CHAPTER NINETEEN
After arriving back at my parent’s home, I wasn’t even able to get out of my car before my mom was out the door and headed to me. However, Sadie beat her to me. I stepped out of the car and barely stood up when she plowed into me and knocked me on my tail. The sounds of her happy whining were enough to make me feel better. Her weight was lifted off of me when Davis reached me and pulled her gently off by her collar. I stood up only to be wrapped in a tight hug from my mother.
“I was so worried it would be a trap and I’d never see you or Sam again.” She was leaning her head on my shoulder and crying.
“Let’s go inside Mom. I need to rest for a bit.” I squeezed her a bit and pried her loose from me.
“Okay, you rest and I’ll fix something for dinner. I know you don’t want food but maybe you’ll still eat something.” Mom gave a weak smile, looped her arm in mine and we walked inside.
“Mom, it’s two in the afternoon. Isn’t it kind of early for dinner?”
“I’ve decided because of all of this you deserve to have your favorite dinner. Bar-b-q ribs. I’ll have about two hours for them to marinade then your father can start the grill and cook them. We’ll wake you in time to eat.”
“Sounds great, Mom, thanks.” I couldn’t help but smile. She always knows how to make my siblings and I feel better when we’ve had a bad time with something.
Once inside, I made a detour to Dad’s office where I flopped down on his couch. I had assumed everyone else had stayed in the living room so I could try to sleep but found out fast I was followed by Mark, Courtney and Casey. Since I was lying down they found spots on the floor facing me.
“Shawn, you look bad. I think you need to feed before you rest. It may help you feel better when you wake up.” I could hear the concern in Courtney’s voice.
“I won’t feed from the two of you twice in one day. I’ll get some rest and feed in the morning. I’ll be fine.” I closed my eyes hoping they would take the hint.
As it turned out, I didn’t have any luck with them getting the hint. I lay there listening to them hounding me about feeding again until I heard a voice from the door telling me he wasn’t leaving until I fed. I looked up at the door shocked from seeing Davis standing there ready to move towards me.
“Excuse me?” I wasn’t sure I had heard him right.
“I said I’m not leaving until you feed and if you can’t feed from them twice in one day then you will just have to feed from me. I’m not going to let you get that weak before they are able to let you feed again.” With that being said, he walked over and motioned for me to sit up.
“John, are you sure you want to do this. You may never want to be around me again if you do.”
“I’m offering which means I’m willing and want to. Why would I not want to be around you if I do?” The questioning look on his face had Mark laughing.
“You have two choices, you can feel the pain of him biting you or you can feel, well, turned on, I guess, is the only way to explain it. Why do you think he normally feeds from Courtney? It’s really weird.” Mark couldn’t hold the laughter in while he explained all of this.
“Well, that’s something I just have to deal with because I’m still going to let him. He looks like shit. Besides, if it gets too bad I am married and I am going home after he’s finished.”
“Okay, don’t say we didn’t warn you but you won’t be going home right after I’m finished. You’ll be dizzy as hell and feel like shit for about thirty minutes.” I watched him from the corner of my eye to make sure he was really okay with this. When I was sure he was, I asked him to change places with me.
“There’s no turning back after I start. This is your last chance to back out.” I said as I moved closer so I could reach his neck without it being any more awkward then it already would be.
“Just get it over with, damn it.” He leaned his head back on the couch and waited for me to start.
After I was finished I leaned back and checked on John. “Just so you know; that was weird as hell and I will only do this again if it’s an emergency.” Mark, Courtney, Casey and I all busted out laughing as my brother walked in.
“Bryan, could you help me help John into the other room so Shawn can lie down?” Mark asked between laughs.
“Sure, but what’s so funny?”
“John just found out what it’s like to feed a vampire.” Mark answered as he and Bryan lifted John off the couch.
“Is it really that bad?”
“Only if you are male and straight; otherwise, no, it’s great.” John’s slurred answer was enough to start the laughing all over again.
Two and a half hours later, as promised, Mom had sent Casey in to wake me up. By that time, everyone that wasn’t family, except for Mark, Courtney, Casey and Julie, had gone home. I felt better than I had in a very long time and was pleased by the kiss I was woken up by. To add to my good mood, I found out while I was asleep, Dad, Casey and Adams had filled everyone in on what had happened and they were told by Mom that no one is to talk about any of this while we ate. It was to be a happy dinner with no disturbing conversations. And everyone knew when Mom said a topic was off limits then anyone who brought it up would be banned from the dinner table.
Because of the ban on disturbing conversations set by Mom, dinner was awesome. The topic of what I was going to do for my vacation came up and while I hadn’t thought about it yet, I knew just where I wanted to go and who I wanted to go with me.
“Julie, do you think I could steal Casey from you for a few weeks? I’d like her to go with me.”
“I think I can manage on my own. It’s a wonderful idea for you two to go.” Julie responded with the same smile that Davis and I get every morning, friendly and full of love.
“What do you think Casey, will you go with me?”
“That all depends on where you are going.” I saw the playful smile telling me it didn’t matter as long as we were together.
“My grandparents had a cabin up in the mountains. It’s a huge place surrounded by woods. I’d like to go up there.” I hadn’t been there since before my grandpa died and I missed the peace and quiet that could be found there.
“That sounds good to me. I love the woods and nature.” She was facing me and gave me a wink and shy smile.
“It’s settled then. We’ll leave in a few days. That will give us enough time to get things ready.”
EPILOGUE
Two days after Beth’s arrest, Casey and I headed up to my grandparents cabin in Cherokee, North Carolina. The cabin sat on fifty acres of land and was two stories high. The front porch stretched out across the front of the house with a gazebo and stairs on each side. The chimney ran up the front of the cabin with two windows on each side, one for each floor. There are two front doors located on either side of the chimney and the driveway to the right of the cabin. There is also an outdoor fireplace between the drive and the gazebo.
After entering the front door into the living room, a fireplace can be found at the front side of the cabin. The living room was a cozy spot with a flat screen TV mounted on the wall above the fireplace. The couch sat facing both with a coffee table in front of it and two recliners on either side. The door leading to the dining room and kitchen was next to the front door.
The dining room consisted of a small area with a table pushed up against the wall with four chairs. The kitchen was the dream of every avid cook. The counter space was vast. A long counter divided the dining area and kitchen with an L shaped counter on the outside wall. The sink and refrigerator were against the outside wall with the stove and under-the-counter mounted microwave above it were located on the short side. Black marble counters were accented by the black appliances.
Upstairs is where the three bedrooms and two baths were. Casey took the one looking out over the back yard and I took the one looking out over the front yard across the hall from her room.
We spent our days hiking through the woods. We tracked wild animals and waded
in the river. When we came across a doe and her fawn, we sat down behind some underbrush and quietly took some pictures while they foraged for food. When the hunter’s dream of a buck walked up we couldn’t help but stare. I have never before seen a deer that big. If it weren’t for the pictures, we were sure no one would believe what we saw.
Most nights we could be found outside in a gazebo watching the sun go down and enjoying each other’s company or next to the fireplace roasting marshmallows. I’m not a big fan of them but s’mores sure are tasty. On nights that were rainy we’d curl up on the couch with a fire burning and either read or watch TV.
Because of all the rest and relaxing, once a day feeding was all it took to keep us going. Funny thing about vampires, we need blood. This would be why Mark and Courtney came with us. We hardly saw them the whole time except when we needed to feed or we just wanted to hang out with them. They went their own way and we went ours most of the time. Courtney was a shop-a-holic and Mark found himself being drug into town and nearby tourist attractions while Casey and I chose to stay close and alone.
The two weeks spent in the woods with my girl and two best friends was just what I needed to get my head back together after the nightmare I just went through. When we returned home, Dad had no problems letting me get back to work. I also found out Mark had taken the opportunity to propose to Courtney. I would be Mark’s best man and Casey would be Courtney’s maid of honor.
Casey and I got married a year later. We had a simple wedding with only close family and friends. It goes without saying, Mark was my best man and Courtney was the maid of honor. Sadie has adjusted to having a cat in the home, although the cat doesn’t care much for Sadie. A year after our wedding, we started working on the nursery. Apparently, vampires can still have children. Mom, Courtney and Julie spent the next nine months showering Casey and I with things for the baby. It’s funny how we are still learning about being vampires. We are beginning to wonder if we will ever stop learning.
About The Author
I’m a mother of two wonderful children ages 6 and 7. My husband and I also have 8 furry children, 4 cats and 5 dogs. My free time is spent writing, playing on Facebook or reading. I currently live in North Carolina with my husband. We have a love for animals that was passed down to our children.
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