Trey hopped off the table, a lazy smile on his mouth and a reddish tinge to his eyes. “I need to eat. Catch ya later.”
I nodded as he waved and left. I should leave too. I’d driven to the park to meet Trey—my parents were getting more comfortable with letting me drive places lately—so I leisurely walked back to my car. It was nine thousand degrees inside when I climbed in. Next time I’d have to remember to park in the shade. The oppressive heat made me clammy in seconds, and I couldn’t stop the thought that Nika would probably love hopping into sauna-cars now—if she could. Sun-warmed cars were a bit of a problem for vampires.
Cranking up the AC, which thankfully still worked in this beat-up, old car, I backed up out of the stall. As I drove out of the park, I found that I couldn’t go home yet. There was something I wanted—no something I needed—to do first. It had been ages since I’d seen Arianna, since I’d talked to her, and even though I’d probably see her Saturday at the…party…I just couldn’t stand another second without seeing her smile. Yes, I’d just pop in really quick, say hello, then I’d go home…and prepare for tonight.
The drive to Arianna’s didn’t take long, but with the way my heart was accelerating with nervous anticipation, it felt even shorter. Pulling up to the street in front of her house, I took a deep breath and shut off the car. I wasn’t exactly sure what I could say to her that wouldn’t sound creepy and stalkerish. Would she buy that I was just in the neighborhood?
While I tried to control my rapidly pounding heart, I looked over at Arianna’s place. The white rambler was offset by the massive graveyard behind it. The eerie backdrop should have been disturbing, but I found it beautiful and calming. The myriad assortment of statues, crosses, flags, and headstones, made everything intriguing. And the grounds were bursting with bouquets of flowers in nearly every color under the sun. Even with the window rolled up, I could smell them.
Feeling more at peace, I focused on the front door. Time to go in. Even though my car was partially blocked by the mammoth tree in the yard, I had a decent view of the dining room window. When Arianna’s mom came into the room carrying a stack of plates, I frowned. They were about to eat. I shouldn’t bother them. And I didn’t have a good excuse to be here anyway; I didn’t want to scare her off, make her think twice about coming to the party.
Mind made up, I started the car. I was just about to pull back onto the road when I noticed something odd. Arianna’s mom had set four plates on the table. Arianna was an only child. There should only be three plate settings. Shaking my head, I moved my hand to the shifter. So what. Her parents could be having a friend over for dinner, or Arianna could be having someone over. No big deal. My hand paused on the rectangular, leather knob. Unless…she was sharing her table with her hot neighbor?
Even though I felt like my leering was crossing the boundary of politeness, I leaned over the passenger’s side to get a better view. I stared without blinking at the window until my eyes felt like they were on fire. Mrs. Bennett set out four glasses and four sets of silverware. Then she started bringing out food. They were having lasagna, garlic bread, and salad. It made my stomach rumble seeing all of it, and I wished I could smell it too. Whoever this guest was, they were in for a treat.
Mrs. Bennett yelled that dinner was ready—I heard her loud and clear—and Mr. Bennett shuffled into the room. He sat down while Mrs. Bennett started dishing out servings. They were sort of in my way and I made a pointless shooing motion with my hand while cursing under my breath. Then Arianna’s head of caramel gold entered my line of sight. I completely froze while I watched her. She was so beautiful. She was laughing and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. I could hear the sound through the walls and it overjoyed me. Then a second laugh chimed in and my blood went as cold as my sister’s.
The laugh belonged to a guy. The neighbor?
He came into view a heartbeat later. He was just a step behind Arianna, so close that he could have been touching her. Who was this guy, and why was he sitting down to dinner with my girlfriend? Oh God…had she started dating the neighbor guy after school ended? I didn’t think I could handle it if they were together.
He seemed to be around my age, with blonde hair, and light eyes. I didn’t think I’d call him “hot” but I supposed…to a girl…he was attractive. All I knew was he was way too close to Arianna. Please don’t let them be dating…
He obliterated my view of Arianna when he sat down to eat in the seat beside hers. No one spoke a whole lot, so I didn’t pick up any information on the newcomer…couldn’t determine just what he was to Arianna.
Moments later, they all began eating their dinners. They talked companionably, with a brief laugh here and there. It was relaxed and comfortable—not the first time he’d eaten here then. What did that mean? As I watched them enjoy each other’s company, I suddenly felt out of place. I shouldn’t be here. I don’t belong. And if Arianna had moved on and she was happy…maybe I should walk away and let her be happy. I mean, being with me had almost gotten her killed…twice. Didn’t she deserve a shot at a normal life? And normal was something I’d never be able to give her.
“Bye, Arianna,” I murmured, pulling my car away from the curb.
My mood was sour when I got home. Arianna was seeing somebody. I was losing her. I’d lost her. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I choked back the tightness in my throat, blinked away the burning sensation in my eyes. Opening my car door, I stormed to my feet, then slammed the door shut behind me. I closed it so hard I heard something break. When the door opened a half inch on its own, I realized I’d broken the latch keeping it shut. Fabulous. Could my day get any better?
Leaving my car the way it was, since I couldn’t do anything to fix it anyway, I trudged to the porch. Winning Arianna back was supposed to have been easy. I mean, she’d loved me once, she could love me again. Or did fate need a series of specific steps to happen for us to be in a relationship? And since those steps had already happened, did that mean I could never recreate them? God, I hoped not.
When I stepped inside the house, my bad mood hadn’t lifted. I accidentally slammed the front door shut before I could stop myself. Luckily, no part of this door broke though. My mom blurred into the room in a heartbeat. “Hey, easy there, tiger.”
While she inspected the wood around the frame, to see if I’d cracked anything, I murmured, “Sorry,” and started heading for my room.
Sniffing the air, Mom asked, “How’s Trey?” The frown on her face told me loud and clear that she could smell the pot on me, and she wasn’t pleased.
Stopping at the bottom of the staircase, I shrugged. “He’s fine.” I didn’t feel like defending Trey’s habit again, so I left it at that.
Mom crossed her arms over her chest as she eyed me with suspicion. I had to force myself not to shift my weight, look away, or appear guilty in any other way. Other than break my car door, I hadn’t done anything wrong.
After another minute of silent studying, Mom finally asked, “You okay?”
No. No, I wasn’t. “Yeah, I just want to shower off this smell before dinner.”
Mom nodded, but I knew she didn’t believe me.
I continued to my room and showered just like I said I was going to. When I was finished, I debated calling Arianna, and asking her if she was seeing someone. But if she said yes, what could I say to that? We were friends. Just friends. And that was all we’d ever be now. Sitting on my bed, I stared at the ceiling until the sun went down.
My sister emerged from her underground rooms, greeted our parents, then made her way up the stairs to me. She knocked, even though she didn’t need to. Her old bedroom shared a bathroom with mine, and both bathroom doors were wide open. She could have entered my room that way if she wanted.
My head swiveled to the closed bedroom door. “Come on in, Nick.”
She entered with a small, knowing smile on her lips. Just by listening to me talk to Mom, she knew something was wrong. Sitting up, I wrapped my arms around my kne
es and studied her as she approached me. Just the couple of months of zero exposure to the sun had changed her appearance. This time last year, she would have had a golden glow to her skin, and her hair would have been highlighted with sun-kissed streaks of gold. Her hair was completely dark now, an even deeper shade of brown than it was during the winter months.
She sat beside me on the bed. “You seem down. Want to talk about it?”
I glanced at the floor, to where our parents were beneath us. They were putting the finishing touches on dinner, and not paying attention, but they couldn’t help but hear us. “It’s just…” I sighed, and looked back up at Nika. “I miss her. I want her back, and…I can’t have her. It’s so hard…”
With a sigh of her own, Nika stretched her arms around my neck and pulled me in for a hug. “I know. I’m so sorry, Julie.”
I accepted her sympathy in silence. It helped to let someone commiserate with me. Nika’s arms stiffened around my neck so suddenly, that for a second I thought she was attacking me. I instinctively fought against her until I realized what the problem was. She was breathing heavier as she clutched at me for dear life: Hunter was approaching. I instantly shoved her away from me. “Nick! Please don’t hug me when you’re all jazzed up about him coming over.”
Looking embarrassed and turned on, Nika squirmed as she sat on her hands. “I’m sorry! It’s not like I can stop the reaction.” She closed her eyes and laid her head back. Her chest was starting to heave.
I scooted off the bed. Watching her reaction to him was nearly as bad as experiencing it when we’d been connected. Walking backwards toward the door, I murmured, “I’ll see you in the kitchen, after Hunter gets here.”
Feeling lonelier than I had in a while, I twisted away from her. I’d never had to share my sister before, but now… More often than not, Hunter was glued to her side, or rushing to her side. They were practically one person now. And watching their relationship just reminded me how alone I was.
“Wait!” she exclaimed. Pausing at the door, I looked back at her. Her breath was still fast, but her eyes were open. “Don’t go. I want to talk to you about what happened.” She bit her lip, and clutched the sheets underneath her fingers, like she was making herself stay put.
“Later,” I promised, as I darted out the door.
Like I told her I would, I headed toward the kitchen to wait out the drama. It happened every night, so it didn’t even faze me anymore. Nika held out as long as she could, then she darted after Hunter. Irritated, Dad took off after her to break up the explosive reunion.
When Dad predictably flew out of the house, I turned to Mom. “How long is Dad going to let this continue? You know he can’t keep them apart, they’re bonded.” Sadness enveloped me. God, I even missed the bond. At least I’d felt connected to somebody then.
Mom reached over to grab my hand. “You’re not okay. I heard you…you miss her. Arianna.”
Lowering my eyes, I said, “Yeah. But there’s nothing to be done about it. Wiped is wiped. She’s gone…” I stared at my plate of roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and apple crisp. None of it sounded good. Scooting my chair back, I told her, “I’m not hungry. I’m going to take a nap. Will you wake me when it’s time to go to the meeting?”
I raised an eyebrow, silently asking permission to leave. Mom’s face showed her inner struggle. The mother in her wanted to make me stay and eat something, wanted to make me open up to her. The friend in her wanted to let me have what I needed. Finally, she conceded to my request. “Okay. You can nap in my room if you want. It’s quiet.”
I nodded in thanks, then trudged upstairs to sleep away my troubles in my parents’ sound-proof bedroom.
When I woke up, my stomach growled more fiercely than any vampire in creation ever had. I put a hand on the unruly beast, attempting to tame it with pressure. Maybe I should have tried to eat something earlier. I looked around my parents’ bedroom with just my eyes. The décor in here was soothing, peaceful. The walls were tan, the furniture black, the accent pieces around the room—framed photos of Nika and me, a vase of flowers, pillared candles—were black, white or silver. The bedspread I was lying on was beige with huge circles in varying colors that complemented the room. It was both masculine and feminine. It was so dark now, though, that I could barely make out anything.
A horrible feeling knotted my stomach and I shot off the bed. It would be just like my dad to let me miss the meeting by not waking me up in time to go.
I blurred out of the room in a panic, but the second I opened the door, I heard my parents’ voices. They were discussing the upcoming meeting, so at least I hadn’t missed it. Scrubbing my eyes, I headed downstairs. Maybe I could get a quick bite before we left.
Mom and Dad were talking with Hunter, Gabriel and Ben, sans Tracey. She’d probably had her fill of vampire meetings after the last one she’d gone to. Everyone except Gabriel was on the “trial” panel. Gabriel said he had too many important things to work on, and didn’t have time for what Halina referred to as “permanent jury duty,” but he was coming tonight in case anyone had questions about why the man was impervious to compulsion. Truly, nobody should be questioning that anymore. It had been discussed ad nauseam over the past couple of weeks.
When I walked through the living room on the way to the kitchen, every voice stopped and every set of eyes followed me. Self-conscious, I froze. Pointing to the other room, I asked, “Do I have time to eat?”
Dad nodded. “Make it quick. We’re leaving in a minute.”
I zipped off to the other room, shaking my head. A minute, huh? Guess I woke up just in time. I opened the fridge looking for something, but now that I was starving, nothing was appealing. I just wanted food. I grabbed a pizza box from the other night. There will still a few slices left, and I could eat them cold. I downed one slice as quickly as if I were drinking it, and was starting in on another when Dad called out that it was time to go. I finished the triangle in my hand, then grabbed one last slice for the road. Thankfully, pizza was very portable.
It was a beautiful night out, so we decided to walk. The panel deciding Jake’s fate was meeting at a community playground in the middle of our neighborhood. The gathering had originally been slated to meet at Hunter’s old place, but there was some worry that a hunter who’d been told to wait there for instructions might show up and interrupt the party. So, to avoid that highly plausible scenario, our group was meeting by the jungle gym instead.
When we arrived at the playground, several humans were already there. Two of them were sitting on the swings, and a couple of them were perched atop the monkey bars. Given another set of circumstances, I might have found vampire hunters lounging around a playground humorous. Tonight was a solemn occasion though; nobody was even cracking a smile. The only purebloods in attendance were Hunter and Nika. Halina was with the prisoner. She’d wanted to watch his fate being decided, but she hadn’t felt good about leaving the man alone in the house with her child and grandchild, even though Imogen and Alanna could take care of themselves, especially with Rory and Cleo there to help. Halina didn’t want to take any chances though.
My dad shook hands with some of the other panel members, a big fat guy named Rob, and a tall skinny guy named Tom. The pair rocking side by side on the swings were Gloria and Karl. They were married, and had begun a life of vampire hunting when their son was murdered by an out-of-control pureblood. The group on the monkey bars was Jorge, Rocky, and Kat. The three of them all came about hunting in different ways than Gloria and Karl, but their stories were similarly tragic. Most people that I’d run into joined the life because a vampire had hurt them at some point. That made Jake seem right when he questioned what we were going to do about the purebloods. One problem at a time though.
Hunter stepped up to a large metal circle that the kids used to spin themselves sick. He sat on a hand railing with Nika, easily balancing on the thin cylinder. He’d been one of the rare vampire hunters—someone who’d been born into t
he life. His family had hunted my kind for generations upon generations. That was also a rarity—living long enough to raise a family while seeking out some of the most dangerous creatures on earth.
After the final members of the panel showed up, Dad raised a hand into the air to get their attention. “Folks, we come here tonight to make our first decision on what to do about a vengeance attack. I personally would rather all be meeting tonight for something a little more jovial, but if we’re going to stop the chaos, then hard choices have to be made.”
Karl hopped off the swings and stepped forward. “He attacked an innocent without provocation. He should be put to death.”
Dad sighed as he looked Karl’s way. “A few months ago you were part of the crew that attacked my family’s home…without provocation. And yet here you stand. Death is too harsh a punishment in this instance.”
Gloria stood and walked to her husband’s side. “Our minds were opened, and we were allowed to see the truth of your species.” She bowed an acknowledgement to Hunter. “There is good among you, as well as there is evil. And it’s not up to one man to decide which is which.” Several hunters in the park agreed, and were nodding their heads with her. Gloria pointed toward the ranch, where Jake was being held. “But that man is protected, and his mind will never be opened.” She flicked a glance at Gabriel and he nodded, affirming her statement. Gloria set her jaw, then continued, “Hate will rule his every decision, and innocents will suffer for it.” Her dark eyes shifted to me and softened. I was roughly the age her son would have been. Now that she knew I wasn’t inherently evil, she had a soft spot for me.
Mom and Dad followed her eyes to me. Mom frowned. She wanted to err on the side of caution, and remove the threat permanently, but she also agreed with Dad. What he’d done wasn’t severe enough to warrant death.