweet, flowery. She jerked, her heart immediately speeding up, preparing to stop beating for good. I bit her again and again, and then Mason brought over some extra deer blood that his father kept in case of spell emergencies. I gorged myself until my belly was as tight as a drum, then I bit into my arm and let the blood flow into her mouth, sealing the wound on her stomach, healing her, making her mine forever.

I called Mother and Father. Mother came over first, bringing with her a bottle of warm blood. Beckett came over as well, bringing Sabine with him, who gasped when she saw her sister.

Beckett sighed and shook his head. “You truly have transformed our family, Reese.”

“This time it wasn’t his fault,” Mason argued. “It was Jordan. She took over Sarah’s body and started killing her from the inside.”

Beckett scowled. “What did she do to her?”

I launched into the story while holding my Sarah at the same time. When I finished, Beckett held out his hands to hold her. I gave her to him reluctantly, and he took the tie out of her hair while stroking her bloodied cheek.

“She needs to get cleaned up,” he said. “Go get a warm washcloth.”

Mason came back with several washcloths soaked in hot water, and we began to clean her. Mother took a seat in an old rocking chair, moaning as she sat. She was huge now, still pregnant with Lydia, Phoenix, and Emery.

Father sat beside me while I cleaned Sarah. When Krauvas arrived half an hour later, he would find myself and Mother undressing Sarah and putting her in some clean pajamas of Mason’s. Mason himself told Krauvas what had occurred; Krauvas took the opportunity to cleanse the house of negative energy and sprinkle a bit of salt around the property line. Mason stared at Sarah with love in his eyes. I hissed at him, and he glanced at me before turning back to her.

I ran a comb through her hair, finished washing her face, and Krauvas allowed us to use his guest space for her to rest. As jealous as I was, I trusted Mason to take good care of her. I had to find Jordan. But I had to stay with Sarah.

I angrily paced back and forth on all fours, growling and snapping at any male who came too close to her, except Beckett, whom I recognized as her parent. I was angry, furious, jealous, livid, upset, sad, sick, depressed…even when Father pressed his cheek against mine and purred, I growled and nipped his throat. He nipped me back in warning.

My stomach twisted painfully, my heart pounded, my brain raced a mile a minute…I needed to destroy something. I grabbed a chair that was sitting there on the floor, annoying me, and prepared to smash it, but Father grabbed it from me and flung me over his shoulder.

He didn’t stop walking until we reached the middle of the woods. I angrily bit chunks off trees and tore leaves from their branches, shaking entire trunks. The only thing that stopped me was when I heard a plop, and turned and saw that a nest had fallen. There were three small eggs in it, but now they were all broken. My heart shredded to pieces, and I buried my nose in the tree trunk and sobbed.

“It’s all right, Reese,” Father said, trying to soothe me.

I shook my head. “No, it isn’t. I killed her! I fucking killed her!”

“She’ll be all right, son. She’s strong. She needs you now more than ever, if only to protect her from rivals.”

“I am the greatest danger she’s ever faced,” I said. “I caused the vampiration of her parents, I caused her sister’s vampire boyfriend to die. I scared off all her friends, I pressured her into marrying me, I got her pregnant when she wasn’t ready, I bit her, I ravaged her body, I loved her, I tore her family and friends apart, I’m no good for her.”

Mason

I muttered incantations and mixed herbs as my parents taught me while my heart broke for Sarah. She deserved so much more. She was so kind, so selfless. I’d known her longer, but she chose him.

“Pound harder, Mason!” Dad shouted at me as I pounded the mortar and pestle. I did as he said and waited anxiously. I was already exhausted, and Beckett and Marina’s fussing was not making things easier. Marina made sure Sarah was comfortable, listening occasionally to her veins tightening, her heart speeding up, slowing down, then speeding up again. She was already feverish and would occasionally open her eyes, only to show the whites.

Her chest seized, her limbs shaking and writhing. Occasionally her wings would start to poke out, then go back in. I could only imagine that pain.

Beckett was on the phone to Alicia; why, I don’t know, but Alicia refused to see her daughter, saying it was her own fault that this happened to her. Beckett finally smashed the phone in a rage, and then he began shouting at Dad.

“Can’t you do something?!” he demanded.

“I’m doing my best, Beckett!” Dad shouted. “I don’t have my full powers right now!”

“Why the hell not?!”

“Because I am separated from my life partner and my coven, you dolt!”

“You bastard, I’ll kill you!”

He actually grabbed my father around the throat and started squeezing.

“Dad!” I dropped the mortar and pestle and ran to save my father. “Let him go!” I started pounding on Beckett’s arm, to no avail. Beckett lost his temper again and shoved my father to the ground, turning to me instead. I’d never been so scared in my life. He grabbed me around the throat with one hand then pulled his hand back, as if he was preparing to reach into me and pull my guts out. But a ball of blue energy encased him in seconds.

I expected it to be my dad, but it was Marina, holding a hawthorn wand with floral designs and fauna like roe deer carved into it.

My father crawled over to me, his hot breath hitting my face.

“Please tell me you’re all right,” he said, a lock of his gray hair falling out of his ponytail. I nodded, and he helped me up.

My father was looking at Marina strangely. I was confused. We knew she’d been born into witchcraft, so why the confusion? We’d met Satira, for heaven’s sake.

Marina used her wand to put Beckett and the ball of energy in a corner, where he furiously pounded the walls and screamed silently.

“You have your full powers?” Dad asked Marina.

“Yes,” she replied, sticking her wand in her skirt.

“But you abandoned witchcraft for Catholicism.”

“The power of the Lord is more powerful than any other magic.”

“Marina?” Mordecai was in the doorway, holding Reese, who was fast asleep.

“My love,” she said, walking towards him at human speed. “What is wrong with our son?” She petted Reese’s hair and kissed him.

“Nothing. I put him to sleep, to keep him calm. He destroyed a bird’s nest and the eggs inside and then started sobbing. Then he collapsed and started saying “She’s gone, she’s gone,” so I hypnotized him into falling asleep.”

“I’d say to put him next to her, but there is no room.”

“We’ll make room.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN – REESE

I hated myself. I wished vampires were easier to kill, because I wanted to die at that moment. I wasn’t afraid of death. I was afraid of her being a monster, of her hating me. I’d destroyed her family, her social life, her body, her mental health, her physical health, our marriage, and I was too selfish to care about anyone but myself. I didn’t deserve to live. I didn’t deserve her.

As I dreamed, I felt a soft body next to me, slowly hardening to a substance as hard as bone. It was all my fault. She’d be better off with Mason, or Caden, or Glen Crow, or Eric Martin, or Elliot, or anyone but me.

I felt her soft hair under my chin. I looked into her mind, and I saw pain. Physical pain. Like a thousand knives going through her entire being. She wanted to die, wanted it to end…she wanted her father, my mother, Caitlin, somebody. More than any of that, she wanted me. I was stunned. I realized I was crying hard, my throat a lump, tears running out of my eyes. I’d ruined her.

I felt like I was being watched, stared at intently. I hated whoever it was, and silently begged them to leave. Fuck my undead immortal existence.

I wanted to kill Jamie, kill Regina, Alana, anyone who’d ever hurt her. I wanted somebody to pay dearly for her death. Then I remembered…Jordan. The bitch had gone too far this time. My body seized, and I began shaking and muttering. I realized I was talking, but I couldn’t hear what I was saying. But I heard my father’s voice. And then Mother’s.

“What’s he saying?” Father asked.

“He wants to help Sarah,” Mother replied. “Such a good boy. I still can’t believe you told me he was dead.”

“Are you ever going to forgive me for that? You know, I never stopped loving you. But when he was born, I found someone I loved even more.”

“I loved him, too! Even though you tricked me into marrying you, I still loved our son.”

“I’m sorry, Marina. I know that it was my fault.”

“Everything is your fault. Alexander’s death is your fault.”

“Alexander killed himself out of self-loathing. He was bacteria in the pus of an abscess on a drunk man’s thigh.”

“You!”

“Let go of my shirt, woman!”

I heard a loud boom. I felt a bit righteous that my father had just been smacked by Mother. Then I heard another boom. Did Father just hit Mother?

“You…you hit me.”

“Damn right I did, Marina. You hit me first, too.”

“You heartless cad! I am pregnant with your daughter! I have two other children inside of me, and I gave birth to one of your sons, not that you treat your other child very well.”

“Are you saying I’m not a good father to David?”

“He disappeared, and you didn’t give a damn! You should have known he was working for Bram! He still comes and goes, and you don’t care!”

“He’s a big boy, he can take care of himself.”

“But he has other siblings besides Reese, and you don’t care about them, either!”

“They are not my children! Just like those two aberrations in your belly are not mine, either! I will be a good father to Lydia! You think I’m not happy about becoming a father again?”

“You don’t act like it!”

“Stop,” I muttered. I opened my eyes. My parents were both looking at me in shock. “Stop fighting. It doesn’t help.”

Mother sat beside me and put her palm on my forehead. “You’re cold.”

“I’m a vampire,” I said. “Well, half-vampire at this point.”

Mother glared at Father. “That is also your fault.”

“Hey, Reese made the decision to make himself mortal. It will kill me when and if he dies, but it was his choice.” Father was glowering at Mother, who glared back.

“Father,” I said, “How are the twins?”

“Ask your mother.”

I looked at my maternal parent.

“They are doing well,” she said. “Zie is looking after them.”

“She won’t let me see them,” Father muttered.

“Sorry,” I said. “The condom broke.”

“Of course you’d blame the condom,” he muttered.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You think I don’t hate myself for what I did to our family and to Sarah? What I’m still doing? You think I don’t hate myself for existing?”

“Oh, honey, don’t talk like that,” Mother urged. “Mordecai and I are glad you’re alive. I’m proud to have you as a son. You’re a wonderful young man. But you did hurt Sarah deeply. I would not be surprised if she leaves you.”

“I hope she does.”

I felt a few small fingers encompass my own. I looked down. Sarah was reaching out for me. She was also starting to mutter while she changed, while her veins and arteries hardened and her blood began to slow down and the venom turned her plasma sour. Jordan had really done a number on her, but already I could see the wound on her stomach was nearly healed.

“Daddy,” she muttered. “Mommy.”

I heard a loud shattering sound, and Mother winced.

“Beckett must have heard her,” Father mused.

The French man was in the room in seconds. He sat next to his daughter and hissed at me. I quickly sat up, while hissing back, and backed away to give him some space. As possessive as I was about my sweet mate, Beckett was twenty times more possessive of his daughter.

I leaned against my mother, who held me in her arms. I took in a deep breath, and then I realized-I couldn’t smell as well as I used to. Damn it all.

“Change me back,” I muttered.

“What?” Mother asked, looking at me.

“Change me back into a full vampire,” I said.

She stared at me, then turned her wrist toward her mouth to bite the veins.

“Wait,” Father said, “I should do it.”

Mother looked at him.

He ignored her look, then bit into his wrist. He offered me his limb, and I latched on, my fangs extending. His blood was so good. Sour, because of the venom, but also rich and sweet. A bit salty, because he was male.

I drank until my stomach was full, then fell into a deep slumber.

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

When I woke up again, it was nighttime. I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

Beckett was still beside Sarah, fuming. His arm was around her waist, his eyes boring into me. I’d never felt so hated in my life.

I sat up and took in a deep breath. The smells! I listened for a heartbeat, and found only one-Sarah’s, which was slowing down. She would be a vampire soon.

Mother and Father were not there, probably to give us some privacy.

I listened carefully for my parents. I heard a woman crying.

I sat up, then was immediately pushed back down by Beckett, his claws digging into my belly.

I hissed in pain, then listened to Sarah’s heartbeat.

Two beats. One beat. And then, nothing.

I rolled over, ignoring the pain in my belly, and looked at my Sarah. Her eyes shot open. She looked at the ceiling, then all around the room. Her eyes searched for other beings, and they landed on me.

“Mate.”

The word that graced her beautiful full lips said it all.

She grasped me by the head and pulled me close, kissing me furiously. I saw Beckett frown, then he left the room.

As for me, I held onto her, her fingers squeezing my arms and actually hurting.

“So many smells,” she muttered, pulling away. “So much to look at. There’s a baby spider on the ceiling. There’s another color…what’s that, Reese?”

“That’s ultra-violet light, sweetie,” I told her.

“It’s all so new,” she said. “I don’t know what I was afraid of. It’s all so full and rich and new!”

“Are you hungry?” I asked. “Is your throat dry?”

She licked her lips. “Uh-huh.”

“Hold on, I’ll get you something.”

“I’ll do it,” said a familiar male voice. Mason stood at the entrance to the room.

“You,” I seethed. “You’ve been vying for her this whole time. You could have protected her. You could have ended her pain. You could have stopped her from dating me.”

“Reese, stop it,” Sarah said. “He can’t predict the future.”

“He’s right,” Mason said, leaning against the doorframe. He ran his fingers through his long black hair. “Damn it, this is hard. The short version is, I love you, Sarah. I’ve always loved you.”

She hesitated. Then her words proved just how kind she was. “Oh, Mason, why didn’t you say anything? I liked you, too. Maybe not as much, but the reason why I didn’t say anything is because I thought you were only into Scarlett.”

He sighed. “I know, it’s my fault. Is there any chance…?”

“Sorry,” she replied. “I love Reese now. I want to be with him as long as he wants me.”

“How does forever sound?” I asked.

She playfully slapped my arm. It actually hurt, for once. “Be nice.”

Mason’s face was red, and I could tell he was trying not to cry. He started to turn away, but then Sarah spoke up.

“Wait, Mason.”

He paused, but didn’t look at her. “What, Sarah?”

“One kiss. How does that sound?”

We both looked at her in shock. She turned toward me and her tanned skin turned pale.

“Er, that is, if it’s okay with Reese…”

“You know how I feel about you kissing other guys,” I told her. I sighed. “But, even though he’s my worst rival, he’s also my friend. He’s your friend, too. So yes, one kiss.”

“I don’t deserve either of you,” Mason muttered.

Sarah eased herself out from under me and carefully stood up, her curls bouncing with each movement. She walked up to him, and he touch her cheek. I saw her close her eyes.

“So cold,” he mumbled. “So beautiful, and yet so deadly.”

Sarah grasped his shoulders and pulled his lips against hers. It was actually sort of hot. I could feel myself growing excited as he closed his eyes and kissed her back. Suddenly I realized something, something important…why Jordan hated Sarah so much. Why she’d tried to kill her. Jordan was in love with Mason Godfrey.

Their kiss deepened, and my face grew jade in color. But I still let them finish, sitting on my hands so I wouldn’t snap Mason’s neck.

“That’s enough of that,” I heard Beckett say. He entered the room and pulled my friend and my girlfriend apart. He ignored Mason and turned Sarah to face him. “Honey, is there something you want to tell me? Why were you kissing Mason just now?”

“It’s love, Papa,” she told him. “If you really are my papa.”

The last sentence shook me. I stared at her in surprise. Beckett sighed and rubbed his face.

“Damn it, girl, I really am your father. Why can’t you see that?”

“Because Alicia is not my real mother, is she?”

“Please, not now.”

“What’s going on?” I demanded. “Why are you talking like that, Sarah?”

She turned toward me, her eyes shining. “Because I found a document that proves that Alicia was the one who gave birth to me, but not only was I not her egg, but I also wasn’t her first child.”

“More family secrets?” I asked Beckett.

He groaned and sank into a chair. “Not now, Sarah, please.”

“Yeah, this time is for getting to know my new powers and myself as a vampire.” She looked at me. “Will I have any gifts or extra talents?”

“Possibly. Many vampires do.”

She started to extend her wings. She smiled. “It doesn’t hurt anymore!”

“That’s fantastic, love. What about your mental powers?”

“Mental powers?” she questioned, then her eyes widened. “Oh!”

How clear is this?

Clear as a bell. Before, it was a bit fuzzy, but now I can fully read your mind, and you can read mine, if you choose.

Score!

I felt her poke around my mind for a minute, then went back to her own mind. She jumped, and touched the ceiling. She smiled. “I squished the spider.”

She really had changed. Before, she hated spiders so much she refused to kill them herself. She always had me do it. I’m not fond of spiders, either, but I don’t mind killing them. She exercised her wings for a minute. She was lifted into the air briefly. I grabbed her wrist before she went too high. She detracted her wings, embarrassed, and then went downstairs, where Krauvas, Mother, and Father, were waiting. Surprisingly, so was Zie with Cirino and the twins.

“Sare!” Cirino chimed, running up to her. He was becoming a real toddler. I couldn’t believe I’d missed his first steps. Sarah picked him up in her arms and tossed him in the air, then caught him. He squealed with joy, then gave her a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

“I love you,” she whispered to him.

“Love,” he replied, pointing to her. “Love Mommy.” He pointed to Mother. For a moment, pain flashed across Sarah’s face. Then she regained control of herself, then set the boy down. He ran back to Zie, who handed Sarah the first twin, Caitlin Juniper. Sarah’s eyes sparkled with love and emotion.

“She’s beautiful,” she said. “What about my boy?”

Zie gave her Joseph, taking Caitlin back.

“He looks like you,” she noted, looking back at me. “Same black hair and everything. Same nose. No chin, though.”

“Dear, babies don’t have chins,” Mother reminded her.

Sarah giggled, and the sound was like music. “Right, I forgot. Silly me.”

She looked up and turned to look at my father. Her mouth fell open in surprise. “Damn, Mordecai, you’re even more beautiful as a vampire.”

Father chuckled. “And you’re braver as a vampire, too. Reese is right there.”

She turned and smiled at me, then jumped into my arms. Her legs wrapped around my waist, her lips against mine. Then she pulled back and frowned. “What about my fangs?”

“They’ll show up,” I promised her. “You’ll probably have to be hungry again or protective or threatening or angry.”

She pouted. “Damn. The fangs are the coolest part.”

“Not spending eternity with me?”

“That, too.”

She wrapped herself around me tighter and purred, her head against my chest.

“I take it you like being a vampire?” Mason hedged.

“Love it,” she responded. He smiled weakly. She looked up and looked into my eyes. “Your eyes,” she said, “They’re so many different shades of yellow. I never noticed before. They’re like my own personal sun.”

“You can thank my father for that.”

“Thank you, Mordecai.”

“You’re welcome, Sarah.”

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

The trip back to the house was eventful. Sarah wanted to explore everything. It was sunny out, so I kept my hoodie on and stayed in the shadows while she visited the mall, the plant nursery, the library, the hospital, To Bean Or Not To Bean (where she bought a vanilla latte and tasted it, which was disastrous), the woods nearby, where I showed her how to swing through trees and stalk animals (she refused to kill anything, however), and finally, Mother’s flower garden, where she spent quite a bit of time rolling in the daisies and azaleas. (Much to Mother’s irritation.)

Yes, it was true, she loved being a vampire. She loved running, too. She raced me to the lake and back about thirty times, then went to the cemetery, where she stared at the tombstones and shuddered at her fate had I not saved her.

She did somersaults and flips, flew with her wings out, practicing swan diving, and danced and rolled all around. When the cats came to greet us, she picked up Belle and buried her nose in her fur and inhaled. Then she did the same to each of the cats.

She continued in this fashion until it started to grow dark, and she realized that it was around the time she usually went to bed. She looked at me.

“You can stay up,” I told her. “Play videogames or watch movies.”

“I don’t want to play videogames,” she said. “I want to be with you.”

“Sarah, I’m exhausted,” I said, which was the truth. “I love you, but if I don’t get some sleep soon, I’ll crash.”

She frowned, but let me get ready for bed. When I finished with my shower, however, she was already in one of my old t-shirts and her hair was braided over her left shoulder. I smiled. She was still my sweet, loving Sarah, no matter how she’d changed.

She explored my bookshelves and then complained that there was nothing to read. Nothing that we hadn’t read before, at least. I desperately needed to visit the bookstore again.

We curled up, Shadowfang and Mishka at our feet, Father downstairs talking to someone on the phone, the dogs at Mother’s house (we didn’t want to overwhelm Sarah), and all was right, except for Regina and Jamie and Jordan and Alana and Marie who Regina told us was dead but really wasn’t, and Michael Nales and the Council. And Paul was still missing. But all that could wait. We always had tomorrow.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – REVELATION

When I woke up the next morning, I thought it was my stomach that had woken me up. But no, it was a large vehicle. My uncle’s black truck, to be exact.

“What’s he doing here?” I muttered to myself. I looked over at Sarah, who had a serene smile on her face. I smiled and checked the time. It was seven in the morning. Might as well start the day.

I pulled some clothes on, brushed my teeth, and ran a comb through my hair. Shadowfang stretched and yawned, then jumped down to follow me downstairs.

The doorbell rang, and I went to answer it.

My uncle stood on the doorstep. His eyes were red, with dark shadows, and he’d lost some weight.

“Reese.”

He collapsed on top of me, sending both of us to the floor. Father turned Uncle Soren over and lifted him off of me.

“He’s a mess,” I noted.

“Damn politics,” Father muttered. “That’s why I left Denmark twenty years ago.”

“Father, where’s Louis?”

He bit his lip before answering me. “He’s been put on suicide watch. They sent another piece of Paul over. Or, at least, we think it…they…were Paul’s.”

“Who would do that to Louis?”

“Oh, plenty of people hate him. Or it could be someone from Paul’s race. A shapeshifter who was offended that he was in a relationship with a vampire. We just don’t know, and we’re running out of options and power. We…” He swallowed. “Soren and I discussed…conceding to the Council.”

My jaw dropped. “Father, you’re not serious?”

“I’m afraid I am. I think that Bram’s attempt to take over and all these murders is an attempt to discredit us. Soren thinks so, too.” He looked down at his older brother and sighed. “He’s exhausted himself nearly to death. Here, help me get him upstairs.”

It took the combined effort of both of us to carry my heavyset uncle up to his old bedroom in the house. Father took his shoes off, then his shirt. I took his hair band out and undid his trousers. One other thing we noticed was that he seemed to be swollen. His hands, his legs, his arms, his belly, all full of excessive blood. Had they forced him to drink all that blood?

“Mordecai,” he muttered. “I fucked up.”

“Not now, Soren,” Father said, pulling the covers over him.

“You don’t understand, I really fucked up.”

“What did you do this time?”

“I agreed to marry Regina.”

“Oh, Christ, Soren, why would you do a stupid thing like that? You know she’ll spin it so that you really will marry her.”

“I only said it so you wouldn’t have to.”

“I wouldn’t have had to, anyway. Reese only signed for himself, not me.”

“Shit damn fuck.”

“Besides, I know she’s not who you want.”

Uncle Soren’s eyes shot open. “I love her, Mordecai. I’ve always loved her.”

“Who?” I asked.

“That doesn’t matter, anyway, because she never wanted you, anyway. She chose someone else. Someone older and eviler than you.”

“Are you talking about my mother?”

“Yes, Reese. Your uncle is head over heels for your mother…again.”

“I really thought my crush had ended after all those years. But when she showed up again at that ball we had…damn it, she’s gotten even more beautiful.”

“You’re not going to fight over Mother, are you?” I demanded.

“No, Reese, because it’s too late, for one, and for another, she hates my guts,” Father told me.

“It’s my fault,” Uncle Soren muttered. “It’s all my fault.” He took in a deep breath, and his eyes opened wide. “Do I smell a female vampire?”

Just then, Sarah walked into the room, looking lovely as sin in shorts and an oversized t-shirt. All the male jaws dropped at the sight of her. She smiled sweetly at us, then turned to Uncle Soren.

“Are you hurt, Soren?” she asked. “No offense, but you’re a mess.”

“When did you turn into a vampire?” Uncle Soren demanded.

“I finished the change yesterday. It’s phenomenal. But are you okay?”

“No, I’m not. You’re drop-dead gorgeous, Sarah. I didn’t think it was possible for you to become even prettier.”

She giggled. “Neither did Reese.”

He groaned and tipped his head back.

“What did they do to you?” I demanded.

“Pumped me full of blood.” He looked at his stomach while rubbing it. “Damn it, if I didn’t mess up so badly-“

“Can I help?” Sarah piped up.

Uncle Soren smiled at her. “Thanks, hon, but this is my problem.” He looked at me. “If you don’t treat her right, I will.”

I smacked his chest. He winced, then tried to sit up. He was constricted by his new size, however. He fell back down and gasped for air. He looked at my father.

“Get revenge for me. Help Louis. Find Paul.”

“What do you mean, get revenge for you?” Father demanded. “You’ll be fine in about a week.”

“Or not. I feel heavy.”

Father punched Uncle Soren in the stomach, hard. Uncle Soren jolted upright and vomited blood all over the bed and me. While he shook his head and tried to come to terms with what his brother had just done to him, I groaned and looked down at my previously clean shirt.

“Thanks, Father.”

“I did not know he would puke all over you, son. Sorry.”

Uncle Soren laid back and gasped for unnecessary air.

“But you knew he would puke.”

“Why do you think I gut-punched him?”

Uncle Soren groaned. “My gut’s killing me.”

Sarah stepped into the room and sat beside him on the bed. He looked at her in surprise, and she reached for his hand, which he took. That irked me.

“Is there anything I can get for you?” she asked.

“You’re sweet, Sarah,” Uncle Soren said. “But don’t worry about me.”

Instinctively, I grasped her shoulders and pulled her into me. Her head against my chest, I was finally at peace, until we all heard a snapping noise.

I looked toward the direction of the sound. Was Julian slacking? That sounded like bone breaking. Before I could chastise my father for his poor decision-making in reference to our personal protection, I heard it…vampire footsteps. Sarah heard it, too. She began to tremble and cling to me, her mate and sire.

Father positioned himself in front of us, and Uncle Soren sat up completely, wincing and grunting.

I smelled the air. “Smells female.”

“It is female,” Uncle Soren confirmed.

Sarah sniffed the air, her eyes wide. “So that’s what I smell like?”

“You smell much nicer,” I assured her. This intruding bitch had a rancid stench, like decaying flesh and clotted blood and shit.

“Stay here,” Father said, and he went to go check it out.

“Stay here,” I repeated to Sarah, who looked skeptical. “Take care of my mate,” I said to my uncle, who nodded.

Father and I stayed close. We noticed the cats were hiding, too.

I stepped into the front yard and scanned the perimeter for the strange female. Father watched my back. Then I heard a guttural scream, and the female ran at us from the side, knocking us both down.

She turned her attention to me first. She had wild red hair and red eyes and a crazed expression. It was true insanity.

She leaped on me, and she stunk even worse up close, the shit smell growing stronger. She grabbed me by the hair and leaned in close.

“Where is it?” she demanded.

“What the fuck are you talking about, bitch?” I asked. She yanked my head back, exposing my throat, and her fangs extended, preparing to puncture my skin.

Father grabbed the crazy woman and held her prone, while she kicked and elbowed and smacked him. My father is incredibly strong, but this lady gave him a run for his money strength-wise.

“Leave my son alone!” Father shouted. He bit into the redhead’s neck, and she stopped struggling immediately. Teeth in the arteries. Works every time.

Stomach heaving, I eased myself up. Then I smelled a familiar smell. I looked toward the front door, horrified. The strange vampire would attack Sarah on sight.

“Sarah, go back inside!” I shouted, horrified.

She shook her head, and the crazy vampire looked at her and growled. Sarah flinched. I didn’t bother telling her not to do that again-I was furious enough that she’d come outside at all.

Suddenly, she began to glow. Her wings extended from her back, and she began to flap. She went into the air, and even she seemed surprised at whatever was happening to her.

“It’s the sun fairy in her,” Father said when I looked to him for an explanation. “It’s charging her.”

I watched as my mate flew back towards the ground, pulling her wings back in, and then she stopped glowing. Her eyes were a brilliant lime green. She looked at me, and I looked at her.

“S-Sarah?”

“Reese, what just happened?”

“It’s the sun,” Father told her. “You’re part sun fairy. The sun charges sun fairies. It must be because you’re a vampire now that you glowed and charged like that.”

The strange redheaded vampire spat out a laugh. “She’s a fairy?”

“Be quiet, chit,” Father snapped. “Who sent you? Why are you here?”

“My mistress seeks the book and the earrings.”

“What book and what earrings? Speak sense, woman.”

“If I tell, my mistress’ magic will wear off and I will burn in the sun.”

“Did Regina send you? Or was it Satira? Tell me now!”

Instead of answering him like I wish she would have, the woman muttered, “I die now.”

And then she turned to ash in my father’s arms. Sarah’s hands flew to her mouth. Father wiped his hands on his jeans, disgusted.

“She burned!” Sarah cried.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, lover,” I said, going to hug her but then remembering the woman’s putrid scent. Her ashes stunk even worse, too.

Julian came around to the front, rubbing his neck. He saw the ashes on the ground and his jaw dropped.

“Julian, go get some gallon Ziploc bags,” Father ordered, and Julian nodded and went to find them. A minute later, he came out with a whole box of them and a fireplace shovel.

“Why did she burn, Reese?” Sarah asked me.

“Because she was created with black magic,” I told her. “She was more like a wraith than a true vampire. Even then, true vampires have to be careful in the sun. That’s why I always wear jackets and hoodies.”

She clung to me.

“Stay here,” I said. “Don’t move beyond the perimeter of the property line.”

“Reese!” she snapped. “I’m not fucking five.”

I winced. “Sorry, but I worry. And I’m going somewhere. You can come along if you want, but I’d rather you stay with my father or uncle or Julian. Not that I trust Julian completely, but my father does.”

Just then, Julian appeared. “Come with me, Princess,” he said. She looked torn. I don’t mind if my Sarah and Julian platonically like each other, but Sarah tends to attract males of all kinds, and I don’t like that. I only care we can trust him not to try anything with her. Julian happens to be an alpha male without a mate, and Sarah is a brand-new vampire who happens to be very beautiful. Stealing mates is seen as taboo in our world, but it does happen occasionally, and it’s usually a sign that the couple were not true mates or they happened to find their second potential soulmate while the first mate was still alive, another rarity.

Stomach queasy, I looked at my father. He nodded for me to go on.

“I’ll watch over her,” he mouthed.

Heart breaking, I left my Sarah with Julian and Father to check on Mason.

I met Krauvas along the way. He had just bought some herbs and seeds at the local Walmart between my house and his and I followed him silently to his house. When the house came into view though, the door was wide open and off the hinges.

Krauvas dropped his bags and ran inside, looking panicked. I followed close behind.

Mason was laying on his stomach in a pool of blood around his head. Hearts pounding, Krauvas called out “Mason! My son!” and ran over to him, rolling him onto his back. Mason was severely wounded with a deep gash in his solar plexus.

“Dad,” Mason choked, “They took them. I’m sorry. I tried…”

“Shhh, it’s all right,” Krauvas said. He looked up and saw me. “Reese, thank the gods. Please, watch over my son. I have to go.”

“I know,” I said.

Krauvas looked at Mason, then at his wound.

“Dad, I’m fine,” Mason said.

“You most certainly are not,” Krauvas said firmly. He felt Mason’s head wound. “You are injured. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

“Dad, it was my fault-“

“Hush.” He looked at me, his eyes burning. “Your uncle and I need to have a serious talk, Reese. Go get him.”

“I’m here,” Uncle Soren said, leaning against the doorframe. He had showered and was wearing sweatpants and a clean shirt. “How hurt is the boy?”

“He’s fucking bleeding, Soren,” Krauvas snapped. “Whoever it was sliced his ribs and his forehead open.”

“Dad, I-“

“Be quiet, you.”

“Krauvas, I get it. Don’t forget, I have a son, too. Did you see who it was, Mason?”

“Yeah…that albino chick with the magic powers.”

“Alana?”

“It was Alana?” Krauvas sounded furious. “She could have killed him, Soren!”

“I figured it might have been her,” Uncle Soren said. “I killed her brother and her father. And her mother died recently as well.” He looked stricken, and I knew he was thinking about Grandmother, who passed away centuries before I was born.

Uncle Soren continued. “I will find her, Krauvas, I swear it on my existence.”

“And then I will kill her.”

Uncle Soren scowled. “Now, hold on. You would really wipe out a vampire line completely?”

“She nearly killed my son, Soren!”

“She almost killed my son and my nephew as well, Krauvas. She is young and has been raised by the wrong kind of vampires, but she didn’t kill any of our boys.”

“She killed Mitra.”

“Don’t you dare talk about Mitra!”

Krauvas set Mason on the couch and walked over to my uncle. My uncle is at least a foot and a half taller than Krauvas, who is six foot one, but Krauvas still glared at him bravely. Very few people look at my uncle like that and don’t eventually back down.

Krauvas and my uncle continued to glare at each other, until Krauvas suddenly threw his arm out and threw a ball of magic, hitting my uncle in the stomach and sending him flying back. I ran to my uncle’s side, and he slowly sat up, one hand on his stomach.

“Damn it, Krauvas,” he groaned. “You nearly cut me open.”

“Dad,” Mason muttered, leaning against the doorframe.

Krauvas turned around. “Mason! You should be resting!”

“Dad, I’m-“ Mason wavered where he stood, then fell over. Krauvas ran over to him and caught him in time, then carried him back to the couch.

“My boy,” Krauvas muttered, nuzzling Mason’s chest. He put his hand on Mason’s ribs, and his hand began to glow. Seconds later, blood blossomed on Krauvas’ shirt. Mason opened his eyes.

“Dad?” He sat up, then noticed the blood. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I couldn’t bear to see you hurt,” Krauvas replied. Mason looked down. His wounds were healed, leaving only scars.

Uncle Soren put his hand on my shoulder. “Will you be okay by yourself, Reese?” he asked.

“Yes,” I nodded. I looked over at Mason, who struggled to get up. He helped his father up, who was slightly bent over with one hand on his stomach.

“Dad? Are you okay?” Mason asked. “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s worth it,” Krauvas said, standing straight up. “Did you see which way she went, Mason?”

“No.” Mason shook his head. “I was sort of unconscious by the time she left.

“Reese!”

I turned. My own father was flitting towards me. He embraced me in a bone-crushing hug before smelling me all over.

“Father, I’m not hurt,” I insisted. He looked skeptical.

“I didn’t smell any wounds on you, but you could have been hurt, silly boy,” he said.

Sarah showed up then, wearing jeans and a tank top with pink sneakers. I noted that she wasn’t wearing a bra, not that I cared or anything.

“Sarah!” I shouted, after I forced myself to look at her face instead of her breasts. “Why are you here?”

“I was worried about you,” she said. “I talked to Julian for a minute then changed and ran here.”

I felt physically ill. Why couldn’t she stay put?

She noticed my sour mood and knew she was in trouble. She snarled at me.

“You are not my parent,” she growled.

I was abashed at my overprotective behavior. It seems that I still saw her as fragile and less able than I was, despite the fact that she was just as strong, at least temporarily, and could easily defend herself.

“Sarah?” Mason stood against the door, holding his arm.

Her eyes went wide. “Mason! You’re hurt!”

“Not anymore, thanks to my father. But I messed up, Sarah. I messed up big-time.”

“I’m sure you didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Thanks, love.”

Then both their eyes went wide. Mason blushed. “I-I mean, Sarah.”

She stared at him, then looked at me. She noted my furious expression.

“Let’s go home,” she suggested. “Or get a tea or something.”

“Let’s go,” I growled, grasping her by the arm.

“Ouch! Reese, you’re squeezing me.”

I let her go.

When we reached a nearby park, I started to bang my head against a juniper tree.

“Why couldn’t you have chosen him?” I demanded. “Why didn’t he say something earlier?”

“What are you talking about? You’re the one I want,” she insisted.

I growled. “I saw the way you looked at him! What is it about him that you like? Is it because he’s closer to your height? He’s a witch? Or is it because he’s got long wavy black hair?”

“Reese, you’re talking nonsense.”

“Or is it Krauvas?”

“Krauvas! EWWWW! Poisonous frogs have more appeal.”

“Damn it, Sarah, if you can’t just be honest and tell me-“

I stopped myself. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. I smelled her scent, the scent of the park, the trees, petrified wood, leaves, evergreen needles…something else. Something foul and decayed. I put that particular smell out of my mind for the moment and looked at Sarah.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Sarah. I just saw the way he looked at you and heard him call you ‘love’, and I just snapped. It was inexcusable.”

She nodded. “Damn right it was. Haven’t I proven over and over again that I love you more than anyone else in this world, except the kids and my father and sister? You’re suffocating me with your jealousy again, Reese. I’m not a freaking china doll anymore. I am much stronger, physically and mentally. I can bend trees, destroy rocks, kill bears with my bare hands, defend myself and you and the kids against a rogue vampire, and I’ve been through a lot with you over these past couple years. Ever since you helped me that night after what Nales did, I knew you were more special than I’d originally thought. Sure, I thought you were cute from time to time, but like everyone else, I was a bit scared of you. I’m not scared anymore, and I don’t need to be. You need to respect my friendships with both girls and guys. Some of them might have a little crush on me, or a big crush, but you do, too. Don’t you realize that the reason Caitlin and Ariella are together is because of you? Caitlin was originally my friend, and Ari was yours, but then she became my friend too, and I introduced her to my best friend from childhood. You haven’t even formally met Caitlin yet or even spoken to her, which is pretty rotten.

“You were right when you said you were so focused on yourself you barely noticed anything else. Haven’t you noticed that Raoul is isolating Selena? Your sister? And no one’s seen David in days? Mordecai is worried out of his mind, but you act like you don’t care, because all you care about is what you can or can’t do for this family. Soren himself threw you and Mordecai out of the palace because of something you did. When’s the last time you spoke to Cirino? Or even your own babies?”

I was stunned by her speech. She’d clearly been bottling this up for a long time, but she’d also said some of those things before. I was suddenly furious. I turned and stomped away. I heard her huff and turn to walk away herself, then I heard a crash and a scream. The ground gurgled, and I turned to see a big hole in the ground by the juniper tree.

“Sarah!” I called, running over to the edge of the hole. I laid on my stomach and looked down. I searched for her, finding her amongst a pile of bones. Human bones.

She screamed again upon seeing them, and quickly jumped out of the hole. Suddenly, the bones shook. Sarah clung to me and watched in horror as the bones began to reassemble themselves.

“I wasn’t fair or nice just now,” Sarah said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m sorry for being a bad wife just now.”

“You’re not a bad wife,” I said, looking at her. “You have every right to be angry with me. I haven’t been treating everybody as well as I should have. It’s my fault.”

“Reese,” she muttered, looking down into the hole. The bones in the hole had assembled themselves and the skeleton appeared to be a female child. She was missing a few small bones, but otherwise appeared nearly complete. Predators and bugs had clearly had at her, tearing her pink and blue dress to shreds. She looked up at us, and Sarah let out a squeak. The child skeleton began to climb up the hole.

I stood up and backed away, Sarah still clinging to me. The child skeleton made her way up to the ground, where she revealed herself to be about seven or eight years old when she died.

“Do you know that old nursery rhyme?” She asked in a gravelly, old voice. “My mother she killed me, my father he ate me, my sister she laid my bones under the juniper tree.”

The child skeleton tilted her skull. “My name is Genesis Nouval.”

Sarah fainted.

“Sarah!” I held her in my arms. “Come on, baby, don’t faint now! Come on!”

I gently tapped her cheeks, kissing her occasionally.

“Is she okay?” the child skeleton asked.

“I…I don’t know,” I said, honestly. “Sarah, lovebucket, wake up?”

She opened one eye. “Lovebucket?”

“It’s what you are, isn’t it?” I asked, relieved that she was finally awake.

“You guys are cute,” Genesis Nouval said, smiling, if a skeleton could smile.

Sarah sat up. “Did…did you know my mother?” she asked Genesis.

Genesis nodded. “Your mother is Alicia Abraham, right? And her parents are Gianna and Benjamin Abraham?”

“Yes,” Sarah said, her voice shaking. “Are you…are you the lost child?”

“Yes,” she said. “I was Alicia’s first child. But then…things happened. It’s all a blur.”

Sarah looked up at the juniper tree. “You were buried under a juniper tree.”

“So I was,” Genesis said, looking at the tree. “All I remember is Mom and Daddy.”

“Beckett Cresley?” I asked.

“No, that wasn’t Daddy’s name. It was something along the lines of…oh, gosh, I don’t know. I wish I knew.”

“Maybe we can help you,” Sarah said. “If what you’re saying is true, that makes us sisters. Well, half-sisters.”

Genesis’ mandible dropped.

“Let me call Bubbe,” Sarah said. She whipped out her cell phone and found Gianna on her contacts list. She pressed a button and the cell phone was against her ear in a second. “Hello, Grandma? It’s Sarah. Yes, it has been a while. We have a lot to talk about. Oh no, I’m okay, and so is Sabine. She’s getting used to being a wolf-girl. Not quite a werewolf, but not quite not a werewolf. She was bitten some time ago. I know, right? She’s still my sister, and I love her to death, even though we are now two different species who typically don’t like each other. Reese? He's okay. He’s right here. Do you want to…be nice, Grandma. It wasn’t his fault. He did what he could to save me. Yes, I know. God ultimately created vampires too, didn’t He? He created all the lesser spirits and beings, including us.”

She rolled her eyes at me, and I smiled. Gianna still didn’t like me, especially now that Sarah herself was a vampire. She thought I’d damned her granddaughter to Hell. (Truth be told, I was wondering the same thing, myself. If Hell was where we were bound when we finally burned.)

Sarah continued. “Yes, Grandma, I’d love to have tea with you one of these days. You could show me how to make blintzes. Well, I know how to make them, but not the way you do. You make the best ones ever. I can still technically eat, I just can’t digest regular food the way I used to.” She burst out in laughter. “Grandma! No he’s not! You don’t know him like I do. Not, he’s not being selfish. He’s the kindest person I know. And yes, he’s a person, and a man.”

She started laughing again. “Well, when’s a good time to come over? Now? Perfect! I’m bringing a couple people along if that’s all right with you. Yes, that includes Reese. No, don’t put the plastic down! Be nice! No, no! Not the clowns! They freak everybody out, including me. Last thing that I want. Okay, love you too, Grandma. Bye.”

She clicked off.

“Clowns?” I asked, amused.

She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling. “I love it when you tilt your head like that. Yeah, my aunt Arabella used to be obsessed with a clown whose name was Mr. Bitzy. His real name was Finn Fischmann.”

“Wow, I’m so sorry for him.”

“Sabine said that to his face, and Mom smacked her. Then Grandma and Grandpa got mad at Mom for hitting her, and forced her to take a nap and drink some water. I didn’t realize it at the time, but she was drunk. Again.”

She winced and glanced at Genesis, whose skull was cocked.

“Are you talking about Mommy?” Genesis asked.

“Genesis,” Sarah said calmly, “Why don’t you come home with us? You can meet the cats and dogs.”

“I like kitties and doggies.”

Toby was sitting on the porch, sipping from a water bottle and smoking a cigarette. When he saw Genesis, he smirked.

“You are going to be in so much trouble,” he teased gently. “Your uncle isn’t in a good mood, and neither is your dad.”

“Yeah, yeah, but when is Uncle Soren ever in a good mood?”

“Good point.”

Immediately, Frodo weaved around my legs, meowing like the dickens.

“What’s the matter?” I bent down to scratch him. “

“Our litter box is full again,” he said, his yellow eyes big and pleading. He looked around me and saw Genesis. “Who’s the skeleton?”

“Be nice,” I warned. “She’s family.”

“You have skeletons in your family?”

“Not my family. Sarah’s.”

His eyes went even wider and he peeked around at Sarah, who was telling Genesis about how we came across the cats.

“A talking kitty?” Genesis said, just as Spunk came up and licked her metacarpal. “Does the doggie talk, too?”

“No, the dogs don’t talk,” Sarah said, smiling, as the rest of the dogs came up to greet us. Coffee and Lola stayed back, nervously watching Genesis. I wondered how Gizzy could be so social and friendly and her sister wasn’t. I put that thought into a brain file for later and focused on finding my father.

Father was in his office, typing away at his computer. I kissed him on the cheek. “You forgot to shave, Father.”

“I can go one day without shaving, boy-oh, hello.” He’d noticed Genesis. “Reese, a word?”

I shook my head. “It isn’t my fault this time. Unless you count Sarah getting mad at me and walking away and then falling into a sinkhole.”

“It wasn’t really a sinkhole,” Sarah corrected. “More like a piece of hollow ground ready to crumble at just the right moment, which was apparently when I stepped on it. But how and why it crumbled then and not earlier, or why it happened to me, is a puzzler. But it’s a blessing in disguise. Genesis says she knows my mother.”

Father blinked at her, his yellow eyes glazing over slightly. Then he turned to the skeleton girl. “Is that true, Genesis? That’s your name, is it? Genesis?”

“Actually, it’s Genesis Nouval,” the skeleton girl corrected. Father nodded.

“I believe ‘Nouval’ is French. I forget the meaning, though, but it can be used for both sexes. And ‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. It’s also the first book in the Bible and I believe the Torah or the Talmud, if I remember correctly. Are you Jewish or Christian, by chance?”

Genesis nodded. “I was Jewish when I was alive.”

“Just like me,” Sarah said. “Although lately I’ve been questioning whether God even exists or not or if it’s a fantasy, like a fairy tale.”

“What kind of Jewish are you?” Genesis asked.

“Oh gosh, I don’t even know anymore,” Sarah said. “We celebrated Passover and avoided pork, even though Papa was Christian due to Grandpa being Christian.” She scowled. “But what about you, Genesis? How old were you when…?” She trailed off.

“I was ten,” Genesis answered. “And there’s definitely something about you, Sarah, that seems familiar. I don’t know if we’re related or not, but we’re connected somehow. What can you tell me about your curse?”

“Well, when Mother was pregnant with me, I was supposed to marry a boy when I turned sixteen. In our family, the parents usually choose the other person’s mate. But I suppose it really began when my grandmother married a human instead of a fairy. We’re from Queen Titania’s line, direct descendants. Well, King Oberon didn’t like that and threw my grandmother out of the family line. But then my uncle Puck also married a human and they had Caden Cartwright, who I didn’t realize was my cousin. And I can’t believe I wanted to…” She trailed off, then shuddered. I smirked at her disgust. She’d wanted to kiss her own cousin at one point. I knew they’d crushed on each other, but neither of them knew the full extent of their connection until recently. Sarah continued.

“Anyway, they had Caden, and now I’ve realized that Puck may not even be the real Puck, but we can’t prove it without a DNA test, which a fairy cannot do because that’s like saying you’re cheating on your mate, and Queen Titania’s reputation and marriage are at stake in this game. Anyway, my father told Puck that he thought forcing me and Caden to marry was wrong, and he refused to make me marry him because there is a very real possibility we wouldn’t love each other. We might have in another life, but I have Reese. Puck secretly convinced his ex-fiancée, Moth, or possibly Cobweb, to curse me to die when I turned sixteen. When Papa heard about it, he was devastated, but he couldn’t tell Alicia or me about it for unknown reasons. He convinced Puck to let him die in my stead, after trying and failing to remove the curse. He died on my sixteenth birthday. But he didn’t really die-he became a zombie. He got the wizard Krauvas to turn him into a member of the undead so he could protect me better and eventually come back.

“Well, some time ago, there was a bunch of murders here in North Hampton, kind of similar to what’s happening now in Denmark. But these murders were caused by Samuel, a vampire that Reese’s uncle Soren PO’d after he killed his son trying to get some magical book. I think Samuel was trying to raise his wife up or something. Anyway, he and his daughter, a witch named Alana, killed some vampires and animals and other people as retaliation, hoping it would pin Soren as the killer. But it didn’t work out that way. Reese and Louis found out who was doing the killing pretty quickly and we were all taken to a cabin in the woods. But this is the part I don’t understand. Samuel raised my father from a zombie to a vampire, but why? I don’t think they knew each other. Maybe it was to hurt me, knowing my pain is also Reese’s pain? I don’t know. Anyway, there were some other people there-the goddess Aphrodite, who is also my ancestor in a way, since her granddaughter gave birth to my great-grandmother. And a guy who Reese thought was Odin, but now we think he might have been an imposter. Because what god or goddess would allow their faithful to suffer like this or escape without helping them? That man was a coward, for sure. Then my father became a vampire, Samuel was dead, and my parents got back together. They remarried as vampires and now they live in an old house in a bad part of town. Well, Alicia does, at least, Papa got his own place after borrowing some money from Reese’s family. I suppose it was really a gift.

“Then a bunch of other stuff happened, including Reese’s grandpa dying and another vampire kidnapping me and trying to take over the vampire race using some unbelievably strong vampires and a wraith. Anyway, we killed him and then someone set a child vampire named Marie loose, and she was burning my France to the ground, until Reese struck a deal with a powerful vampire named Regina. Reese and I got divorced, even though we got married a few months ago. It was too early, anyway. Reese has to marry Alana now or Regina will let Marie loose again. But I don’t understand why Regina and Alana would care about each other.”

“They don’t,” Father corrected. “It’s all about hurting our family and our rules and our world. Your pain may be Reese’s pain, dear girl, but his pain is my pain, since he’s my son. And Regina has always been power-hungry and a savvy businesswoman. I don’t she cares about Alana at all. She’s just a pawn.” He sighed and shook his head. “Poor girl. Lost her parents, her brother, her freedom, her will, and her power.”

“She killed Mitra,” I reminded him.

“I know, but it wasn’t really her fault. Samuel was forcing her to do it.”

“I know one person who might have some answers,” I said.

“Who?” Sarah asked.

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

“No fucking way!” Uncle Soren snapped.

“Soren! There are ladies present!” Father reminded him.

Uncle Soren looked properly abashed. “Sorry, girls.”

Toby was trying to hold back his laughter and was doubled over, biting his lip with tears streaming down his face.

“Apollo lied to us about many things,” Uncle Soren growled. “Like the fact that he’s the Apollo, the sun god. And don’t forget, he murdered his mate over a miscarriage.”

“He’s never forgiven himself for that,” Father reminded him. “He wishes he could die, but he’s immortal. He can’t die.”

“All his sons were demigods, and they all died,” I said. “Even Alexander.”

My heart broke at the memory of the man who should have and could have been my father if Mordecai Nicolai hadn’t interfered with destiny. He had been destroyed by years of self-hatred and hatred emanating from his dhampir son, Kieran, and from my mother.

“His wife had a miscarriage,” Toby said, picking a few cherries from the ornamental cherry tree. “Not really something anyone could control. It was just bad luck. Sometimes babies just die.”

“They do?” Genesis asked. She was fascinated by Toby, who she’d learned was a slave who was bought by vampires and rescued by my uncle. I think she was more intrigued with his handsome features than his quiet personality, though.

“It happens more often than you think,” Toby continued. “Trust me, I saw it all the time on the McCree plantation. Sometimes the babies just wouldn’t make it, or were too weak to survive. Sometimes, though, the overseer or one of McCree’s sons would take the baby and kill it.”

“What are you saying, Toby?” Uncle Soren asked.

Toby shrugged, then put a cherry in his mouth. He turned green, then spit it out on the other side of the tree.

“I think he’s saying,” Father said, “Is that sometimes babies or little ones are killed for revenge. What was the name of Apollo’s mate?”

“Hyacinth?” Sarah suggested.

“Hyacinthus was a boy,” I reminded her, and she gave an embarrassed smile.

“Remember what Moses’ foster father, the pharaoh of Egypt at the time, did because he thought a Hebrew boy would threaten his rule?” Toby said, now squishing bugs between his fingers, “He had all the boys under a certain age rounded up and thrown to the crocodiles in the Nile.”

“I remember that story,” Sarah said. “And the Five Books of Moses became the Torah.”

I felt sick to my stomach. I wrapped my arm around Sarah’s waist and pulled her close. Her scent calmed me. I was a father now. The thought of losing my babies…unimaginable. And whoever killed Diana’s and Apollo’s unborn baby, if Toby’s theory was correct, needed to be punished.

Sarah kissed my cheek quickly, then turned to the others. “How do you plan to find out, Soren?” she asked.

He laughed. “You’re asking me? Silly girl, I am currently the most hated vampire in the world!”

I sighed. This was not going to be easy.

He was sitting on a grassy knoll above me, strumming a lyre.

“Reese,” Apollo said.

“You’re the sun god. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“What could I say? I thought you idiots knew. Apparently my son never told you.” His voice choked up when he mentioned Alexander. He set the lyre down and buried his face in his arms.

“Apollo,” I said, “What really happened that day that Diana died?”

He didn’t speak. He got up and put a hand against a tree.

“Why are you here in the United States instead of Italy or Greece? Why did only one of your sons survive? Weren’t they demigods?”

He pinched his brows. “You’re breaking my heart, boy.”

“Start talking.”

He was instantly furious. His head snapped up and he shouted, “How dare you give me orders! I could destroy you in a second, boy!”

“But you won’t. I’m Emery’s great-grandson.”

He grumbled under his breath. But he knew I was right.

“Who is Emery’s father?” I asked. He sighed.

“It was not who our father was, but our mother.”

“Who was your mother?”

“Freya.”

“I thought Zeus was your father?”

“Half the things mortals think they know about the Kinsmen is wrong.”

“What are the Kinsmen?”

“Every god or goddess that exists, or that is close to godliness, is a Kinsmen. Thousands of years ago, there was more of us, then humans began to take over. Now we, along with every other ‘supernatural’ being that exists, must hide or we will be hunted down due to prejudice and suspicion.”

“Apollo, aren’t all species and races prejudiced against each other, at least a little?”

“But humans are the least trustworthy. They will try to kill us. And they will succeed. The end is coming for our race. We will all die, followed by Elves and goblins, then trolls, then fairies, then finally werewolves and vampires and witches. Humans will take over. It’s already happening. Ragnarok is coming.”

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

“What’s Ragnarok?” Sarah asked, shoveling more spicy noodles into her mouth.

“The end of days,” I told her.

She scowled. “Yeah, that’s kind of a big deal. But do you think he’s right?”

“I think so,” Uncle Soren said, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his massive chest. He was wearing tight jeans and a wifebeater, and I noticed the women sneaking looks over at him, including Sarah. That irked me a little.

I held Caitlin, the baby, up while I burped her. My daughter and son were visiting us for the day. Mother was holding Jojo, who scowled at everyone and spat up his breakfast. I noticed how much he looked like me. The same soft black hair, the same color eyes, the same pale skin, and he’d have the same nose and chin when he grew.

Caitlin looked more like her mother, which I adored. Same curls and everything. Even Cirino was there, playing with a toy vacuum cleaner and looking at animal books. Occasionally he’d come over to Caitlin, point at her, and say, “Ba.” I got the feeling that he liked her for some reason. Jojo, on the other hand, irritated him, because Jojo was fussier. I asked Sarah if this was colic, and she looked at me and said, “If he had colic, you’d know. Trust me.”

Sarah shoveled more food into her tiny mouth, then set the container down and Shadow jumped up into her lap. Cirino laughed and tried to grab Shadow’s tail.

“No, no, sweetheart,” Sarah said to the boy. “Don’t grab kitty’s tail.”

“Not that he’d get away with it,” Shadowfang replied. “I’m hungry.”

“You just had lunch.”

“I want a treat. Give me a treat.”

“I’m a little busy right now.”

“I’ll get it,” Sarah said, getting up. Shadowfang jumped off her lap and smirked at me in his own cattish way.

“She spoils you.”

“Can we get back to the discussion?” Louis said. “My mate is still missing, and it’s killing me, Regina is trying to take over, the Council wants to overthrow us, Apollo said the apocalypse is upon us, Marie is still alive, and no one’s doing a damn thing about it, and what else?”

“Liam is still after me,” Selena said. She rarely spoke during these talks, but when she did, she usually had a relevant point.

“Fine, whatever, Wolfheart wants you. Who cares?”

Immediately, Raoul and Mother both glared at Louis. He said nothing, but continued on. “And let’s not forget about Puck. But that’s more of a Sarah and Reese problem.”

“Nice, Louis,” I growled.

“Hey, I never said I was nice or sweet or polite. I’m just stating the goddamn truth.”

“Language,” Mother said, pointing to the kid now on the floor playing with my cell phone.

“All we ever do is talk about our problems. We never actually fix them until someone else does it for us, or dies,” Louis continued. “Half our guards are dead, Mitra’s dead, and the whole lot of us are damn lucky to still be alive. Do you want to know what I think?”

“No,” Uncle Soren replied. Louis plowed on anyway. I knew he would.

“I think you’re all a bunch of lazy bums. Heck, even Reese admitted that he’s too focused on himself lately and has nothing to do. We should just give up and let the Council take over.”

“Shut up, Louis,” Uncle Soren growled.

“Fuck you, Dad.”

Louis gave him two middle fingers as he stormed out of the room. Uncle Soren scowled and started to go after him, but Father put his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“Leave him be, Soren. He’s under a lot of stress. He needs Paul here with him.”

“He barely knows the bastard,” Uncle Soren said, shaking his head. “What’s so special about Paul? Besides, I thought Louis preferred women.”

“Louis has always liked both women and men, Soren. Shows how much you know.”

“At least my son isn’t a whiner!”

“Excuse me? If that wasn’t whining coming out of your son’s mouth, I don’t know what is!”

“Your son is a lazy bum and a crappy brother!”

“He just met Selena and David, Soren, what would you expect from Louis if it was him? Not that you care about any of your potential children. What are you, five thousand years old? I’d be amazed if you didn’t have a few hundred children running around at this point.”

“Where is David, anyway? He’s as scarce as when we first met him! Is he going against us again, or has he been against us all along?”

“He has four younger siblings, and no mother! What do you expect?”

“I never said I was a good father, Mordecai. Hell, I’m the fucking epitome of shitty fathers. I am at least honest with my lovers!”

“What lovers? All those teenage girls you so desperately desire? How old was Ariella? Sixteen? Seventeen? Mitra couldn’t have been more than eighteen when she became a vampire. And then your mistake caused her death. Your mistakes caused Alga’s death, too, the only woman you ever married who at least looked like she was in her twenties when she died.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP, MORDECAI!”

Cirino screamed and covered his ears, and ran to Mother and Selena, who picked him up and comforted him. The cats and dogs darted out of the room, and Caitlin and Jojo began to whimper.

Mother left the room, and as Father and Uncle Soren shouted incoherently at each other, Mother reappeared with a BB gun. I hid a smile as she pulled the trigger.

“Ow!” Uncle Soren grabbed his ass. “What the fuck, woman?!”

“That’s for upsetting the babies,” Mother said, hiding her own smile. “I thought about grabbing a shotgun instead, but they make a louder noise.”

Father was doubled over laughing, I heard Louis’ laughter from upstairs, Selena and Sarah were both doubled over, and even Raoul cracked a smile.

“I won’t be able to use my ass for anything, now,” Uncle Soren grumbled.

“Ass,” Cirino muttered, toddling past me. I grabbed him in time. “Big ass.”

That resulted in double peals of laughter, especially from Father and Louis. Uncle Soren’s frown grew deeper.

“You have a very nice ass, Soren,” Sarah teased. Mother and Selena nodded in agreement.

“Thank you, love, but thanks to your mother-in-law, I can’t use it now,” he said.

“I wish I’d gotten that on video,” Father said.

All was solemn for a moment until Cirino said, “Nice ass. Soren big ass.”

More laughter.

“You’ve been teaching him bad habits,” Soren accused Louis, who walked back into the room.

“Hey, don’t blame me. I barely spend any time with the kid.”

“My stomach hurts now,” Father said. “But the baby is right, Soren. You do have a big ass.”

“Screw you, Mordecai.”

“I deserved that. But I’m right.”

“Actually, you’re both acting like schoolgirls fighting over a boy,” Mother chastised. “I agree with Louis. We should just let the Council take over.”

“No,” Uncle Soren said firmly. “If they do, they’ll appoint Regina as the new queen, and we all know what she’ll do if she’s queen. She’d destroy us…no, first she’d take over all races and species, and then destroy us. She particularly hates me because I refused to be her husband centuries ago.”

“She’s in love with you, Soren,” Mother said.

“She can’t love. She was conceived through force.”

They involuntarily looked at me, and I looked at Father, who stared at the wall.

Selena leaned into Raoul, who pecked her scalp. Sarah took the baby from my arms, and put her in her bassinet. Caitlin and Jojo had fallen asleep already. Like her mother, Caitlin seemed to dream about eating a lot. Her tiny lips moved as if she were nursing or sucking on a bottle. It was utterly adorable.

My boy, on the other hand, was perfectly still, his peace only interrupted by Selena passing him off to Raoul, who gave her a look and grimaced. He clearly had no experience with babies. He couldn’t even hold him correctly.

Selena corrected his arms and hands, then gave him a kiss on the forehead and left the room.

My soul was filled with joy when I saw my two creations. Two halves of my soul, both here with me. I may have been a bad prince, vampire, brother, boyfriend/husband, and father, but this family gave me joy, especially the two youngest ones.

I stood up from the floor, brushed the nonexistent dirt off my butt, and then announced that I was going to bed. After a chorus of goodnights, Sarah told me she’d be up in minute. I took Jojo from Raoul, who was grateful, and carried him up the steps to his crib in our room. Yes, it was a bit crowded with both the twins’ cribs in our room now as well, but it was worth it.

Spunk saw me and jumped off the bed, while I undressed my son and carefully redressed him in his footie pajamas. Then I undressed myself, did my nightly routine, read a few chapters in the book I was currently reading, and then crawled into the white cotton sheets that Sarah insisted all new parents needed.

I was comfortable, until I began to dream.

It was a swirling eddy of green and blue and violet and red. I saw a kid, younger than myself at around fifteen, and he turned and ran from me. I ran after him.

“Hey! Wait up!”

He paused, and then looked back at me. “Dad? What are you doing here?”

I cocked my head. “Jojo? What are you doing here in my dream?”

“Dad, this is my dream.”

“We must be connected somehow. Maybe you can tell the future.”

He shrugged. “Maybe I can. I don’t know-I’m only a few weeks old. All I know is that something big is coming, something that will affect my future as well as Caitlin’s. By the way, I don’t like Raoul.”

“Neither do I.”

“No, Dad, I mean, there’s something not right with him. It’s more than crankiness. When he held me, I got this feeling…some sort of bad feeling coming from him. Like he was hiding something big.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me. He’s barely spoken to any of us except Selena. I hope he doesn’t break her heart.”

He shook his head. “He will. He will break her heart. Trust me. More than that, he’ll cause her death. The Wolf is about to devour the goddess.”

“What?”

“Ragnarok. It’s coming, and it’s going to big. Even the humans are going to know something’s up. After the end comes along…” A tear fell out of his eye. “I barely got to live before I’m going to die.”

“No, no, none of that,” I said firmly, walking up to him and brushing his tear away. “I will protect you. No matter what happens, you are my life now. I know I’m not a good father. I haven’t been the greatest father in the past, and I’m not being a good father now. But I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I’d die for you and Cait.”

“What about Mommy?”

“I’d die for her, too.”

Suddenly, he hunched over, stiffened, his eyes went blank, and he started chanting. “The Wolf is coming. He and the Trickster are one and the same. There will be blood and gore. Billions will die. The Kinsmen will become powerful once again. They will be worshipped as gods. The one who can help is at the bottom of the ocean. In the deepest, darkest, depths. Pray for mercy. The end is coming.”

He relaxed his posture, shook his head, black hair flying around, then he looked up at me. “Dad?”

“Yes?”

“I’m hungry.”

I woke with a start as Jojo began to cry.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – WOLF

“Are you sure that’s what he said?” Uncle Soren demanded. It was later that night, and almost everyone was asleep except for me, him, Father, and Louis.

“I’m sure. I even wrote it down, even before I fed him. He’s asleep now, but I think…I mean, he’s just a baby, and he’s already showing a gift for telling the future.”

“We thought you might have had the same gift,” Father reminded me. “It happened a few times, then never happened again. Maybe that incident and his talent are connected.” He put his hand against his heart and smiled. “My grandson, a gifted vampire.”

“But Reese was seeing visions before Sarah got pregnant,” Louis pointed out. “I mean, maybe she was pregnant the first time, but not with Reese’s kids.”

“And what about this mysterious being who can help being at the bottom of the ocean?” Uncle Soren continued. “That sounds fishy to me, no pun intended.”

“It has to be me who goes after him,” I said.

“Absolutely not,” Father said. “Let me do it.”

“My kids’ futures are at stake, Father.”

“So’s yours, and you’re my kid. You’re not putting your life on the line like that.”

“I’ve done it before. Not in a while, though.”

“Yes, I know you’ve done it before, which infuriates me. You shouldn’t have had to in the first place. I brought you to this country to get you away from all of that.”

“I’m a vampire and a prince. Danger would have found me anyway.”

“No. The answer is no.”

“Haven’t you forgotten? I turned nineteen a while back. I don’t have to follow your rules anymore.”

“But you still live in my house-“

“What’s that?” Louis piped up. We all kept our mouths shut and listened. Vampire footsteps. Inside the house.

“It’s Raoul,” Uncle Soren grumbled. “He must have heard us talking.”

“Shit,” I said, slapping my hand over my face. “Jojo said we couldn’t trust him. He even said he’d kill Selena, or at least cause her death.”

“Why do you care?” Louis snapped. “You said it yourself; you’re a bad brother.”

“That doesn’t mean I want Selena or David dead. They’re my siblings, even if I didn’t know about either of them until recently. And besides, they’re avoiding me as much as I’m avoiding them.”

“He’s right about that,” Father said. “Selena spends most of her time at Marina’s house, and David is rarely seen. That’s probably my fault, though.”

“No, it’s my fault,” Uncle Soren mumbled. “I was too hard on him and misjudged him.”

Then we heard footsteps again-female this time. A very pregnant female. It was Mother. She was dressed in a white nightgown that reached her ankles, and her hair was in a French braid.

“Come to bed, my love,” she encouraged. “Whatever it is can wait until you’ve slept.”

“Sorry, baby, but this can’t wait,” Father said. “Jojo apparently had a prophecy.”

“Jojo? Our Jojo?”

I filled her in on the prophecy, though I didn’t tell her about Selena’s impending doom. I think she could sense it, though. She sighed loudly.

“And someone will surely die,” she said. “I just hope it’s not one of my children or grandchildren.”

But would Louis keep his mouth shut? No!

He bowed his head and said, “Sorry, Aunt.”

“Shut up, Louis,” Uncle Soren snapped as Mother buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

“She has a right to know,” my cousin argued. “At least it’s someone who we thought was dead once.”

Mother’s cries grew louder. “Not my Selena! Not Selena!”

“I’m sorry, Mom,” I said. “I wish I could do something. But Jojo didn’t say much else about it.”

“Yes, he did,” Louis said. Uncle Soren clapped a hand over Louis’ mouth, and Father sighed.

Louis licked Uncle Soren’s palm, and my uncle reacted in disgust. While he wiped his hand on Louis’ shirt, my cousin kept flapping his gums.

“It’s Raoul,” he said. “He’s going to ‘cause her death’, air quotes. And then he said the Wolf and the Trickster are one and the same, the Wolf will ‘devour’ her.”

Mother’s jaw tightened. “Wolfheart.”

She was referring to Liam Wolfheart, who kept my sister prisoner for twenty-three years and forced her to get pregnant multiple times, resulting in numerous miscarriages and stillbirths. Selena was even pregnant when she finally escaped and collapsed into our mother’s arms, and shortly after, she gave birth to a dead baby boy. We cremated him and spread his ashes in a nearby cemetery.

Liam apparently was deeply in love with Selena, but was butthurt when she rejected him. She turned him down so many times that he finally hatched a plan to kidnap her. He lured her to a warehouse with the promise of knowledge of a couple who needed a mother who would adopt their baby, and he snatched her up, caused an explosion, and made Mother think her only living daughter was dead. It was a shitty thing to do, considering that all Selena ever wanted was a baby, and Mother herself had had miscarriages and stillbirths before and got lucky with my sister and me.

Vampire women who are human before they become vampires don’t become pregnant very often, because the body is frozen. Once in a great while someone will get lucky, resulting in a natural-born baby.

Anyway, even after all of this, Selena still managed to survive, and now she was going to die anyway, and Mother had just found out, thanks to Louis’ nonexistent filter. Father put his arm around Mother, kissing her hair.

I yawned, realizing I was exhausted.

I went back upstairs without another word. When I got to my room, I looked in on Jojo mentally. He was content. I checked in on Caitlin. She was dreaming about Mommy’s milk. I looked in on Sarah. She was dreaming of me-a contented dream about love and sex. I snuggled in next to her, and she moaned and adjusted her body to fit mine.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you too, breakfast,” she muttered. I chuckled at that. I caressed her, and she muttered something about turkey bacon, one of her favorite foods. My heart soared as I fell asleep.

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

The next day, I woke up to the sound of rain. Then I realized someone was on top of me.

“Get off, Cirino,” I said.

“Da,” he said. “Daddy!”

For some reason, he thought I was his father. He jumped on Sarah next. She said, “Oof!” and woke with a start. When she saw him, she smiled.

“Hey, big guy,” she said.

“Big!”

“Yes, you’re a big boy. Do you want breakfast!”

“Sauce!”

“Apple sauce it is, then.”

She got up and climbed over me, accidentally kneeing me in the crotch in the process.

“Oof!”

“Oops, sorry, Reese.”

“It’s okay, I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”

But I still rubbed my sore spot and mentally cursed fledgling vampire strength.

Cirino jumped in the same spot, and I did curse out loud. Sarah clapped a hand over my mouth, but it was too late.

“Shit! Shit!” Cirino repeated.

“I think we need to get a swear jar,” Sarah muttered. “Between, you, Soren, and Louis, the kids will have their college fund by the end of the week.”

She kissed my cheek and blew a raspberry on my stomach. I smiled at the tickle-Cirino laughed and clapped.

She took the little guy and carried him downstairs. I sat up and followed her down the steps, leaving the twins to sleep.

Breakfast was waiting.

“Hello, Zie,” I greeted Mother’s housekeeper and nanny.

She bowed to me and said, “Good morning, Master Reese.”

I sighed and took a glass of warm B positive and took a swig. It was a big sour going down-whoever it came from had drugs in their system.

My stomach growled and I finished my breakfast, then went over to Sarah, who was placing a bowl of apple sauce in front of the boy in the high chair.

Her maternal instincts warmed my heart.

Then I heard the kids crying upstairs. I sighed and turned to go, but Zie held her hand up to me and said, “I will get babies.”

I smiled and let her go get them. I noticed Sarah frowning at me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“You don’t want to get the kids?”

“No, I…I mean, yes, but Zie’s here, so…”

“But she’s human, and babies are heavy, and those stairs are steep.”

She had some good points there. I flitted up the stairs just as Zie was reaching the top. I made my way into the room before she even got there and grabbed my son. His stomach growled loudly. My daughter was fussing just as much, and I let Zie take her while I took Jojo.

I carried my son downstairs and handed him to Sarah, who whipped out a breast. I looked at her in surprise.

“What?” she demanded.

“Have you always breastfed them?”

“Have you always been this blind?”

“How does that work, anyway?” Sabine asked, texting on her phone and walking into the room. “I mean, is there even any milk?”

“There’s milk,” Sarah assured her. “I make plenty of it. My breasts are so sore and tender these days.”

“Have you had sex with Reese yet?”

“That’s a personal question. And the answer is no. I need to heal completely first before we try anything.”

“But you’re a vampire now. Doesn’t that, like, make you stronger?”

“Yes I am, and it does. But I’m still recovering down there.”

“I don’t ever want babies.”

“That’s your prerogative, Sabine Eileen Cresley.”

“Don’t call me Sabine Eileen!”

Sarah chuckled, and Sabine stuck her tongue out at her sister. Zie handed Caitlin to Sarah, and Sarah moved to my father’s recliner before settling in to feed the kids. Cirino, who was toddling past, watched her in fascination.

“Ba,” he said. Then he saw me and his face lit up. He ran towards me and said, “Up, Daddy.”

I picked him up. He smiled and touched my face. I sighed. I’d been blaming him for Michael’s mistakes. That wasn’t fair to him-he was only a year and a half. And maturing fast, thanks in part to Mother’s breastfeeding him when he was younger. Something about the enzymes in vampire breast milk enhanced brain activity and made our kids smarter. I wondered what would happen to someone with a low IQ if they were turned. A question for my uncle or my father.

Cirino buried his little face in my chest, and I kissed his soft blond curls.

Sarah, Sabine, and Mother all stared at me.

“What did I do?” I asked.

“You kissed Cirino,” Sarah said, adjusting Caitlin.

“Yeah, well, he’s my son, isn’t he?”

“I thought you didn’t like him.”

“I decided I wasn’t being fair to him. He’s just a baby.”

Then I smelled something foul, and looked at the little one in my arms. He was giving me an impish grin as if he knew exactly what he’d done with me holding him.

“Zie,” I called out.

Sarah laughed. “Oh, no. You change him.”

“But I’ve never changed a diaper!”

“I can show you,” Mother said, smiling.

And she did.

When the boy was clean and powdered, I gave him a cup of juice to sip on. He responded by toddling off, babbling loudly in baby speak.

“Caitlin and Ari are coming over today,” Sarah informed me. “You can meet your daughter’s namesake formally.”

“I can’t wait,” I said.

“Don’t be sarcastic.”

“I’m not, I swear. I know I haven’t been exactly nice in the past, but I do want to meet the girl you named our daughter after.”

I took the said baby while she took her brother and burped him while I burped Caitlin.

After about an hour, the doorbell rang, and the dogs started barking and the babies began wailing.

While I took the kids, Sarah took the door, and Sabine took the dogs.

 

There were two girls at the door. One, I hadn’t seen in over a year. One, I’d seen briefly only once before. Ariella hadn’t changed much. She wore a gray tank top, denim shorts, motorcycle boots, and a jade pendant and a pentacle pendant. Her hair was dyed black and cut into a chin-length bob.

Caitlin was more like Sarah. Her hair was the same beautiful shade, but flat-ironed straight and pinned back with bobby pins. Her eyes were light brown, her skin lighter than Sarah’s, but darker than Ari’s. She wore a lace tank top and skinny blue jeans, with gold sandals.

“Hey, beautiful!” she chimed in a voice nearly as musical as Sarah’s.

“Hey, darling!”

The girls hugged as if they hadn’t seen each other for months, or even years, which, I realized, they probably hadn’t. Sarah pulled away first and looked Caitlin up and down.

“You lost weight,” she guessed.

“So did you,” Caitlin teased.

Sarah smiled and patted her stomach. “Yeah, about eighteen pounds of baby. Plus some.”

“I’d love to see them.”

“Of course. You already know that I named our girl after you.”

“Let me see her!”

Caitlin stepped into the foyer and saw me. “I’m assuming this is Reese?”

“Yes. And those two are the twins in his arms.”

“Nice to meet you,” Caitlin said to me.

“You, too,” I said. “I’d shake your hand, but…”

“Can I hold one?”

“Of course.”

I passed the younger Caitlin to the older Caitlin.

“She looks like you, Sarah,” she noted.

“Jojo looks like Reese,” Sarah told her. “He’s got his daddy’s eyes and his daddy’s hair. She’s got my hair and my eyes.”

Caitlin looked from Jojo to me. She looked me up and down.

“I can see why you fell for him,” she said. “If I was into boys, I’d totally go for him, too.”

“But we’re friends, and we would never compete for the same boys,” Sarah pointed out.

“True enough. Ari, look at this kid. Isn’t she gorgeous?”

“She’s beautiful,” Ariella agreed. “She does look a lot like Sarah. I’m sorry I missed the birth, but I was away that week.”

“No, you weren’t,” Caitlin reminded her. “You just didn’t want to make Reese uncomfortable.”

Ariella blushed. Sarah’s nostrils flared at the smell of fresh blood.

“Excuse me a moment,” she said. She trounced off into the kitchen, where I could hear her opening a bottle of blood and popping it into the microwave.

I said nothing as Caitlin cooed some more over my daughter, and then my boy, who, as she noted, did in fact have my eyes and hair.

“Doesn’t that mean that Sarah’s got some yellow eyes in her family, too?” she asked. I shrugged.

“Possibly.” I personally had not seen any of her family members who had yellow eyes-they were all either green or blue or brown. Earthy colors.

Jojo looked up and me and reached for my hair. I moved it out of his way and pecked his forehead. I loved my boy. I loved my girl, too, but, if I was honest, I connected more with Jojo due to his telepathic abilities and power to see the future. He was special. Not to say I loved CJ less…the thought was laughable. Forcing me to choose between my children was like forcing me to make an impossible decision…like forcing me to choose between Sarah or my family. Luckily that hadn’t happened yet, as my family adored Sarah, and she loved them as well. Especially my mother, who, when they first met, had promised Sarah she’d be a substitute mother.

Suddenly, Louis flitted past me with barely a word.

“What’s with him?” I asked, as Uncle Soren went after him.

“We got a lead on Paul,” Father said. “It’s not good.”

“Shit,” I said. I looked apologetically at Caitlin. “I’m sorry, I have to take care of this.”

“Hand me Jojo,” Sarah said. “Caitlin understands. Go.”

“I do,” Caitlin assured me. “ Do what you need to do.”

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

The slaughterhouse was rank. The smell of animal blood, dead flesh, bones, and so on penetrated my nose and worked its way into my gut, where it slowly crept back up my throat.

Pig bodies hung all around me, and it was difficult not to touch one by accident, even for someone as skinny as Toby and I.

He was working with me, slowly edging our way around, sniffing for the shapeshifter. Toby looked as sick as I felt. Animal carcasses don’t smell as nice as fresh human carcasses.

My heart squeezing, I finally got a whiff. “I’ve got him!” I shouted. I ran towards a large commercial refrigerator, where the scent was strongest. Toby and I both eased the door open, and what we saw was amazing.

There was a bloody mess against the back wall. Half his hair was gone, and the rest was covered in blood. Scratches and deep cuts littered his entire body, and a few fingers and toes were missing, along with his package. I winced. That had to have hurt.

“Louis!” Toby called out.

My cousin ran to the refrigerator, and when he saw Paul, he fell to his knees.

“I was too late,” he muttered. “I’m sorry, Paul.”

Slowly, the body opened one swollen black eye. “Louis?”

Louis breathed out a sigh of relief, and then went to untie him. He chewed the ropes holding Paul in place until they broke, leaving him as weak and helpless as a newborn.

Louis carried Paul to the waiting ambulance, where it would take him to Mercy Hospital, where Ethan Potter was waiting with his medical equipment.

Louis hugged me, getting blood on my shirt.

“Thank you,” he said, then hugged Toby, who held out his arms at first, then slowly hugged Louis back. Louis pecked Toby’s cheek, then rushed to the ambulance, hopping inside and the vampire EMTs shut the doors and started driving.

“Are you all right, Toby?” Spencer asked.

“Why do you care?” Toby snapped.

Spencer scowled. “Because I still care about you. You know that.”

“Whatever. I need a bath.”

We went to the hospital, sneaking in a back way, where Ethan snuck us into an empty room where Toby and I could shower in peace. Damn Louis, getting blood on us. Not that shifter blood was stinky or particularly tasteless-actually it was somewhere between human blood and werewolf blood. Human blood is our main sustenance, but werewolf blood is like a drug to us. We don’t drink it very often, for multiple reasons.

I texted Sarah, updating her on the situation. She said she’d say a couple prayers for Paul and Louis, and I took my shower first. When I stepped back into the room, fully dressed, Spencer was licking the blood off of Toby, who squirmed to get away, but Spencer held him in place as if he were a petulant child denying a bath.

I ran a brush through my hair that Father had bought in the hospital shop, then ordered some water.

“How is he doing?” I asked Uncle Soren in the waiting room.

“Not good,” he said. “Paul is close to death. He had only minutes left when you two showed up. His body temperature was incredibly low, especially for shapeshifters. He’s missing so many limbs and body parts. It’s a miracle he survived at all. Louis is with him, along with Ethan.”

I saw a young vampire nurse in the hallway. She put a finger to her lips, then gestured for me to follow her. I looked at my uncle. He was focused on his phone.

I followed the young vampire down the hall, where she suddenly pushed me into a room. Someone slapped his or her hand over my mouth before I could scream, and a rag was shoved into my mouth. My teeth may be sharp, but it would take forever to bite through all this cloth. But there was something else…an odd smell. Damn. Chloroform.

I passed out in seconds.

CHAPTER NINETEEN – BATH

My stomach was queasy and I was still tired, but I had to wake up. So I forced myself to. I shook my head. I saw a clan of vampires in front of me. I instinctively hissed, then realized I was stuck. My wrists were bound with titanium cuffs. Damn.

“This is Prince Reese, everybody,” said a tall male in front of me. Everyone muttered and a few chuckled. “He’s married to a part fairy. Or he was.”

The clan looked shocked at this. Fairy blood is similar to werewolf blood in that it drives us crazy. Actually, fairies hate vampires even more than werewolves do. Most do, anyway.

“Her name is Sarah,” the male continued. “They have two children together-dhampirs.”

“Who the fuck are you?” I demanded. The leader stepped up and smacked me across the face. It was then I noticed his eyes were red-he’d tasted vampire blood recently. A hugely illegal practice.

“What is this, a cavern?” said a voice beside me. “Get with the times, dude.”

“Toby?” I said.

“Hi, Reese,” he said, looking over at me as I looked over at him. “How’d they get you?”

“A pretty female,” I said. “You?”

“Knocked Spencer out,” he said. “Where is he, you douchebag?”

“Shut up, coon,” the tall vampire snapped.

“Don’t call him that!” I shouted.

“I’ll call him whatever I goddamn well please,” the leader said. “Or is it a her? With all that hair? Or is it even binary? Or even a vampire?”

“Shut up,” I warned.

“I’m used to it, Reese,” Toby said.

“But it’s still wrong. He shouldn’t be referring to you that way.”

“You’re more butthurt about it than it is,” the leader said.

“I’m a he, not an it,” Toby grumbled. “Where is Spencer? What have you done with him?”

“The fat vampire? He’s alive…for now.”

“Let him go!”

“Toby!”

From the other side of the room, came Spencer’s voice. He and my uncle were trapped in cages like lions.

“How’d they get you?” I asked Uncle Soren.

“I followed you, you stupid boy,” Uncle Soren growled.

“And this is King Soren, everybody,” the leader said. “The star of our little show.”

“Star?” I asked.

The leader smiled, and then pressed a button on his smartphone. A door opened in the cavern wall, and a wraith appeared. Not just any wraith. It was the wraith, the one who got away after our fight with Bram Sterling and his cronies.

“What is she doing here?” I demanded. “You’re being cruel!”

“It’s a soulless being, young vampire,” the leader said. “So young, so idealistic, so simple. Not everything has goodness in it. Not even your Sarah.”

“Leave her out of this!”

“You fool! She courted you so you could protect her! That’s what Regina told me.”

“Regina?” Uncle Soren quipped. “So that bitch is involved in this?”

The leader smiled. “She promised me entertainment and a pretty penny if I got rid of the things most in her way. That includes you, King Soren. She said you are the strongest vampire in the world. You’re certainly the biggest that I’ve ever seen. It would be a shame to have to kill you before I eat Louis.”

“You son of a-ahh!” He had just grabbed the titanium bars of the cage and they shocked him with several thousand volts of electricity. “Don’t touch my son!”

“Ah yes, your son. Didn’t you bring Reese to the Night Market that night that Samuel Jr. died so he could die in place of Louis if it came to it?”

Uncle Soren didn’t deny it.

“I hope you’re listening to this, Mordecai,” the leader said. He pressed another button, and a panel opened to reveal a window. My father was behind the window, hooked up with wires and needles in his shoulders, chest, and arms. He was looking around, like he was confused. He shouted something, but I didn’t hear it.

“Vampire-proof glass,” the leader said. “Another invention that my gracious mate has bestowed upon me.”

“Mate?” I spoke up. Then pain jolted through me as I was shocked with several thousand volts of electricity.

“Let him go!” Uncle Soren shouted, then fell to his knees as he was shocked from grabbing the bars again.

“Speaking of mates, what do you see in Sarah?” the leader asked. “I’d be appalled if any of my sons came home with a fairy. Of course, they’d never do that, would you, boys?”

The males of the group shook their heads.

The leader pressed another button on his phone and said, “Your son can hear you now, Mordecai.”

“Soren, when I get out of this, you are so dead!”

“I deserved that.”

“Let’s face it,” the leader said. “The only reason why you brought Reese at all is not because you were sacrificing him…it’s because you see him as more of a son than your own son or your fledgling. Which I understand, I mean, look at your fledgling, and look at Reese! What is a pile of dog shit next to a diamond!”

“Shut up!” Uncle Soren shouted. “Toby, it’s not true!”

“It was my decision to join the guard,” Toby reminded him. “I don’t hold it against you.”

“Toby, I’ll get you out of this!” Spencer shouted, and he was shocked-not from the bars, but from the bottom of the cage. He fell to his hands and knees and heaved.

“I remember you,” the leader said. “Spencer, is it? Yes, I remember when you betrayed your battalion and went against my orders. You refused to kill a Christian.”

“She was a woman and pregnant,” Spencer muttered. “I don’t condone the killing of women or children now, and I didn’t then.”

“Well, then, you’ll die later. For now, let’s start with your mate, hmm? The negro, isn’t it?”

He clicked another button on his phone and the cuffs gave way, letting Toby free. He started to run, but two vampires blocked his way. He jumped over them as easily as a cat jumps onto a counter, and then sprinted toward Spencer. Someone threw an electrified net over him, and he stopped, moaning, his body twitching and stunned, and then he fell to the ground, still being shocked. The net stopped shocking him, but Toby was out cold.

Spencer started to reach for his mate, then paused, apparently realizing he couldn’t help if he was shocked until he was unconscious, too.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ve failed you.”

The leader gathered for two of his sons to gather Toby up, and then he pulled out a Socotra stake.

“Good grief,” I said.

“No, please, I’ll do anything!” Spencer begged, frantic. “Kill me instead!”

“One moment, my love,” said an achingly familiar voice.

“Chris?” I said, aghast. She sidled up next to the leader and kissed him on the lips.

“You bitch,” Uncle Soren growled. “Where is Louis?”

“Still with Paul…for now,” she said. “But soon, he’s going to get a little visit from the Feds.”

“For what?!”

“Laundering money, attempted murder, actual murder, sexual assault, scamming casinos. And who would believe him, with his past of gambling and haranguing women?”

“You’ve killed too, woman.”

“Oh, we all have. But who’s going to believe a manwhore like Louis over sweet little Christine?”

“Where’s Sarah?” I demanded.

“She’s safe, at least. I have no qualms with her, so I told Mom to leave her alone.”

“Mom?”

“You know her as Regina, stupid.”

“Regina Bleedfellows is your mother?”

“You fools, that’s not even her real name, just Christine Sanderson is not my real name, and Samantha was not Sam’s real name!”

“You’re the one whose been killing all those people in Denmark!” I realized. “You wanted us to look bad!”

“Oh, you are bad. I don’t need Mother’s opinion, either, to see that. You see, Alexander left out one little detail when he told you guys the story. Well, the censored version. Alexander’s brothers are all still alive. And one of them is my father. Which makes us cousins, in a way. Do you really think Apollo killed Diana, who, by the way, was also his sister as well as his wife? No! Ambrogio did. Why do you think he hated his own name so much? But he didn’t kill her on purpose, oh no. It was an accident. You see, the Kinsmen can in fact die, but only after drinking a certain potion made from the most rare ingredients that was only around during the time of Atlantis, during their time.”

“Do we have to tell them the whole story, my love?” the leader asked Christine, or whatever her name was.

“I suppose not,” she said, sighing. “Dying before you know the full story always adds interest, don’t you think so, Lazarus?”

“Of course, dear one,” he said. They kissed again. I said nothing but held back my vomit.

“Toby,” Spencer whispered. “Baby, please.”

“Get over it,” Lazarus said. And then he kicked Toby’s motionless body over to the cage, where his head landed against the bars and it shocked him again and again. Spencer screamed, and I struggled against my cuffs. Uncle Soren grabbed the bars of his cage, and then most of the electricity went to him instead of Toby. He started rocking his cage.

Pure chaos for a few minutes until Lazarus pressed a button on his phone. Toby and Uncle Soren were now burned beyond belief, but still alive. My heart pounded as Lazarus and Christine or whoever she was left, the vampire coven following them.

Uncle Soren spoke first. “I’m sorry, guys. This is my fault. I should have investigated more, I should have put a stop to Regina’s plotting earlier.”

“Toby,” Spencer said.

“He’s alive,” Uncle Soren said. “But barely. That energy burned his skin. See those spots where his skin is sort of red? That’s blood.”

“How do you plan to get out of this now, Soren?” Father demanded.

“Me? I don’t know. Reese, you’re the brains in this family.”

“Why are you asking me?” I demanded. “Either you want me dead or you want me instead of Louis as your own son. Which is it?”

“None of that now,” he said, waving his hand. “Think, boy. You’re the smartest vampire I know, besides your mother, but she’s not here right now.”

“Damn you, Soren,” Father growled. “You’ve always been in love with Marina, even after I married her.”

“What can I say? I’m a sucker for punishment.”

“Shut up, both of you,” I shouted. “We can discuss who screwed up more later. Right now, we’d be lucky to have a miracle.”

“And speaking of writer’s conveniences,” said an achingly familiar bells-and-roses voice.

“Sarah?” I was amazed. “What are you doing here?”

“Louis is here too,” she said.

“How did you find us?”

“It wasn’t hard. Just follow the field of pink roses to the creepiest cave with the worst metal door that I’ve ever encountered in my life. Look at my hands! All scratched up, and I’m not even half done!”

She tried to undo my titanium cuffs, but they barely moved, even with her fledgling strength. She paused, said, “hmm,” and looked around.

“I’m guessing these aren’t ordinary cages?” she asked.

“No; they’re full of electricity. Sarah, what are you planning?”

She got a gleam in her eye that meant she was thinking hard. Then she charged the cages.

“No!”

She ignored me and plowed into Uncle Soren’s cage, shocking herself in the process. All the electricity went to her tiny, strong body, and I watched helplessly as my love was shocked until Uncle Soren reached between the bars and held her to his chest. I watched jealously as he gently set her down and then used his own incredible strength to divide the now-weak bars. He moved them enough to let himself through, and then he picked up Sarah and flung her over his shoulder.

He grabbed Toby and held him the same way, then set them both down in front of me and went to work on my cuffs. Most vampires would not be able to handle titanium cuffs, but most vampires are not my uncle, the strongest vampire in the world.

He broke them after some effort, groaning and grunting. I leaped down and scooped up Sarah. I put her over my shoulder the way that my uncle did and watched as he went to the room where my father was in and punched the vampire-hearing-proof glass. Father was stunned, but my uncle pulled all the little wires off of him.

Then came Spencer. Uncle Soren used all his strength to divide the bars of Spencer’s cage. Spencer immediately hopped out and snatched Toby up.

Holding our mates over our shoulders, we followed the way out with our noses. Sarah was right. The hiding place was bad-more like a cozy nook. Everywhere you looked there were rooms, furniture, even electronics and books.

We were at the top of a cliff, which made getting down more difficult with Sarah on my shoulder. Not that I blamed her-far from it. I was supremely grateful to her and loved her for her courage and intelligence.

I worked my way down the bluff, which irritated me as there were goats and eagles and lizards and spiders all around.

“I don’t think we’re in New Jersey anymore,” I said aloud.

“I think you’re right, son,” Father said. “This doesn’t smell like New Jersey.”

I made the mistake of pausing then. Just as Father’s boot touched the top of my head, a huge, black spider came scurrying onto my hand.

“AAAAAHHHHHHH!”

“REESE!”

I lost my grip and slipped, dropping Sarah at the same time. Myself I wasn’t concerned about-her, I would never forgive myself if she got injured. Luckily, she woke up just then, because her wings burst out of her back, and she carried herself to the ground. I landed lithely on my feet, wincing at the pressure from the hard ground.

“Are you all right, Reese?” Sarah asked, landing on the ground seconds after.

I flicked the spider off and crushed it between my palms. “I fucking hate those eight-legged freaks of nature.”

“I don’t blame you,” she said. “Look.”

She pointed. I looked. A house in the trees. A mansion, really. I blinked. What the fuck? Where were we, exactly? I looked over at Sarah as Father landed beside me, Uncle Soren behind him. She was already walking towards the mansion. Irritated at her eagerness, I quickly followed her. We walked around to the front, where a row of hawthorn trees stood on either side of the dirt road.

I thought about my kids as I walked toward the house. Were they okay? What about Jojo? And CJ? Cirino? I realized I was actually worried about Cirino. I felt sick. I was a bad stepfather. I hadn’t cared much about him before, even though the women in my family loved him. Including Sarah.

She knocked on the door, her tiny fist making an absurd amount of noise. The door opened. Nobody was behind it. I blinked. Grasping Sarah’s arm, I went in first.

“Reese, don’t be stupid,” Louis chided. “You don’t know who owns this place.”

“I do,” said a voice behind us. Crud. I closed my eyes in exasperation. It was Regina.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Where is your uncle?” She asked, tilting her icy platinum head.

“I’m right here, Regina,” he said, entering the room. A huge grin split Regina’s face.

“Soren,” she purred. She reached out and stroked his cheek. “You are-“

“Don’t touch me, witch,” he growled, grasping her wrist. She frowned.

“Just admit it, Soren. You are in love with me.”

“You wish,” he scoffed. “No, the woman I love is…” He trailed off and looked at my father. Huh. He was in love with my mother? Gross. Speak of the devil. Mother ran to Father and kissed him furiously.

“Where did you come from?” She asked.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said. Mother turned and glared at Regina.

“Kidnap my children and my husband? You evil whore!”

“Oh, is he your husband now?”

“We intend to be married,” Father announced. Regina frowned.

“But that would make her the next queen!”

“Regina, unless you plan to kill me if we get married, which will never happen, I-“

“Shut up!” She threw a blast of magic at my uncle, sending him flying back.

“Dad!” Louis cried. Uncle Soren landed hard on his back, groaning. Louis glared at Regina. “You could have killed him!” Regina flicked her fingers, and Louis clutched at his throat. She used her invisible magic to lift him off the ground.

“Put him down!” Sarah shouted. Regina used her other hand to throw a blast at Sarah.

“Sarah!” I shouted as she landed hard against a wall and I heard a bone in her wings crack.

“My daughter! You bitch!” Mother produced an ebony wand with images of deer and crosses carved into it.

“Always funny seeing a Christian witch with a wand,” Regina said. She pulled out a wand of her own. She threw a blast of magic at my mother, who deflected it with her wand. She threw blast after blast, with one finally hitting Mother. She flew back.

“Marina!” Father cried. He ran to her side.

“Regina,” I said, “stop this! Nothing is worth breaking up a-“ She hit me with a bellyful of energy. “Coven,” I finished, as I landed hard on my back. Sarah ran over to me, wincing and moaning in pain due to her broken wing. She knelt beside me.

Uncle Soren had gotten to his feet again, and Regina smirked before waving her hands and an image of Mitra appeared. Uncle Soren paused. The mirage changed. It turned into a beautiful brunette with blue eyes that was the image of Louis.

“Alga?” My uncle squeaked.

“It’s not her, Dad,” Louis reminded him.

The image changed into a blonde woman I recognized as my grandmother on my father’s side, Amalia. Grandfather appeared beside her, young and healthy and whole. He wrapped an arm around my grandmother, who glanced at him.

“Uncle Soren?” I asked. He was beginning to tremble.

“Dad, it’s not real!” Louis called out.

“Father, I’m so sorry,” uncle Soren said. Then an image of Paul appeared, lying dead with his organs spilling out.

“No! You bitch!” Louis shouted. Tears welled in his eyes. “Leave him alone! He’s innocent in all this!”

The real Paul appeared in a ball of magic, streaks of energy going through him.

“Paul! My Paul!”

The witch tossed the real Paul on the ground. I noticed he was now missing several more fingers and part of his nose. His blond hair was now red with blood. I didn’t know Paul that well, but I also knew he didn’t deserve to be slowly beaten and tortured to death like this. And he was going to die if Louis kept leaving him alone and abandoned.

“Do you know why you’re here, Louis? Because he-“ Regina pointed to Paul, “Told me. It wasn’t just Christine Sanderson.”

Paul looked up at Louis. “I did. Please forgive me.”

Louis gave him a disgusted look instead. “I love you, Paul. Why?”

Paul just shook his head and stood up. Then he collapsed again. Louis blinked, then helped Paul to his feet.

“Fool,” Regina said, “He never loved you, only your money.”

“Paul?”

“Why do you think my pack threw me out? Bram Sterling was my lover.”

“Paul, stop lying!”

“Louis, I do love you, but I was working for her and him.”

A loud booming noise was heard as Louis smacked Paul across the face.”

“Louis, she’s not the head enemy!” Paul said, landing on his ass. “The heard enemy is-“

Suddenly, a spire fell from the ceiling. Sarah squealed as blood flew In every direction as the spire landed in Paul’s gut. Paul went still and silent, eyes open and unblinking.

“No!” Louis grabbed the spire just as Regina snapped a picture with her cell phone. Ignoring her, he lifted the spire out of his dead lover and cradled him.

“You weren’t supposed to die!” Louis cried.

“Whore,” Uncle Soren growled. “Save him!”

“Only a god or goddess can resurrect the dead. Unless you want to hand over The Book of Transformation and Death.”

“I should have destroyed that thing,” Uncle Soren muttered. “Woman, the resurrection recipe calls for the death of a living being to save the dead. Who could you possibly want to save?”

“My son, Samuel Jr., and my husband, Samuel Sr.”

My jaw dropped. “So does that mean Alana’s your daughter too?”

“Correct, Reese. You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”

“It’s my fault you’re dead,” Louis muttered, still cradling Paul.

“Get over it,” Regina snapped. “He betrayed you in a heartbeat. And guess who has proof that you killed him?”

“Regina, don’t,” Uncle Soren pleaded. “I’ll marry you. I’ll do anything.”

“Give me the Book.”

Uncle Soren sighed and pulled the stupid Book out of his jeans waistband. He handed it carefully to Regina.

“Thank you, Soren. Oh, and, Marina, I heard that your daughter is the reason we will have Ragnarok. How does it feel to be the reason the human race will die?” She laughed evilly. “The only reason why your daughter even survived past babyhood is so she could be dog food.”

“Get out!” Sarah shouted. “Don’t you dare talk to my mother like that!”

“Such big words for such a small fairy. I will leave, but your family is doomed, Soren, and its all your fault.” She snapped her fingers, and Alana appeared from behind a curtain. The girl clapped her hands over her mother’s head, and with a flash of fire, they were both gone.

Louis was inconsolable. None of us had cell phones, and Toby was still weak, but awake.

“There has to be a road nearby,” Sarah pointed out. She winced at a spasm in her wing.

“I’ll look,” I said. “Stay here.”

“The coven should stick together,” Father said.

“I’m the coven leader, I should go,” Uncle Soren said.

“No, we should stay together,” Mother said. “Sarah and Tony are still injured.”

“I can carry Sarah,” I said.

“I can walk,” she insisted.

“With that wing? I don’t think so.”

“Be silent, all of you,” Uncle Soren said. “Reese, stay with your mate, she needs you. I will go”

He left the house, and I went searching for a piece of technology or a place to put my Sarah. I found a dingy old bed, but no computers or phones. When I came back, Toby was asking Spencer to put him down.

“I’m okay, Spence,” he said. Spencer looked at him.

“You called me Spence.”

“Oh, um, I guess I did.”

“That means you still like me.”

“Spencer, I will always love you, but what we had is over.”

“There’s still a chance.”

“Spencer, please stop. I don’t want to deal with this right now.”

Father and Mother were having their own private conversation as well.

“I am hardly a good father, but damn it, I love you, Marina. I always have. We created him-“ he pointed to me- “-together, and he’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“What if all my babies are meant to die?” Mother muttered.

“Reese is still alive and healthy, isn’t he? And not all your children are biological. Look at the girls and Cirino. Sarah herself adores you; you’re the mother she needs. Sabine loves you, and Cirino worships the ground you walk on, even though he’s just a baby. I will be the father I can be to Lydia and the boys.”

“So you like the names I picked out?”

“I do. Lydia, Phoenix, and Emery are good names, and Emery is a family name. It’s my grandfather’s name.”

Uncle Soren came back a few minutes later.

“Sarah was right,” he said. “There’s a road leading to a highway a ten-minute walk from here.”

It took us an hour to pry Louis off of Paul, but soon, we were approaching the road, Uncle Soren carrying Mother, me carrying Sarah, and Spencer carrying Toby. Father stuck his thumb out to hitchhike. Before long, a cruddy old maroon van stopped, full of hippies in their twenties, but there was just enough room for the rest of us. The driver, a long-haired guy who wore glasses, smiled and said “Where to, dudes?”

“As close to New Jersey as possible,” Uncle Soren told him. Sarah climbed in first, her wings being somewhat in the way.

“Is that a costume?” A blonde girl asked. “I like it. What are you supposed to be, an angel?”

“A fairy,” Sarah told her.

“A fairy!” The girl found this hilarious. I climbed in next to her, squeezed between my tiny mate and a guy who smelled like weed. Mother climbed in next, followed by Spencer and Toby, Father, Louis, and then Uncle Soren.

“I’m so jealous,” said a red haired girl. “My aunt has hair like that and I’ve always loved it. Since I’m a ginger, I have no soul. What about you, big guy?” She squeezed my uncle’s arm. “Oh, he’s got muscles. Feel his arms, Juliet.”

“They’re nice,” Juliet agreed. “He’s got a nice chest, too.” Uncle Soren looked like a deer in headlights as the two girls began to feel him up. The guy who smelled like weed leaned forward and addressed Sarah.

“Hey, beautiful, I’m Charlie. Any chance of you and me taking a nature walk together later?”

“I’m married,” she said, flashing her ring.

“Damn. You’re a lucky bastard, Tall and Dark.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Where are you guys from?”

“North Hampton.”

“That’s in New Jersey, right? What are you doing in Maine, then?”

“It’s a long story.”

“We got time. We’re from a small town up in Canada. We’re going to apply to become citizens of the US of A. Our place got overrun by vampires.”

“Vampires?” I was interested now, as was Father and Mother and Uncle Soren.

“Yeah. Led by some chick named Rose or Rosie-“

“Regina?”

“Yeah, that. Apparently there’s something that she wants that’s close to our camp.”

“Turn around,” Uncle Soren said.

“Hold on, he could be tricking us,” Father said.

Sarah sniffed the air. “They don’t smell like vampires.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, honey. They could be animal eaters or chlorophyll eaters or psychic vampires.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Charlie said.

“Give it up,” the driver said. He pulled over to the side of the road and took off his fake glasses. “Look, we don’t want to hurt you or get involved in your little coven dispute. But she killed our leader and a bunch of her goons ran us off our land. We had no choice.”

“I’m sorry about your leader and your territory,” Uncle Soren said. “We will help you get it back.”

“What can you do?”

“Boy, do you know who I am?”

“No.”

Uncle Soren puffed out his chest. “I am King Soren.”

“Shit,” the driver said, pinching his nose. “We thought you were dead.”

“Dead? Do I look dead to you?”

The driver said nothing.

“It’s because we’ve been so absent these past couple years,” Louis said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of vampires think we all died.”

“What about the V Network?” Sarah asked. “Don’t you guys pay attention to TV?”

“Not all vampires have modern conveniences, girl,” Charlie growled. “We were part of a coven that hasn’t stepped foot outside our caves for nearly fifty years. We didn’t even know the Law of Secrecy had been repealed until this year. Or that Prince Mordecai made an announcement stating that we exist.”

“Who was your coven leader?”

“His name was Titan.”

“Titan?” Mother squeaked. “Titan lived?”

“Who’s Titan?” I asked.

“Your mother’s human husband,” Father said. Mother actually began to tremble and clung to Uncle Soren, which irked Father. He pulled her closer to him and Uncle Soren opened the door to the van. He hopped out, grabbing an oak tree by the trunk, and started hitting his extremely hard head against it.

“Let me handle it,” I insisted.

“No, Reese, you’re too young,” Father said.

“I’m sick of you babying me!” I growled. “I’m fucking married and I’m a father for Odin’s sake!”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Father said. “I won’t risk your life, nor Louis’ nor Toby’s.”

“Father, I’m doing this whether you approve or not.”

“Reese, please don’t argue with me on this.”

Furious, I stepped out of the van and started walking.

“Reese!” Sarah called out. She strugg Ks to get out, but her wings held her back. She struggled to free them, and finally edged out, losing a few feathers in the process. She caught up to me. “At least let me come along.”

“Sarah,” I took her hands, “if I die during this, who will be there for the boys and CJ? Not to mention Sabine and Genesis.” The mention of our babies and her sisters gave her pause. I could see the fight in her jeweled irises. Poor Sabine, recently discovered to be half-werewolf, a wolf woman of sorts, and Genesis, the recently discovered anthropomorphic skeletal probable sister of my sweet Sarah (I still had my doubts about that), both needed an older female to guide them and care for them. Sarah had filled that role. But she needed a mother herself, someone who could defend her if she couldn’t defend herself. Sarah seemed to sense my thoughts, because she leaned up and kissed my throat. I growled possessively and smooshed her against my chest. She squeaked in surprise, then pushed me away gently.

“Besides, your wing is hurt,” I said.

“I can pull it in,” she scoffed. She tried to lift her injured wing, but failed and mined at the pain, wincing and grimacing.

“No, my love,” I said. “Your poor wing.”

“Reese, I want to help you.”

“And I appreciate that, and I know you’re capable, but you’re hurt and if both of us get killed, who will take care of the kids!”

“What do you think we’d do, let them starve?” Father asked. He and Mother had stepped out of the van and were next to us.

“Of course not,” I said, “But where I’m going is too dangerous for someone who’s injured.”

“He’s right about that, Sarah,” Mother told her. Sarah grimaced and looked at me.

“I know you love him, but dear, your poor wing is hurt.”

Sarah stood on her toes and I leaned down to kiss her.

“Come back,” she said. “Be safe.”

A few minutes later, I was walking north towards Canada. I didn’t know much about this particular region other than it was very wooded. I’d never even gone running here. It would take me a few days by foot, but immortality made time a non-issue.

CHAPTER TWENTY- GODS

I reached the area that the vampires had indicated after hitching a ride from a few drivers. I thanked the last one for the ride and for the cigarettes, and then made my way down to the beach. It was a rocky beach, the sand was black and covered in seaweed. A few crabs scuttled about, and I saw dolphins in the distance. I took that as a good omen. I remembered my instructions from Charlie: “When you reach the beach, swim ten miles forward and two miles to the south. There is a small island where we lived. There, you’ll find other creatures.” What kind of creatures, he wouldn’t say.

But I told myself to be brave. I thought of my children and my wife and her sisters. That thought pushed me forward. I’m not brave like Uncle Soren, but I’m no coward, either.

I stepped forward, then thought better of it. I’d seen a fishing marina not far from here. Maybe I could rent a boat.

It only took a few minutes to find the marina, and I approached an old man with a white beard and a red jacket.

“Hi, can I rent a boat?” I asked.

“What for?” He seemed surprised.

I told him where I was going, and he nodded.

“That’s not too far from here. Hop in, son. I’ll drive. I’m Captain Scully.”

“I’m Reese Nicolai.”

“That’s Russian, right?”

“Er, Danish.”

“Hmm.” He pulled the anchor up and started the engine. A brown Irish setter dog tentatively came over and sniffed me.

We set off and I thought about my family, even the dogs. I was more of a cat person, but Sarah adored those damned dogs, especially Spunk, her golden retriever. Why she insisted on getting more dogs, I didn’t know, but considering all the cats I have, it was only fair.

This had been meticulously planned and crafted. We’d found a Walmart where Dad had purchased a prepaid cell phone for me and the rest of the family went back to New Jersey, except for Uncle Soren, who got himself cleaned up and was asking around about Regina. Louis insisted on going with his father, and considering how his mate had died.

Captain Gregory and I made small talk while we rode to the island. The Irish setter, named Bailey, inserted herself between my legs and sniffed me. I closed my legs, but the dog jumped up on me, and my parts were uncomfortable like that.

“Bailey! Manners!” Captain Gregory chided. “We’ll be there soon, Reese. I don’t know why you want to go to this island; it’s full of bats and owls and snakes.”

“It’s a personal matter,” I said.

He waved his beefy hand. “All right, didn’t mean to pry. But your wife is okay with you doing this?”

“She wanted to come along.”

“I bet she did. Girls love adventure and being near their boyfriends most of all.”

We finally reached the island, and Captain Gregory parked the boat far enough from the shore as so not to damage it.

I looked around. It was a rocky place, the sand black. I finally saw what I thought was a large fish, but as I got closer, I realized it was a hippocampus, a creature with the upper body of a horse and the lower half of a fish. He smiled as I approached. Well, he seemed friendly, but appearances can be deceiving.

“Are you here to see the witch?” He drawled in an otherworldly voice.

“What witch?” I asked.

“The prophetess. I am her guardian. If you are here to see her, you’ll have to solve my riddle. If you answer incorrectly, you die. If you remain silent, I will let you walk away unharmed. Here is my riddle: What is black, and blue, and red all over?”

Surely not. I’d heard that one before.

“The sky,” I answered. “Specifically the sunrise.”

The creature’s smile got bigger, revealing black and yellow pointed teeth.

“You may go in,” he said, rolling over onto his back.

That was easy. Too easy. I’d have to remain on guard. I made a noise of disgust as a pile of manure landed on my boot. I looked up, and my stomach dropped to the floor. They were the size of German shepherds, these huge black bats with their plump furry bodies and sharp incisors. I told myself to be quiet and kept walking. The amount of bats grew, and I had to avoid more piles of crap. I slipped a few times, and saw a few large canvasses of glow worms here and there. Soon, I reached a fork in the cave. I took a sniff, and immediately regretted it. It smelled like death. I decided to follow my gut and went right. I saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes in the darkness. As I got closer, I saw it wad some sort of female imp/demon creature with stringy black hair and sharp brown teeth covered in gunk. She sat on top of a pile of shit, her own, and was glaring at me.

“I-I’m-“

“I know who you are,” she snapped in a juicy voice. “Reese Mordecai Nicolai, son of Mordecai Nicolai and Marina Santorino. Brother of David, Selena, Phoenix, Emery, and Lydia. The last three are still unborn and in Marina’s womb, but not for much longer. You also have a wife named Sarah, a stepson named Cirino, and two babies named Caitlin Juniper and Joseph, also known as CJ and JoJo. Caitlin is named after Sarah’s dearest friend and Joseph is a Hebrew and Biblical name. Plus I sense another unborn life…a fourth child. But that is unimportant. What you need is information about your son.”

“My son?” I thought of JoJo. I missed him terribly. Sarah was irritated about the fact that I was his favorite parent, just like it irritated me that CJ preferred her mother, but only slightly.

“Your son can tell the future, can he not? He has already predicted Ragnarok. He is the key to saving the world. But I am not the one you should talk to about this. You should be speaking to the Kinsmen.”

“The gods? But where would I find them?”

“In Atlantis, of course. Just like Ambrogio told you before he died. Now go.”

“I’m not finished-“

“I am. Goodbye.”

I scowled at her rudeness, then went back the way I came. The bats were waking up, yawning and stretching their wings. One of them eyed me warily.

The hippocampus was gone, and so was Captain Gregory and Bailey, but the boat was still there. I frowned. I didn’t need them running off, too. Frowning, I sniffed the air. Something wasn’t right. My stomach tightened as I smelled blood and decaying matter. All of a sudden, I saw Bailey, barking her head off and running towards me.

“Bailey? What’s wrong?” I asked. I wished Shadowfang were here so he could translate. The dog jumped back into the boat and grabbed the anchor rope. She was panicking about something. Then I stepped on something hard. I brushed the sand away with my boot. It was an arm bone. Attached to a hand, and attached to a half-buried corpse, clearly long dead. I gulped.

“Shit,” I said. “I shouldn’t have brought you two here. Captain Gregory!” I called out. “Captain!” I bit my lip. What have I done? A Greek creature on Canadian soil, giant bats, a demon prophetess, and a strange coven. I was so stupid! But I refused to cry. I was already upset times ten, and I climbed back into the boat and buried my head in my knees.

“What’s wrong, Reese!”

“What…Apollo?!” I wiped my eyes. “Apollo, I screwed up. I led a man and his dog to their deaths for no reason. I have more questions than answers, and I don’t even know where to look.”

Apollo sighed. “Think, Reese, you’re a smart man. Atlantis is just a few miles away. Captain Gregory is dead. That is his corpse you saw. The dog alone barely escaped with her life. My boy, you’ve been led into a trap.”

“Why didn’t Regina and Alana just kill us back in Maine?”

“Because they were outnumbered. My daughter-in-law is a formidable white witch, and Sarah could easily hold her own using her fairy powers. Soren is a powerful vampire, and so is your father.”

He sighed. “My son was, as well.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what? You didn’t cause his death. I miss him terribly.” He sighed. “Reese, let me help you get home. Do you want to take the dog with you?”

I looked at Bailey. “Yeah, might as well. But I don’t know how to drive a boat.”

“I do. Allow me to help you.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE- HOME

I finally saw the house. My father’s house. The door opened and Sarah came out. She ran towards me, then paused.

“Sorry, I love you, but you stink,” she said. “Hello, Apollo. Who’s the dog?”

“Sarah, I messed up,” I said. She blinked.

“Reese, you’ve been crying! What happened?”

“I need to speak with Father and Uncle Soren first.”

She bit her lip. “Reese, Louis has been arrested for Paul’s murder.”

I buried my face in my hands. “It’s all my fault.”

“Don’t be stupid,” she said. “It’s not your fault. Don’t you see? Regina wanted us to be torn apart as a family. Soren himself is distraught. He even destroyed part of the basement and nearly attacked Marina. Luckily he was able to stop himself in time and now he can’t stop apologizing to her. Hi, doggie.”

Bailey had gotten loose and was now licking Sarah’s hand.

“I bet you’re hungry, huh?” We all walked to the house, Bailey looking at Sarah like she was the greatest gift a dog could have, and the rest of the dogs promptly greeted us. They were particularly interested in Bailey, who was dirty and new and stank like the ocean.

Sarah put out some food and fresh water for Bailey while I went up to take a shower. I tossed my clothes in the hamper, wiped my boots clean, and washed away all the dirt, salt, gunk, and tears. When I stepped out of the shower, Father was waiting for me outside the bathroom.

“Dad, I’m tired,” I said. “If it weren’t for Apollo, I’d be dead now.”

“I’m grateful for his help, then. Come on, let’s talk.”

But before I could tell him anything, I collapsed, exhausted.

I slept without dreaming. I felt a tickle at the edge of my mind, like someone was trying to enter. Knowing it was most likely Father, Sarah, or JoJo, I relaxed my brain. I dreamed that I was levitating, floating. Then I plunged into the ocean.

I squirmed and thrashed, then I smelled Sarah. Her scent calmed me.I relaxed my muscles and reached out for her. I wound up grabbing her hair by accident. I released her. I pulled her close and kissed her. Then I heard chuckling.

I opened my eyes, then nearly vomited when I realized I’d actually kissed Spunk. Damn dog. I closed my eyes and slept some more, a long time, in fact, before I finally felt refreshed enough to wake up.

“Reese is waking up.”

“Finally! I thought he’d sleep forever.”

“He’s exhausted, Sarah. He needs his rest.”

“I know, but he’s been asleep for three days. I miss him.”

I opened my eyes. “Sarah?”

“Reese!” She threw her arms around me and kissed me. “You’ve been sleeping too long, mister.”

“Forgive me.”

“No, no, you needed it. By the way, I love the dog. Where did you get her?”

“It’s a long story. Let me shower first, then I’ll tell you.”

“Okay. Enjoy your shower!”

I washed my body and hair. My hair was getting too long again. I needed a trim. My chin was covered in fuzz, too. I turned the shower off and shaved before running a comb through my tangled hair.

When I stepped back into my bedroom to get dressed, Shadowfang was sitting on my bed.

“Where have you been?” He demanded.

“I’ll explain everything to the whole clan later. Right now, I need privacy.”

“Hey, we’re both male.”

“Don’t look, then.”

I pulled on some clean boxers, sweatpants, and a wifebeater. My stomach cramped painfully from hunger. I needed blood. I went downstairs and saw Mother before she saw me. She flirted towards me and wrapped me in one of her maternal embraces.

“My son,” she said, her Greek accent more pronounced than usual as she petted my hair.

“Hi, Mom. How are you?”

“Forget me. How are you? Are you hurt? You slept a long time. Why did you bring yet another dog? Like we don’t have enough pets! You’re so skinny! Did you eat at all while you were gone?”

“I’ve been better, the dog is a long story, and no, I didn’t eat. I’m starving, actually.”

“Zie! Get my boy some blood!”

“Zie’s here?”

“Yes, we have such a big household that we needed more help. I want to hire a cook and a couple of maids, but your father said no.”

“My father’s paranoid.”

“For good reason. Someone is out to kill us. First Bram, then Regina, then the Council, and now someone else!”

She buried her face in my chest and her shoulders shook. I hugged her awkwardly, then saw Uncle Soren watching from the doorway, arms folded across his chest. His eyes were bloodshot and he had dark circles under his eyes. And he was looking at my mother.

Father made his presence known then, and he hugged me from behind, pecking my cheek.

“Tell us what happened, boy,” he said.

I sat on the couch a moment later, my family around me. Uncle Soren asked Tony to sit in, and Sarah was beside me along with her dogs.

“Here’s what happened,” I said, then I launched into an explanation of hiring Captain Gregory, the hippocampus (Sarah asked what that was), the female imp/demon, the corpse, Bailey running towards me frantically, the giant bats, the demon’s words, and Apollo finding me. Father hissed when Apollo’s name came up.

“You really went through something,” Toby said. Spencer put his hand on Toby’s shoulder, and Toby didn’t shrug him off, the way he would have a few months before.

Sarah pecked my cheek and passed baby Caitlin Juniper to me.

“Where are the girls?” I asked. “Sabine, Genesis, and Selena?”

“They’re at my house,” Mother said. “I hired some protection for them.”

“Really? Who?”

“One of them is a female bodyguard from Japan. Her name is Mikasa. Another is a young man from here in the US; his name is Hank. I trust them both.”

My daughter started to fuss. I rocked her, but Sarah reached out for her.

“She’s hungry,” she explained. Father passed Jojo over to me next. Okay My son scowled at me, his thick black hair sticking up. Then he passed gas.

“He’s bloated,” I noted.

“He’s been bloated,” Sarah said, shifting CJ, who was suckling on Sarah’s breast. “He had a few more bad visions, and the stress is causing him tummy trouble. I haven’t been able to talk to him through my mind like you do, but I can read both their minds and see what they see. That’s how I knew Little Girl needed Mommy’s milk.”

“How often are you breastfeeding them?”

“Every four hours. They also get formula.”

It hit me then how out of touch I’d been. I was a bad father. I adjusted my boy in my arms.

“Daddy!”

What’s wrong, son?

You’re back!

Yes, I’m back. I’m sorry I left, but I had to.

It’s okay, Daddy. I know why you did.”

I heard a noise outside. The rest of my family heard it, too. Surprisingly, Lola the pit bull was the first to get up and go investigate. She went to the door, tail wagging, and barked. I passed my son to Father, who took him, and I went to the door.

Opening the door, I was met with a horrible sight.

“David!” I cried. I heard Father pass my son to someone else and get up.

David lay on his stomach on the stoop, arrow after arrow in his back and kidneys.

“David!” Father shouted. He hopped down to the stoop and picked up David. He cradled him.

“My son…where have you been? You’ve been missing for months!”

“I’m not your son,” he croaked. I was surprised to find that this man’s voice was deeper than David’s. He looked older, too. He had a few lines on his face and his hair was thinning on top.

“Who are you?” Father demanded.

“Your…your…” He choked on his own blood, then went still. Father and I looked at each other.

“He’s dead,” I said.

“Who was he?” Uncle Soren asked, standing on the porch. I shrugged.

“Check his pockets,” Father said. I started to feel around, when he suddenly vanished into thin air.

“What the fuck?” Father said. “Where did he go?”

Damn. Well, I’d find him later. Sarah came outside with CJ and JoJo in her arms.

“Go back inside,” I told her.

“You are not the boss of me, Reese,” she reminded me.

“But I’m your protector.”

“I don’t need protection.”

“You certainly do, Sarah Harper.”

I was at a loss as to what to do next. I decided to go to the public library to see if I could find any books on Ragnarok, seers, or gods and goddesses.

The good news was that I found a few books on gods and goddesses from all over the world. I didn’t see anything relating to the multiple deaths, though. There hadn’t been any more suspicious deaths in a while. At least not in Denmark. I found that unsettling. Like the calm before the storm.

I did read Revelation in the Christian Bible, though. It was difficult to decipher, and all I could tell was that the archangels would announce the apocalypse, the Whore of Babylon would make her appearance, and the devil would turn into a seven-headed dragon. I also found a passage that said that the dead would rise from their graves. I thought of Genesis. Had the apocalypse already begun? Was Genesis even who she said she was, a long-dead half-sister of Sarah and Sabine? I doubted it.

There had been too many “new” relatives to be legitimate. And who knew where David was? He’d made a brief appearance, faded into the background, then left. That wasn’t normal.

I returned the reference books to the cart and checked out the rest of the books. I paid the library fine (how embarrassing) and visited the bookstore in the library. As I fingered the tomes, I spotted a series of brown books that said Norse Mythology and Folklore.

Interesting. I bought all of those books, plus the new Stephen King and a few old Zebra Horror books. These days Zebra is more well-known for romance, but their old horror novels are pretty kick-ass.

I browsed the jewelry, wondering if Sarah would prefer labradorite or jasper.

“Well, if it isn’t the most handsome vampire in New Jersey.”

I closed my eyes in disbelief.

“Hi, Scarlett.”

She was smiling at me and twirling her hair. She’d cut her hair so it was chin-length. She wore a white turtleneck and blue jeans with high-heeled boots. Her earrings were black and dangling.

“How’s Sarah?” She asked.

“Like you care.”

She pouted. “You wound me, Reese. I miss my best friend.”

“You beat her to a pulp and abandoned her!”

She waved a manicured hand. “But that was years ago. Surely you can forgive me for a little high school drama, can’t you?”

“When Nales attacked her, you said it was her fault and called her a slut.”

“That’s old me. I am a new Scarlett, still hot to trot but much nicer.”

“I don’t believe you.”

My stomach felt ice cold. She was up to something.

When I got home, carrying a huge box of books inside, Sarah was asleep with her head in Mother’s lap and Father was watching the news. Mother was stroking her fingers through Sarah’s soft hair like she was a cat.

“Whatcha got there?” Father asked.

I showed him the books and told him what I’d learned. He wasn’t impressed, and he told me as much. Mother swatted him for his rudeness towards me, then I sat on the chair and read, Shadowfang curling up on my lap.

Sarah awoke with a snort, and stretched. “Spaghetti beans?” she said.

“What?” Father said.

“I think I’m hungry.”

“Do you want me to make you something?” I asked.

“No, I can fix myself something.”

As she sat up, I saw Mother wincing with a hand on her stomach.

“Are you okay, Mom?” I asked.

“She’s fine,” Father said.

“Are you Mom?”

“Don’t sass me, boy.”

“Mordecai, shut up,” Uncle Soren said, walking into the room. “Your bad attitude isn’t helping anything.”

“Shut up, Soren.”

“Both of you shut up,” Mother snapped. “It was a twinge. I am overdue. It could happen any day.”

But over the rest of the day and the next, I noticed Mother was increasingly secluding herself, even when the girls came over. Sarah and Caitlin were planning something, but they didn’t say what yet. I found myself focused more and more on books. Of course, I also did my duties as a husband and father. I also researched green initiatives where we could help the environment and the animal population. Time to do something useful besides mope about how I wasn’t useful.

Finally, it was a Saturday near the end of June when it finally happened. My mother went into labor.

It began at breakfast. Zie doled out glasses of warm blood and eggs and toast to the food eaters. Sarah and I were feeding the babies. Cirino was in his high chair, throwing cereal everywhere, and the cats and dogs were begging.

Except…Mother wasn’t eating. She looked green, with both hands on her belly this time, and she ignored my gaze.

Uncle Soren noticed next. “Marina, dear, are you all right? This blood is very fresh and warm.”

“It’s happening,” she whispered. “Call Ethan.”

While I placed the call, Zie, Father, and Uncle Soren helped Mother into the bathtub, where Uncle Soren turned on the faucets. I heard Mother cry out in pain. I tried to keep busy by doing my morning routine, but I found myself listening to my mother’s labored breathing.

Before long, the doorbell rang and I smelled Ethan through the door. While Sabine and Sarah held the dogs back, I opened the door to let the vampire nurse/doctor in. We’d first met Ethan in my junior year of high school after I was poisoned. He’d been a valuable asset to us then and was valuable to us now.

“How far along is she?” He asked by way of greeting. Right down to business.

“Approximately a centimeter dilated, contractions are every few minutes,” I said, just as I heard another cry of pain. I directed Ethan to the bedroom and bathroom where Mother was, and went back to my room to work. I had not written a song in months. I set to work with my newest inspiration, my kids. Caitlin and Joseph’s Song.

You’re beautiful tonight

The only thing more beautiful than you

Is them

Our children

I look at her and I see you

I look at him and I see me

I look at the both of us too

And I see a young family

I took a break and stretched my fingers. I had contacted our environmental specialist, Jane, to see how our oil lucrative was affecting the environment. No spills, thankfully, but someone was caught illegally dumping in the Mojave desert, which was of course not cool at all.

I heard Mother’s screaming grow louder and more high-pitched. Zie was already out with the kids and Sarah was keeping the animals in check.

Shadowfang jumped up onto my desk and sat on my hand.

“Must you?” I asked, pulling my hand out from under his button.

“How else will other cats know you’re mine?”

“What other cats would these be?”

“Everyone knows the cat goddess Bastet has lots of kitties and animal shifters like me.”

“Where am I going to meet Bastet?”

“When you confront the gods about what Wolfheart will do to your sister and what Odin did to your son.”

“Last time I saw Odin-“

“That was an imposter, remember? The real Odin would never leave a fight.”

“I wish I could believe that.”

Mother screamed.

I had to get out of the house.

I grabbed my keys, phone and wallet, and headed downstairs, where my Sarah was sitting rubbing Gizzy and Lola’s ears.

“Want to go out?” I asked.

She nodded. “Let me get my purse.”

She grabbed her purse of the week and we put the dogs on leashes. I offered to take the cats along, too. They shifted into their human forms and followed me and Sarah.

I got out my old Chevrolet Astro, and started it up. I missed this old van. It was less blue than the last time I’d used it, but it was still beautiful.

Sarah took her Lamborghini, the blue one I’d bought her as an apology gift. We put the cats in their human forms and the dogs in my van, then we agreed to meet at the dog park in a few minutes.

The Paws Park was a huge dog park with two sections-one for big dogs and one for little dogs. Coffee, as a Chihuahua, was out littlest dog park while the rest-two pit bulls, a husky, an Irish setter and a golden retriever-were mid-to-large size dogs. I knew Coffee would probably be a bitch to every other dog in the park, but it would have been cruel to leave her at home.

The park was busy, unsurprisingly. Dogs ran around each other, sniff each other’s rear ends, drank water from the massive bowl, and lounged in a couple of kiddie pools. Their owners sipped drinks, gossiped, played with their own and each other’s dogs, and a few were walking the nature trail. I could hear a dog splashing in a pond somewhere nearby. I held onto Coffee’s leash, but I let Spunk go first. When they saw Gizzy and Lola, two women got up and moved to another bench. The prejudice against pit bulls was no different than any other prejudice. Toby often spoke of daily prejudices he experienced even during the twenty-first century as a young-looking black man. And Zie was often insulted for being Chinese and her thick accent.

Hell, I’d experienced prejudice myself for being goth and a vampire. But I was far from the most prejudiced-against type of vampire. Chlorophyll eaters, called vegan vampires, were considered not really vampires because they didn’t drink blood or feed off psychic energy. Animal eaters, called vegetarians, were similar to the Twilight vampires in that they only fed off of animals for multiple reasons. Heck, I knew some vampires who committed suicide because they didn’t want their families to know they’d been turned into a vampire.

As the dogs gallivanted around me, I thought about vampires who had died recently. Alexander. Verity Slaughterman. I barely knew Verity, only that she was the older sister of a human classmate of mine named Vanessa, who is briefly drunk from while practicing hunting one night. I wondered if she became a vampire before or after her mate found her. He was another vampire who happened to be a friend of Louis.

Oh, Louis. The thought of him made my insides churn and twist. The Council and Regina would for sure kill him. Even though Paul’s death wasn’t really his fault. Okay, it kind of was, but he wasn’t the one who caused the chandelier to go into Paul’s gut. That was Regina. And she had influence over the Council. I thought of all the friends and long-time employees who had turned against us. Some for money, some for power, others just wanted to see our family dissolved because they thought a monarchy was dumb. We couldn’t trust anyone anymore.

I was so lost in thought that I almost didn’t see Spunk humping a fox terrier.

“Spunk! Stop that!”

I quickly pulled him off of her while the terrier’s owner rushed over.

“That Damn dog should be shot! This is a public place!”

“Calm down, Karen,” another dog owner said. “All dogs do that.”

“I take full responsibility,” I said. “I should have been watching him better.” The best way to defeat arrogance and violence is with humility and kindness. Unless it involves my children or my family. Then the only answer is violence.

The Karen was stunned by my answer. She sputtered, turned the color of puce, then stormed off in the opposite direction.

“Sorry about that,” said a man I presumed to be her husband. “She’s a real harpy.”

I’d met harpies before, and they were nastier than that woman, but whatever.

Sarah came back from her walk with the pitbull sisters.

“Reese, we need to talk,” she said.

“Shoot.” I scratched Lola’s ears.

“I was thinking about getting a job and finally going to college.”

“Go for it. What kind of job?”

“You know that hair salon where I used to work as a part-time receptionist?”

“I do.”

“The owners are selling the salon, and I want to buy it.”

“Are you sure? Running a business isn’t easy. You have to be there a lot and get some training.”

“I’m sure this is what I want. I’ve already signed up for cosmetology classes, and I reapplied to be a model at the art school.”

Remembering all those males ogling her gorgeous body irked me. But it was her decision. She’d resent me if I tried to control her.

“I won’t say that makes me happy,” I said, “because it doesn’t. I don’t like all those people looking at your naked body.”

A nearby male human’s head whipped around and stared. He’d overheard me. Then he looked Sarah up and down.

“I know, Reese,” she said. “But I’ll also be taking drawing and painting classes.”

“That I can support.”

“Yeah, I need something to do with my life. I’m also joining a book club and an environmental club. What’s the point of being married to a scion if I can’t use it to do some good?”

“A scion? That’s what I am?”

She lightly smacked my arm. “Shush, you. Or I’ll paint our bedroom neon pink.”

I shuddered at the thought. “No, thank you.” My eyes were sensitive enough.

She leaned forward and pecked my cheek. “I love you too much to do that, Reese.”

“I love you too, Sarah.”

“Are you two married?” A man asked.

“We are,” I told him.

“How long?”

“Several months.”

“Oh, congratulations. The honeymoon phase is always the best time. Do you plan to have kids?”

“We have three kids.”

“Congrats. I bet you’re a proud papa.”

“I am. I adore them.”

“I know that feeling. When my wife got pregnant with our girls, I was in love immediately. What do you have?”

“Two boys and a girl.”

“And all these dogs? Wow, there must be a lot of love in your home.”

“There is.”

We chatted for a few minutes about our wives, kids, and dogs (he had a yellow Labrador stud and a chocolate Labrador bitch) before his wife called him over to help her with their dogs.

We stayed for another hour before all the dogs were finally worn out and we decided to go somewhere else. I checked my phone. No updates from Father or Uncle Soren about Mother. I knew that labor could last hours, days, even a week or two.

Sarah’s first delivery with Cirino was several hours long, but he had a human biological father. Mine were born dhampirs, half vampire and half human. Sarah became a vampire shortly after due to Jordan trying to take over her fragile human body. I’d been forced to make an emergency change. As we got all the dogs into my van and Sarah got in her Lamborghini, we decided to meet Zie at a local restaurant called McFly’s for lunch. Sarah would love the greasy food and our kids needed more exposure.

When I arrived at the restaurant, I led the dogs on their leashes to the patio where Zie waited with a high chair for Cirino and two bassinets for the little ones in the shade. “Mama!” Cirino shouted. He reached out for Sarah, who took him in her arms and pecked his forehead.

“Are you glad you didn’t abort him?” I asked.

She sighed. “Yes, but I wish I’d had more choice in the matter. My stupid bio mom just wanted me to keep him for the money involved. You know that Brian and Claire Nales send a check every month? While Michael is off at NYU or Brown or Yale or whatever. He got off easy.”

“Way too easy,” I agreed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t, it’s just…I’ve had to change so much since that night. The only possible good thing that came out of it is my marriage to you. You’re worth all the hardship.”

“Me?” I scoffed. “I’m not worth shit.”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that. You’re so much more than you think, Reese. You helped me fulfill two of my dreams, and it’s because of you that I finally know why my dad died that year. The real reason and the reasons why. Well, partly. I’ve got the feeling there’s a lot I haven’t been told still.”

“I agree. But Sarah, you could have had any guy you wanted. You could have had Caden Cartwright, or Elliott, or Glen Crow, or Eric Martin, or even Jamie Williams.”

“Too full of himself and was also a secret cousin, was with Britt the whole time, too old for me, a werewolf and wouldn’t back off even though when I said no the second time, and the last one stalked me and erased my memory.”

“I’m a vampire who nearly killed you.”

“You didn’t do it on purpose, though. You tried to help me. You gave me the greatest gift of all: being a mother again.”

Cirino squeaked and grabbed a handful of her curls.

“Don’t touch Mommy’s hair, sweetie,” she said. She gently moved his hand away but he giggled and grabbed her ponytail again.

“Mama,” he said, pointing to her. “Daddy.” Then he pointed at me.

The waiter came by and Sarah ordered chicken tenders and an iced tea, Zie ordered a vegan burger and water, and Sarah ordered some milk and applesauce for Cirino. I ordered a cheeseburger and water. The waiter also brought out a couple of bowls of water for our many canine friends.

While Sarah and Zie ate their food, I made sure the babies were comfortable. Sarah ate quickly and wiped her mouth before reapplying her lipstick and getting up to wash her hands, stating that she didn’t want to “soil” our babies’ skin with chicken grease. I forced myself to eat the cheeseburger. I didn’t know how Sarah could stand this stuff. At least I ordered it rare.

Immediately, my stomach protested and churned loudly. Sarah chuckled at my discomfort as she attached CJ and JoJo to her breasts.

“Put those things away,” said a passing man. I flipped him off.

“The babies need to eat, too,” Zie said. Sarah nodded in agreement. I subtly fed a few leftover fries to the dogs and played with Cirino while Sarah and Zie chatted about the prejudice against breastfeeding. Where Zie came from, it was seen as natural in her village where nursing and pregnant women were revered.

She said that many people also assumed that she ate cats and dogs when they heard her accent when that was simply not the case. She admitted she was a bit suspicious of Toby at first because of his skin color. Then she slowly started to trust him and now they got along just fine.

“Don’t we know those people?” Sarah said during a lull in the conversation. She gestured across the street where I spotted Michael Nales and Jordan Hart holding hands.

“Man, that’s sick,” I said. “They’re siblings for Thor’s sake!”

“Maybe it’s not what it looks like,” Sarah pointed out. “Even if they weren’t related, it would still be gross, though.” She laughed. “Remember when Wesley Cole and Trina Smith started dating?”

“They’re third cousins, though,” I pointed out. “Nales and Hart are brother and sister. Twins, even.”

“Reese, this has been a long time coming. They had a crush on each other long before any of us knew.”

“Michael had a crush on you,” I pointed out. She made a face, and I muttered a quick apology.

“Nales is chimney soot compared to you,” she said. “You’re more like a gem.”

“Thanks, babe.”

“Did you just call me babe?”

“I did. Is that okay?”

She leaned forward and pecked me on the cheek, her boob almost slipping out of her blouse.

“Of course it’s okay,” she said. “You’re my baby too.”

“Oh, Sarah.”

Finally, we got the word that my siblings had been born...and there was a surprise waiting for us.

I drove us back to the house, Sarah in her Lamborghini, Zie and the kids in her car, me with the dogs in mine.

Stomach souring, I let the dogs in first, and the cats ran up to me.

“There’s a fourth baby!” Belle said.

“A fourth baby?”

“Yeah,” said Catniss. “She was a surprise baby. Your uncle thinks she might be Alexander’s baby.”

“Aren’t you a proud brother?” Shadowfang teased.

“I definitely want to meet them,” I said.

“They’re ugly,” Frodo said.

“All babies are ugly when they’re first born,” Anakin reminded him. He flicked his bushy gray tail and looked up at me. “But they’ll be cute in six months or so.”

My uncle came down then, freshly showered and wearing a muscle shirt and jeans.

“There’s four of them?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes, sir. Four little ones. Two girls, two boys. Lydia, Phoenix, Emery, and Esther. They’re sleeping now. Try not to wake them or your mother. She’ll be down for a while.”

Sarah walked in then, having heard part of the conversation. “Four?!” she whispered. Uncle Soren nodded, and she put her knuckles in her mouth and bit down.

“I want to see them,” she said. Uncle Soren chuckled.

“You can both see them in a bit. Ethan’s cleaning up now and Mordecai’s instincts are over the edge right now. He wants to protect his mate and daughter with all he’s worth.”

“I’m no longer his little boy,” I sighed.

“You haven’t been a little boy for years, Reese. Your father just doesn’t know how to handle change. It’s different when there’s a new baby, or four. She’s gorgeous, though. She’s the best-looking baby I’ve ever seen, besides you and my own.”

“You’re an uncle again.”

“I suppose I am. I’m happy for Mordecai. I’d give anything to have my son back.” He sighed, and Sarah looked concerned.

“Any word on Louis?”

“He’s not talking to the cops. He’ll only talk to me or his lawyers.

She bit her lip as Zie came in with the kids. Cirino waddled over to me and held out his arms.

“Uppy, Daddy,” he said. I picked him up and he reached for my ponytail. I inched my hair out of his grabby hands and he laughed. My little man was almost two years old. He’d be two July fourteenth. Wait, did I just refer him as my little man? I suppose I did. In a way, he was. He was my son, and I haven’t been there for him. I was the closest thing he had to a father, even though he wasn’t biologically mine, he was biologically Sarah’s, and he was my son as much as he was her son.

We headed to the living room where I put Cirino in his playpen with some toys. He laughed and clapped his hands, then plopped down on his butt and picked up a mirror with a bright red bear face on the back. Zie handed me my daughter, while Sarah took Jojo, and we put them in their bassinets. I rattled a little set of keys in front of CJ, and she gave me a baby scowl.

I smiled as they both fell asleep, Cirino was in his playpen, Zie was making dinner, Mom and the new babies were resting, my father was upstairs with Lydia, Uncle Soren was finding out the status of Louis, and Sarah and I cuddled with the cats and dogs around us and we caught up on our current show, a drama about high school in a small town.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – PRISON

“Louis? Please say something,” I said. His open, blank eyes turned to me. He had a little beard now, and he smelled like sadness and guilt. It was coming off him in waves.

“Louis, do you want to see pictures of the babies?” Sarah suggested. “You can tell which one’s Mordecai’s baby because she’s the only yellow-eyed blonde-haired baby, and she is absolutely adorable. The others are cute, too. Phoenix is the biggest, and Esther is the smallest.” She showed him photos of the babies. Emery scowling at the camera. Bailey, our new dog, sniffing Esther. Shadowfang putting his paw on Lydia’s little tummy. Uncle Soren holding his nieces.

My family and I were over the moon about all the new family additions. The only one who didn’t seem to care was Louis.

After a while, tears rolled out of his eyes, and he covered his face with his hand while biting his trembling lip.

“Louis?” I asked.

“It’s my fault,” he muttered. “It’s all my fault.”

Sarah and I looked at each other. She got the hint. She got up and took the photos with her, the only things she was allowed to bring into the room.

“Louis,” I said, “What happened to Paul isn’t your fault. You know you didn’t kill him.”

“But I-“

“Time’s up, kid,” said a guard. I left my cousin sobbing into his orange jumpsuit while I followed Sarah to the car. She’d already been given back her purse and phone. We were driving her Honda today. She sat in the front seat, sighing and hitting her hard skull against the steering wheel.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” I asked.

“Not anymore, thanks to you,” she said, sounding irritable. “Why won’t he talk?”

“He’s depressed. He truly believes that Paul’s death is his fault.”

She remained silent. I frowned.

“Don’t tell me you think it’s his fault, too.”

“No, not entirely. You have to admit he does share some of the blame, though.”

“Sarah, Paul lied to him, tricked him, and betrayed him.”

“Paul was also kicked out of his shapeshifter pack, had his fingers and balls torn off, and Louis didn’t even tell us about him until they’d been dating for a while.”

“Saying that it’s Louis’ fault is like saying it’s my fault you’re a vampire.”

She looked at me.

“Okay, forget I said that. Technically it is my fault you’re a vampire. Here’s a better example: saying that it’s Louis’ fault is like saying it’s my fault your mother is a bitch.”

“She’s certainly no mother of mine,” she said dryly.

“Fine, Scarlett, then.”

“Your getting extremely close to the edge, Reese.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m trying to make a point here.”

“Don’t forget, you’ve made mistakes too.”

“Oh, fuck yes. I’ve made hundreds of mistakes. But you’re not perfect, either.”

“I never said I was. I’ve still got pregnancy body, I have no job, I’m damaged goods, and half my family aren’t speaking to me because I’m married to a vampire.”

“There’s another example right there. If I wasn’t a vampire, your grandparents still wouldn’t uapprove of me.”

“If I married someone who wasn’t white or Israelite, they still would not have approved, so don’t worry about that.”

“You’re the one who brought it up!”

“Reese, I would love to continue arguing with you in a jail parking lot, but we’re just wasting time fighting with each other. We need to work together to solve our problems.”

I paused. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

We leaned towards each other and kissed. Her undead skin felt cold and smooth. I missed her human warmth. She never wanted to become a vampire, but I’d had no choice. I wasn’t going to let my little girl or my boy grow up without a mother. If I ever saw Jordan again, I would kill her, no mercy. Sarah still had the scar on her stomach from when Jordan tore open her C-section scar.

Sarah was more beautiful than ever before, but I missed her softness, her fragility. I wanted to be her protector, her defender. I was the male. It was my tradition-instilled position and my instinct to care for my mate and children. My family.

Sarah drove us to her new salon location. She’d bought the place after consulting me, and I told her to go for it, and she did. Right now it was just an empty space, but Sarah’s little head was chock-full of ideas about how to make it pretty. I had to talk her out of zebra-print couches and leopard-print curtains.

She liked pink, but I had to remind her once again that not everyone likes bright pink as much as she does. I barely managed to convince to go with classy colors like cool mint green and dark brown trim. She still wanted animal accents, though, so I bought her a few zebra prints and some animal paintings of leopards, tigers, elephants, zebras, ostriches, and lions.

When she walked in, all heads turned toward her.

“The lovely Sarah returns,” said a male with a missing front tooth.

“Oh, hush,” she said, and I knew she’d be blushing if she could. Another thing I missed about her human-ness; her blushing.

“Would you like some water, Sarah?” asked a male with long dark hair.

“No, thank you, Trent,” she said. “I have coffee in the car.”

“I could buy you another cup,” said another male with a blond beard. “Do you like hot or iced?”

“I don’t need any more, thank you, Quinn. I don’t think you’ve met my husband yet. This is Reese.”

All of the males in the room turned towards me, some giving me a hate-filled look. That irritated me. Yes, Sarah was a vision of unearthly beauty, but she was my wife now. The mother of my children. My mate, my life partner.

I put a protective arm around her and bared my teeth. She squirmed out of my grasp and asked how the painting was coming along.

“We’ll have the second coat on in about a day, Sarah,” said the one called Trent. “I can give you my number when it’s done.”

“That won’t be necessary, Trent. Just have Arnie call me when you’re done and we can begin the next step.”

We headed outside.

“Are they always so pushy?” I asked.

“No, usually Trent asks me to let him buy me dinner.”

“Does he know you’re mine?”

“He does, he just doesn’t care. Truthfully, I hoped he’d slow down when he met you. We’ll see if he does.” She sighed. “What is it about me that makes men flock to me? I suppose I’m pretty, and I’m not stupid at all, but why are men so pushy?” \

“Oh, honey,” I chuckled. “You have no idea how attractive short girls are, especially girls with curly hair, light-colored eyes, and tanned skin.”

“I thought men preferred tall, voluptuous blondes.”

“I personally prefer short, curvy brunettes. I know a lot of men also prefer redheads.”

“I get the redheaded thing. Rachel can get any guy she wants, and she’s a natural redhead.”

“Are you still talking to her?”

“Well, she did apologize for what she did to me, but we’ll never be as close as we were ever again.”

“What about the other girls?”

“The only other one I’m spoken to is Sara, and she said Angela’s going off the rails, partying all night, Mia is sleeping around, and Scarlett has been thrown out of her parents’ house. And we know what Jordan and Michael are up to. Gag me with a spoon.”

“Sarah, do you see that?”

“What?”

“That dog across the street.”

“The border collie? What about it?”

“See how she’s carefree, how she doesn’t give a shit about what other people think of her?”

“I know where you’re going with this, and I’m telling you right now that not caring about what people think can get you in trouble with friends, bosses, coworkers, and family. The dog doesn’t care about impressing other people because she has no one to impress except the lady on the other end of the leash.”

“That’s not what I meant, but okay. She’s not caring about anyone else except herself and her owner right now."

"Are you calling me a gossip?"

"No, not at all!"

“You most certainly are!”

“That didn’t come out right.”

She sighed. “Do me a favor, Reese, and keep your opinions to yourself.”

“Oh, so now I can’t speak my opinion, but you can? Double standards, Sarah.”

“Whatever. I need a coffee. Do you want anything?”

“Vanilla latte.”

“You don’t drink coffee.”

“You asked!”

She drove past the coffee shop.

We didn’t speak for each other for half an hour. Sarah just drove around, her eyes shining.

Finally, she said, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“And I didn’t mean to be rude. Well, I did, but it’s done and I regret it.”

I sighed.

She needed a nap. We both did.

When we got home, Cirino ran straight to us. “Mama! Mama! Mama! Owie!”

“Where is the owie?” I asked.

“Unca Sore!”

“Uncle Soren? What about him?”

Fearing the worst, I sniffed around. Dad came down the stairs.

“Dad, what’s-“

“Don’t talk to me.”

He stormed past me and went outside, slamming the front door. Spunk and Koda howled, which started a chain reaction.

Mother soon came downstairs, dressed in nothing but a nightgown and robe. Her eyes were full of tears.

“Oh, Reese,” she said when she saw me, and wrapped me in a tight hug. “I’m afraid your father’s gotten a terribly wrong idea about me and your uncle.”

“Go after him,” I suggested, squirming out of her maternal grasp. She started crying and shook her head.

“I can’t!”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s not entirely wrong!”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

“Mom, what happened?” I asked. She ignored me and ran upstairs.

Instead, Uncle Soren stormed downstairs, only wearing a pair of jeans and no shirt. Sarah’s jaw dropped, and I covered her eyes. No way was I letting my uncle steal my mate, too!

“Where did he go?” he growled at me. I pointed, and he stormed out.

I felt sick to my stomach. I’d known for a while that my uncle had always had a thing for my mother, even before she and my father got together and had me. But he’d gone too far this time. Sleeping with Ariella was nothing compared to this. But there was nothing I could do about it, and Sarah knew it, too. She tugged on my sleeve, and I looked at her.

“Are you okay?” she though-spoke.

“No.”

I was at a loss as to what to do next. I decided to focus on the task I’d been given: trying to find David. He’d been missing for way too long this time. How could he just come into our lives and then disappear if he claimed he was my father’s son? A DNA test had proven he was my father’s biological son and my half-brother. What the fuck, David?

I searched his social media, which was depressingly bare. I tried Google, driver’s license, police databases. It occurred to me that he didn’t want to be found. If a vampire doesn’t want to be found, he’s not going to be found.

But I had to keep trying. I searched online for hours, texted the private detective I’d hired, and he had no news.

Cirino came up to me, and reached out his arms to me. I picked him up, and he nuzzled into my neck.

“Hello, boy,” I said.

“Daddy,” he replied.

Just then, Sarah came into the room, shaking like an aspen leaf.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“It’s Michael Nales,” she said. “He just texted me. He wants to see his son.

Michael hadn’t asked to see his son in two years. I wanted to strangle him for it.

“Nails!” Cirino chimed in. “Hamma and nails!”

I gestured to him. “That’s the extent of what Cirino knows about his father,” I said. “Why would Nales want to see him now?”

“Nails!”

“I don’t know,” Sarah said, shaking her head. “It doesn’t make sense.” She sighed.

“Momma?” Cirino waddled up to her and looked at her with his big green eyes.

“Hi, baby,” she said, smiling at him.

“Momma sad?”

“Yes, honey, Momma sad.”

“Kiss and make better.”

He grabbed her hand and smooched her knuckles.

I turned back to the computer screen. Huh. Ariella’s band, Everlasting Strife, was playing tonight at Smooth Groove. Interesting. I hadn’t played my guitar in months, or the piano. I hadn’t bothered to get a new one, either, after the last one was destroyed.

“Would you like me to play you a song?” I asked Sarah.

She smiled. “I love to hear you play.”

I busted out my acoustic and strummed a few chords before getting into a musical groove and playing “High Road” by Three Days Grace. I didn’t expect her to recognize the song, since she and I didn’t have the same tastes in music, but surprisingly, she recognized the tune. She hummed along and sang a few lyrics, then I played “Better Than Me” by Hinder, which she definitely knew. It was one of our mutual band likes.

This time, I sang, ignoring her as she whipped out her phone and recorded me. When I finished, she gave me a teasing grin.

“I’m going to put this on YouTube,” she teased.

“You’d better not.”

“Seriously, honey, you’re so good. Why not?”

“Oh, fine, if you insist. You’re better than me at singing, though.”

“But I can’t play the guitar or write songs.”

“But you can read music and play the piano.”

“True.”

Within minutes, my video was on her YouTube channel.

“Caitlin and I are starting a comedy show,” she said.

“Really? What’s your first script like?”

“First we take our clothes off-“

“Haha, very funny, Sarah.”

She giggled, then looked down at her phone. “Oh, you already have a comment! It says, ‘Holy cow, he’s amazing! I didn’t know he could sing like that!’ Oh, it’s from Tiffany Schultz. Remember her?”

“Unfortunately, yes. She was the school gossip.”

“Oh please, everyone gossips in high school, she just started the most rumors.”

“Oh, here’s one from Noah Johnson. ‘You have a good voice, buddy, and nice rhythm. Keep it up!’”

She leaned forward and pecked my cheek.

“Kiss! I kiss!” Cirino said.

I blinked. “Is he supposed to be talking like that?”

“No,” Sarah laughed. “I guess when Marina fed him her breast milk, she made him smarter or something.”

“Vampire breast milk has been known to improve intelligence,” I said. “My father did a study years ago.”

“How did he know it improved their smarticles and not just because they were naturally smart?”

I shrugged. “I really don’t know much about it-you’d have to ask him. And ‘smarticles’ isn’t a word.”

She stuck her tongue out at me.

I knew she was worried. I was, too. Sick to my stomach, actually. I didn’t know what Nales wanted with the boy, but it couldn’t be anything good. What did he want with him now, after two years?

I’d find out soon enough.

To Bean Or Not To Bean was bustling with early-morning coffee and tea fans. Sarah sipped her caramel macchiato while she was typing away on her laptop.

“What are you working on?” I asked.

“My book,” she said.

“The book you’re writing? What’s it about again?”

“This one is my memoir, or my story, kind of. Basically an autobiography.”

“Interesting.” I leaned forward and sniffed her. “Did you take your medication this morning?”

“Yes, husband. I can handle this.”

“I know you can, my lovely wife, but I still worry. He assaulted you.”

“Yes, I did.”

You could hear a pin drop.

I looked up and nodded at him. “Michael.”

He nodded back. “Reese.”

“Michael,” Sarah said tersely.

“Sarah.”

He thrust a piece of paper at her.

“What’s this?” she asked as I took it from her.

“I want to see Cirino,” Michael said.

“Absolutely not,” I said. “You lost your chance to be a father years ago. I’m his father now. Sarah is my wife, and that makes him my son. Get lost.”

“No, see, it’s a custody hearing,” Michael said. “Cirino is my son. I know I made a huge fucking mistake, and he’s a big part of it. I need to see him.”

“No,” I said firmly. “You can talk to our lawyers. We’re not giving up custody of him.” Sarah was watching me in amazement. I ignored her and focused on Michael. He and I glared at each other for a full minute before he averted his eyes and lost the staring game.

“You son of a bitch,” he hissed. “It’s my right to see my son! I’m his father!” That got the attention of everyone in the coffee shop.

“In a pig’s eye,” was my reply.

“How’s Jordan?” Sarah asked. He scowled at her next.

“Why do you care?”

“We saw you,” I said. “You and Jordan are in a sick relationship.”

“Hey, what Jordan and I have is special. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. She’s my soulmate.”

“That’s gross, Michael,” I said. “It would be like me dating Selena, or Sarah dating a brother, if she had one.”

Michael turned to Sarah. “I do need to talk to you about something else. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you. I truly am. I want to make amends. I don’t expect you to forgive me anytime soon, but please, let me see Cirino.”

“Fake,” I said. “That is the fakest apology ever.”

“Screw you, Reese Emerson Nicolai,” Michael said, turning back to me.

“Screw you too, Michael Brian Nales.”

“You always were a loser.”

“Be nice to him,” Sarah said. “Not only is he my husband, but the rest of our class severely misjudged him. He’s a wonderful person, inside and out.”

“You two should be grateful. You got together because of me!”

“That right there negates your earlier apology, Michael,” I said. “She can do better than you or I. She could have any guy she wants, yet for some unfathomable reason, she wants me. I’m okay with that. Say anything like that again and I’ll pull your lungs through your throat, tie them in a sailor’s knot, and light them on fire. Do I make myself clear?”

“Calm down, Reese,” Sarah urged quietly. “We’re attracting too much attention as it is.”

She was right. I took a few deep, cleansing breaths, then buried my nose in her soft hair. Her scent calmed me.

“Calm down, lover,” she repeated. “You can’t lose your temper here in the coffee shop.”

My stomach still heaving, I took a few more breaths then turned to face my enemy.

“Get lost, Nales,” I said. “A public officer or a lawyer should have given us this. Not you personally.”

“It’s not that kind of letter, you idiot,” he said. “It’s a personal one. For Sarah.”

“Oh, hell no-“

“Reese,” Sarah broke in, “Go outside. Take some deep breaths. I can take care of this.”

“I know you can, but I-“

“Reese. Go.”

I stormed out of the shop. I paced angrily in front of a psychic’s shop until I realized whose shop it was. Madam Indigo. I’d seen her two years ago when I officially began dating Sarah. Turns out she’s the sister of Crow, who happens to be a friend of Louis’. Madam Indigo had seen her brother and my lover getting to know each other and decided she was the perfect little wife for him. Dumb bitch.

Irritation, anger, and jealousy seeped through me. I spotted a store that sold old and rare books and went across the street, hoping to distract myself. The first thing I noticed when I stepped inside was Ariella. She was behind the counter. She waved me over, and I went to go speak to her.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “I saw Nales go into Bean and then you came out.” I briefly explained to her what Nales wanted and what he was doing. She shook her head. “Jefferson Davis and my Aunt Mavis! That boy just does not give up, does he? Of course, he’s been obsessed with Sarah since freshman year.”

“So have I, but I never purposely hurt her.”

“Which makes you a real hero, Reese.”

“Some hero I am. I can’t even protect her from other vampires.”

“She’s strong and smart, Reese, She can protect herself.”

I thought of Sarah coming to my rescue not long ago in Maine. I’d been kidnapped and she sacrificed her own health when she charged Uncle Soren’s electric cage. Trapped like animals, rescued by a girl who was only five feet tall and weighed less than two hundred pounds and had recently given birth.

I calmed myself down enough and gossiped with Ariella about what our classmates were doing after graduation. She and Caitlin were now living together, and Ariella admitted she’d never been so in love with anyone before. Not even with Damon Sage.

I thought of Evan, and how I’d screwed up with him. I’d caused his death twice over, after shredding his heart.

Sarah came into the shop a minute later, eyes shining. I embraced her and licked her salty tears away. She winced, and I realized I’d taken her makeup off in my attempt to make things better. Oops.

I kissed her soft blood-colored lips. She buried her face in my stomach and tightened her arms around me.

She looked around. “What’s this?”

“A bookstore,” I said.

“I can see that, goof. I mean, these books are all old.”

“That’s because most of them are rare,” Ariella said. She pulled on a pair of gloves and pulled out a book. “Fox & the Hound, first edition.”

“It was a book first?”

“You’re a Disney princess and you didn’t know it was a book first?”

“Well, in my defense, it’s Disney, and I’m Jewish.”

Ariella looked to me for clarification.

“Disney had some anti-Semitic views,” I explained. “Of course, Sarah is still addicted to the movies. Who isn’t?”

“Didn’t Seth McFarlene say something about that in Family Guy? I thought he was just making a joke.”

“He probably was, but he’s not wrong.”

My phone rang then. I looked at the caller ID.

“Hello, paternal parent.”

“Hello, offspring. We have a situation.”

“When do we not have a situation?”

“Very funny. Reid Lockhart escaped the institution.”

“No, no, you’re lying.”

“I’m not, unfortunately. Why would I lie about that, anyway?”

“So what’s the problem? Go after him.”

“Don’t you think I haven’t already done that? I sent Dimitri and Julian after him, and I just got a call from Julian saying that Reid is going to find Marie.”

“Marie? Why?”

“He wants to die, Reese. He won’t listen to me or your uncle, either. We’re hoping you’ll be able to talk some sense into him.”

“He hates me, remember?”

Sarah tugged on my sleeve and looked at me with questions in her eyes.

“Hang on, Dad. What is it, baby?”

“Go after him.”

I blinked. “Are you serious?”

She nodded. “Evan was murdered because of something someone in your family did.”

“Is that Sarah?” Father asked.

“Don’t you dare say anything rude to her.”

“What’s the matter with you, boy? I wasn’t doing anything of the sort. I actually agree with her. So does Soren, even though he’s giving me a scornful look right now.”

“No,” Uncle Soren’s voice said, “It’s my fault the boy’s dead. I should be the one to go after Lockhart.”

“Soren, it’s not your fault-“

“Shut up, Mordecai.”

“Don’t tell me to shut up! You don’t know everything! Father’s dead because….”

“You don’t have to tell me why Father is dead, little brother. It’s my fault he’s dead, too.”

“Soren, I’m sorry-“

“Don’t bother. I know what you’re thinking. Reese, don’t concern yourself with Lockhart. I’ll go after him myself.”

“No,” I said. “You need to stay here in case Louis needs you. You’re his father.”

“I know I’m his father…sometimes. I do wonder, though, if he’s even mine.”

“Soren, what are you talking about?”

“Mordecai, I know you slept with Alga before Louis was born. There’s a possibility you’re his father.”

“There’s also a possibility that you are Reese’s father!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. That boy looks nothing like me. He doesn’t have my body shape.”

“Neither does Lou…shit. I didn’t mean that.”

“It’s not enough that you got the woman, brother. You also got the children, too!”

“How old are you? You could have children you don’t know about!”

“It’s your fault that David betrayed us!”

“What David did is not my fault! You wouldn’t accept him!”

“You refused to take responsibility and be a –“

“Damn it, Soren, if I’d known about him, I would have-“

“And yet you took Reese in.”

“Oh, shut up. You love Reese just as much as I do. I’m still not sure why you took him to the Night Market all those months ago for that stupid book.”

“I needed backup!”

“And you wouldn’t take Louis, who is far older and much more experienced? Because you knew there was a possibility that lives would be lost.”

“No, I meant to give him experience. If I died in the ensuing battle, it would be up to him to take the book to you, and I couldn’t trust Louis to do it.”

“And the truth finally comes out!”

“I was afraid Louis would use the book to bring his mother back. I knew that Bram or Rosita would want it sooner rather than later, but I made a mistake. I didn’t know Samuel was her husband, or that Alana and Samuel Jr. were her children.”

“So you chose my son instead of…say, me?”

“Mordecai, I was afraid you’d use it to bring Mother back.”

“Mother’s been dead for many years, Soren. What would she say if she saw us now?”

“Don’t say that! She’d hate my guts, for one thing.”

“Mother died because-“

“Mordecai! Reese and Sarah can hear!”

“So? Reese is her grandson, and Sarah’s family, now. She has a right to know as much as he does.”

“How did Grandmother die?” I asked.

There was a silence. Then Father spoke.

“You know how your grandfather used to go into these blind rages before you were even conceived? She died protecting me from one of his rages. He killed her by draining her of blood.”

“So he did murder her! Alexander was right!”

“As much as I hate to admit it, yes, Alexander was right. Both your grandfather and Apollo had anger issues, and they both killed their own wives because of it.”

Sarah burst into tears.

“Oh, man,” I said. “He never said a word.”

“Because deep down, he knew he was responsible, and he hated himself for it,” Father said. “Unlike Alexander and his brothers, though, we did not try to kill our father afterward because we did not blame him.”

“Are we cursed?”

“Probably. Apollo is the same god who reportedly drove the sun chariot and was in love with a boy named Hyacinthus, although his powers were greatly exaggerated.”

“He’s the brother of Emery, but he’s Greek. We’re Danish. How?”

“How is the sun yellow and not blue? I don’t have an answer, son. Hold on, Lydia is fussing.”

I heard my baby sister’s cries and pictured my father holding her and rocking her. I wondered if he held and rocked me the same way.

“She’s hungry,” Father finally said. “We’ll finish this conversation later.”

We clicked off, and I said.

“I didn’t understand a word of that,” Ariella said.

“How much did you hear, Sarah?” I asked.

“All of it,” she replied. “I’m so sorry, Reese.”

“For what? You didn’t cause my grandfather to go berserk. You didn’t curse my family, although I fear we’re cursed, anyway.”

A small furrow took up space between her perfect brows.

“Now what?” she said.

“I…I don’t know. I’m at a loss.”

I checked my phone. “No more suspicious deaths in Denmark. First America, then Denmark. I don’t get it.”

“Someone’s trying to make your family look incompetent,” Sarah said. “Trying to make Soren and Mordecai look incompetent.”

“That’s a sound theory, lover, and we’ll figure it out.”

She leaned up and kissed my jaw. “You got a little bit of stubble,” she said.

“Sorry.”

“No, don’t be. I like it. Five o’clock shadow on guys is hot as hell.”

“Oh, yeah? I personally prefer soft, curly brown hair on women.”

“That’s more specific than stubble.”

“That’s because it’s you, Sarah.” I leaned down and pecked her lips.

“Louis, talk to me,” I said. He stayed silent.

“What happened to Paul was not your fault.”

“You didn’t know him the way I did.”

“The same can be said about you and Sarah. No one knows her better than I do, besides Beckett and Sabine.”

“But she’s alive. Paul is dead.”

I closed my eyes and resisted the urge to shake my head.

“Louis, they’re seeking the death penalty. If Regina gets her way, you’re dead in months, possibly weeks.”

“What’s the point of going on?” he said. “You’re wrong about it not being my fault.”

“Louis, he would have seen the rest of us die. He was working for her the whole time.”

“No, I don’t believe that. He lied about that, I know he did. He was tortured just because he was my lover.”

“Louis, you’ve had thousands of relationships before.”

“But none like the one I had with him.”

I sighed. “Um…what about Ariella? And Meiko?”

“I barely knew Meiko and Ariella was in a relationship with my dad, and I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone who’s been with my dad. That’s just wrong.”

“I don’t blame you there. Soren does seem to have a habit of taking our women away. First my friend, then my mother, then I found out that he’s even attracted to Sarah, and she to him, even though he’s much older than her and she’s way too nice to dump me for him. He could protect her better than I could.”

“It seems like our lovers can do much better than us.”

“Sarah could, for sure. She could have any man she wants, but she chose me for some weird reason.”

“Hey, it’s not like you’re a troll. You’re decent-looking, and you’re smart as hell, and you’re musical, and you can write, and your fatherly instincts are decent.”

“I’m not a good father. I’ve never even changed a diaper.”

“Do you really believe that, Reese? Sarah adores you because you love those little imps as much as she does.”

“They’re my everything.”

“There you go.”

I sighed. “Louis, plead not guilty. It’s not your fault Paul died.”

“It is, even though I didn’t kill him. I tried to save him, though. I…gods of old, Reese, I miss that damn shapeshifter. He was my one true love, my entire world. When I was next to him…listening to his heartbeat…after we had sex, he had this habit of showering afterwards. First, though, he’d smoke a cigarette in the bathroom in nothing but his socks. I loved that little quirk about him.” He sighed. “Even though he had a flat stomach, it was still soft, and I loved it. My own abs are practically steel. Do you know what it’s like being so hard next to someone so soft?”

“I have a female mate. She’s soft all over.”

“I believe you. Paul was soft like a female, young and smooth and supple. I’ll never find his equal.”

“You loved him, didn’t you?”

“I fucking worshipped him.” He sighed. “I couldn’t protect him, though.”

“Sorry I’m late,” Father said, taking the seat next to me. I jumped half a mile. I hadn’t heard him come in. “What’s the score, Reese?”

“He won’t budge,” I said.

Father looked at Louis. “Come on, boy. You’re my only nephew. Do it for your uncle.”

Louis smiled weakly, his eyes shining. He rubbed his chin, which had grown fuzzy in the time he’d been locked up.

“What would you do if it was Marina, or Reese, what if it was Sarah?”

“But Marina and Sarah are both alive and well,” Father said. “Speaking of Marina, there’s something you both need to know. I asked Marina to marry me, and she said yes. It was a private proposal with only us two in the room. Well, and the babies. Not your babies, Reese, my baby and her half-siblings.”

“You’re a proud papa again,” I said.

“Damn straight. I’m fucking overjoyed at being a father to another baby. She’s as cute as you were when you were a baby, Reese.”

“You’re biased.”

“A little, but it’s the damned truth. Even Sarah agrees that Lydia’s cute as the dickens.”

“Yeah, well, Sarah’s a mother herself.”

“Yeah. I’m a little concerned about David, though. He told me he was his son, took off, betrayed then saved us, then took off again. I’m at a loss with that boy.”

“I’m sorry, Father.”

“For what? It’s not your fault he’s an uncaring dolt, Reese.”

“I’d love to be a father,” Louis said. “I see you two and you glow when you talk about your little ones. Especially JoJo and CJ and Lydia. Do you have favorites yet?”

“That wouldn’t be fair, Louis,” I said. “It’s true, I love being a new father. JoJo and CJ are my life now.”

“And Lydia is mine,” Father said. “The other three belong to Alexander, so I care less about them.”

“Father, that’s not nice!”

“I know, and Marina hates me for my prejudice. I can’t help it, though, even though I know it’s not their fault. Alexander made himself the most hated person I knew. And no one hated him more than I did.”

“But it was your fault Mother left him.”

“Don’t remind me, Reese,” he growled. “If I had my way, I’d go back and fix things.” He sighed. “You’re not budging, are you, Louis?” Louis shook his head. “Then we’re wasting our time. Come, Reese.”

I drove the Chevrolet Astro today. As I got in, someone caught my eye. Michael Nales. What was he doing here? Visiting someone he knew, maybe? Well, it was none of my business, even though I was tempted to stalk him.

I reprimanded myself for caring about it, then drove downtown, where I was to meet Sarah at a clothing store for young children and babies. She was out front, texting on her brand-new iPhone. The silly girl had dropped her previous one in the bathtub too many times and ruined it.

She had Coffee on a leash, too. I gave her a questioning look, but she ignored me and went inside the store, where I followed her.

“Why’d you bring the dog?” I asked.

“She has a hernia on her tummy,” she responded, not looking up from her cellular device.

“Oh. Lovely. So what do you want to shop for?”

“Cirino needs new dress shirts, and CJ needs a new onesie. JoJo needs new nightclothes, and your siblings need clothes.”

“All right. Grab a basket and knock yourself out.”

“Here, take Coffee.”

I reluctantly took the little dog, who eyed me warily and didn’t growl this time or try to bite me, thankfully. Sarah swore up and down that Coffee hated all men, not just me, but I’d yet to see her growl at Father, Beckett, or even Uncle Soren.

I followed Sarah around as she filled the basket with clothes in every color, style, and size. When I pointed out that Cirino’s second birthday party was coming up soon, Sarah reluctantly put the four-year-old clothes back. She pointed out that the kids’ birthdays were close together, with the twins in May, the quartets in June, and Cirino in July.

I reminded her that they were still babies and didn’t care about presents, or at least, the younger ones didn’t. Cirino would care about stuff like birthdays soon enough. I wasn’t very involved in Cirino’s daycare or education, but from what I understood, Sarah was inviting several little ones from Mother’s church.

Zie wasn’t wholly responsible for Cirino anymore; they’d recently enrolled him in daycare, and they were inviting several children from there as well. The whole class. I shuddered at the thought of thirty two-year-olds in the same room with me. I could barely handle fatherhood-how would I handle being a present parent at a birthday party?

Sarah bought her things and we headed next door to check out the new beauty store. I nearly retched at the smell of hairspray and nail polish remover. My sensitive vampire nose protested, nearly falling off my face at the wretched odors.

Sarah bought a few bottles of nail polish (the girl was addicted to the stuff) and we headed home. Then we got an unusual text message.

“Overdrawn?” I said. “What the fuck?”

My grandfather had left us billions of dollars in different bank accounts, so how were we overdrawn?

I went inside the house first and called out for Father. He turned to me and held a finger against his lips and pointed across the room. Our accountant, Judith Mendoza, was chatting on the phone with somebody.

Sarah walked into the room next and saw the woman and her brow furrowed. She’d never met our accountant before.

Finally, Ms. Mendoza clicked off and turned to my father. “Well, there’s no easy way to say this,” she began cautiously, “But your accounts have all been drained by a party or parties unknown.”

Father sighed and rubbed his temples. “I can’t deal with this,” he said. “Who would do this to us?”

Bram had done this before to us, but he was dead. Our biggest enemy right now was Regina and the Council. Would they have done this?

I checked the accounts myself. The money was all gone. Ms. Mendoza was right.

Uncle Soren looked around at us.

“I’ve decided to give up control,” he said.

“You’re making a big mistake,” I said.

He eyed me sadly. “Reese, I have no choice. My son’s life is on the line. I can’t lose him, too.”

“I understand, Soren,” Mother said. “If it were my children…” She shuddered. Esther, in her arms, spit out her binky and immediately started crying. “Hush, little one.” Mother put her pacifier back in her mouth.

“When do you plan on telling Regina?” Sarah asked, shifting CJ. I was holding JoJo. Koda nosed JoJo a bit, and I gently pushed the dog away.

“Gentle, boy,” I reminded him. He did the exact opposite and jumped on me, putting his paws on my arms and gave me a big kiss.

I checked the accounts myself. The money was all gone. Ms. Mendoza was right.

We all stood around the living room. Uncle Soren was at the front, leaning against the fireplace.

“I’ve decided to give up my position and title,” he said.

“Have you told Regina yet?” I asked.

“No.”

“You’re making a big mistake, Soren,” Father said.

Uncle Soren sighed. “I see no other way out of this. People are dying left and right, and we still don’t know why. We lost all our money, my son’s life is at stake, and so are the little ones’ lives. Your life is at stake, Reese, and so is my…” He trailed off.

“I understand,” Mother said. “These are my children, too. And grandchildren.”

Father wrapped his arm around her. “My love, they are my children, too.”

She looked up at him. “Even Alexander’s?”

“They are yours, and therefore mine as well.” He looked up at Soren. “I think you’re making a big mistake, but I cannot stop you. Our coven is already being whittled down, and I’d rather not lose anymore of my family.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: CONTROL

I sat across from Alana, who stared at the table. Marie, the child vampire, stood off to the side, her red eyes gleaming, her blonde hair shining like the moon. She wore an old-fashioned dress and boots, her sharp nails resembling claws and folded neatly in front of her.

The rest of the Council filed in. Unfortunately, this little meeting had been deemed necessary. We left the babies with Zie and Spencer, not willing to risk their lives, too. I was already risking Sarah’s by letting her come along. She reached for my hand, and I took hers. Alana looked at our entwined fingers, scowling minutely. Then she looked up at Sarah with the biggest wave of hate I’d felt coming from her. Why would she hate Sarah? The poor girl barely knew her.

Sarah looked down at her toes in response, and I rubbed her soft hand.

“It’s all right, baby,” I whispered, below human hearing. I heard Alana scoff and glared at her. On my other side, Father took his seat. Everything about this had been meticulously planned.

My heart squeezed as I focused on the one thing that mattered. Getting out of here alive. Members of the Council filed in, taking their seats behind Regina’s seat. The bitch…I mean queen…herself walked in next, flanked by two guards wearing skull masks. My stomach dropped to the floor. I shouldn’t have brought Sarah here. She’d noticed them, too, and they her. One of them, a blond with blue eyes, focused on her and looked her up and down.

“Regina,” Uncle Soren said, taking his seat beside Sarah.

“Soren. I assume you’ve seen the light?”

“I see no other choice. The whole of the vampire race is now yours.”

She smiled. “And what of my other offer?”

“I’d rather eat cat shit.”

One of the guards, a man with a black mohawk, put his hand on his waistband, where a variety of weapons were hidden. Regina made a sour face.

“I’m not used to being denied.”

“I’m not used to having to give up my position and title to a self-centered, vain temptress who murders innocent people for fun.”

She laughed. “Oh, Soren. That wasn’t me. It was someone much closer to you.”

“Who?” he demanded.

“Ah, that would be telling. Your money is being given back to you as we speak. I’ll let Louis live, even.” She snapped her fingers, and the guard with the blond hair stepped out of the room.

Sarah’s grip tightened on my hand. I leaned over and nosed her hair. Alana glared at Sarah again with a fierce look. I was confused. She barely knew the girl. Hell, she tried to kill me once. My little hellcat glared back at Alana, who seemed surprised that Sarah would be brave enough to scowl at her.

“Girls, is something wrong?” Regina asked.

“Reese should have been mine,” Alana muttered.

I was stunned. She loved me? Me, the Lone Goth?

To everyone’s surprise, Sarah burst into laughter.

“He’s mine now,” she gloated.

“No need to be a bitch,” Regina chided her.

“Lady, I am not a bitch, I am the bitch.”

I clapped a hand over Sarah’s big mouth. Regina laughed.

“Let her say what she wants. She’s free, after all.”

“Watch your mouth,” I whispered in Sarah’s ear. “And calm down.”

“Sorry,” she whispered back.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Mother began laughing.

“Even though she’s younger, my daughter can still outwit yours,” she bragged.

“She’s not your daughter, you worthless Christian!”

Mother stopped laughing and growled. She bared her fangs at the other woman.

“Do not insult our Lord!” she shouted. She whipped out her wand, but Uncle Soren put a restraining hand on her.

“Sit down,” he commanded.

“I will not,” Mother hissed. “This whore has gone too far!”

“Whore? How dare you?” Regina stood with her hands on the table, her eyes swirling from blue to violet. “At least I have had only three husbands in my life!”

“I didn’t find the right one until about fifty years ago,” Mother said. “But I do not kill innocent people, nor do I try to kill other vampires!”

“Shall I arrest her?” the man with the black mohawk asked.

Regina held up a hand. “Not yet, Marcus. Let her speak. What makes you think I kill other vampires, Marina?”

“Your daughter tried to kill my son! You threatened to have Louis executed! I’m glad Soren killed your son and husband!”

The man himself let out a low hiss.

Regina brought out her wand and pointed it at my mother. “Ericusa!”

Titanium chains wrapped around Mother, and she dropped her wand. Sarah quickly retrieved it before Alana or Regina could.

When she saw her with the wand, Regina laughed.

“Stupid fairy,” she said. “That’s a witch’s wand. You won’t know how to use it.”

“I’m not going to use it,” Sarah said. She handed me the wand and extended her wings. She stood up from the table. “Let my mom go now!”

“She is not your mom, stupid girl!”

“She’s the best mom I’ve ever had!”

Regina threw a ball of energy at my beloved, hitting her in the stomach and sending her flying back thirty feet and hitting the wall. She lay on the floor, motionless.

“You bitch!” I stood up from my seat. I reached for her wand, but she yanked it out of my way. She belted me in the chest with a jolt of electricity, the line growing and sending me back to the wall. Finally, she let me go, and I slumped to the floor and crawled over to Sarah, who was already getting up on all fours. She shook her head, growling lowly.

“Regina, you’ve gone too far,” Uncle Soren hissed, standing up. She threw another bolt at him, hitting him in the stomach.

“You…” Father shook his head.

Then a rescue came in the form of Selena. She pulled a wand out of her own dress and pointed it at Regina. Alana threw a bolt of magic at her. Selena deflected it, and it hit the chains holding Mother, breaking them into links.

Mother went over to Sarah, helping her up and taking her wand back.

“I should have remembered,” Regina sneered. “Come here, Wolfheart.”

Selena immediately began to shake in fear and hid behind my father while a man appeared out of the shadows. It was Wolfheart.

“Selena,” he growled. “Come here now.”

She shook her head and continued to hide and shake.

“You stay away from her,” I hissed.

“The mother of my children? I don’t think so. Selena, come here, now.”

He stormed around to the other side of the table, but Father blocked his view of Selena.

“You will not touch her,” he said.

“You are all forgetting something. She’s still my wife!”

Selena shook her head. “You’re wrong, Loki. I love Raoul now.”

“Who the fuck is Raoul?”

“I am Raoul!”

Liam/Loki turned around and faced the other silver-haired man. When he saw him, he frowned.

“You,” he hissed. “You stole my mate from me!”

He grabbed Raoul by the throat and squeezed.

“No!”

Selena ran out from behind my father and put both her hands on Loki’s shoulders.

“Stop this! Now! I’ll go with you! I’ll go with you!”

Loki slowly released Raoul, who glared at Selena.

“You bitch,” he growled. “Lying whore. I knew I couldn’t trust you.”

“What? What are you talking about, Raoul?”

“Did you really think I loved you, damaged goods? I was working for Regina, too.”

Regina laughed.

Selena was shattered. Mother was heartbroken on Selena’s behalf, and so was Sarah and me.

Loki laughed.

“Come with me, Selena,” he commanded. “You and I are two halves of a whole.”

Selena’s tear-filled eyes slowly swirled from blue to violet, and then from violet to red. She charged at Loki, but then she vanished.

“Selena vanished,” Sarah stated the obvious.

“What did you do to her?” Mother demanded of Loki.

“I absorbed her,” he said, still smiling. Then he winced. He put both hands on his stomach and looked down. “Selena…”

“No!” Mother screamed. She whipped her wand around and aimed it at Wolfheart. “You!”

“Woman, it’s too late now,” Wolfheart growled. “I’ve absorbed her into my body. She’s gone.”

She sent a ball of magic at him anyway. He caught it in his hand and twisted his wrist around. She sent another, and another. He caught the second one, but the third time hit him, sending him onto the floor.

Mother tossed her wand aside and tried to attack him with her bare hands, but Father caught her around the waist.

“My love, please,” he pleaded. “Calm down.”

Mother continued to fight him. She elbowed him in the ribs repeatedly. Uncle Soren grasped her shoulders from the front, and she relaxed, her eyes full of tears.

“This is all your fault, Soren,” she sobbed.

“I know,” he said softly.

Suddenly, Wolfheart caught my attention. He had inflated to the size of a large cow.

“Shit,” I said aloud. His body continued to expand, his shirt ripping, jeans buttons popping off. I turned away and shielded Sarah.

I noticed the Council members had begun to leave the room. Good riddance.

I glanced back. Wolfheart was now the size of a rhino, and he kept growing.

Double shit. He was blocking our way out, and the door that the Council had used to leave was locked from the outside.

Then I saw a blue ball of energy encompassing us. I looked back at Mother, but she was furiously pounding Uncle Soren’s chest and raging. I looked over at Sarah. She wasn’t doing it, either. I wondered who was protecting us from the imminent explosion. Oh, well, no time to think about it now. I kept my back to Wolfheart, Sarah burying her face in my chest in fear.

The explosion was monumentous. Guts and blood covered the blue shield covering us, and then it was lowered.

“Who would do this to us?” Sarah squeaked.

“Me,” came a familiar voice. I looked up.

“You!”

Apollo stepped forward, looking depressed. I realized something, then. “It’s you,” I told him. “You murdered all those people.”

“Not me personally, my associates. But you’re not wrong about it being me, Reese. I brought Wolfheart here. I killed hundreds of people, because no one human, vampire, werewolf, shapeshifter, Elf, entity, or other being will bring back my Diana. Or my children.”

“You killed those people to bring back your wife?”

“And my children. Now the last piece of the ritual is in place. I’ve finally killed someone worthy enough to die so I can resurrect my Diana.”

“Not Selena-“

“No, you stupid boy. Wolfheart. You heard her call him Loki. Well, that’s who he really is. He was Loki. I don’t care if it brings Ragnarok-my family is more important than a bunch of beings who don’t believe in us anymore.”

“You idiot, lots of people still believe in you. Greek god and goddess pagans-“

“It’s not good enough. We were once mighty gods, proud to be who we were because people worshipped us, but the rise of Abrahamic religions and atheism has caused us much grief. As for the rest of the world, I will kill every mortal on this forsaken planet if it means my family will come back.”

“You!”

Mother threw herself at him in rage, fangs outstretched, but he flicked his fingers and she froze in midair.

“Sorry, Marina,” he said. “I do like you, but it was necessary to sacrifice your daughter for mine. I hope you can forgive me one day.” He disappeared with a flash of fire.

Mother collapsed and landed in Uncle Soren’s arms.

“Love,” Father said, “I’m so sorry, I-“

“Just take me home.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR – FORGIVE ME

Did I think the Council would take what happened at the meeting lightly? Absolutely not. And I was right. Uncle Soren was asked to give up Mother and Sarah so they could be “properly punished.”

He refused.

“Soren, it was our fault,” Sarah said when he said this. “Let me go.”

“No,” he said. “It’s more than that. It’s not really you they want, dear, it’s me. They planned to punish you and your mother not because of your actions, but because of mine. They knew it would hurt me if anyone else in the family was hurt.”

“Talk to him,” Sarah urged me.

But when I opened my mouth to speak, Uncle Soren shook his head. “There’s no point in arguing with me. My choice is made, my mind is set. I’m not risking your life, Reese, nor Sarah’s and Marina’s. That’s what a coven leader does. He protects his coven.”

We may have been a coven, but we were also family, and I told him as much.

“I agree with you, but again, my mind is set.” He sighed. “They’re still not releasing Louis. They want him to die and they’re using Paul’s death as an excuse.”

“But Louis didn’t kill Paul, Regina did!”

“I know, Reese. Louis still blames himself for his boyfriend’s death, too, which doesn’t help matters.”

I bit my trembling lip. I buried my nose in Sarah’s soft curls, tears in my eyes.

A few hours later, I was walking along the backyard’s edge when I heard Toby and Spencer talking.

“Give me another chance,” Spencer said. “We’re soulmates, Toby.”

“You put your dick in a teenager while you were married to me,” Toby growled. “I’m not happy with you here. I wish that Mordecai would have fired you months ago. You should have been fired, with that little slip of yours.”

“It’s not my fault,” Spencer said. “Tobias McCree, you know that we’re intended mates.”

“Do not call me that name. That name is dead to me.”

“I’m sorry. Do you remember how we met?”

“How could I forget?” Toby said sarcastically. “We were at a Catholic monk house, and you were posing as a monk. Soren and I needed to be there on business, and you stared at me as if I were an angel.”

“You’re my angel,” Spencer replied. “Yes, and I later confessed to using the secret passage to watch you undress.”

“Watch me undress. How pathetic. You, pretending to be a man of God when you once persecuted Christians, your cock growing hard at the thought of a long-haired black vampire half-naked in the dark.”

Sounded good to me. Not the persecuting Christians part or pretending to be a man of God, but I wouldn’t have minded watching Toby undress, either.

“You even once worked for an emperor who married and castrated a young boy.”

“Toby, please don’t use my past against me. I’ve changed. I’m not using your past against you.”

“You called me Tobias McCree when you know I hate that name.”

“It won’t happen again. Toby, I’m not letting you go.”

“The sooner you do, the sooner I can let you go. I already have.”

“Don’t say that. I love you more than my existence, Toby. More than this world and the next, more than space and time.”

“What happened between us was not my fault.”

“No, you’re right, it was mine. Why are you walking away from me?”

“I’m done with this conversation.”

“Damn it, Toby! Get back here!”

Spencer grabbed Toby’s wrist, but Toby spun around and kneed Spencer where it really hurts.

I sighed and took a long walk. Before long, I found myself at the lake. I sat on the shore and watched as a turtle bobbed its head out of the water. I heard small, lithe footsteps and saw Sarah take a seat beside me out of the corner of my eye.

She said nothing, just put her head on my chest and sighed softly. We stayed quiet for a long time, watching the fish and crawdads under the water. As I watched, a crawdad snatched a tiny minnow from under the soil and pulled it in. Predator and prey. I was prey now.

My family didn’t do a lot for the Fourth of July-we were from Denmark, first of all, and secondly, the fireworks hurt our ears.

Today would be a normal day otherwise.

Suddenly, Sarah stood up and began taking off her shirt.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Going swimming," she replied.

"In this?" I was aghast. She normally abhorred anything like this. But as I watched, she stripped her shoes and socks and jeans, only standing there in her bra and underwear. She backed up a bit, then ran forward, flipping in midair and splashing on her way in. Her hair didn’t seem wet coming up, but maybe that was because of how thick it was.

She looked at me, swimming backward.

“Come in, Reese,” she said.

I began to take off my shirt and shoes, then my jeans until I wore only my boxers. I joined her, but more slowly until I was up to my chin in the lake. I was taller than she, so I was farther out.

She swam toward me and wrapped her legs around my waist. I wrapped my arms around her and looked into her beautiful eyes. We kissed, our mouths fighting for dominance as I pulled her into me.

“Let’s do it here,” she said.

I chuckled at the thought. Poor fish.

We swam for a few more minutes before Sarah was ready to get out.

We made love in the green grass, dirt casing our bodies, before we decided to go back to the house. Dirty, aching, wet, smelling like lake, we took our showers first before I put some clean clothes on and got on my computer. I’d been neglecting my charity work.

Koda sidled up to me and offered me his stuffed monkey. I gently took the monkey’s tail and shook. Bailey came over and started licking his ears. I stared at them. I was not a dog person at all, but these dogs were okay.

I looked through my e-mails. I got a few more comments on my singing video, and one caught my eye. I chuckled. The dude claimed to be an agent from Los Angeles, and he wanted to know if I would be willing to talk to him. I sighed.

If anyone should go to Los Angeles to sing, it was Sarah. She’d love the sunshine and the beaches.

My heart constricted at the thought. I couldn’t go with her. I was a true vampire, meaning I didn’t do well in the sun. That’s why I always wore jackets, even in summer.

I finished the job advertisement I’d been working on.

Babysitters needed. Two preferred. Need to be able to handle cats and dogs as well as people going in and out of house frequently. Pay will be $2,000 a week. Supplies and food provided. Call Reese Nicolai at this number________

I listed my personal cell phone number and then worked on my next advertisement.

Volunteers needed to help clean up Styx River!

Are you tired of looking at our beautiful river full of crap? Then why not do your part? Help clean up the Styx! Snacks and drinks provided.

I still needed to go grocery shopping if I was going to help provide food and drink, like I’d promised, to the volunteers of the river clean-up. I thought of Apollo and the name of the river and humorlessly chuckled. How ironic. He was my great-great-uncle and he was the “god” of legend and my father moved me to a town with a name like North Hampton but a river called Styx.

Why not name the town Athens, or Hades, or Olympus?

I still didn’t know a lot about my great-grandfather, Emery, other than that he went missing thousands of years ago and hasn’t been seen or heard from since. My middle name, Emerson, is a gift from him.

I rubbed my chin and winced at the fuzziness. Huh. I forgot to shave. Why didn’t Sarah say anything?

Oh, well.

Just then, my e-mail pinged, and I read the new message.

I know what you seek. Meet me at ten o’clock in front of the Zeus building on North Hampton Street in front of the University.

My stomach felt sick. This could mean anything. It could be Michael Nales, playing a sick joke, or Scarlett, wanting to caress my body, or someone who…well, it could be anyone. But the last time I’d gone alone to one of these, Regina tried to trick me into divorcing Sarah and marrying Alana.

I had to be cautious. I read the e-mail address. Sexgodd67@yahoo.com.

Weird. It still didn’t tell me anything. I clicked on the address, and all it did was open a new blank message. Damn. I sat back and sighed.

“Mail’s here!” Sarah squealed. I smiled. The girl was always getting packages and letters from her friends and relatives.

I said nothing and my phone rang. It was Mason.

“What’s up, buddy?” I asked.

“Did you get an email just now from-“

“Sexgodd67?”

“You got it?”

“Yes. What made you think I got it too?”

“I just got this feeling. What are you going to do?”

“Me? I don’t know. I’ve got my wife and kids to think about.”

“Lucky you,” he said dryly.

I sighed. “Mason, you’re not still hung up on Sarah, are you?”

“Why would I be?” he said sarcastically. “She’s only the most perfect woman ever.”

I laughed. “Trust me-she’s not. And I still love her, for all her imperfections. And she loves me. Get over it.”

Mason growled. “Damn you, Reese.”

“Yeah, yeah, damn me. What are we going to do about this e-mail?”

“As much as I hate the option, I say we just ignore it,” he said. “Go about our daily lives. You have your music-great video, by the way-and I have my training. My father wants me to become as great as he is.”

“Krauvas is pretty great.”

“Or so everyone thinks,” he muttered.

“Whatever. Get over your infatuation with my wife, and we’re good.”

I hung up on him without letting him respond. I could picture him calling me a dick, though.

I finished reading my e-mail, and turned back to my songwriting.

I thought of Selena and wrote a few notes for her. I poured out my mother’s pain, my self-hatred for not trying to get to know her better, her own pain. As the notes poured out, I began to mumble some words.

I played for about an hour before I felt like the notes were just right. I got out my notebook and wrote down the melody. I fumbled a bit more on the lyrics. How could I describe my sister? Quiet, brave, intelligent, loving.

After a few more hours, it was time for fireworks. I watched from a safe distance with Sarah. I reached for her hand, and she squeezed mine in return.

“Do you love me?” she asked.

“What a silly question,” I said. “If I didn’t, I’d be either alone or with someone else.”

“Even though I’m not perfect?”

I laughed. “You heard that, huh? You may not be perfect, but you are my soulmate, and I adore you ceaselessly. You’re mine, and I’m yours.”

I leaned over and kissed her.

The next day, I followed Sarah to her new salon. There was a new reception desk and new art on the walls. The same guys were there, too, installing salon desks and chairs.

“The lovely Sarah has returned,” said the guy with the ponytail, smiling.

“Hi, guys,” she chirped. “I won’t be long. I came to see how things were going.”

“They’re going well, Sarah,” the guy with the ponytail said. “Would you like to see the backroom?”

“That’s okay,” she said. “I’m sure you did a good job. I’ll just be on my way now.”

When we were outside, she shook her head. “He’s relentless.”

“I don’t like him,” I said.

She laughed. “I knew you wouldn’t.”

Sarah and I went to a café for her breakfast. She still ate human food, despite the fact that she no longer needed it. She said she couldn’t live without coffee.

She ordered her usual, an iced mocha and a chocolate muffin, and I followed her around as she bought several magazines from a news stand. But while we were at the news stand, something caught my eye.

It was Michael Nales’ face, and Brian and Claire were also looking at the camera.

Eighteen-Year-Old Man Accused of Once Raping a Classmate Files Motion to Adopt Child Conceived

“You want that?” said the man next to the stand. “Two dollars, please.”

I handed him the cash. I wondered if Sarah had seen it.

My phone rang. It was Uncle Soren.

“Hello?”

“Reese? I need you to investigate a vampire disturbance at a sanatorium.”

“Oh? What do you know about it?”

“A mentally challenged girl has been talking about a vampire coming in and drinking from her.”

“That’s not illegal.”

“It is without the donor’s consent.”

“True, true. So what do you want me to do?”

“Do you have corn in your ears? I want you to find the vampire and stop him or her.”

“Oh, all right. What’s the name of the sanatorium?”

I found Sarah looking at books in a bookstore.

“Hey, I have to go,” I said. “A vampire has been drinking from a girl in a psychiatric hospital.”

“That’s sick,” she said, wrinkling her cute nose. “I want to go with you.”

I didn’t object, and a few minutes later, we reached North Hampton Sanatorium.

“Stay close,” I told her. “The name of the patient is Shyla Childs.”

We reached the reception desk. The receptionist looked up from his computer. I saw that he was browsing Twitter.

“Who are you here for?” he droned.

“Shyla Childs,” I said. “We’re friends of hers.”

“Oh, yeah. The vampire girl. Hey, you look like a vampire yourself. Are you?”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Section B, room 101.”

I knew he wouldn’t bother to point out where Section B was, so I grabbed a map of the estate and followed the route.

Unfortunately, we had to walk past a few people. One guy saw Sarah and shouted that she needed to have sex with him. She shuddered and clung to me for safety.

I led her to the very end of the hall, where a set of doors led to an elevator which would take us to Section B.

Once we reached the elevator, Sarah pressed the button to go up. A woman with silver hair got on with a woman in scrubs. The woman with the silver hair stared at me for a full minute, then tugged on my ponytail. I reached back and moved my hair out of her reach. The woman in scrubs didn’t notice, or if she did, she ignored it.

We reached the second level, Section B. I was nearly whacked in the face by a man pretending to be an airplane and blowing a raspberry.

“My name is Sara,” said a teenage girl walking with a man in scrubs. “S-A-R-A, but not H because H is ew.”

Sarah looked slightly offended.

We had to walk all the way down to another hallway on the left side, turn left, and then go right.

“This is convoluted,” Sarah muttered. I agreed with her. We finally reached an area where some of the patients, the mentally challenged ones, were sitting in front of a huge TV and watching cartoons.

“Can I help you?” asked a motherly woman in scrubs.

“We’re looking for Shyla,” Sarah said.

The woman shook her head. “The vampire girl,” she sighed. “Shyla, sweetie, come here.”

A thin girl with a covering of head fuzz turned and looked at us. She had nice eyes.

“I’m watching Spongebob,” she said.

“This will only take a minute, dear.” She turned to us. “This will only be a minute, right? Shyla hates to go away from routine.”

“We just want to talk to her about…the vampire,” I informed her. She eyed us suspiciously, but said nothing more and turned back to her post watching the patients.

“Pretty,” said a thin man with even thinner hair, looking at Sarah. “You’re very pretty. Will you marry me?”

“Thank you,” Sarah replied, but didn’t reply to his marriage proposal.

Shyla came over to us.

“Let’s sit,” I said, taking a seat at the table. Shyla and Sarah followed suit. “Shyla, my name is Reese. This is Sarah. We’re here to talk about the vampire.”

“The vampire.” Shyla shuddered. “He’s mean.”

“That’s not good,” Sarah said. “What does he do?”

“He sucks my blood.”

“Does he come in at night?” I asked.

Shyla nodded, then looked back at the TV. “I want to watch Spongebob.”

“Just a couple more questions,” I insisted. “What does the vampire look like?”

“Black hair. Blue eyes.”

“Anything else? Is he tall, short, skinny, fat?”

“Short and skinny.”

“Does he say anything to you?”

“Yes.”

I waited.

“What kind of things does he say?” Sarah asked.

Shyla looked at her. “I like you. I don’t like him. He reminds me of the vampire.”

“In what way does Reese remind you of the vampire?”

“He’s got a deep voice. And he’s white. Really white.”

“Thank you, Shyla,” I said. “You’ve been a big help. You can go back to Spongebob now.”

She got up and went back to her spot in front of the television.

“I like her,” Sarah said. “She reminds me of Sabine a bit.”

“Did you get what you needed?” asked the woman in scrubs.

“Yes, thank you,” I said.

“Are you looking for volunteers?” Sarah asked suddenly.

The woman smiled. “Always, dear. Oftentimes it’s just me or Colin here. We need help, and the state funding has nearly run out for the whole year. I think Colin is at the front desk now.”

“If that rude guy was Colin, I can kind of understand why he was in such a bad mood,” Sarah said on the way down. “Did you notice how few staff there are, and how many patients she had to watch. I counted. Twenty-three in that one room alone! And she was by herself.”

“The patients would like you,” I said. “You’re beautiful and sweet.”

“I know,” she chimed. I laughed and gave her ponytail a tug. She gave mine a tug in return.

On the way through the main entrance, they were bringing in a patient with shackles around his ankles and cuffs on his wrists. He was also wearing an orange jumpsuit.

“Hey, cutie,” he said to Sarah. “You and me, tonight, my cell.”

“Keep walking,” said one of the officers holding him. “Don’t talk to her.”

“What’s a prisoner doing here?” Sarah asked aloud.

“Probably not guilty by reason of insanity,” I muttered. She thought about that, then shuddered.

I reported the conversation to my uncle, who praised my wife’s interviewing skills. He said that she was a natural-born leader. I agreed.

Father was waiting for me with a letter in his hand. It was a crumpled and torn envelope covered in dog spit.

“Thank you for giving me garbage,” I said, taking it from him.

“It’s the adoption letter,” Father said. “It arrived from Michael Nales this morning. He wants full custody of Cirino.”

I laughed. “He doesn’t get to even see Cirino. He didn’t want anything to do with him until now.”

Speak of the little tyke. He wandered over to me and held out his arms.

“Daddy,” he said. I picked him up. Father studied me.

“You actually love him, don’t you?”

“I’ve grown attached,” I admitted. “He’s like one of my own.”

Avoiding the plethora of dogs in the living room, I managed to find a seat on the couch and Sarah sat next to me, Cirino in my lap. He giggled and bounced on my legs.

“Mama,” he said, reaching out to her. She took him and planted a big, lipsticky smooch on him. He rubbed the makeup all over his cheek. Feeling jealous, Coffee jumped up onto Sarah’s lap and licked the boy’s leg. Then Bailey joined us, then Spunk, then the pitbull sisters, then Koda, and we were soon covered in dogs. I wondered if any of the cats were around.

Turns out, they were. First, Shadowfang jumped onto my lap, then his mate, Mishka, then Catniss, Belle, Frodo, Remy, and Anakin. Cirino laughed and pulled on Remy’s fur.

“Be nice to the kitties,” Sarah chided, pulling his little hand away. He sat on her lap and petted the cat.

“’itty,” he said.

“Kitty,” Sarah corrected. “Can you say kitty?”

“’itty.”

Remy yawned and stretched. “I love being petted.”

“’itty talk,” Cirino said.

“That’s right,” I said. “Our kitties can talk.”

“’itty talk.”

Sarah and I played with the boy for a bit, then put him down for a nap. By then, JoJo and CJ had woken from their own naps and wanted food. Sarah settled both of them against her breasts as comfortably as possible and I turned on a TV drama.

“Oh, I love this show!” Sarah chimed. “It’s all about Circe, the goddess out to find a perfect man.”

I thought of Apollo and sighed. Because of him, I’d nearly lost everything. Including my wife and children. Money was nothing compared to them. I browsed Facebook, accepted some friend requests from a few people I knew, and then turned to watch Sarah and the babies. I was fascinated by their need for her. They needed her like I needed her. Their very survival depended on her. She was a good mother; she loved her children unconditionally.

CJ finished first, and Sarah handed her to me so I could burp her. When JoJo finished, she burped him herself.

We switched babies. JoJo yawned. I stared down at him, amazed that I could create something so beautiful. From the first moment I touched him, even before then, I knew I loved him and his sister. I’d connected with him mentally right away-he was surprisingly advanced for being a couple months old. His gift had amazed me. His black hair, so like my own, covered his little head. And his eyes, yellow like mine, shone with possibilities.

Simply put, I adored him. I could tell Sarah was thinking the same thing as she admired our daughter.

“They’re both so beautiful,” she said.

“I agree,” I said.

“What about me?” Frodo demanded.

“You’re a cat,” I told him. “But yes, you’re beautiful, too.”

He purred at that.

“What about me?” Belle demanded, flicking her gray and black tail.

“You’re beautiful, too. You’re all beautiful,” I said, before a riot started.

“I accidentally fell in love with Reese,” Sarah said. “I accidentally fell in love with his whole family, actually.”

“We love you, too, Sarah,” Father said, walking into the room. He wore a black suit with a tie, earrings in both his ears, his hair was neat and combed and out of its usual ponytail, and he carried his cane. I knew that this particular cane contained a sword inside.

“Where are you going?” I asked him.

“I have to be at the meeting to determine Louis’ fate,” he said, his brow furrowing. “I’m concerned about the boy. He still won’t tell the truth about what really happened with Paul that day.”

“You have my support,” Sarah said. “I’m willing to testify on his behalf.”

“I appreciate that, dear, and we may need your testimony. Reese’s, too.”

He turned and walked out of the house. The dogs scrambled up and barked, and Sarah shushed them as the babies began to make little noises.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE – KINSMEN

I was angry at Apollo, but I needed his help.

“Apollo,” I said. “I invoke thee. Help your great-great-nephew.”

Instead of Apollo, I got a flash of light and a sound like a gunshot, or thunder.

The god appeared to me himself, looking furious.

“How dare you invoke me?” he snarled.

“Since this is all your fault, I figured you might want to help,” I said. “When I said great-great nephew, I didn’t mean me. I meant Louis.”

His scowl softened. “I can’t do anything about that, Reese. If the boy won’t help himself, nothing I can do or say will make him see the light.”

“You’re one of the Greek gods,” I insisted. “You’re powerful and omnipotent.”

“True, and true, but even I can’t help a non-Kinsmen who won’t help himself. That’s why Ambrogio died."

"How could your sons die, anyway? Aren’t all gods immortal?”

“Yes, but there are a few ways to make them mortal. Another god’s interference, for example, or a spell, or a specific poison.”

“So I can’t rely on you?”

He looked hurt. “Reese, no one wishes more than I do that Louis would talk, except maybe Soren. Regina even betrayed me. And she’s all-powerful. I cannot stop her. If my son is the father of all vampires, Regina is the mother.”

“She’s the mother…she’s Juno?”

“And the boy finally gets it.”

“She’s more powerful than you?”

“She was my mother’s rival for my father’s love.”

“That’s why Mother can’t beat her.”

“Not by herself. If you really want to stop Regina, you’ll have to convince more than just me.”

I blinked. “Take me with you.”

His eyes widened, and he shook his head. “I can’t. You are not a Kinsmen, Atlantean, god, or goddess.”

I sighed. “I need help. The whole family does. My mother is distraught, we don’t know where David is, my cousin is going to die, my uncle is going to be tortured…”

He shook his head. “I can’t help you, Reese. I’m sorry. I truly am. I must go now.”

He vanished into thin air.

“What did he say?” Sarah asked, as we stood outside of the mental hospital.

I shook my head. “He’s not helping.”

“I knew he wouldn’t. This entire thing is his fault.”

“No arguments there. What do you have there?”

“Shyla’s file,” she said. “She saw the vampire again. This time, she lost a significant amount of blood and is in the infirmary.”

We entered the hospital and checked in, then went to the elevator. Along the way, the elevator stopped at one of the floors and in stepped a big man in scrubs with a young girl wearing a red cape. She had the weirdest smile on her face. It was truly sadistic.

“Have you seen my sister?” she asked Sarah. Sarah shook her head furiously, and the girl clucked her tongue. “You’re lying. I can see it in your eyes. For that, you have to die.”

Sarah looked truly terrified, and I positioned myself between her and the girl, even though she couldn’t have been more than eight years old, and Sarah was physically much stronger than her.

“That’s not nice, Hannah,” the man in scrubs said.

“I told you, my name is Red,” the girl said, scowling.

“Sorry, Red. Remember, we don’t threaten people.”

“It’s not a threat.”

The man rolled his eyes and they got off at the next floor, which happened to be ours. They went one direction while Sarah and I went another.

Shyla was once again in front of the TV, watching Spongebob. When she saw us, she smiled and came over and embraced Sarah. Sarah looked mildly uncomfortable, but hugged her back.

“My friends are back,” Shyla said.

“Do you remember me?” I asked. “My name is Reese.”

She nodded eagerly. “I know you. You’re the one with the kitties.”

I blinked. How did she know I had cats?

“I came here yesterday,” Sarah said. “We talked a bit more and I showed her pictures of you with all the cats.”

“Sarah!” A big, burly man came over to us. “Sarah! Sarah! Did you think about my question? Huh? Didja?”

“I thought about it, Colin,” Sarah said. “And as nice as you seem, I’m married to Reese. This is him. My husband.”

Colin turned to me and smiled. “You lucky dog. Sarah’s really nice and smart.”

“She is,” I agreed. “I’m a very lucky man.”

“Darn right you are,” she said, elbowing me in the ribs. “And I’m a very lucky woman.” I chuckled. I was luckier, but no need to start an argument about it now.

“How have you been, Shyla?” I asked.

Her face fell. “I saw the vampire again.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

“Uh-huh. He came in through my window, and bit me here.” She pointed to her neck, where I saw two small puncture holes. A vampire bite. This poor girl was being fed off of by a vampire without her consent.

I took a few pictures with my cell phone of her bite marks, then thanked her.

“Can you stay?” she asked, looking toward Sarah.

“For a few minutes,” Sarah acquiesced.

Shyla brought out a couple of Barbie dolls.

“I remember these,” Sarah said, taking the one who looked more like her. “I used to have a giant plastic tub full of them.”

“We don’t have that many,” Shyla said. “Sometimes we fight over them.”

“That’s not good.” She turned to me and spoke under human hearing. “Put a few dolls in my Amazon cart. The password is josephcaitlin.”

I did as she asked, amazed at all the stuff in her shopping cart. Acrylic paint. Graphic pencils. Essential oil diffuser. Incense cones. Oil-free face wash. Baby lotion. Waterproof mascara. Makeup palettes. Books. Lip scrub. I didn’t know what half this stuff was.

Shyla and Sarah played Barbies for about an hour, then I reminded Sarah we had a job to do. Shyla pouted, but Sarah promised to return soon with a box full of dolls.

“Bye, wife!” Colin shouted, waving at her. Sarah laughed and waved back.

“I like him,” I said.

“Colin’s one of the more innocent patients,” she said. “He knows we won’t be together, and he’s okay with it. He likes you, too.”

We walked to her Honda, where she opened the door, then blinked.

“Is that Nales?” she asked. I looked up.

“Fuck. What’s he doing here?”

“I don’t know, but let’s get out of here.”

“Agreed.”

We went to the bank and Sarah took out some cash, and then we went back home.

“What’s Mason doing here?” I asked.

“Mason’s here? Is Krauvas with him?”

“Mason’s there on the porch, smoking a cigarette. I don’t see or smell Krauvas.”

“I wonder what he’s up to?”

“I don’t know. Let’s ask him.”

“I meant Krauvas, but okay.”

“Mason!” I called out. He looked up and put out his cigarette.

“Reese,” he greeted. “Sarah. I have news. Did you go to the mental hospital today?”

“We just came from there,” Sarah said. “What’s up?”

“I just heard that Jordan’s been institutionalized.”

“Jordan Hart?” Sarah squealed. “What’s that bitch doing there?”

“It’s an attempt to keep her sadistic side under control,” Mason said. “Her parents, Simon and Gwen Hart for that matter, asked my dad to put a binding spell on her.”

“Why couldn’t they do it?” Sarah asked. “They’re magic practitioners.”

“Apparently, they couldn’t bear to do it themselves. They threw out Scarlett, but they locked up Jordan. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Jordan is pure evil,” Sarah said. “Scarlett’s a huge bitch, but Jordan is the real problem.”

She was right. I remembered all the things Jordan had done to Sarah. Trying to make her jump off a bridge while she was pregnant with Cirino, turning her friends against her, trying to possess her, and most recently, trying to kill her via her C-section scar on her stomach. That was why I’d bitten Sarah and turned her into a vampire. I didn’t want to live without her, nor did I want my children to grow up without a mother.

It took a long time for Sarah to heal from that, and I donated some of my blood to speed up her recovery.

Now the bitch was in the same mental hospital as Shyla and Colin?

“Could she be the one who is biting Shyla?” I asked.

“Good question, Reese,” Sarah said. “I think we need to talk to her.”

I shook my head. “You are not going near her. She nearly killed you!”

“Reese, I can protect myself. And you’ll be there.”

“She’s too powerful. Remember, she is both a witch and a vampire now.”

Sarah swallowed. “Since she’s Michael’s twin, I suppose that means he’s magical, too, although Brian and Claire seem like ordinary people.”

“It’s the normal people who are the most dangerous.”

She put her hands on my chest. “Give it a chance, Reese.”

I sighed. “Sarah, no,” I said, taking her small hands in mine. “I can’t lose you, and I don’t want the kids to be without you, either.”

“What if I went along as extra protection?” Mason said. “I’m not a very good witch yet, but I’m improving.”

“You’re lying through your teeth,” I said. “You’re better than you give yourself credit for.”

“Thanks, Reese.”

“Toss me a cigarette.”

He got up and reached into his back pocket.

“You get the last one, lucky bastard,” he said, handing the carton to me.

“How am I a lucky bastard?” I asked, lighting up.

“You have everything I want. My parents hate each other. You have Sarah. You have money. You have purpose.”

“And you don’t?”

He shook his head. “I was an accidental conception. I wasn’t even supposed to be born.”

“Get over it.”

“Reese!” Sarah chided, giving me a disapproving look.

“Technically, I wasn’t supposed to be born, either. But I was, and now I have a wonderful mate and wonderful children.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Get your testosterone-fueled butts in the car. I’m driving.”

“Not yet,” I said. “Shyla described the vampire as being male. Jordan’s female.”

“That’s right,” Sarah said, remembering. “So now what?”

“Let my dad take care of Jordan,” Mason said. “He can handle himself.”

I was immediately greeted by several hundred pounds of canine when I walked through the door, as usual. Spunk licked my hand, Bailey licked my face, the pitbull sisters licked my boots.

“Daddy!” Cirino greeted, running up to me.

“Hey, boy,” I said, kneeling. “How’s my son?”

“Red,” he said, holding out a toy for me to look at. I laughed.

“That’s blue, CiCi.”

“Boo!”

“Blue.”

I went over to my bedroom and saw my babies in their cribs, asleep. JoJo was giving me a baby smile-he was gassy.

“Daddy?”

“Hello, son.”

“More drama is coming our way. Go back to the mental hospital tomorrow.”

I frowned. Thought-speak was useful, but I wished he’d show me what he’d seen in the future. But he was keeping his mind blank.

Cirino waddled up to me, Sarah behind him.

“Bah,” he said, pointing toward Caitlin Juniper’s crib.

“Baby,” Sarah said.

“Bah-bee…”

“Baby.”

I sat at my desk and answered a few e-mails, coming across another one.

You should have done what I told you to do.

“Fuck,” I said, rubbing my forehead.

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked.

“I…it’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Totally.”

“Okay. I trust you.”

I was about to break her trust. While she played with Cirino and the dogs, I sent an e-mail to Carlos Sanchez.

Carlos had been with my uncle and Marco Silver during the vampire experiments in the 1940s. In their attempt to create the ultimate vampire, they didn’t change my uncle, or Marco…but Carlos was the ultimate vampire. Besides my uncle, who was naturally the ultimate vampire. Carlos couldn’t be killed by stake, arrow, sword, gunshot to the heart, head removal, or ax injuries. He also had the ability to read minds fully and hypnotize more than one person at once, shield himself, disappear, appear in two places at once, and blend into the background.

The reason why I was communicating with him was because I was trying to find out if anything that made him so indestructible could be applied to other vampires. My attempts to become human had failed. Well, sort of. Sarah was disappointed in me, and Father and Uncle Soren were not happy with me, or Marco Silver.

Carlos was experimenting on consenting vampires to make them like himself-the recipe for indestructible vampires had been destroyed when Uncle Soren and Marco Silver trashed the laboratory and killed Dr. Richter and Dr. Johnston.

The next day, we got a call from the sanitorium.

As I listened to the nurse speak, my heart sank into my gut.

“What’s going on?” Sarah asked.

“Shyla’s dead,” I told her.

She looked stunned, then her face hardened. “It’s my fault.”

“No, Sarah, this is not your fault. If anything, it’s my fault for not taking the threat seriously.”

“But-“

“Lover, please don’t blame yourself for this. Now we really need to figure out who killed her and why.”

“The vampire, obviously.”

“He’s the obvious culprit, but sometimes the obvious culprit isn’t always the correct one. We have to investigate this carefully.”

“I just thought of something,” Sarah said. “Don’t these place have cameras, for security reasons?”

“Good girl,” I praised. “That’s an excellent point. Yes, it’s hard to think of a modern mental hospital who doesn’t have security cameras. We can ask to check them.”

But they refused.

“Lady, this isn’t negotiable,” I said to Nurse Ratchet. That wasn’t her name, but it might as well have been because the lady was a total bitch.

She shook her head. “I’m done arguing. You can’t see the tapes.”

“Why not?” Sarah complained.

“Because there’s sensitive material on there,” she said.

“Woman, a girl in your care died under mysterious circumstances,” I said. “I’ve been tasked with finding out what happened to her. This involves vampire activity.”

“Ah, yes, vampires. You think you’re a decent race because you don’t bite humans, but you still drink human blood.”

“He needs it to survive,” Sarah said. “Would you rather he bit your fucking neck rather than drink donated blood?”

Nurse Ratchet and my fierce mate glared at each other.

“Get me your higher-up,” I demanded. “Now.”

Nurse Ratchet turned and left. Sarah and I waited twenty minutes before she returned with the director of the hospital, Edgar Suarez. Finally, a reasonable man.

“I understand there’s some issue?” he said in his thick Spanish accent.

“We need to see the security tapes of Shyla Carter,” Sarah said.

He smiled at her. “You’re Sarah, aren’t you? Shyla thought highly of you. She considered you a friend. I apologize for my nurse’s behavior. Of course you may see the tapes. Follow me.”

He led us to the security room, where a security guard sat munching on a piece of coffee cake, his massive belly straining against his uniform.

“Any issues to report?” Mr. Suarez asked the guard.

The guard wiped his mouth with a napkin and shook his head.

“We need to see Patient 101’s room,” Mr. Suarez said.

“Patient 101,” the guard repeated. He typed a few strokes on the keyboard. “Here she is.”

The video, black-and-white and slightly grainy, showed Shyla asleep in her bed, when the door opened and a figure appeared. I noted that it seemed to be a woman. She was wearing a black ski mask and a white lab coat. She produced a syringe, and stabbed Shyla with it. Shyla opened her eyes and screamed noiselessly. Then she slumped over, and her eyes closed forever.

I looked at Sarah. She was suddenly looking at her shoes, biting her lip. I nudged her and mouthed the words, “Are you okay?” She shook her head in response to my question.

“This is why Nurse Grimm didn’t want us to see this,” I said.

“Nurse Grimm?” Sarah asked.

“Nurse Rachel, or whatever her name was. The killer was an employee, and she knew it.”

Edgar Suarez frowned. “This is disturbing. I assure you, though, that I give all my employees a thorough background check. If anyone’s gone rogue, I’d know.”

I looked at him. “No offense, Mr. Suarez, but a rogue employee seems to have gotten through. My first suspect is Nurse Ratchet.”

“Be nice, Reese,” Sarah warned.

“How can I be nice when Shyla’s dead?”

She nodded. “I know, it’s frustrating and sad, but we have to focus on facts, not just prejudices. Maybe Nurse Rachel is responsible, and maybe she isn’t.”

I sighed.

“Do you know who that murderer reminded me of, though?” she said.

“Who?” I asked.

“Chris.”

I snarled. Christine Sanderson. The guard who had betrayed us. Working for Regina the whole time. She’d been Sarah’s guard, so she’d spent more time around her than I had and would recognize her quicker.

“Reese,” Sarah said, “Calm down. Take a deep breath.”

“We need to stake the place out,” I said.

“We don’t have the resources.”

I considered this. “You don’t have to. The kids need you more than they need me.”

“No, you’re just as important as I am to them.”

“Sarah, I…” I sighed.

“May I make a suggestion?” Mr. Suarez said. “You can have access to the video cameras and the computer system through your smartphone. But you have to be an employee. One of you could go undercover as an employee here.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Sarah said.

“I’ll do it,” I said. “The kids need you.”

She nodded. “I agree. The kids need me.”

I pecked her hair. “You’re a good mother.”

I got set up with an employee ID that very day. Mr. Suarez found some green scrubs in my size and I changed, putting my clothes in a spare locker in the break room. I was already in a bad mood, and my bad mood got worse when Nurse Rachel threw my new ID at my chest.

“Bitch,” I hissed below human hearing. That woman would drive a saint up the wall. I went to the patient TV room first, where I’d first met Shyla and Colin.

Colin was there, along with some of the other patients.

“Reese!” He saw me and ran over. “Shyla went to Heaven!”

“I know, I heard,” I said. If there wasn’t a Heaven for a person like Shyla and Colin, what kind of universe did we live in? “Can you tell me if you saw anything unusual?”

“Albert picked his nose,” Colin said. “You’re not supposed to do that.”

I bit my lip to avoid chuckling. “Did you see anything else?”

“I saw Nurse Rachel and Nurse Bob in the closet,” Colin said. “They were touching each other and kissing. But it’s a secret, so shhh!”

This time I did chuckle. “Anything else?”

“Yeah! I saw a weird girl with gold-colored hair lifting a chair without touching it!”

“Oh? Where did you see this?”

“In the medicine room. We were taking our medicine when this girl said some make-believe words and moved her hands like this-“ He demonstrated, moving his hands up and down, “- and then the chair was up high! Except no one ‘cept me and Shyla saw.”

“Shyla saw this, too?” I asked. “Did you catch the girl’s name?”

“It was a J name. Jenny or something.”

“Jordan?”

“Yeah, Jordan.”

“Do you know where she is now?”

He nodded his head. “She’s where the mean people are.”

Jordan was blatantly showing her witch powers in a mental institution, where a patient had died under mysterious circumstances. If that didn’t scream suspicious, I didn’t know what did. My stomach twisted as I considered this. Colin watched me carefully.

“How is Sarah?” he asked.

“She’s doing well,” I said. “Would you like to see her again?”

He nodded eagerly. “She wouldn’t say yes when I asked her to marry me.”

“That’s because she’s married to me,” I gently reminded him.

“You’re lucky,” he said. “I like Sarah. Shyla liked Sarah, too, but in a friends way.”

I couldn’t bring myself to be angry with him. He was too innocent, too pure.

“Can you tell me anything else that’s been happening?” I asked.

Colin nodded. “Jacob and Asher are dating. That’s okay, though, because boys can like boys and girls can like girls. My brother has a husband.”

“Did you see anybody talk to Jordan?” I clarified.

He thought for a minute. “This guy sometimes comes by to see her. They kiss and hug. I heard Nurse Rachel tell Nurse Scott that they are brother and sister. But I think they are boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“Did you catch his name?”

“Uh-huh. Michael.”

So Mason was right. Jordan was here, and Michael was visiting her here, and they were still dating. Ew.

Speak of the devil.

“What are you doing here?” I asked Mason.

“I came here because my dad’s having trouble controlling Jordan,” Mason said. “I heard him telling your dad.”

Damn. If Krauvas was having problems…that was a huge mess for the rest of us.

“Who you?” Colin asked.

“Colin, this is Mason,” I introduced. “He’s a friend of mine. Would you mind telling him what you saw Jordan doing?”

While Colin repeated his story to Mason, I unlocked my phone and texted Sarah, telling her the same story. She was just as confused and stunned as I was.

I watched the tape again of Shyla’s murder. This was all my fault. I should have taken this more seriously. My phone rang. It was Sarah.

“Sarah, what’s wrong?” I asked. She sniffed in response.

“We have a problem,” she said.

“Gee, and I thought everything was going so well.”

“Very funny. I have news. Marie and Alana were spotted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

“What are they doing there?”

“Beats me.”

I thought of all the innocent lives that could be lost if Marie had another temper tantrum. She’d already caused a near wipe-out of France and Denmark. Along with Apollo and Alana. I wondered why she’d stopped killing people.

Now what was she doing in Africa?

I thought of anything that could be in Africa.

“Reese?”

I realized I’d kept Sarah waiting too long. “Yes, my love?”

“Okay, there you are,” she said, sounding relieved.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX –

We clicked off and I immediately went straight to the nurse’s computer. Mr. Suarez had shown me how to look up patient files briefly. I found Jordan’s folder. Jordan Elizabeth Hart. I found her file and looked inside.

Jordan Elizabeth Hart: Patient File No. 202

Physical Appearance: Blonde hair, green eyes, white. Average height, hourglass body structure. Wears trendy clothes or a cheerleader’s outfit.

Diagnosis: Schizophrenia, homicidal tendencies, hallucinations

Jordan believes she is a witch and is being usurped of her “throne” by a former friend, Sarah. Jordan was given up for adoption at birth due to her parents not being able to keep both her and her twin brother, Michael Nales. Jordan grew up instead with a nearby family, Simon and Gwen Hart, and their daughter, Scarlett, whom Jordan saw as a sister. Jordan was unaware of her real parentage until her junior year of high school, during a rape trial where the defendant was her brother Michael, who had raped and impregnated Sarah, the same friend Jordan was convinced was a rival.

Jordan saw Sarah as a threat to her popularity status and assaulted her along with their friends, a group of girls called the Beautifuls by their peers, due to their incredibly good looks and intelligence. Jordan orchestrated this attack and used the fact that someone revealed their thieving habits as bait to assault Sarah. Jordan and her group of friends also experimented with alcohol, stole merchandise from stores, and studied dark witchcraft rituals and beauty and popularity spells.

 

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 10.10.2022

Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Widmung:
To Pumpkin Pie