《Bloodlines (Conversion #2)》


 Page 1

    Seven months. That was the last time my life was completely normal. So much can change in such a short amount of time. Back then, I''d been relatively content with my life - great friends, great family, great job. Okay, a promising potential for a great job. But an emptiness had been with me too. If I was going to be honest with myself, I was lonely, very lonely. Not that I''d never dated, I had, but I''d never felt connected with any of them. Not the investment banker, who would only talk about the changing stock market climate, not the yoga instructor, who tried to convert me to veganism daily, and definitely not the pretty-boy model, who, as I discovered one day when I walked in on him, wasn''t aware of the definition of monogamy.


    Yes, they were all normal and none of them for me. My knight in shining armor had ended up being a vampire, well, a little bit vampire, as he likes to put it. His great-grandmother had been turned into one while she was nine months pregnant. That change had brought on labor and she''d birthed her baby before the change completely affected the infant. His grandmother was born half-vampire. She had then gone on to marry a human and conceived and birthed a baby, before the vampirism had stopped her human heart and she became one of the walking dead. That baby, his mother, had also married a human and had a child, before her mortality was also claimed. That baby had grown up to be the man of my dreams, my partial vampire, who could walk around during the day in full sunshine and suck a cow dry at night - Teren Adams.Advertisement


    That man was now, unfortunately, part of the mysterious undead world as well. His "conversion" had just happened recently and it had been terrifying for both of us. We''d been abducted by some deranged lunatic who''d assumed that Teren was devoid of all humanity, just because he was partially a mythical creature, a mythical creature that had a reputation for being dangerous to humans - a reputation not completely undeserving. Vampires were dangerous and they did prey on humans. Full vampires were extremely dangerous - faster, stronger, and with extra abilities that the mixed breeds didn''t have, like "trancing", a form of compulsion that could bend a human''s will to their own. But taking a life was still a choice, even for full vampires, and Teren''s family chose not to. Well, most of his family did. His grandmother had made a couple mistakes in her vampiric youth...and his great-grandmother, well, she killed because she wanted to. She killed people that most of society would deem as deserving of such a death, but still, it was one thing to think that, and quite another to know it was happening...and who was doing it.


    Not that I had room to talk anymore. I''d taken a life. It had been the only way to get us both safely away from our abductor. It had been survival - us or him - but it haunted me nonetheless. And, being honest with myself again, I''d struck an incapacitated man, exposing his blood to the air so my near-death, starved vampire would eat. I''d made the choice between a madman and the love of my life. And while the act itself walked my nightmares, the choice did not. Given the same situation again, I''d choose to take the same actions. I''d choose Teren Adams every time. No contest.


    And I had chosen him...for the rest of my mortal life. We were engaged. I was going to walk down the aisle and marry this amazing man, who no longer had a heartbeat. But that fact didn''t bother me anymore. It was inconsequential. I didn''t know where love came from, but it didn''t come from that organ. Teren''s may be still and lifeless, but his love for me truly knew no bounds. We''d do anything for each other. We already had. I''d killed and Teren had chosen not to - even though every part of his body had been screaming at him to take my blood, he''d chosen not to.


    That was one quirky little side effect of his conversion...hunger. No, that just isn''t a strong enough word to describe the level of thirst attacking his body. It wasn''t just that he could use a little something to eat. No, it was a primal, animalistic need to devour - to consume everything in his path until he was satiated. And I''d been forced directly into his path. Yet somehow, somehow he''d resisted that life or death urge to drink my blood. He''d refused me...he''d even refused our attacker, instead choosing to die. Choosing death over taking the life of another. That was my man and that was why I had no fear of becoming his wife...and the mother of his children.


    That was another obstacle that had been placed in our way. He could only give me a child while he was still human, still producing human hormones and nutrients that were vital to giving life, even on the male end of things. I''d resisted his family''s pressure for us to conceive at first, and really, I don''t think I could be blamed for that. They''d practically shoved the idea of a baby down my throat upon our first visit to their home, a sprawling ranch near the base of Mount Diablo, an "open air pantry" as Teren referred to it.


    I''d been angry when I first heard their plan for us. Of course, the way I''d found out hadn''t exactly been subtle or welcoming. The idea had practically been an ultimatum - do this or we''ll find someone else who will. But Teren and I had only been together one month at the time and I may have been dating a vampire, but I wasn''t crazy. I wasn''t having a kid with a virtual stranger, just because some insistent, black-haired bloodsuckers told me to.


    I''d broken up with Teren after that. The news, combined with the fact that he was slated to die within the year, had just been too much for my sensible head. I couldn''t process it and I''d left him. That hadn''t lasted long though. The pull I''d felt to him was entirely too great, and I hadn''t even made it a week before I was rushing back to his arms. It had taken a couple months after that, but I''d eventually agreed to have his child. And boy, once we had agreed to it, we attempted to make it happen with zealotry. Of course, being under the proverbial gun will do that to you. We''d only had a few months until he''d be incapable of making a baby, and we didn''t waste any precious time trying.


    Even still, we''d thought we''d failed. I hadn''t believed I was pregnant when the cruel man who''d absconded with us had injected Teren with some strange liquid he''d created, a liquid that had forced Teren to change. At that moment, I thought I''d lost Teren, and any chance of having his baby. But through some miracle, or maybe fate, I had been pregnant and just not realized it yet. It was weeks later when Teren had been the first of us to realize it. In a moment of intimacy, he''d heard the tiny, fast and fluttery heartbeat with those amazingly perceptive ears of his. He hadn''t understood at first and the beats had been odd to him, until he''d understood why. He hadn''t been hearing one heartbeat...he''d been hearing two. My amazing man had not only managed to knock me up in time, he''d knocked me up twice.


    So here I was - a twenty-five year old human girl, hopelessly in love with a twenty-six year old dead vampire, a fact that no one besides my sister knew, and getting married within the month to him, so that I was his wife in every sense of the word before our vampiric twins arrived - a fact that absolutely no one outside of his family knew about.


    Should be interesting.


    "Teren?" I loudly called over my shoulder, pushing aside my sudden flood of memories.


    He instantly breezed into the room, a toothbrush in hand and a disgruntled expression on his face. "You don''t need to yell, Emma."


    I smiled at his irritated look, realizing that he was right. If I needed to speak with him, I really didn''t have to put much more effort into it other than just talking as if he were in the room right beside me, and not where he had been, in the opulent bathroom adjoining his parents'' "guest" bedroom. Super ears. One of his many vampiric traits and one that made living in a house full of vampires feel sort of like we all shared one communal bedroom. Not exactly an aphrodisiac.


    "Sorry," I whispered.


    He shook his head and smiled at me. "What is it?" he asked, before sticking the toothbrush back in his mouth and continuing to brush those pearly, pointy whites. I watched him for a second, amused that even the undead cared about oral hygiene, and wondering if he flicked out his super long canines when he brushed. I''d never seen him do it, but that didn''t mean he didn''t.


    Remembering what I wanted to talk to him about, I frowned. "Are you sure about this?" I sat on the edge of the most luxurious king-sized bed known to man and put my hands back on the satiny sheets. We''d just gotten up from a recent tumble on those sheets and hadn''t gotten around to making the bed yet. As Teren''s athletic body walked around the edge of the bed to sit beside mine, I briefly considered dragging him down for another tumble on those sheets, super ears be damned.


    He sat down beside me, removing his toothbrush and setting it on the nightstand. Putting a hand on my knee he turned back to me with a furrowed brow. "What do you mean?" His hand went to my stomach and his incredible, pale blue eyes followed the movement. His fingers traced a wide oval over the top of my t-shirt and I smiled at the look of peace on his face.


    Since we''d found out I was pregnant a week ago, on Teren''s birthday, he''d started touching me like this often. He looked almost reverent whenever he did it. He''d resisted the idea of having children, of bringing more partial vampires into the world, but now, I think he was more in love with the idea than I was. And I was pretty in love. As my eyes dropped to watch his fingers lovingly caress my soon-to-be expanded stomach, I started to wonder what our children would look like. Would they have my wavy, brown hair and light brown eyes, or would they stick to the Adams genes and have pitch-black hair and startling blue eyes. As I considered that every child born into Teren''s family had inherited the dark hair/light eyes combo (along with pointy teeth and a hunger for plasma), I started to think that the odds were pretty good that they''d look exactly like Teren. I was completely fine with that.


    His calm eyes looked up and swept over my face. "Do you mean having children...or getting married?" He cocked an eyebrow and grinned crookedly. "Because, it''s a little late for both. Or so I''ve been told."


    I grinned at the reference to the sort-of ultimatum I''d given him when I''d found out I was pregnant. In not so many words, I''d basically told him if I was having his kids, he was putting a ring on my finger. He''d been fine with that, as I knew he would be. I lightly smacked his shoulder. He laughed and I frowned, remembering, yet again, my real question. "No, going back to San Francisco, going back to work and people and...life."


    He leaned back and blinked. "Yeah...why wouldn''t I want to go back?"


    I cocked my head at him, giving him an incredulous look. "Um...because you died?"


    He gave me a cocky, lopsided grin and I resisted the urge to pull him on top of me. "It will be fine, Emma." He laughed and shook his head. "No one will know my heart isn''t what is keeping me upright."


    I frowned as I considered that, wondering what exactly in his vampire blood was animating him, but then shoved that thought aside. It didn''t matter. Something was keeping him here with me and that''s all I needed to know. I sighed and hoped rejoining the world was as seamless as he made it sound.


    His hand left my stomach and came around to my hip, squeezing me softly. "You''re stressing...it will be fine." I sighed again, knowing he could read my body without me even having to say a word. My pulse, my sweat, my smell, everything about me gave me away, especially now, since his already sensitive senses were heightened. He''d only changed over a few weeks ago, but he''d already gotten good at honing into my moods, memorizing what the different indicators meant when combined together. That helped to skip a few steps when I was ready for some...loving, but it could be a little annoying when I wanted to stress without him bugging me about it.


    He sighed and brought his hand to my cheek. As always, his cool skin gave me a slight shiver before I adapted to it. "What do you see when you look at me, Emma?"


    My lips twisted into a wry grin. "A sexy, baby daddy corpse."


    He rolled his eyes and shook his head, his hand on my cheek moving to run back through my hair. "If you didn''t know about the walking dead part."


    I laughed and bit my lip as I studied the attractive man beside me. Finally, I sighed and ran a hand down his chest, his skin cold to the touch, even through his t-shirt. "I see a smart, successful, funny, attractive, twenty-something year old man, who nearly glows with life and vitality." I cocked my head at him. "You''re quite a catch."


    He chuckled and leaned into me, placing his lips gently on mine. "You are too," he whispered, his cool lips brushing against my warm ones. My heart started beating faster and he smiled wider at hearing it. He pulled away, looking satisfied. "It will be fine."


    I frowned, both at the nagging doubt in my head and the absence of his lips. "But...what are you going to do at work?"


    Teren worked for Gate magazine, as a writer in the life and style section. Several San Franciscoans were learning how to enjoy day-to-day living in the beautiful City by the Bay from a dead man. I loved the irony in that. He appeared to love it too as an amused smile lit his face. "Well, I''m going to write fascinating and entertaining articles about daily life in beautiful San Fran."


    Funny. Teren had a bit of a smartass streak in him, one that I generally found amusing, but as I was sort of trying to have an earnest conversation, was currently starting to irritate me. He cocked his head and twisted his lips, reading the emotion on my face. "Everything will be just like it was before we left, Emma." He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, that''s not entirely true. I may tell everyone that I''m engaged...and about to be a dad."


    I straightened on the bed and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight. "No, don''t do that."


    He frowned at me and pulled away to look over my rigid posture. "Why not?" He leaned in, a devilish smile on his face. "Embarrassed?"


    A small laugh escaped me against my will and relaxing, I lightly smacked his chest. "No." I sighed and laid my head on his shoulder. "But, they''ll want to shake your hand or something, to congratulate you." My hand still enclosed in his tightened even more. I really didn''t want anyone feeling that cool skin and getting suspicious.


    Not sharing my concerns, Teren laughed and I sat up straight to glare at him. He grinned and shook his head. "So..."


    I frowned at his still smiling face. "Well, you''re not exactly room temperature. People are going to notice that."


    He frowned too. "I''m not going to be lovingly caressing my coworkers, Emma. It''s mainly just me alone in an office all day, writing or researching."


    I frowned deeper at another smartass comment interrupting my semi-serious conversation. "What if they want to do that guy hug thing?"


    He raised his eyebrows. "Guy hug thing?" I smacked his shoulder at the amusement on his face and he continued, ignoring my physicality. "It''s still winter, I can explain the coldness away with the weather." I opened my mouth to object and he raised a hand, stopping me. "I know, we live in California, it gets warm here, but, Emma, some people are just naturally cold. It will raise less suspicion than you think."


    I shook my head. "Still, even for a regular human, you''re a cold man."


    He smirked at me and tilted his head at me. "Only on the outside."


    I sighed, remembering how his relaxed attitude about his secret had gotten us nearly killed before. He looked over my face and sighed too. "I know, Emma. I''ll be careful. I won''t touch people more than necessary. I''ll fake breathing. I''ll act completely human, just like I''ve always tried to." His hand came back up to my cheek as my eyes started to water. His getting exposed again scared me more than I ever thought it was possible to be scared. "I will be careful." He shook his head. "But I need this...I need to feel normal." He squatted down to look me directly in the eye. "You know this."


    I sniffed, but a tear ran down my cheek anyway. I still had nightmares of that terrifying man who''d taken us, and what I''d done to escape him. A part of me never wanted to go back home. A part of me wanted to stay here, at his parents'' ranch, safely surrounded by vampires that would die to protect me, and the children inside of me. And a part of me, wanted to be stronger than the scared little girl that I was starting to sound like.


    His thumb brushed away my tear and I exhaled slowly. I nodded and he leaned in to kiss me again. As he pulled away, one final objection poured from my mouth, "What if you need to eat?" That was one thing he definitely couldn''t do around humans.


    He grinned and shook his head. "I can get food, Emma. And I don''t need to eat at work. I can wait until I''m home," his hand came down to rub my stomach again, "with you."


    I bit my lip at the thought of moving in with him as soon as we got back. That definitely made leaving here a bonus, but yet another thought struck me and I let it out, knowing it was better to have my fears verbalized than bottled up inside me. "What if you have to eat...with humans? A business lunch or something?"


    He frowned and turned his head away from me. Maybe he hadn''t thought about that yet. He didn''t exactly have a functioning digestive tract anymore. He couldn''t scarf down the bloody steaks he used to enjoy before his conversion. He stood and ran a hand through his hair. "Well..." He twisted to look at me still on the bed, watching him. He gave me a tired smile. "I''ll think of something."


    I sighed, but let it drop. I couldn''t expect him to have all the answers, but I did expect him to think of all of the questions. My hand drifted to my stomach, wishing I could hear their heartbeats like Teren sometimes could, wishing I could feel them move already, so I''d know they were okay. We had so much more to lose now, we both needed to be careful.


    I stood and wrapped my arms around his trim waist. He sighed contently and pulled me in closer. I had to imagine that to him, I was sort of a heat source. I probably felt pretty good wrapped around him. That''s what I liked to think, anyway. I closed my eyes and laid my head on his silent chest, happy that I could still do that, happy we were still together, despite all the odds.


    I leaned up to kiss him, torn yet again on staying here a little longer (and tossing him down on that impressive bed) or getting back to the real world. I exhaled lightly as our lips moved together, the light stubble that he preferred to keep along his jaw line, wonderfully scratchy against my sensitive skin. It really wasn''t much of a choice. We had to go back. For one, my "vacation" time was over. I''d exhausted every amount of paid time off I had, coming out to the ranch to help Teren through the scary process of converting. I needed to be back at work tomorrow morning.


    That will be weird to go back to. I''ve been gone for over six weeks, just over seven really. From what my friend Tracey had told me over the phone, my boss had been going through temps like Kleenex. The most successful one had only made it a week. While it made me happy that my job at the accounting firm I worked at had missed me, I was also not looking forward to the mound of work I''d need to catch up on. I had a feeling I''d need another vacation soon.


    Oh well, at least I had a wedding to look forward to planning. An impromptu wedding. A few weeks away from now wedding. We''d decided to get married the week before Christmas...which meant I had just about a month to get everything ready. But, since I did have a household of eager vampires waiting to help out, I was pretty sure it would go smoothly. Well, the planning anyway, I was still a little unsure of the actual ceremony. My family and a few close friends would be staying at the ranch for the wedding weekend. The ranch of mixed-vampires and that one impertinent full vampire. She was the one I was most worried about. Halina.


    As Teren''s kiss intensified, his cool hands slipping under my shirt and running up my bare back, I worried about the eldest vampire being in proximity to people close to me. I wasn''t worried that she would hurt them, I was pretty sure she''d be on a tight leash, well, as tight a leash as you can keep on a vampire, but I was fairly certain she''d get a huge kick out of scaring the crap out of all of them. She immensely enjoyed intimidating people, and she sure intimidated the heck out of me.


    And how would the vampires eat while my family was here? They usually sat at the table with Teren''s human father, Jack, and drank blood from a carafe that kept it warm. They couldn''t exactly do that with my mom and friends in the room. Especially since the tiniest amount of blood on their tongues made their fangs drop down. That was kind of a clue that even my mom would pick up on.


    So, if eating at the table was out, I guess they''d be roaming the countryside for food, picking off some of their cattle in the farthest away fields. I felt a little bad about making them have to do that, although, it probably wasn''t too big a deal for them. Even if Teren liked to deny it, all the vamps had an instinct to hunt, buried deep inside them. I''d seen them all do it, the night of Teren''s conversion. Sure, they''d been hunting stupid cattle that hadn''t even moved, but the look on their faces as they circled and attacked, well, it had been terrifying and exhilarating to watch.


    Abruptly Teren pulled away from my mouth, his cool tongue breaking apart from mine. At the absence of his caress, my head snapped back to what we were currently doing. He twisted his lips and cocked an eyebrow at me. "Am I...bothering you?" he asked, annoyance and amusement in his voice.


    I laughed and pulled him tighter, shaking my head. "No, I''m sorry. Just...being reflective today."


    He sighed as he looked me over; the crystal-clear blueness of his eyes in stark contrast to the darkness of his hair. "You''re really still worried? Don''t you want to be home?"


    He looked down at the floor, to where I''m assuming his mother was, and then across the hall, to where I knew his grandmother was hiding out the daylight. Another vamp trait, or maybe it was just an Adams trait - they could all sense each other. It was more profound the closer they got, and while he stayed in the same house as them, he always knew exactly what rooms they were in. It came in handy sometimes, like when I needed to know where he was on this massive ranch - I only had to find the closest vamp and they could point me in the right direction. It also came in handy if say, we were kidnapped and driven to the middle of nowhere and I needed to drive us back to this ranch, only I had no clue where it was. Yeah, unfortunately, it also came in handy that way too.


    Teren''s eyes came back to mine. "Wouldn''t you like to be somewhere...more private?"


    My arms around his waist tightened and I sighed contentedly this time. "Yes, I would. I know...I''m stressing. It will be fine."


    He kissed my nose. "Yes, it will be." He released me and grabbed our bags, tossing them on the bed and starting the process of packing...and it was a process, I''d brought a lot of stuff with me. Over his shoulder he tossed, "Besides, it''s not like I''m going to be letting the guys at work lovingly rest their heads against my chest." He turned and grinned back at me.


    I smirked. "Funny. You better not let any of the women at work do that either." I raised an eyebrow at him and then playfully walked up and smacked his ass.


    He fully turned to me, his fangs dropping down as he did. "Careful, human." His eyes flicked up and down me in a way that made my flesh heat, even standing a foot apart like we were. He cocked his head, listening to my heart start to beat faster. He looked so strong and powerful and just plain sexy, all vamped out like that, and I couldn''t help but get a little turned on watching him. Of course, the pregnancy hormones flooding through my body may have had something to do with that too. He closed his eyes and inhaled. "Oh, Emma...we really should get going."


    He opened his eyes and I could clearly see the passion in them, it made my breath quicker. "Maybe you should go wait downstairs with my mom. I''m sure she''d love to make you something to eat."


    I smiled at his reaction to my reaction; we were both feeding each other''s desires. "Maybe I''m not hungry for food just yet. Are you?" I stepped up to him, pressing my entire body along the length of his. He sucked in a quick (and unnecessary) breath as our parts lined up.


    Slowly, and with a level of seductiveness that would have made any stripper proud, I pulled down the loose neckline of my shirt. It was stretchy enough that I successfully pulled it off my shoulder. I was talented enough that I grabbed my bra strap with it. Teren eyed my bare shoulder with a passion derived from two instincts - the need to eat and the need to have sex. I lifted my shoulder to him, encouraging both.


    A low growl came from deep in his chest, sending an ache straight through me. His eyes flicked to mine and he bared his teeth slightly, the edge of his lips curling into a self-assured smile. I felt the heat flood through me and I was pretty sure if he didn''t put his hands on me soon, I might explode. Finally, one came around to my backside, pulling me even tighter to his oh-so-ready body. The other, came to the corner of my shirt, pulling it back farther. Then his lips lowered to my skin. Then his teeth pierced the flesh. Then he groaned deep and sucked hard, his hands pulling me against him. That was when I groaned and decided every thought in my head could wait until later...much later.


    When our second tumble for the day on those sheets was finished, and I was spent and satisfied, I laid my head on his chest, hearing the echo of my still surging heartbeat through his skin. As his skin was slightly warmer after so much prolonged contact with mine, it was almost like he was alive again. I smiled as I listened to the reverberation. He sighed and stroked my hair, equally spent, but having no physical sign of exhaustion with him. I peeked up at his face, memorizing the soft, satisfied smile as he lay with his eyes closed. I rubbed a trace amount of blood off his lip, noting and immediately disregarding the slight ache in my shoulder. So worth it.


    He smiled wider at my touch and kissed my fingers before they pulled away. I traced a lazy circular pattern in his chest as I debated getting up and getting ready for the day...again. I stretched in the silky sheets and debated staying in this bed...forever. Eventually he opened his eyes and stirred, seemingly torn as well.


    I grinned and propped my elbows on his chest, holding him down, symbolically, if not physically. Physically, I had been no match for his strength before his changeover. Now, my gesture was as meaningless as a fly trying to hold down a horse. He stayed on his back and smiled up at me however, willing to play the role of captive, if only for me.


    I cocked my head, my long hair brushing over his bare skin. "Do you feel different?"


    He chuckled and tucked a piece of hair around my ear. "Yes. Now I feel tired...and very satisfied." He practically purred those last words and a shiver went through me that had nothing to do with his other hand resting on the small of my back.


    I playfully smacked his shoulder. "I wasn''t talking about the sex, smartass. I was talking about your conversion. Do you feel different, now that you''re dead?"


    He chuckled at my reaction, knowing full well what I''d been talking about all along. Biting his lip, he looked up at the ceiling, his face more serious. "Actually, I do." He lightly shook his head before bringing his eyes back to mine. "I wasn''t expecting that, but, I feel..." he shrugged his shoulders, "more alive."


    My face scrunched into a confused look and he chuckled again. "I know, that sounds weird. But, it''s true. I feel everything around me more intensely." His eyes looked past me as he examined the world in a way I''d never really be able to. "I can differentiate every separate particle of the air. I can see colors I didn''t even know existed before. I can hear sounds that have never been audible." His eyes came back to mine. "And I can taste..." he inhaled and closed his eyes, "everything." He opened them and gazed at me with a look of wonder on his face. "You wouldn''t believe how beautiful the world is like this, Emma."


    He looked around the room again as I stroked his chest and tried to grasp how he saw the world, how he saw me. How odd that a being no longer living in the world, would feel more connected to it. I felt a little like old technology compared to him, like how a black and white TV must feel when it''s placed beside an HD flat screen, if inanimate objects had feelings, of course.


    He sighed and shook his head. "It''s strange. It''s like the senses swap around with each other. Like I can taste sound and hear color, and touch emotion." His eyes came back to mine, wistfully. "I wish you could experience this."


    I sighed and sank my chin to his chest. Sometimes I wished that too, but there was just no guaranteed way to make me a partial vampire like him, and giving up all of my humanity, and having to live in shadows and darkness, just wasn''t something I was willing to do. Plus, I couldn''t right now anyway. Not with two lives inside of me, depending on my still beating heart to keep them alive and nourished.


    I kissed his cooling skin, feeling the hard muscle encased beneath it. Laying my cheek down on that solid chest, I smiled up at him. "I''ll just have to experience you. That''s enough." He smiled and kissed my forehead.


    Eventually we did pick ourselves up and keep our hands off each other long enough to get all our stuff together. Hand in hand, we walked down an elaborate dual staircase, the kind of staircase that debutantes would be paraded down as they were announced to the world. The seemingly simple living vampires had a taste for the finer side of life. That made me smile, but I sort of understood it. In a way, Teren''s family was kind of recluses, keeping to themselves and away from almost everyone else. If I never really left my home, I''d want it to be the best home money could buy too.


    Smiling at each other, we walked into a sunny and bright with life dining room. Teren''s father, Jack, was sipping his coffee at the table and reading a paper. He looked up at us when we entered the room. "Morning, kids. Just get up?"


    I blushed faintly, knowing that Jack was the only one awake in the house not aware of how long Teren and I had been "up" and nodded in response. Teren chuckled and squeezed my hand, pulling out a chair for me with his other one.


    Jack smiled at his son''s gallantry and then went back to drinking his coffee, happily oblivious to our bedroom antics. I loved that about Jack and felt even closer to the man I considered a father figure in my life as well. He didn''t look much like Teren, what with his brown but graying hair and warm brown eyes, but he was as warm and gentlemanly as his son, and Teren''s manners were no great surprise after spending a little time around his role model.


    Teren kissed my neck but didn''t join me at the table. He usually didn''t, not since he''d stopped eating. Being around food didn''t bother him or anything, he just usually took the time while I was eating breakfast to visit with his mother or his grandmother, since just sitting there and watching me eat was a little boring.


    I hadn''t been seated for more than ten seconds before Teren''s mother, Alanna, whisked out of the kitchen with a plate of food for me. She loved playing hostess and since she''d lost a human to feed when Teren died, I think she''d started making up for it by piling on the food for me. Even before she''d known I was expecting, she''d piled on the food, and now that she did know about it, that habit had gotten even worse and the plate before me was mammoth, loaded high with pancakes and a rich-looking molasses syrup. A mound of fresh fruit and about three sides of bacon made up the rest of the platter-sized plate. I knew better than to object though.


    "Thank you, Al...Mom." Alanna had insisted I treat her like family from day one. It was still an odd thing to do, but I was trying. I suppose it would feel more natural once we shared a common last name.


    Alanna gave me a brilliant smile, her exact same shade of blue eyes as Teren, catching a shaft of morning light and sparkling in the rays. The sun didn''t bother her, too much. She could be in it for short periods of time with no adverse consequences, unlike the other women. Teren''s grandmother could tolerate being in a hazy with light room, but, although she wouldn''t die from direct exposure, sunlight certainly hurt her. Halina, on the other hand, would fry to a crisp. She couldn''t even be in a room with rays of light and stayed holed up in her underground lair until sundown. One of the downsides of vampirism. And one that faded with each mixed generation. It made me obscenely happy that our children would get to play in the park in the afternoons, just like all the other kids. I wanted to give them as normal a life as possible. I understood Teren''s need to be like everyone else, so much better now.


    Alanna swished over to her son''s side, locking her arm around his. Her long, black hair was free down her back except for two long strands in front that were pulled back from her face. Her black as night hair also perfectly matched her son''s and as Teren smiled down at her, I could sense the deep connection they had. It was more than just a close mother/son bond. It was a species bond as well. Alanna completely understood her son, because she was exactly like him. She knew what it felt like to changeover. She understood his thirst. She shared his desire to keep their secret hidden. She saw the world in the same amazing way he did.


    Their bond was so tight, I suppose it would make an ordinary wife-to-be jealous. I suppose I wasn''t ordinary though. For me, it lightened my heart. I knew I wouldn''t be a part of Teren''s life forever, not with how long he could potentially live, and I wanted him to have strong bonds with other people, especially other people with an equally long lifespan. I didn''t want him to be alone...ever.


    Which meant I also had to be peacekeeper sometimes. For, as close as they were, Alanna and Teren were also a lot alike, and that meant they occasionally butted heads. Usually, it was because Alanna was trying to protect him, and he didn''t feel like he needed to be. I tended to agree with Alanna; Teren could be a stubborn ass sometimes.


    Looking up at him, Alanna spoke a phrase in another language. All the vampires could speak Russian, something Halina had taught them. She''d been born and raised there, having moved out here as a little girl. I guess it had pleased her to keep her native tongue alive, and she''d taught her daughter who had taught Alanna, who in turn taught Teren. Jack had told me he could pick out certain words and phrases, but foreign languages weren''t as easy for him to grasp as it was for the vampires, and he''d never really felt the need to learn it. "Let them have their secret language," he''d jokingly told me once.


    Not liking secrets, I was determined to be fluent in the complicated sounding language. I''d been picking up words and phrases as well, and from what I could tell, Alanna had just told her son "good morning" and then something that included the word "blood". I''d picked up that one early on, as they talked about blood a lot, for obvious reasons. He nodded at her and I figured she was just being a mom and letting him know there was food in the fridge, if he wanted some. Some things never change, regardless of species.


    Turning back to my plate, suddenly ravenous, I picked up my fork and started, in a very unladylike way, shoving forkfuls of pancake into my mouth. Teren behind me chuckled and bent down to kiss my chipmunk-like full cheek. "You''re hungry now, I see," he whispered in my ear.


    I choked on my food, knowing his mom had just heard that...and knew exactly what he meant by it. I shot him a glare, my still full cheeks feeling hot. He gave me an innocent expression and I heard Alanna lightly laugh as she walked over to give Jack a kiss. Jack looked up at her laughter, but not understanding it, went back to reading his paper. I took the opportunity to smack Teren in the thigh.


    He swiftly kissed my cheek again. "I''m going to get a little snack." He gave me a not so innocent look. "I find myself completely drained this morning."


    I rolled my eyes and shook my head as he laughed again and turned to walk into the adjoining kitchen. I watched him leave, his body as lean, muscular and appealing in his worn-in jeans and long sleeve t-shirt, as it had been completely bare, and thought about him drinking in there. It didn''t bother me like it used to. Obviously, since I let him do it from me, but, I did worry about him getting enough to eat when we went back home. I knew he''d never hurt anyone, his will power had been tested to the extremes a few weeks ago and he''d proven without a shadow of a doubt that he had an extraordinary level of control, but, I didn''t want him to go hungry. I was a mom now too. Well, almost. But those instincts were there and I didn''t want him to suffer. It''s not like we''d be living on a ranch with plenty of opportunities for him to feed. He''d pretty much have to rely on buying small livestock at farmer''s markets. He''d be eating a lot of chickens.


    I focused back on my plate and tried not to worry about it. He could always run out here if he got really hungry. The ranch was about an hour from our home - in a car. On foot, Teren could probably make it in fifteen.


    Teren was still in the kitchen, and I was halfway though my massive stack of cakes, when something weird happened to me. My stomach started to churn. I set my fork down and pressed a hand on my belly. A horrible, familiar sensation swept through me and I stood up. My head started to swim as well and I started to panic a little bit.


    I knew the sensation rising in my stomach and throat - every person over the age of four recognizes it. My stomach was calling a halt to the act of eating, and was now going to "evacuate the pool", so to speak. I looked around, my hand coming up to my mouth to clasp it shut. My mind could only comprehend ''I don''t feel good'', and I couldn''t think past that, to where the damn bathroom was in this massive home. Suddenly getting scared that I''d lose it on the expensive looking dining room table, I started backing up...and lightly crying.


    Jack had just started to look up at me, when Teren instantly blurred into the room. His fangs were still out, his teeth slightly red from his breakfast, and his face extremely concerned. "Emma?" I knew he could sense my body''s discomfort, but wouldn''t know why. He looked a little terrified.


    "Bathroom," I squeaked out under my hand. He heard and understood, picking me up and sweeping me down the hall to the other end of the house, where a bathroom fit for a queen was situated. I barely had time to note the stale air of a room that obviously was hardly ever used, before I dashed to the bowl and nosily launched my entire stomach contents into it.


    Teren''s cool hands came up to my back, feeling like heaven-sent icepacks on my suddenly overheated skin. He pulled aside my hair as I amazingly lost it again, and then he cupped my cheek, cleaning me off with a towel he''d grabbed at some point.


    "Thanks," I muttered, as I leaned my face into his cool, wonderful skin.


    "You alright?" The concern was thick in his voice and I opened my eyes to look at him. He sat on his knees beside me, looking like he wished he could do more for me. I understood feeling helpless, I had certainly felt that when he''d been horribly injured. Of course, that had been much more serious than morning sickness.


    I smiled as my stomach settled and slung my arms around his cool neck, straddling his lap. His arms held me tight and I relaxed into the calming coolness. "Morning sickness," I whispered, loving those words and hating them at the same time. I didn''t enjoy throwing up, but I did enjoy the reason I was throwing up. I looked up at him and grinned. "I don''t think the kids like pancakes."


    He laughed and kissed my forehead, squeezing me a little tighter than he usually did. I must have looked pretty horrible, he still seemed pretty worried. "I''m fine, Teren...all normal pregnancy stuff."


    He rested his head against mine and nodded. "I know...I still worry about you though."


    I pulled back and put a hand on his cheek, understanding that as well. I constantly worried about him. "I know."


    He helped me stand and as we opened the elaborate door handle of the marble and gold leaf decorated room I''d just spewed in, Alanna stepped into the doorway with Teren''s grandmother, Imogen, right behind her, cringing a bit in the too bright for her sunlight.


    I smiled tiredly at their show of concern. "I''m fine," I immediately said, feeling a little stupid at everyone jumping up because I got sick. "Imogen, go rest upstairs, please. You shouldn''t be down here. I''m fine, really."


    Imogen didn''t look to buy my bravado. "Are you sure, dear? Is there anything we can do for you?" She wrung her hands as her face winced. The light in the hallway had been subdued with heavy curtains, most likely thanks to Alanna, but it was still causing the vampire pain.


    To reassure her, and a nervous looking Alanna beside her, I quickly muttered that I was fine again and threw on a tired smile. With Teren supporting my elbow and helping me walk through the door, like I was partially invalid, I thought I probably looked pretty pathetic. Wanting them to feel okay about me, I straightened and stepped away from him. He made to reach for me, but I gave him a warning glance. He understood and let me be, knowing I was no damsel in distress that needed my hand held because I''d gotten a little woozy.


    Alanna and Imogen looked a little better as I walked as confidently from the room as I could, but I was feeling a little dehydrated and my hands shook a bit. They both followed me back to the dining room, Alanna darkening the room for her mom and Jack looking up at the assemblage parading me back to the table, most likely wondering what all the fuss was about. While I went from standing to sitting, Alanna swept away my plate and came back with a tall glass of water. I downed it, wishing they''d all stop worrying, but understanding why they were. What I carried was important, as important as a child was to anyone, but also important, because I carried the last of their line. Teren''s dead body could no longer contribute to the making of new life, and these children would be the last I ever carried of his, the last I ever carried, period. If I lost them...


    I couldn''t even think about that.


    After my water, my color came back and with reassuring pats and belly rubs, the vampire women finally left me alone. Teren squatted in front of me, his hands on my cheeks again as his sky blue eyes searched mine. "Let''s go home," he whispered. I nodded into his hands, thinking that was the best plan I''d heard all morning.

 Page 2

    After a couple more large glasses of water, followed by a couple more visits to that impressive bathroom - the regular kinds of visits, not the upchuck kind - I felt like myself again. Teren stuck close to my side, his eyes rarely leaving me. The concerned look in his brow never really left him either, even when I sat at the table, making small talk with his father, both of us laughing over one of Teren''s childhood tales.


    A few minutes later, he excused himself to pack the car. A couple of minutes after that, when he was done, he came back for me, insisting that he should take me home so I could rest. I rolled my eyes and smirked at him, since I felt one hundred percent fine, but grudgingly agreed, since I did have unpacking and washing and mail and bills and phone calls and ugh...maybe I would just lie on the couch.Advertisement


    With swift hugs for Jack, Alanna and Imogen, and apologies that we couldn''t stay to say goodbye to a sleeping Halina, we made our way to Teren''s Prius and began the bumpy journey down their super long gravel driveway.


    It felt odd to be leaving, especially since I hadn''t even been in a car in nearly two months. I flashed on the last time I''d been in a car, Teren''s car even, but immediately pushed it aside. I didn''t want to connect Teren''s vehicle to that awful event. I didn''t want to be reminded of it every time we went somewhere.


    As we pulled onto the highway that led home, I sighed contently and put my hand on Teren''s thigh. He placed his hand over mine and laced our fingers together. Even though the move was a tender one, I felt the rigid way he held my hand. If I didn''t know any better, I''d say it was almost protective, or possessive.


    I brought my other hand over to lay it on top of his, making a Teren hand-sandwich. "You alright?" I asked as I clamped our skin together.


    He looked over at me, a tight smile on his lips. "Sure, I''m fine."


    As he looked back to the road, I could see the tension in his jaw and neck; whatever he really was, it was not ''fine''. "Teren..."


    My tone clearly indicated that I didn''t buy his answer and wanted the truth. He sighed and looked over at me again. His eyes watered as he stared at me and I scrunched my brow at seeing his emotion start to bubble up. He shook his head, just a little. "What if something happens to you?"


    I scrunched my brow even further, not making the conversational leap with him. Seeing my confusion he explained himself better, his eyes drifting back to the road, still looking sad and worried. "Pregnancy is hard...some women don''t make it..."


    Understanding, my hand went to his cheek, bringing his eyes back to mine. Knowing his vampiric reflexes could handle driving without both eyes on the road, I made him meet my gaze. "I will be fine. This morning was completely normal." I couldn''t help but note the contradiction of me now assuring him that everything was fine, now that we were talking about my safety and not his. Things were different when your concern was for another''s life, and not your own.


    He nodded, shaking his head free from my grasp and looking away from me again, towards the road that he knew so well, he could probably drive it blindfolded. "I know, Emma. I know today was fine...but what about tomorrow, or the next day?" He shook his head and looked back at me. "There''s so much that can go wrong, and I can''t... If I lose..." He stopped talking and swallowed painfully, his eyes darting to my stomach and then back up to me.


    I swallowed back my own emotion and leaned over to kiss his neck. "I know, Teren. I know." He was terrified of losing any of us. That''s the downside of loving someone so much. You throw your heart out there and hope nothing will yank it away and tear it into shreds. He couldn''t predict what would happen to me, and he was right, pregnancy wasn''t always a cause for celebration...sometimes pregnancies ended badly. But you couldn''t go through life waiting for bad things to happen. I''m pretty sure that''s how people go mad. I also noted the contradiction in that, and made a mental note to not worry about Teren being exposed so much. Well, I''d try not to.


    I rested my head on his shoulder. "Today I''m fine, Teren. Today, we''re all fine." I sighed and felt him nod and sigh as well. That''s all we had to go on, all any of us had to go on...and it was enough.


    Before I knew it, we were back at my adorably cute, slim home. It was a Victorian townhouse. One of those that wedged right up to its neighbor''s, so you could easily walk across all the roofs, if you were so inclined. It had been my grandmother''s home and she''d left it to my mom when she''d passed away. Mom had kept it, for the investment and the sentiment, and I rented it from her at an outstandingly good rate. It was blue with cute white shutters and a perfectly charming red door. I''d sort of miss it when I eventually moved in with Teren.


    He helped me bring in all my stuff and even ran a load of laundry for me while I put the clean clothes away. As I smiled, listening to him bustle around downstairs in my laundry room, I thought he was a pretty amazing boyfriend and would surely be an equally amazing husband. Feeling content and happy, and not worried for once, I whispered, "I love you, you know."


    Just as I was putting away my last pair of just slightly soiled boots, he breezed into my doorway. His cool arms slipped around my waist and a rough chin lightly scraped against my skin, as he rested his head in the crook of my neck. "I love you too, you know."


    I grinned, a small laugh escaping me, and twisted in his arms. Looking over his handsome face, a small frown came to my lips. "I''m going to miss you."


    He frowned as well, as he tried to understand what I meant. "Miss me? Am I going somewhere?"


    A crooked grin came to my mouth, but then I sighed and ran my hands down his shirt. "Yes, you''re going home, to get ready to go back to work."


    He tilted his head as he processed that. "Yeah, I suppose I should." He lightly shook his head. "You''re not coming with me?"


    I bit my lip at seeing the clear disappointment on his face. It was deeply endearing how much he obviously wanted me with him. I sighed though and shook my head. "I can''t. I should get ready too...and I''ve got a lot of stuff around here to catch up on."


    He looked around my bedroom, his eyes focused beyond the walls. He was probably thinking about all the things he had to catch up on as well, including picking up his pup from my mom''s house. Thinking about that, I put a hand to his cheek, bringing his attention back to me. "I could come with you to pick up Spike though? Divert my mom''s attention, in case she wants to hug and kiss you to death." I laughed at my joke and grinned as I thought about seeing my mom and sister again. I''d talked to them often, but hadn''t actually seen them in awhile.


    He grinned and ran a finger down my cheek. "Actually, I talked with your mom before we left." He lightly chuckled and shook his head. "She asked if she could keep Spike until we all got together for dinner on Tuesday. I think she''s fallen for him." He winked at me after he said that.


    I laughed and then leaned back in his arms as that sank in. "Dinner? Tuesday?" Mom, my sister Ashley, and I, all got together for weekly dinners at a local cafe that we really loved. We''d been doing it for years and once Teren and I had started getting serious, he''d joined the party.


    He nodded and tilted his head. "Yeah...she assumed the Tuesday night dinners would continue, once you got back." He narrowed his eyes at me, his brow furrowing a bit while he studied my reaction. "I assumed they would too...was I wrong?"


    I shook my head, clearing my expression. "No, no of course we''ll start doing that again. I just..." I looked up at him. "What are you going to do?"


    He looked down to the floor, his arms around my waist tightening slightly while he considered his options. Finally, he lifted his head and sighed. With a shrug he said, "I guess I''ll be running late at work, and join you just after dessert."


    I stared at his face for a moment, a sudden sadness hitting me that we couldn''t have a normal, happy meal with my family, not if he''d just be sitting there and watching everyone else eat. How would we explain that? I brought a hand up to his face and he closed his eyes at the contact, leaning into the warmth of my skin. "That won''t work forever, Teren."


    He opened his eyes and sighed. "I know."


    He both stared at each for a moment longer and then he leaned in to give me a goodbye kiss. I allowed myself to get lost in it, to forget the downside of dating a vampire and remember that there were advantages too. And Teren made forgetting pretty easy - he was an unbelievable kisser. His mouth and tongue could do things that I was beginning to believe were part of his supernatural ability, for no human I''d ever kissed had made me feel it through every cell in my body. As my fingers were sliding through his thick hair and the backs of my legs were bumping up against my bed, he started chuckling. I broke contact with him, a little surprised to find my heart was racing and my breath was noticeably faster. Like I said, great kisser.


    His hands came up to cup my cheeks, gently pushing me back from where I''d been attempting to find those lips again. "I should get going." He chuckled again, his eyes sweeping over my room. "Let, you get to work on your affairs."


    My body could have cared less about my affairs and I knew he was completely aware of that. I tried to kiss him again, but he held me back, a smug look on his face. I sighed irritably and pulled away. "Fine." Using all my willpower to step away from him, I gave him a scathing glare. "You don''t play fair."


    He laughed and reached out for me. I ignored the gesture. Smirking at me, he shook his head and walked over to give me a platonic kiss on the cheek. In my ear he whispered, "You drive me crazy, every second of every day. You have no idea how much I''ll be missing you tonight." He stepped into me, his body pressing against my side. I closed my eyes and held my breath. His breath, cool on my ear and neck, gave me delightful shivers. "If I can make you feel, just once, what I feel constantly...well, I think that''s very fair."


    His lips had just closed around my ear lobe when I groaned and turned my head to find him. But he wasn''t there. Feeling like my head and body were in some weird, semi-drugged state, I blinked and looked around my empty bedroom. Faintly, I could hear laughing coming from downstairs and then my front door opening.


    "Jerk!" I yelled through the open door where my honey had just blurred away, leaving me all riled up and alone. Only soft chuckling answered me as my front door closed.


    I sighed and shook my head as I heard the electric hum of his car pulling away. Sighing yet again, I decided forgoing all the things on my to-do list and doing the one thing my body really wanted now. I took a bath.


    Monday morning began with me fighting the urge to throw my alarm clock across the room. It had been a long time since I''d needed to use one. While Teren''s and my time on the ranch wasn''t exactly Club Med, it had been a true vacation in the sense that we hadn''t needed to be awake at a certain hour. We''d usually woken at breakfast time, so I could partake in Alanna''s wonderful cooking, but it had been a leisurely, relaxing wakeup. Not the jarring, forced-from-sleep annoyance that was an alarm going off by my ear.


    Grunting some sort of nonverbal objection, I turned it off and stood up to get ready for the day. I dusted off and got into my work clothes, a nice formfitting pantsuit with an adorably fitted jacket, and curled my wavy hair, leaving it loose around my shoulders. With a nice pair of heels and my jacket open, showing off my deep cut, lacy top (which was about as sexy as I could dress at work, without getting a warning from the HR department), I grabbed a quick breakfast and hopped into my cute little yellow VW bug. I smiled as I drove it to work; I''d missed my cheery little car.


    I started feeling a little less cheery as I pulled into the parking lot and my stomach started questioning my meal choice. I sat in my car, breathing slowly and carefully through my mouth. I prayed for my stomach to settle down and accept the food I''d given it. Seriously...we needed to work together on this, or this pregnancy was going to be a long one.


    Finally, my body agreed with my head and the nausea passed. With one last quick exhale, I slapped on my professional face and headed for the doors. I was assaulted long before I ever got to my cubicle. A striking blonde squealed and wrapped her arms around me. The sudden movement jarred me back a step and my stomach firmly objected the quick shift in direction.


    As my face surely went through several shades of green, I hugged the woman hugging me for dear life, praying yet again, not to lose it. The beautiful woman pulled away from me, a happy glow on her pixyish face. "Emma! God, we''ve missed you. How was your vacation?"


    I breathed as nonchalantly as I could through my mouth, as I quickly threw on a bright smile. "It was great, Tracey. How were things here?"


    She tossed her hand out in a casual manner. "Oh, the same." We continued down the aisle way to my office, my stomach relaxing into normalcy as we walked and Tracey subtly pointing at various people that we worked with. "Stressed over a bad investment. Wife had a baby last week. Bitchy...just ''cuz. Having an affair..." she pointed at a petite brunette and then looked around until she spotted a middle-aged man near the break room, "with him." She turned back to me and barely contained a giggle. "I totally heard them going at it in the supply closet last week."


    I quickly looked away from the woman as she met eyes with me, shaking my head at Tracey and her stream of gossip. As we reached my home away from home, she leaned against my wall. "How is Teren''s dad?" Her face turned down into a perfect frown.


    I turned into my office here at Sampson, Neilson and Peterson, and opened the bottom drawer of my desk to shove my still pretty full purse in it. I hadn''t gotten any better at not carrying my life around with me. I smiled at Tracey''s question, as I straightened and turned back to her. Teren''s dad falling ill was the excuse we''d given everybody for our extended time away. It had worked pretty well as a reason for Teren to be gone for such a long time. I mean, it wasn''t like we could tell everyone that Teren was dying and reanimating, and he''d needed to be away from innocent people when he did it.


    "He''s...as good as new." I shrugged my shoulders as Tracey smiled. "You''d never even know that anything had ever been wrong with him." I started to giggle a little, as I thought of Teren and not his dad. You really wouldn''t know he''d passed away, at least, not by looking at him. Tracey cocked her head at my seemingly inappropriate laugh, but didn''t say anything. I had a habit of laughing at odd times and my friends were just used to that about me.


    "That''s great, Emma. Tell Teren I''m glad his dad is alright."


    A loud throat clearing behind Tracey shifted both of our attentions that way. Behind her was a large, dowdy looking woman who always reminded me of an unpleasant version of a fifties sitcom wife. She always dressed in long skirts and shapeless blouses and even had a large string of pearls around her plump neck. Her brown hair, that had mostly turned gray ages ago, was always pulled into a tight, unforgiving bun that complimented her general attitude. She tended to have a perpetual scowl, and seemed to look at everyone as if they were doing something inappropriate.


    Clarice. She was unfortunately my boss, and was currently looking at Tracey with undisguised malice. She was not Tracey''s boss. "Don''t you have somewhere to be?" she grumbled to her.


    Tracey grinned back at me. "Have fun. Glad your back." She smirked at Clarice and then left me alone with the sour woman.


    "So, you remembered where the building was. Kudos." She handed me what had to be a two foot stack of paperwork. As I grabbed it, she pointed to an equally large stack of papers already sitting on my desk. "These are all new clients that came in while you were gone." Her flat lips sort of turned up into a grin. "Familiarize yourself, and get them all entered into the system."


    And with that, she turned and left. No, we missed you, welcome back. No, did you have a good time. No, did everything turn out okay? No, did your boyfriend knock you up while you were gone? Nope, nothing but professionalism from Clarice.


    I sighed and sat down, adding the large stack to the stack already there. I knew coming back would be a lot of work, but, damn. The accounting firm I worked at was an up and coming one and it seemed like they''d taken off, right as I''d left. As I started sifting through the paperwork, I hoped I''d run into an interesting file - maybe a celebrity or socialite or something.


    Just as I was wondering how Teren was fairing at his first day back at the magazine, I heard my phone buzzing in my purse. Clarice tended to frown on cell phones at the desk, but quickly looking into her office directly across from mine and seeing her absent, most likely helping her boss, Mr. Peterson, I took advantage and opened the drawer to rifle through my bag and find it.


    Pulling out my cutely pink flip phone, I saw a text from Teren. ''Miss you. How''s it going?''


    I glanced up at her office again and then quickly typed back a response. ''Miss you too. I''m drowning in paperwork. You?''


    My phone buzzed in my hand, a second after I''d hit send. ''Good, just finished my article. No fondling yet.'' I smiled and shook my head, both at the fact that he''d already whipped out an article, and that he was still teasing me about my admittedly overcautious fears. Just as I was about to respond, my phone buzzed again. ''Are you coming over tonight? I can''t sleep alone again.''


    I quietly giggled at that and bit my lip, only responding with, ''Yes.''


    His response was again a quick one, and I smiled at the image of him sitting at his desk and speed typing messages to me. ''Good, I missed you...and the kids. Anymore sickness?''


    I sighed at his loving concern for me. ''No...almost threw up on Tracey, but luckily didn''t. She wishes your dad well.''


    I pictured him laughing at my answer as his reply flashed on my phone. ''I would have loved to hear how you''d explain away ralphing on her. I''m glad you''re okay. I''ll add Tracey''s wishes to my coworkers. My dad will get a big head, with how much sympathy he''s been receiving today.''


    I sighed happily as I thought of my tall, dark and sort of dreamy, undead man. Just as I was going to tell him I should get back to work, the phone buzzed again. ''So...what are you wearing?''


    I laughed out loud to that and was startled to almost incontinence when a stack of even more papers slapped down on my desk. Breathing heavier, I raised my eyes to Clarice''s narrowed ones. "Since you have free time," she nearly sneered, "here''s some reports I need copied...now."


    "Sorry, yes, Clarice." I gave her an apologetic smile as she huffily sauntered back to her desk. Typing Teren a quick goodbye and shoving my phone back in my purse, I got back to my expanded work pile.


    By the end of the day, I couldn''t believe how tired I was. I''d nearly forgotten what a full eight hours of work entailed. True, Teren and I had helped out on the ranch, and I''d fallen asleep from exhaustion more than once during our stay there, but there was something different about being outside in the fresh country air, helping to wrangle cattle with an assortment of super speedy, unnaturally strong vampires, than being in a small, fluorescently lit office space with paperwork up to your eyebrows. I knew it would get better as I got more caught up, but at the moment, shoveling cow poop again sounded fabulous.


    Tracey popped around to my side of the cubicle, no sign of fatigue on her sprightly face, and asked if I''d be coming back to the gym as well. Tracey and I had been taking kickboxing there a couple times a week for of a couple of years now. While I loved the workout, and the feeling of self-assurance it gave me, I was really too tired to contemplate moving that aggressively right now.


    "No, I think I''ll pass tonight." I yawned halfway through my sentence and Tracey laughed at me.


    "Alright, Ben will be bummed." She winked at me. "He''s subbing tonight."


    I grinned at the look of love on her face. She had met Ben while he''d been subbing for our regular teacher during a kickboxing class. They''d hit it off right away and, despite a rocky patch, when Tracey had stupidly broken up with him while she needlessly suffered over figuring out what was only too obvious - that she was head over heels for him, they were still together.


    I yawned and grabbed my purse. "Tell him I said hi...Teren too." Ben and Teren had hit it off right way too and were friends, I guess. As close as Teren was friends with anyone who didn''t know his secret. He had a natural tendency to keep people just slightly away from him. Honestly, he did that with me too sometimes, which had led to some pretty spectacular fights in these last seven months, but I did understand his reluctance to let people in; he never knew for sure who was going to stick around.


    Tracey laughed at my yawn again and nodded. "I will. See you tomorrow, Emma."


    I watched her leave and another yawn escaped me. Wondering why I was so tired, I looked down at my still flat stomach. "Are you guys making me tired?" I murmured to myself.


    A throat clearing made me look up, startled that someone may have heard that. I wasn''t prepared to tell the world I was pregnant. I''d sort of like to get through the wedding part first...and I was still a little reluctant to bring that up too. Not that I was embarrassed, no way, but we were getting married fast, and I was only too aware that super fast weddings usually meant one thing, and I was fairly certain that if anyone asked me directly if I were pregnant, I''d blush and giggle and squeal like an imbecile.


    Clarice narrowed her eyes at me and shook her head. "You didn''t get as much done as I''d hoped...but you did a good job with what you managed to finish, I suppose. Don''t be late tomorrow." With that, she waddled down the hall to the exit.


    I couldn''t help but smile, both that she hadn''t heard me talking to the embryos in my belly and that she''d just given me a compliment. True, it was very backhanded, but that''s what you got with Clarice - a tiny drop of honey with a huge dollop of vinegar. To keep working here, and remain sane, you learned to grasp that sweetness wherever you found it.


    Still smiling at the rare words of approval, I drove myself directly to Teren''s place. His car was in his half circle drive when I got there, and I''d no sooner shut off my car than he was standing at my door, opening it for me. I smiled at his super senses and his super sweetness, and let him pull me into a huge hug. I sighed as his arms wrapped around me, glad that our first days back had gone well, and considering that he hadn''t been staked at work, I''d say they went very well.


    We pulled apart from each other and I let my eyes travel down his well dressed body. It had been awhile since I''d seen him in anything but worn jeans and boots, and while he looked amazing in those clothes, I''d almost forgotten how nicely he cleaned up. His khaki slacks and crisp, light blue dress shirt were distractingly tight on him. He was...yummy.


    I bit my lip as I looked over the man who would eternally look...yummy. His hand came up to my cheek as my gaze traveled farther down his body. "You okay?" he whispered. That brought my attention back to his face and I looked up to see him frowning at me, concern in the blue depths. "You look exhausted," he added.


    I sighed and smiled, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. "Yeah, I guess I am." My fingers resting along his neck started threading through the short layers of hair in the back. He smiled as he gazed down at me. "I''ve been on vacation for too long, there was just a lot to take care of today."


    He cocked his head at me and then swiftly swept me into his arms. I squeaked in surprise and then giggled and hugged him tighter. "Well, let me take care of you now then."


    I settled my head into the crook of his neck and sighed contently. "Okay..."


    He chuckled and walked with me to his impressive home, not as impressive as his parents'' spread, but still, for highly sought after San Francisco real estate, it was a nice place. He effortlessly walked me up to the wrought iron and wood front door of his two-story home and held me with one arm, while opening the door with the other. I laughed that he hadn''t had to adjust me at all while he did that. Being around his strength, made me sort of feel like I was weightless, and that was a very good thing for a soon-to-be-mammoth girl to feel.


    He kicked the door closed behind us and walked me to the most comfortable couch in the world. He laid me down on the massive, white leather behemoth and wrapped me in a blanket, after kissing my forehead and removing my shoes. I smiled at his sweetness and grabbed his arm as he started to move away. The chill of his skin crept up my fingers, but the thrill of touching him made that chill feel warm as it traveled up my arm.


    He smiled as he looked down on me all snuggled on his couch. "I''m just going to make you something to eat," he said softly.


    I nodded and tilted my head up and he obligatorily leaned in to kiss me. "What about you," I muttered as his lips pulled away.


    "I was hungry after work, so I already ate," he said as he straightened.


    I cocked my head, wondering what he''d had for dinner. His family generally seemed to only eat a few pints once a day, but Teren was still pretty new, and needed to eat a couple times throughout the day. It wouldn''t hurt him or anything if he didn''t, he just got...grumpy, and tired. At the ranch, that wasn''t a big deal, there was lots of food, but here? He smiled at my silent concern. "Mom sent me home with a care package. I''m good for awhile."


    I smiled and shook my head, realizing that, of course, his mother would take care of him. Actually, it wouldn''t surprise me if she came by weekly with a stash for him. She was just a caretaker like that. I instantly stopped worrying about what he''d find to eat. His family would never let him starve. I sighed happily and relaxed back into the couch, closing my eyes and letting that feeling of exhaustion sweep over me.


    I was awoken from a particularly steamy dream awhile later, by the smell of pasta directly under my nose. I cracked open my eyes and smiled widely at a plate of something rich, creamy and incredibly fattening piled high in front of my face. Teren gave me a half-smile as he watched me come alive again.


    "I was wondering if I should wake you, or join you." His half-grin turned a little devilish. "That sounded like a good dream."


    I blushed and took the plate from him, straightening on his couch. Immediately plowing into the food as my stomach rumbled, I smiled around the fork in my mouth. "It was...maybe I''ll show you later."


    His eyes widened at that and he chuckled before taking a sip from a goblet in his hands. I watched him drink a few sips of what looked like really deep, red wine. I knew it wasn''t though, especially with how his teeth had dropped down. He leaned back on the couch, watching me eat as well. I sighed and brought my shoeless feet into his lap. He grinned and rubbed them while sipping his blood.


    I pointed to his glass with my fork. "You saved some?"


    He shrugged and pointed with his glass to my plate. "I told you once before that we''d still eat together. I meant it." He smiled sweetly and took another small sip.


    I shook my head at his cuteness and continued shoveling food into my mouth, conscious of the fact that I wasn''t nearly as cute. I didn''t care though - I was starving. Before I knew it, the pasta was gone and I was considering licking the sauce from the plate; Teren could cook, even dead he was amazing.


    He laughed as he gauged the expression on my face. "I''m glad you liked it." His brows drew together as he took my empty plate from me. "I only hope you can keep it down." He said that with concern in his voice and I grinned at hearing it.


    I put a hand on my stomach and smiled. "Yes, I think they''re very happy with Daddy." He gave me a breathtaking grin and leaned down to kiss me for a moment. As he pulled away, I was suddenly equally happy with him, but in a very different way.


    He cocked his head, taking in my body language, and lightly shook his head as he straightened. "I''m gonna clean up." He pointed at me with his empty glass. "You...rest." He grinned and turned, making his way through the arch in his living room that led to a kitchen most women would die for.


    I sat on that couch, snuggled in my blanket, for as long as my body would allow, but he was right when he''d said my dream had been a good one. And he was really right when he''d offered to join me. With my stomach full and content, and my body feeling awake and carefree, I decided I''d rested enough and I wanted to be a little more...active.


    I got up stealthily and crept into the kitchen, hoping to catch him by surprise. Although that was pretty improbable, he didn''t react to my entrance and continued absentmindedly rinsing some dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Thinking I''d actually done it, I tiptoed across the tile floor and was just preparing to throw my arms around his waist, when he spoke.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be resting?" His lips twisted into an amused smile at my attempt to sneak up on him and I sighed irritably and casually slung my arms around his waist, my element of surprise gone. Darn super ears.


    "You''re no fun," I muttered into the back of his shirt and felt him laugh softly.


    Suddenly, he twisted in my arms and wrapped his around my waist. "I''m plenty fun." He raised an eyebrow at me. "You''re just noisy."


    I smirked at that, but then his lips lowered to mine and I remembered what I''d come in here for in the first place. Groaning a little, I leaned into his embrace and deepened our kiss. His hands around my waist tightened as mine snuck up to run through his hair. He angled his mouth, sweeping more of that marvelous tongue along mine and another groan left me, as my body started to heat.


    His hands reached down to cup my backside and a low rumble sounded in his chest. Loving what that noise did to my already aroused body, I pressed my hips flush to his, finding him equally aroused by me. Our lips never stopping, my hands slid down to his shirt, casually popping open the buttons. When I had the last one free, I slid the fabric over his cool shoulders. His hands came up to help me, his fingers pulling the shirt free from his slacks.


    We pulled apart and I took the opportunity to take in the muscled perfection of his chest. My fingertips lightly traced across the tan skin and while nothing physically happened, by the quick intake of breath, I was sure he''d have goose bumps if his skin were normal.


    As his lips lowered to my neck, his hands pulled off my jacket. I sighed at his caress and tilted my head, giving him all the access he needed to explore the surging vein he loved so much. He growled again as his tongue flicked over the surface, stoking the already nearly unbearable ache building in me.


    My hands ran up his back as his ran over my lacy camisole, feeling my breasts through that seductive fabric. Suddenly, he pushed me back into the island counter behind me. I gasped as the hardness of him roughly pressed up against me, trapping me against the hardness behind. I brought my leg up his thigh, wanting him inside of me already. He pulled back to look at me, passion clouding the perfect paleness of his eyes. He took a split second to tear off my shirt and then a slow smile lit his lips as he stared unabashedly at the black, lacy bra I was wearing.


    Watching his eyes drink me in, I calmly reached around and unclasped the bra, letting it spring free and drop to the floor. His smile dropped and his face looked a little wondrous. I smiled at his reaction, even after all this time, and urged his face down to me, to feel what was his. He went freely, his lips closing over a nipple and gently sucking. My leg clasped him tighter as his name fell off my tongue. My hand in his hair tightened as he switched sides, his hand pulling my hips firmly into him. I swear he was even harder, as hard as the granite counter pressing against my ass.


    Oh hell...


    As I closed my eyes and let my head fall back, I was vaguely aware of him lifting me up and my legs automatically encircling his waist. Then I felt air rapidly rushing past me. By the time I opened my eyes, we were in his bedroom, and he was pulling back his covers and lying me down on his silky sheets. A slight shiver went through me as the cool fabric hit my back, while his cool skin rested on my stomach. I ignored being enveloped by the chill and pulled him tighter to me, eagerly finding his mouth again.


    His hands worked at my pants, undoing and removing them in a matter of seconds. Mine worked on his more clumsily. He pulled away from my body for a fraction of a second and when he returned, I could feel the cool, naked length of him pressed against the warm length of me. Desire and a surging anticipatory energy shot through me at what I knew was coming. My breath came faster, my lips on his more insistent, as my fingers tugged at the last barrier between us, the tiny scrap around my hips that was passing for underwear.


    He looked down my body and groaned, his fingers joining mine as he tugged the material off. In our eagerness, the delicate fabric ripped and I cringed at the slightly painful sensation, and then groaned at the hotness of him destroying my underwear. He chuckled and tossed the ruined pieces aside. "Sorry," he muttered, before his lips lowered back to my breast.


    I was about to say ''don''t worry about it'', when a couple long fingers slid between my thighs. I lost the ability for coherent speech after that. Making vague erotic noises, I closed my eyes and reveled in that wonderfully chilly touch. He eventually warmed to my considerably hotter temperature and those talented fingers began working into a rhythm inside me that was quickly going to bring me to climax. Just as I was panting and clutching at his shoulders, he removed them.


    I gasped and sought his lips, needing him now more than ever. He kissed me ferociously, his cool erection digging into my hip. His lips separated from mine and ran down my shoulder. He glanced up at me, an almost feral passion in his eyes, and then he dragged his tongue over the healing wounds in my shoulder. He closed his eyes and shuddered, his teeth dropping to sharp fangs as he remembered drinking from me.


    I bit my lip and squirmed as I watched him, wanting him to bite again, but knowing he wouldn''t, not so soon after feeding on me. He opened his eyes, his teeth automatically retracting as he did. I grabbed his cheek. "No, leave them out." He cocked his head at me and in a low, breathy voice I added, "It''s...hot."


    He dropped his mouth open, his fangs following and he crashed his lips back to mine, careful to not hurt me with his sharp canines. I was less careful and nearly attacked him with my need. Then he blurringly fast flipped us over, so I was straddling him. With his superhuman strength, he deadweight lifted my hips and lowered me directly onto him. An animalistic growl escaped him and a loud moan escaped me.


    I still wasn''t used to the coolness of him filling me. It was such a shockingly erotic experience, that every time it brought me right to the edge of having an orgasm - and on occasion, it did. His body eventually would acclimate to mine, but that first thrust was something so incredible, it shocked me every time. Sometimes I wished his body wouldn''t warm with mine. The hot/cold sensation was that remarkable.


    He sat up with me as I straddled him, my knees along his hips. He laid his head against my chest as I rocked against him, slow at first and then with a growing urgency. As his body warmed along the outside of me, my body heated to near inferno levels from the inside. His strong hands eventually came down to grasp my hips, pulling me onto his body even farther. He filled me so deeply that I almost couldn''t take it. My release came hard and fast, and I clenched around him, inside and outside. The cry escaping my mouth hardly did the explosion within me justice.


    Just as I hit the very peak of it, when I was sure I actually would explode, his body stiffened under me and he let out a long, low groan. His head rocked back and forth along my chest as he came inside of me. He was so deep, I couldn''t feel it, but I knew he was doing it and I clutched him tighter and kissed his cheek, whispering how much I loved him as I came down off my high.


    After my gently rocking hips slowed, we slumped against each other, almost holding the other up. Then he exhaled and lifted his head to look at me, his earlier passion replaced by a calm, deep love, his fangs still extended, either for my benefit, or simply forgotten about at this point. "I love you," he whispered, before kissing me softly.


    "I love you too," I whispered back.


    He gently pulled me off of him and rolled me to my back. I settled down into his silky sheets and held my arms open for him. He smiled, his fangs retracting, and gently laid his torso on top of me, his legs twining with mine. I cradled his head and pulled him down to my chest. He exhaled a cool breath, making my skin pebble, and nestled his head between my breasts. With an almost contented, purring noise, he wrapped his arms under me, holding me tight.


    Just when I felt my heart shifting back to normal, my breath following and sleep beckoning, he popped up on his hands, crouched low over my body. I startled at his sudden movement and furrowed my brow, puzzled. Teren wasn''t looking at me though; his head was tilted to the side and he was staring past me, listening. Just as I was going to ask him what was wrong, his eyes shifted focus and stared at mine.


    "Did you hear that?" he whispered.


    I scrunched my brow almost comically. Aside from my own breath, I heard nothing. "What?" Abruptly he sat up straight, and I shivered as his warm-compared-to-the-air body was ripped away from me. "Teren?"


    His head shifted to stare at the door and then back to me. With an intensely serious face he whispered, "Stay here," and then he blurred from the room, grabbing his pants as he streaked away.


    I sat up, pulling the sheets around my body, irritated at my post-coital bliss being snatched away from me, and worried about what could have riled him up. "Damn it," I muttered, to no one in particular.

 Page 3

    The sun had set outside, but a nearby streetlamp cast a reddish light through Teren''s open windows, bathing everything in his room with an almost fire lit glow. I stood, biting my lip and wondering if I really should stay where he told me to, or if I should investigate as well. I knew I wouldn''t be able to pinpoint the mysterious sound like Teren could, but I was pretty handy in bad situations, if that''s what this was.


    A knot tightened in my stomach and I started to worry about him. Sure, he was stronger now than before his conversion, and he was much harder to kill, since he could now do the super-healy thing that I''d been so eager to see when we was alive, but he wasn''t invincible. And we knew with certainty that there were whack jobs out there who wanted him removed from this world, just because of what he was. Some people couldn''t look past the prejudices.Advertisement


    Shivering and rubbing my bare arms, I walked over to his closet and pulled down one of his dress shirts. It was long on me, completely covering my backside and hitting my legs mid-thigh, and cut the slight coldness in the air considerably. I glanced around his closet (that I''d soon be taking over) and looked for anything weapon-like. All I saw were clothes; Teren really didn''t have much in the way of self defense.


    I tiptoed back to the bedroom, not sure why I was being quiet, but feeling the need to be that way anyway. The red-orange light of the lamp outside flashed on various hard objects around the room - the TV remote, a particularly thick book he was reading on his nightstand, his laptop sitting on a chair tucked under his window. I didn''t see anything great, but if we were going down tonight, we going down swinging. I settled on an umbrella propped up by his bathroom door and grabbed it. With a hand on my stomach, I decided that I''d do what my vampire fiance had requested of me, and stay put, for the children''s sake. I backed into the bathroom, wanting an easier to defend spot and crouched low, holding my cheap umbrella like it was a sturdy baseball bat.


    I don''t know how long I waited, but it felt like an eternity. Teren could search every nook and cranny of this house in a matter of minutes, so the longer I waited, the longer I was positive something horrible had happened to him. As time ticked ominously by and my legs started protesting the rigid posture I was keeping them in, tears started stinging my eyes. It couldn''t end like this. I couldn''t have just made love to him and then lost him, all in a matter of moments. He was supposed to be mine forever. That was the deal. We were fated. We were destined to a long life of love, happiness, children and grandchildren. That was what getting through his hard changeover meant for us - that we were free to love each other peacefully, for the rest of my life. Not for him to be whisked away from me forever because he "heard something".


    I felt the tears brimming as my overactive imagination started playing out the different scenarios where some intruder had gotten the best of him. In my head, I watched him die a hundred times over. I felt the tears travel down my cheeks as I listened for any sounds that he was okay.


    Just as my arms were starting to shake from the tension I was maintaining in them, the bathroom door started to swing open. Panic and fear made me cock back my makeshift weapon and I swung it around as soon as the figure walked into my sanctuary. In my self-riled turmoil, I didn''t even register who I was swinging at until he reached up and calmly grabbed the stupidly fragile umbrella. It bent a little as he yanked it out of my hands.


    "What are you doing, Emma?"


    Teren was standing right in front of me, half-dressed and tilting his head at me, like he thought I''d possibly gone mental in his absence. As I felt a sob rise in my throat, I started to believe that maybe I had gone mental. I brought my hands to my face, relief mixing with the icy edge of fear still lingering in my system. His eyes widened at seeing me on the verge of breaking down and he instantly had me in his arms, swooping me up to cradle me like a child.


    "Baby, it''s okay. You''re okay. You''re okay." He repeated it over and over while he walked me back to his bed. A hand continuously stroked down my back while he placed dozens of kisses along my forehead. I held back the stupid tears, but they were coming regardless. He laid me down and got in next to me. I embarrassingly cinched him tight when he moved to cover me with his blankets. Once I was safe and cocooned in his bed, my arms firmly around him, his hands came up to my cheeks. Sweeping his thumbs over them, trying to dry my concerned tears, his face took on a look of confused compassion. "Emma?" he whispered.


    Between hiccups and stuttered breaths, I managed to get out, "I thought...something...happened...to you."


    Understanding, he swept me into a tight embrace, his hands rubbing over my back again. "Oh god, I''m sorry, Emma. " He pulled back, searching my eyes. "I''m fine, baby. Okay?"


    I nodded, willing my body to calm down. Before I could protest or stop him, he blindingly fast hopped out of bed and securely closed his heavy curtains. The room blackened as he held me in his arms again. He kept his eyes open, staring deep into mine, and the phosphorescent glow on the whites of his eyes became brighter as the room slowly became darker. That was another vampire effect - the glowing eyes. It was only apparent if they were somewhere really dark, say hunting their prey late at night, and had an almost hypnotic-like calming effect, to relax that prey into submission, as if they needed the extra help getting humans to submit to their power.


    It did have a calming influence though and my mind started blanking as that light absorbed me into his peace. I felt my heart even and my breath slow to the low and long ones people take while they''re sleeping. I was so relaxed, that if he had told me to close my eyes and go to sleep, I probably would have. But he didn''t try any hypnotic parlor tricks on me - he knew better than that. Instead he twisted to turn on the lamp on his nightstand.


    "Better?" he asked, as I blinked in the sudden brightness.


    Taking in his back to normal blue eyes, I nodded. "Yes, sorry I freaked out."


    He shook his head and kissed my nose. "I''m sorry I worried you. I just thought I heard..." His voice drifted off and he bit his lip. After a second he shook his head and sighed softly. "I must have been hearing things though." He shrugged. "I searched everywhere, inside and outside, but I couldn''t find anything...out of place." He shrugged again and held me close, cradling my head to his chest. "I''m so sorry I worried you, Emma."


    I nodded against his skin, amazed at how quickly I''d imagined the worst. "You didn''t do anything wrong, Teren. I guess I''m still a little...frazzled...by what happened to us." I said that last part barely above a whisper, hating to even talk about it.


    He pulled away from me, resting his forehead against mine. "I would never...let anyone harm you, Emma. You or the kids. Ever." He practically growled that and I relaxed as the strength in his voice gave me confidence. He wouldn''t, and things were different now. He was different - stronger, and any hunter we encountered here on out, would have their hands full with Teren Adams.


    I leaned up and gave him a soft kiss. "I know, baby. I feel safe with you." I whispered, as I laid my head back down on his chest.


    "And you are safe with me," he whispered as I closed my eyes.


    My earlier exhaustion crept up on me and, adding it to my emotionally draining last few moments, I was half-asleep when I responded with, "I know..."


    Then I was fully asleep.


    The next morning had me awaking with the scratchy stubble of Teren''s jaw rubbing against my neck as he kissed me. He whispered that he had to go to work, but I could stay and sleep in a little if I wanted, since he''d run to my house and picked up some stuff for me...including another pair of underwear. I chuckled, thinking about last night and considering the fact that when he said "run", he probably meant that literally.


    With a swift kiss, we parted ways for the day. Teren worked an hour before me and was a much nicer alarm clock than I''d had yesterday. I smiled as I stretched out on his luxurious bed and considered what waking up like this every day would be like.


    After awhile, I got up and walked to the bathroom, still dressed in Teren''s shirt. Flashes of freaking out in this bathroom came to me and I tried to push it back to the farthest part of my brain. As strong as I tried to be, what had happened to us had been traumatic and the side effects still showed themselves sometimes. I knew I wasn''t alone either. As strong as Teren tried to be, when he said things like he had last night, the conviction in his voice betrayed his true fear. He was worried that he would let me down, that he wouldn''t be able to stop someone from hurting me again. In a way, I suppose he felt like he''d let me down before. I didn''t feel that way. There''s no way either one of us could have been prepared for what that maniac had put us through.


    I dressed for my day, smiling at the rose Teren had placed upon my stack of fresh clothes, and shaking my head at the tiny scraps of fabric he''d picked out for my undergarments. Still shaking my head, I put on the red thong with its matching demi-bra and garter belts (that''s right, he picked out garter belts) and covered up all the sexiness with a relatively chaste looking long gray skirt and fitted black blouse. Fixing my hair and makeup, I was on the road, snacking on a bagel, in no time.


    My day at work was as exhausting as my first day back, with Tracey asking more questions about life on a ranch, which, I gave her pretty honest answers about, since the day to day activities there really had nothing supernatural about them. As we conversed throughout the day, I considered telling her about the wedding. I imagined how excited she''d be, and how much of a help she''d be in the whole planning process. Of course, she''d be a bridesmaid and of course, she''d have an opinion on the dress. I held off though, wanting to tell my family first, and since tonight was our weekly dinner, I''d have the perfect opportunity to tell them.


    I spent the rest of my shift daydreaming about dresses and flowers and Teren''s magnificent body all decked out in a tux. Before I knew it, Clarice was grunting some sort of a goodbye, murmuring that she wished I''d get caught up already, and Tracey was calling out goodnight and telling me to say hi to my sister for her.


    I called my sister before I left, making sure tonight was still on and letting her know that Teren would be late. She knew the real reason why he wouldn''t be joining us for a meal, she knew exactly what Teren was, but she also lived with our mother and could let Mom know for me, thus sparing me a direct lie. As I pulled into the cafe a short while later, I called Teren, letting him know I was here and meeting with everyone, and telling him I wished he was here too.


    He shared my sentiment and told me he''d wait an hour or so and then join us. I sighed as I hung up the phone with him and cracked open my car door. It wasn''t that I couldn''t handle being without him for an evening or anything, I just liked having him around, and wished he could partake in things that normal guys could, like dinners with the in-laws.


    The hostess greeted me by name, told me she was glad I was back, and then actually gave me a brief hug. My family had been coming here for awhile and everyone knew us. I smiled that my absence over the past few weeks had been noticed, and I''d been missed.


    I''d beaten my mom and sister to the cafe, so she ushered me back to our usual table and set me up with a glass of water while I waited. I sighed and took a long drink of my water, suddenly feeling parched. My eyes aching, I leaned my head back on the cushion of the bench seat and listened to the soothing jazz playing softly in the background.


    I felt the cushion beside me compress and opened my eyes as I turned my head. "Rise and shine, sleepy." A horrifically scarred face smiled warmly at me and an ache went through me at how long I''d gone without seeing that face.


    "Hey, Ash." I exclaimed as I hugged her eagerly.


    My arms wrapped around her body and I noticed, but immediately ignored, the hard sections of her skin where the scarring on her face was continued. She had a lot of scarring, most of her body really. She''d barely managed to survive a horrid fire as a child, a fire that our father hadn''t survived. The effects of that were lasting ones, even after dozens of surgeries, but her physical appearance was only that - physical. It did nothing to dampen her spirit or dissuade her of her dream of being a nurse in the burn unit, to help others go through what she''d painfully gone through. She was in her second year of school and nothing would keep her from that goal - not the stares, not the whispers, and not the lack of a love life. But, as she pulled apart from me and I saw the glow in her eyes, the same warm brown as mine, I couldn''t help but see what Teren had very correctly informed me of once - she was happy. Despite all that life had thrown at her, she was happy.


    "I missed you," I said softly, as I ran a hand down the side of her head that could still grow hair. That hair matched my color too. I couldn''t help but think that we''d be near twins if her scars were gone.


    She snuggled into my side. "I missed you too."


    A plump, happy looking woman took the seat opposite us and beamed at her daughters. I beamed right back at her, missing her just as much as I''d missed my sister. Phone calls were great and all, but it wasn''t the same as being in the same room with someone, and I was used to seeing these two at least weekly, if not more. I reached out and grabbed her hand, thinking that her graying hair had gone a little grayer in my absence.


    "We missed you, honey. How was the ranch?" Her eyes lit up at the romantic notion she probably had of life on a working ranch. I thought about the time I''d scraped off dead skin from between a cow''s toes, but decided to not burst her idyllic picture.


    "It was great Mom, and Teren''s dad is doing so much better."


    She leaned back and grinned at me, pride clear on her face as she thought about her daughter stoically helping out an ill man and his young wife. I felt a little guilty that my mom had to be told the cover story, but she didn''t know the truth and couldn''t know it. Unlike my sister, she wouldn''t handle the fact of me with a vampire very well. She was a mom, and she''d always be a mom, and I didn''t want her hair going even grayer over constantly worrying over my safety. And even though, I could now agree that her fears were justified ones, letting her in on the secret would only hurt her. In this case, the lie was better, so I slapped a grin on my face and committed myself to telling it.


    We talked about the aspects I could talk about, while our usual waitress, Debby, came up and joined our conversation. Everyone laughed and enjoyed my stories. A general "aah" went over the crowd as I reminisced about Teren helping a cow deliver her calf. Tears may have sprung up as I thought back to that night a couple weeks ago. Not over him birthing cattle, although that had been awfully sweet...gross, but sweet. No, my tears were over the tiny growing babies in my belly, and the thought of Teren helping to birth them. At least he''d have experience.


    As Debby left with our food orders - and I''d shockingly ordered something other than my standard Panini, which had caused a moment of stunned silence to go around our group, the conversation drifted back to Teren. As my mom asked what had held him up at work, I gave her a vague response of "a deadline". Since he worked for a magazine, that excuse came in awful handy, even though I don''t think Teren had ever been under the gun for a deadline in his life. He was...fast.


    We all dug into our food when it arrived moments later. My stomach rumbled at the heaping plate of pasta before me and then it churned for just a second. I inhaled slowly through my nose, staring at a circular stain in the table to distract myself. I could not throw up here; that would certainly raise some questions. And as Ashley was seated on the edge of the bench and her scarred body wouldn''t be able to scoot out of the way quick enough, if I was going to vomit, I was going to do it right here at the table. I closed my eyes at that thought and begged my body to return to normal.


    "Are you alright, Emma?" My mother asked from across the table.


    I made myself open my eyes and look at her confidently. I was sure I was paler, but I hoped my smile was distracting enough that she wouldn''t notice. "Of course, Mom." I also made myself pick up my fork and dig into the food, even though my stomach was warning me not to. Praying I wasn''t making a tactical error, I swallowed a huge mouthful.


    Mom nodded and went back to her omelet, continuing on with a story about her friend''s daughter running off with a married man. I listened to her story, concentrating on the sounds of the words, and eventually my stomach stopped protesting. Then, as if something had switched inside me, my stomach became ravenous and I inhaled my food noisily. Mom and Ash both cocked an eyebrow at me and blushing slightly, I murmured, "I missed lunch."


    Moments later our plates were taken away and we relaxed with cups of coffee. Well, two cups of coffee. Having given up coffee treats when I''d been trying to get pregnant, I was now more partial to hot chocolate. Sipping our beverages and chatting about Ashley''s school load, we were distracted by a squeal down the aisle. We all turned to look and my mouth fell open as my heart shifted into overdrive.


    Teren had just shown up and Debby was thrilled to see him. Personally, I think she was always a little too thrilled to see him, especially considering that she was married, but what had me full on alarmed was the fact that she had thrown her arms around him like she hadn''t seen him in ten years. All I could think was - ''she''s touching him...she''ll know.''


    Feeling panicked and on edge, I started to stand at the table. My stomach rose right into my throat when after squealing how great it was to see him, she proclaimed, "Boy, but you''re cold."


    I unconsciously tried to squeak past my sister in an attempt to free him from Debby''s grasp. In my nerve-heightened state, I didn''t even realize I was squishing her, I was only aware of something getting in-between him and me.


    "Emma, ow." I heard Ashley''s voice say that, but my gaze was locked on Teren.


    My mother''s firm voice broke through my panic. "Oh, Emma, sit down. You know Debby''s a flirt, but Teren wouldn''t do anything with her...see."


    I glanced down at Mom staring over her shoulder at Teren and Debby. My gaze drifted back up to Teren and our overeager waitress, and I could see what Mom meant. Teren had successfully separated himself from her and was laughing slightly as he gave her a playful warning gesture with his finger. Feeling a little stupid at my overreaction, I slowly sat back down into my seat as he slipped around the boisterous woman.


    Mom and Ashley stood to greet him and I tensed again; more people were about to touch him. With a dazzling smile and apologies for being late, he gave my mom an oh-so-brief hug before engulfing Ashley in a long bear hug. Mom accepted her brief hug and smiled widely at his show of affection for Ashley. Teren had a natural kinship with the disfigured woman and their connection was a deep one. Ash also knew that he had died, so he could touch her for as long as he wanted...within reason, of course.


    I relaxed as everybody broke apart and started to sit back down. So much for my silent promise to not worry so much about him. Oh well, tomorrow is always another shot. Ash shifted to sit with Mom and Teren sat by my side, leaning close to kiss my cheek and whisper his agreement to my silent goal. "Stop stressing...it''s not good for the babies."


    I bit my lip and giggled, reflexively putting a hand on my stomach. He laughed with me and grabbed my free hand, interlacing our fingers. I heard Mom sigh and I looked across the table at her. "You two are so..." she sighed again and lightly shook her head. "True love....it''s so nice to see. It reminds me of my own."


    I swallowed after she said that and looked down. She meant her and my dad. Even though he had been gone for years, over ten of them, she still considered herself married to him. She even still wore the wedding ring. I''d already given up on trying to convince her that Dad would be fine if she moved on. She just wasn''t interested.


    Teren squeezed my hand while Mom asked him if he was hungry. I looked up at him as he shook his head and met eyes with my mom. "No, thank you. I slurped down a quick meal earlier." He grinned crookedly after he said that and flashed a quick glance at Ashley. She giggled a little into her hand. Mom shrugged and let it go, not understanding what he really meant by that.


    I shook my head and discreetly rolled my eyes. We settled into small talk, with Mom asking him even more questions about the ranch, and I started to get a little antsy. I didn''t want to make small talk about ranch life, now that he was here. I wanted to tell them. I wanted to finally let everyone know we were engaged and getting married within a month.


    Teren, maybe super sensing my growing irritability, shifted the conversation for me. Placing our laced hands on the table and looking at me adoringly, he calmly said, "Since we''re all together again, Emma and I have some news."


    I glanced at my mom and sister, who both looked equally confused and intrigued, and cleared my throat. Teren didn''t expand on his sentence, only tenderly stroked the back of my hand with his thumb and continued to gaze at me lovingly, letting me break the news to my family. Mom and Ash shifted their gazes to me accordingly. "Well," I looked at each one, savoring the moment and feeling tears well up as I did. "Teren and I are getting married," I whispered.


    My mom practically erupted in her joy. Her hands reached out for me and she engulfed me in as much of a hug as she could across the table. My sister clenched Teren''s arm and told us both congratulations. My mother''s theatrics got the attention of Debby and she sauntered back to see what the fuss was about. With tears dripping down her cheeks, Mom told her that I was getting married. The way she put it, Teren was almost inconsequential - it was her daughter''s wedding - and I couldn''t help but grin at Mom''s happiness.


    Debby smiled, a little halfheartedly if you asked me, and congratulated us. Offering a round of wine on the house, I politely, but firmly told her no. Joking around, she muttered, "What? You pregnant, honey."


    I bit my lip and felt my cheeks go bright red. I started shaking my head no, trying to laugh off the question, but I hadn''t been expecting someone to ask that just now and I was a little thrown. Teren squeezed my hand and looked at me curiously, maybe wondering if I wanted this bit shared or not. I looked back at him, not sure what I wanted either.


    Finally, Mom broke the building tension. "Oh my god, you are!" I looked back at her, denial ready on my lips, but tears had started streaming down my cheeks and a huge smile had broken out on my face. I heard Ashley gasp beside her and Teren started to lightly chuckle. I hadn''t even really had a chance to refute the accusation yet.


    Sputtering on any sort of coherent refusal, I ended up sighing and saying, "That''s not why we''re getting married." My mom brought her hands to her face and Ashley''s mouth dropped wide open. Both of their eyes dropped to where my stomach was hidden under the table and I started chuckling. Debby congratulated us again and went off in search of some sparkling cider to celebrate.


    Mom and Ash were still dazed when she left. I cocked an eyebrow at their odd, silent reactions. "Mom? You...okay?" I asked slowly. I always thought Mom would be a little shocked, but okay with it. Her silence was starting to unnerve me.


    Finally she dropped her hands and stood up. "Get over here, I need to hug you."


    Ashley came out of her startlement and stood up, crying now as well. Teren got out of the women''s way, a small smile on his face as he stepped back from the table, and my sister attacked me when I stood up. "I can''t believe you made it in time," she whispered in my ear. I nodded into her shoulder, disbelieving it as well. A sob escaped me when she rubbed my back and said, "I''m so happy for you, Emma."


    I could only tearfully nod again as she pulled away, and then Mom was engulfing me. I had to take a step back at the ferociousness of it. She started sobbing lightly and I laughed as I held her. "Mom, really, it''s okay."


    She pulled back and cupped my cheeks. "I know, dear. I''m just so happy for you, the both of you." Her eyes flicked over to Teren and then back to mine. A huge grin broke across her face. "I can''t believe I''m going to be a grandma!"


    She hugged me while Ashley gave Teren another hug and then she let me go, to hug him as well. This hug was not a brief one, as Teren firmly and warmly, wrapped his arms around my mom. When she pulled back, she muttered, "Wow, you are cold," as she wiped her eyes. Then her focus was on me again and she didn''t mention it again. Teren raised an eyebrow at me and I sighed that he was right, once again; no one was suspicious about his temperature.


    Debby found some cider and gave us each a glass. Taking one for herself, we all toasted Teren''s and my new life together. I watched Teren secretly, as he faked taking a sip and then discretely poured some of his drink into a pot behind him. I smiled into my glass at his deception.


    "So you two crazy lovebirds, when''s the wedding?" Debby asked as she finished her glass.


    I took the last sip of mine and shrugged. "December 19th."


    Every female head in our congratulatory circle twisted to stare at me. "What?" They all said together.


    I looked at each one, not sure why they all looked more shocked now than when I''d admitted I was pregnant. "What?" I asked cautiously.


    They all looked at each other briefly and then Debby responded for the group. "You cannot plan a decent wedding in a month. Trust me on that." Debby had been married a couple times, so I suppose she would know things like that.


    I smiled and shook my head, thinking that the majority of the details were probably already being handled by Teren''s super-efficient family, a family that also had impeccable taste and would lavish me in a fairytale wedding that would outdo whatever I''d come up with. "It''s fine." I looked across at Teren and stretched out my hand for him, which he took with a smile. "Besides, we have a lot of help anyway." I shrugged. "I''ll practically only need to show up."


    Before Debby could respond to that, my sister gave me a sly grin and added, "Yeah, and she wouldn''t want to be all huge at her wedding anyway, so quicker probably is better."


    Teren laughed at that and my hand snaked out to smack my sister''s arm. "Thanks, Ash." She grinned and laughed and then hugged me again.


    After sitting back down and talking about the wedding details and then the baby details and then more wedding details, I was finally yawning and exhausted, ready for bed. Teren put his arm around me as we all made our way out of the cafe. I smiled and nestled into his side as we followed Mom to her car to get his beloved pooch.


    We found Spike with his head out the window, panting merrily. The collie''s entire body started vibrating with happiness when he saw Teren. Mom reluctantly opened the door and Teren clapped his hands once and squatted to Spike''s level, calling his name. Spike dashed over to him...and then stopped. My heart started surging as I considered that Teren''s temperature may not give him away, but his dog might. Collies were smart, and Spike could clearly tell that something was off about his owner. I wasn''t entirely sure what he would do, but I pictured him biting Teren, leaving him with a vicious wound that my mom would want to inspect. I then imagined that wound healing right before her eyes. That...would not be good.


    Teren frowned as Spike stood a couple paces from him, sniffing the air and holding his shaggy body absolutely still. Mom started to walk towards the dog, but Ash held her hand out, stopping her. I wasn''t sure, but Spike didn''t look too friendly at the moment and he may lash out at her by mistake if she spooked him. And right now, all of his attention was on trying to piece together the new oddness of his master.


    Teren dropped to his knees and patted them, calling to Spike in a soothing voice. He looked a little worried, like maybe he''d lost his favorite pet. With obvious caution in his body, Spike leaned in with his nose, his foot slowly following. He did it a couple more times while Teren''s encouragement picked up pace. Eventually he got close enough for Teren to lightly touch him. He flinched away from the contact for a second, and then his nose practically inhaled Teren''s hand. After a moment or two, he gave him a soft lick, and then seemed to relax and leaned his slightly shaking body into Teren''s. Teren wrapped him in a big hug, scuffing up his shaggy fur, his face elated that his pup hadn''t rejected him. Spike in turn, had decided to give Teren a mini bath and was licking him profusely. I laughed at the sight of a boy and his dog.


    When everything with Spike seemed back to normal, Mom came up and stroked the slight curve of his tail. "Wow, I thought he was going to bite you for a second there."


    Teren''s face twitched, just fractionally, and then he pulled it into an effortless smile. "Yeah, I know." Standing and scratching a joyous Spike''s back he added, "It''s like he''s forgotten me already. He must really like you. Thank you for watching him for me."


    Mom nodded, tears in her eyes as she gave Spike a last quick hug, and I shook my head, knowing that visits with Mom from now on would be as much about seeing Spike as it was seeing us. We waved to Mom and Ash as they took off together and then we piled Spike into Teren''s car and planned to part ways.


    He frowned at me as I opened the door to my bug. "You are coming over, right?"


    I grinned and gave him a soft kiss. Glancing over at where Spike was barking at Teren in his closed up car, I playfully said, "Well, I''m not sure. I wouldn''t want to interrupt anything between you two."


    Teren rolled his eyes and slung his arms around my waist. "You preempt the dog...although he will probably want to sleep between us tonight."


    He laughed and I bit my lip, watching his handsome, stubbly face in the orangish glow of the parking lot lights. The glow of his eyes was muted to near nothingness in the refracted light around us, but I could see it, or at least, I imagined I could see it. I pictured seeing it in its full glory in his dark bedroom and bit my lip harder.


    I leaned up to kiss him again. "Yes, I just need to run home and grab some stuff." I pulled away and gave him a serious expression. "We really should get me moved in soon."


    He smiled cockily at me and winked. "I could get you moved in, in a couple of hours." He leaned in to whisper into my ear, his cool breath sending a shiver down my spine. "I''m really fast."


    I giggled and released myself from his grasp. "True." I let my eyes roam down his body, a little seductively, and I could see that he''d stopped faking his breathing by the time I reached his eyes again. "But you do know how to take your time too." My voice was intentionally husky when I said that and his mouth dropped open a little. Inwardly, I smiled that I could still do that to him. Outwardly, I bit my lip again and kept up the foreplay.


    He took a step towards me, looking like he wanted to take me right here in the parking lot, and although it wouldn''t be our first time having sex in a sort of public place, I was more in the mood for a nice, big private bed. I put a hand on his chest and stopped him, then quickly dropped down into my seat. He frowned and leaned on my door frame. "So, you''ll be quick?" he asked, a little impatiently. I nodded and pulled on my door to close it. He stopped me at the last moment, cracking open the door. "And you''ll...keep on what you''re wearing now?"


    His lips curled into a devilish smile and I shook my head at how darn attractive he was. I also gave him a devilish smile right back as I pictured his delight in seeing me in the underwear he''d picked out this morning. "Oh, yes." I tilted my head and leaned forward, he leaned in as well. "Although, I may come back with a little less on than before."


    I wiggled a piece of my shirt and his eyes darted down to my body. "And you say I don''t play fair," he muttered. I laughed and successfully managed to close my door.


    Once I got home, I packed the largest bag that I could pack quickly and trudged it back to my car in record time. When I showed up at his door a half hour later, I surprised him by doing what I said I''d do. While he blurred my bag away to his room, I slipped my coat off and hung it up in his entryway closet. When he blurred back down, he nearly fell over (which made me happier than I should probably admit), and openly stared at my body, only clothed in black high heels and the racy little red number that he''d picked out that morning. His eyes drifted from my breasts to my heels and then locked onto the garter belts. They stayed there for a total of five seconds, and then he snatched me up and blurred me away to that monstrously comfortable bed.

 Page 4

    Now that the cat was out of the bag and my family knew, both about the upcoming wedding and the upcoming baby, the planning process began in earnest. Mom wanted to help out, so I put her in touch with Alanna, and the two of them started making plans for flowers and music and food. I smiled at them bonding over such a happy event, and tried not to worry about my mom meeting Teren''s family. It would be fine. Both sides were filled with good people, and they would surely get along, despite their differences.


    The only thing that had started to bother me was the guest list. It kept getting bigger and bigger. I nearly fought with mom over wanting to keep it just immediate friends and family, but she swore that she''d promised such and such a cousin that they could come to my wedding, since we''d gone to theirs and after a dozen or so incidents like that, the guest list had grown to nearly a hundred. That thought started giving me panic attacks. The more people that came to the ranch, the greater the risk of exposure. Alanna and Teren kept assuring me that it was fine, that the bulk would only be coming out Saturday evening, for the actual ceremony, and then leaving. But it still made me unnaturally nervous.Advertisement


    So much so, that I''d started considering changing the location. But, have you ever tried to reserve a spot with only a couple weeks notice? Yeah, it''s surprisingly difficult, even in December. After a dozen or so phone calls, and Teren complaining that I''d hurt his mom''s feelings, I gave up. It would just have to be at the ranch and I''d have to find a way to relax. Teren reminding me that Halina could do mind wipes, if needed, helped a bit with that.


    When the wedding planning looked on track, my mother shifted to baby planning. She bugged me about getting in to see a doctor, insisting that prenatal care was vital, and I should have gone in as soon as I''d suspected. I sighed and told her everything was fine and I didn''t need to go, but she gave me the ''this is my grandchild and you will go'' face and I''d finally told her I would make an appointment as soon as I could.


    Honestly, I wanted to make sure they were okay too, I just didn''t feel right about nurses and doctors poking and prodding my body. Teren assured me that it was fine, that as long as they didn''t directly test the embryos, everything would look normal to humans, as my blood had no trace of vampirism in it. I bit my lip, but conceded to the expert and made an appointment. I really was looking forward to hearing the heartbeats like Teren could. Plus, I could finally tell everyone that we were expecting twins. I couldn''t exactly spill that fact without seeing a doctor first. I couldn''t exactly tell everyone - ''How do I know? Oh, well, Teren can hear the different heartbeats.''


    Teren came with me on that first visit and held my hand. We did get to hear the heartbeats, and of course, I cried. Teren smiled at hearing what he could sometimes hear anyway, clearly happy that my senses could experience it now too. Then, the doctor surprised us both by doing an ultrasound. Even though I was only a couple of months along and the babies were only about the size of kumquats (or so the doctor told me), they had a machine that could take a look-see from the inside. It was cold (but then, I was used to that) and slightly uncomfortable, but when that image popped up on the screen...it was beyond any feeling I''d ever had before.


    I twisted my head to look over at Teren, whose eyes were glued to the black and white monitor, his mouth dropped open in awe. The doctor pointed out a section of the grayness that was moving, fast and fluttery - a heartbeat. I knew Teren could still hear the heartbeat in the near silent room and I knew his mind was connecting the sound to the image. His very faintly glowing eyes started to water as he watched the screen. Then the doctor twisted the device and confirmed what Teren already knew, that there was indeed a second heartbeat. We acted surprised, which wasn''t hard for me, since I was a blubbering mess anyway. Then that miraculous doctor measured something on the screen and told us I was around ten weeks along, putting my conception date in October, right around the time of our abduction, and my due date near the end of June. He also told me that everything looked normal. I cried again after hearing that. Not that I''d been worried something wasn''t normal (aside from a little nausea and maybe some more tender than usual breasts, I did feel fine) but hearing a trained professional say that is wondrously calming.


    As we left, I immediately called my mom to tell her the news, and to tell her that she was right, going to the doctor had been one of the best ideas she ever had.


    Trying to not let ourselves get overwhelmed by all the newness in our lives, not too much later we resumed our weekly get-togethers with Tracey and Hot Ben, so nicknamed because he was Abercrombie and Fitch model gorgeous. He was surprisingly sweet though, and definitely a good match for Tracey. I was still nervous about it, the first time we were all slated to meet up. Maybe the flood of hormones was making me an unnaturally strong worrywart?


    "Are you sure about this, Teren?" I flopped down on his bed - our bed, as we''d officially moved in all my stuff last weekend - and stretched out on the covers.


    He glanced back at me, his bare back invitingly sexy as he rummaged in his drawers for a casual shirt. I smiled at his new dresser set. Since all of my clothes had pretty much taken up his massive walk-in closet, we''d had to go buy him some new furniture. He smiled at my smile and tossed back, "Sure about what?" before continuing with his quest.


    I sighed and flopped over to my stomach, lightly banging my feet together as I rested my head in my hands. "Hanging out with Tracey and Ben. I mean, you''re only a couple months old, isn''t it a little early to be social."


    Finding a shirt, he straightened and gave me a wry look. "I''m not an infant. It will be fine." He slipped the shirt over his body, hiding that magnificence from me and I sighed again. Flattening it out over his chest, he added, "Besides, we''re not going out to dinner...it''s just a movie." He shrugged and then walked over to sit on the bed.


    I stretched out one hand to him and he grabbed it. I brought the back of his hand to my cheek and sighed as his cool skin gave me a momentary shiver. "Yeah, I know...but still."


    He leaned over and gave me a kiss. "Remember about that stressing thing...it will be fine." He pulled back and smiled widely. "And, we have something important to ask them, remember?" He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow and I smiled. We hadn''t told them about the wedding, or the babies. We''d wanted to wait until we could get them together and ask them to stand up there with us.


    I rolled over to my side, bringing the back of his hand to my heart. He smiled wider and I imagined he could probably feel my heartbeat through his sensitive skin. "I know, it will be great. I guess I''m just nervous about the hugging and congratulating part."


    He smirked at me. "It''s not like I''ll be running my hand up Tracey''s shirt, she''ll barely notice."


    I smacked his arm and he laughed. "You better not." I smirked as well and then a thought struck me. I grabbed his hand on my chest with both of mine and started rubbing the dead skin vigorously.


    He tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "What are you doing?"


    I grinned as I continued the friction on his hand. "An experiment. You tend to warm up the more you touch me, so I thought maybe I could warm you up before you touch Ben and Tracey."


    He rolled his eyes and shook his head, then gave me a lopsided grin. "I could think of warmer places to shove my hand," he huskily told me.


    I stopped rubbing his hand and debated whether I should smack him or kiss him. Deciding we didn''t have time for the latter, I smacked him on the arm. He laughed while I brought his hand to my cheek. I sighed at the slightly warmer feel of it and he smiled watching me. "There, nearly human."


    He shook his head, adoration in his eyes. "That''s my motto," he murmured. He leaned down to kiss me and I let myself get lost in it for a moment. But then we started getting too lost in it and I had to push him back when he started to move over the top off me. Pulling away from his mouth, I muttered, "We have a show time to make." It came out a little breathlessly.


    Pressing against me he muttered, "We have time."


    I bit my lip, but laughed and pushed him away from me. He gave me a disappointed face and I laughed harder, pushing him all the way off me. "You really are so incredibly easy," I giggled as he helped me stand.


    He made an affronted noise and grabbed his wallet from his nightstand. "I''ll have you know," he pointed down to his jeans, "these are actually very difficult to get into." He gave me a lopsided grin. "In fact, only one girl can."


    I laughed and walked over to him, slinging my arms around his neck. "Good," I said, giving him a soft kiss.


    He pulled back, his pale eyes sparkling, just a bit too mischievously. "Yeah, I promise I won''t tell her about you."


    I gasped and brought my arm back to smack him soundly in the chest, but he blurred out of the room. "Chicken," I yelled out the open door. I heard laughter answer me, but he was probably already downstairs. "Smartass," I muttered, knowing full well he heard me.


    We pulled into the theater lot a moment later and holding hands, strolled into the lobby. We spotted Tracey and Hot Ben instantly, as they had their mouths all over each other, and grinning, we walked over to say hi.


    Tracey waved hello to us when she noticed our approach and I clenched Teren''s hand tighter. We approached the eerily, equally attractive couple, his sculpted face and highlighted hair a compliment to her curves and blonde flowing mane. The two of them were almost more pleasing to look at when they stood together. Tracey''s big blue eyes brightened when she took in Teren; she hadn''t seen him in awhile. Ben either, for that matter, and, as he and Teren were sort of friends, he was the first to greet him.


    "Hey, man, glad you''re back." He clapped Teren on the shoulder, one arm still around Tracey. I exhaled and relaxed a smidge.


    Tracey giggled and leaned over to give Teren a quick one-armed hug. "Oh," she squeaked, "cold outside, isn''t it?" She brought her hand to Hot Ben''s chest and rested her head against his shoulder. "I''m glad your dad''s okay, Teren," she said, and Ben nodded beside her.


    "Yeah, if he ever needs help again," he smiled dazzlingly, "I''d love to try working on a ranch."


    Teren grinned and shot me a look. "Thank you, but I think that, uh...problem, won''t come up again." I started to laugh, and switched it to a cough into my hand. Teren squeezed my waist and I relaxed into his side, happy that everyone was oblivious to what that really meant, and happy that the horrid moment he''d just joked about, was a moment that we finally could joke about. A moment that was gratefully over. "Shall we?" Teren indicated the ticket line and laughing at being together again, we bought our tickets.


    After the movie, we headed to a bar, where we all sat in a noisy corner and Teren faked sipping his dark bottled beer. As you couldn''t see through the glass at how much was left, no one suspected that he wasn''t actually drinking it. Relaxing even more, as our deception started getting easier, and honestly, Tracey and Ben started getting drunker, I decided it was time to up that joyous feeling.


    To interrupt the conversations around me, I noisily clinked a spoon from a nearby table against my Shirley Temple glass. Tracey and Hot Ben stopped giggling into each other''s sides and turned their heads to look at me. Teren grinned and chuckled as he knew what I was about to do.


    "Um...guys." They both grinned and blinked at me and I thought we may have to give them a ride home. "Teren and I have some news." We looked at each other and he smiled softly and grabbed my hand. Not looking back at Tracey and Hot Ben, I said to Teren, "We''re getting married."


    I heard the incredibly loud shriek from Tracey and watched Teren wince and close his eyes; that probably had been exceedingly loud to him. Twisting my head, I watched a half-drunk Tracey try and maul me over the table. Laughing, I stood up so she could hug me. She jumped up and down, squealing, and every head in the bar turned at the commotion. Trying to shush her, I added, "We''d like you guys to stand up with us."


    At that point, she collapsed into my arms and started sobbing; I took that as a yes. Ben more calmly stood up to hug me around his girlfriend, and then clasped Teren''s hand, who was now standing by my side, watching Tracey sob in my arms with an amused grin on his face. Ben congratulated us both and said he''d be honored. Tracey finally pulled back at that and slurringly said that she''d be honored too. Then she looked behind me at Teren and started sobbing all over again as she let go of me and reached out for him. I tensed, but honestly, she was so tipsy, he could have had icicles dripping from his nose and she wouldn''t have noticed. She clung to him, sobbing on his shoulder and murmuring congratulations, until Ben finally pulled her back to her seat.


    Sniffing and wiping her nose, she hiccupped and asked, "When are you guys going to do it? Spring? Summer?"


    I grinned in my excitement and said, "The nineteenth."


    She looked at me blankly. "Of which month?"


    I frowned and furrowed my brow. "Of this month."


    He face dropped as her mouth fell open. "This month? Jesus, Emma, that''s only a couple of weeks away. How about a longer heads up." She shook her head and took a sip of her drink. Pausing, she muttered, "Why so fast? You pregnant or something?"


    I flushed and attempted to shake my head, but she saw the color in my cheeks and sputtered on her drink. "Holy shit, you are!"


    I sighed that I was a complete failure at keeping my secret off my face. I guess I was just too thrilled about it. Giving up, I shrugged and grinned as idiotically as I wanted to. "Yes, I am."


    Her earlier exclamation was near silent in comparison to her new one. I thought we might get kicked out with the angry glares we were getting, and Teren actually brought his hands up to rub his temples. I suspected his hearing may be slightly less supernatural after tonight.


    She didn''t even give me the chance to let me stand again before she stumbled over to my side and sat on my seat with me, flinging her arms around me and crying again. "I knew it was weird that you were drinking a Shirley Temple."


    I laughed and hugged her back, glad that most of our secrets were out. Ben stood up to give Teren a brief hug, not commenting on his chilliness, and then we spent the rest of the night going over the upcoming nuptials.


    As our foursome was walking back to Teren''s car later, after he''d agreed that we should take the sloppily drunk Tracey, and the slightly less drunk Ben, home, Teren suddenly stopped walking and looked down an alley. Furrowing his brow and cocking his head, he ignored the sounds of the two giggling people in our group and focused on something down the alley. My heart started beating harder as I whispered, "What is it?"


    "I don''t..." His blue eyes narrowed and he took a step towards the dark crack between the two buildings.


    Panicked, I grabbed his elbow. He twisted to look at me and I roughly shook my head at him. "Don''t you dare, Teren. You stay here...with me." I searched his eyes until he finally nodded.


    Looking back to the alley, he shook his head. "I don''t hear it anymore anyway."


    As Tracey and Hot Ben laughed and bumped into the back of us, I asked him, "What did you hear?"


    He grabbed my hand and shook his head, starting to walk down the street to his car. "I''m not sure, it was really faint." I swallowed - really faint to Teren was really faint. He noticed my reaction and grinned nonchalantly, bringing me closer to his side. "It was probably nothing." His other hand went to his head. "I''m practically deaf now anyway." He made a motion like he was trying to clean out his ear and I laughed, my fears momentarily tempered by his humor.


    I drove Teren''s Prius with Tracey beside me while Teren followed us in Hot Ben''s SUV. Tracey chatted the entire time we drove them to Ben''s house. She briefly talked about my pregnancy, a little belligerently angry that I didn''t tell her immediately, and then she switched to the wedding. She had seen a bridesmaid dress last week that would be perfect, and she wanted to go buy it tomorrow. I told her that was fine; I didn''t care what her and my sister wore, I didn''t even care what colors they wore. She giggled and described it in detail. I laughed a little when she told me it was blood red. How perfect. I told her I''d call Ashley and we''d all go and find one for her too.


    After dropping them off at Hot Ben''s apartment, and making sure the drunken couple would be okay for the rest of the night (which, as they started getting handsy in the entryway, I thought the rest of their night would be just fine), Teren and I made our way home. We got a little handsy in the entryway as well, and actually ended up stumbling half-dressed into his obligatory piano room, having a bit of an intimate moment on the bench in front of his baby grand.


    We fell asleep down there, with our feet up on the bench and a blanket from a nearby chair draped across our bare bodies. After the intensity died down, Spike had found us and nestled in-between us, and I sighed happily in my sleep at our odd little family.


    The next morning, I awoke to a steaming cup of cocoa placed on the floor by my head. An amused Teren was squatting behind it when I cracked my eyes open. He indicated where I was sprawled out on the floor, half of me underneath the piano bench and Spike nestled close into my side. "You move all this way...to have a slumber party on my floor?"


    I grinned and chuckled as I stretched out the kinks in my body, Spike stirring beside me and licking my shoulder. "I didn''t hear you complaining last night," I muttered between yawns.


    He smirked and leaned down to kiss me. "I had nothing to complain about." He sighed as he pulled away. "I have to go...I''ll see you tonight."


    He kissed me again and I playfully pulled him into me. He grunted as he lost his balance and the top half of him fell on the top half of me. He started laughing as Spike yelped and darted out of the room, but my appetite had sprung back up and I wasn''t in a laughing mood. I wasn''t letting up with the affectionate kisses either. His laughter died as well, as his humor switched to something else. He eagerly returned my ardent touches, his hands moving under the blanket to caress my bare skin. That hand went straight down to between my thighs and slid against me. I was ready for him again, already, and I moaned in his mouth as he worked his hand over me. Dropping his head to my shoulder he muttered, "Emma...I don''t have time for this..."


    My response was a nonverbal one as I groaned and arched against his hand, feeling the heat his icy touch created, rising in me already. His body leaning against mine shifted so he could press his hips against my leg. His mouth came back to mine, nearly attacking me, and as his hand continued stoking my fire, he brought his thumb into the equation, circling it around my sensitive core as his fingers worked inside of me. I gasped and pulled at the top half of him leaning over me. My hands were everywhere - in his hair, pulling on his clothes, trying to pull him on top of me, even though that stupid bench was in the way.


    He murmured something about really needing to go and as I was nearly exploding, I breathlessly begged, "Please, don''t...stop."


    He groaned and slipped another finger in and I cried out as the pleasure ripped through me. His breath fast in my ear, he panted, "This is killing me. I need...something, Emma."


    Without thinking about it, I brought my wrist to his mouth. He didn''t hesitate at what I offered him. His free hand held my arm and he bit down, easily puncturing the skin. That was all I needed too. My release instantly burst through me, and I cried out with the force of it. He made several short moaning noises as he drank while I came. As his fingers and mouth slowed, I felt drained and satisfied, on multiple levels. Eventually he licked the wounds closed on my wrist and removed his fingers from inside my body; he licked those too. Still breathing slightly heavy, he pulled back to gaze at me with unfocused eyes.


    My own breath heavy, I ran a hand down his face, wiping a speck of blood off his lip. "Holy hell, Teren. Can we wake up like that every day?"


    He grinned and laughed, leaning in for a quick peck as his teeth retracted. "Now, I really do have to go. I love you."


    I held onto his arm as he stood. "I love you too." He grinned as he looked down on me, lightly shaking his head as he turned to leave the room. He called out another goodbye and then I heard the door shutting. I sighed as I reached over for my miraculously not toppled over hot chocolate, thinking I really, really loved living here.


    Later at work, I broke the news of my upcoming wedding to Clarice and the rest of my coworkers. I broke the news because a still bubbly (even with a hangover) Tracey wouldn''t shut up about it. Clarice overheard us talking about dress shopping later and I cheerily confessed my plans. She gave me a three second smile before flatly saying, "You don''t have any more vacation time, so I hope you weren''t planning on a honeymoon."


    Mentally I rolled my eyes, but I happily replied with, "No, we sort of already had our honeymoon." I smiled at the memory of all the weeks we''d spent at the ranch and Clarice walked away, muttering something about that being a good thing. I did not mention to her that I''d be taking maternity leave before the year was up, and I made Tracey promise to do the same. I sort of had the feeling that that would drive Clarice over the edge.


    After work, Tracey and I carpooled in my cute bug and we picked up my sister before heading to the dress shop. It was a quaint little wedding boutique and I bit my lip as we walked past the pure white beauties in the window. Tracey and Ashley both laughed at my reaction and Ash muttered that it was sort of hypocritical for me to wear white, when I was already pregnant. I smacked her arm while Tracey laughed her agreeance.


    Smiling, we all entered the shop together. Ash and Tracey quickly found the dress Trace had picked out, and both had squealed with delight when they found a similar one for Ashley to try on. I was a little nervous for my sister, but the floor length dress had long sleeves and a high neckline, and would cover most of her scarred body. I was a little surprised that Tracey had even liked the conservative style when I saw it on the rack, but then they both tried them on, and I understood. It was very form fitted, and clung to their bodies in such a way, that they both may as well have been naked. We had my sister''s altered, so it was just a tad looser on her, and then I started trying on dresses, just for fun.


    It was the third one I tried and I knew it was the one. It lightly trailed on the floor with a short train behind it. The sleeves were an intricate, see-through lace design with pearls stitched along the seams. The front was almost corset looking, but the respectable kind, with crisscrossing strips of satin emphasizing all of the assets that Teren adored, especially now that those assets had started to swell out a little. The back had a cutout shape of a heart between my shoulder blades and a row of pears lining my spine. The whole thing was elegant and a touch sexy and cost more than all my pantsuits combined. But it was perfect, and already fit me with no real adjustments needed. It seemed like a no brainer to me, so I ended up leaving that wedding boutique with dresses for the girls and a dress for me.


    I had Ash hide the dress for me at her place, which was my old place. After I''d moved out, Teren and I had eagerly helped her move in. My mom had objected at first, claiming the steep stairs were too challenging for her, as some of her joints were a little stiff, but Ash had rolled her eyes and told her that she was nearly twenty and wanted to try living on her own. Mom couldn''t really object to that, so she''d halfheartedly helped us change her over.


    Ash loved it. She loved the independence and loved having friends from school over at any hour, not having to worry about waking Mom, and she''d confessed that she hoped to have a boy or two over. I smiled at that and hoped she did too. I hated the idea of her looks keeping her from the love she so deserved. That fear had led me to ask Teren to change her once, which he''d adamantly refused. But as I listened to her talk and heard the growing confidence in her voice, I suddenly heard a woman emerging from inside that scarred body, and I was positive that someday, some man would hear that woman too, and love her regardless.


    I was smiling over that thought as I came back to my new modern looking two-story home, with a breathtaking view of the ocean, out the wall of windows in the living room. Sunsets here were truly spectacular and I couldn''t wait for the late days of summer, so Teren and I could sit out here every evening and enjoy them together. A thrill shot through me as I realized that Teren and I would be married by then, we''d be husband and wife. Then a frown hit me. I''d also be the size of a house by then. We''d have to check the weight limit on his deck.


    Teren disrupted my thoughts by easily picking me up and carting me off to the kitchen. He plopped me down at a chair by the kitchen table and asked about my shopping trip while he prepped a plate for me. My stomach rumbled as I eyed the steaming pile of lasagna before me, and not waiting for him to join me, I hungrily dug in, telling him all the details about the trip that I could. I mentioned I found a dress for me, but kept back the details of it. He could wait.


    He laughed at my hunger as he poured a glass of blood for himself from the steaming carafe, eerily similar to the kind his mom used at the ranch. He sat next to me, leaning back casually in his chair as he sipped his dinner. I watched him while I ate, wondering how a liquid diet could possibly be as satisfying as the calorie-leaden food currently plopping into mine. He watched me with an odd grin as I watched him. Taking a break from inhaling my food, I asked, "Do you miss it?"


    He tilted his head as he took another sip. "Miss what?"


    I raised a forkful of cheesy goodness. "Food. Real food. Well, human food." Human food which I continued to shovel down my throat with abandon.


    He grinned lopsidedly and then shook his head. "No." His pale eyes pulled away from my mouth to look into mine. "Surprisingly, no, I don''t miss it." He shrugged his shoulders and indicated my plate with his glass. "It doesn''t even sound good anymore."


    I smiled that at least he didn''t miss something that he couldn''t have anymore. I mean, he couldn''t exactly digest the incredibly heavy food I was starting to get full on. "Well, that''s good that you don''t have to endure a lifelong...yearning." I shrugged and then laughed at my choice of words.


    He laughed too and took a long drink of the blood, closing his eyes as he relished it. Slowly he opened them, the blue depths looking as satisfied as mine probably did. "No, I don''t yearn...for that." He grinned devilishly, his fangs only intensifying the look, and I felt a flush creep into my cheeks.


    He took a long draw of his drink and then smiled contently. "Besides, you wouldn''t believe how good this is." He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. A concerned look entered his face as he cracked an eye open. "Not as tasty as you, of course."


    I laughed around a mouthful of food that he was actually concerned that I''d be offended that he enjoyed his cow drink more than he enjoyed me. I raised my wrist, the bandage on it reminding me vividly of this morning. A slow smile spread on his face as he remembered it too. "Oh, I know that, Teren. Don''t worry, you make that painfully clear." I smirked on the end of that and he chuckled as he took another sip.


    Then his eyes grew speculative and he cocked his head at me. Slowly he said, "Do you... Would you...want to try it?" He extended his glass to me.


    My eyes widened at that and my stomach tightened. Ew. Why would he think I wanted to try that? "No, Teren...gross." His eyebrow lifted at that and I quickly amended with, "No offense." He laughed, and started to pull his glass back.


    As he did, a fragrance hit me that I''d never smelled before. I grabbed his hand, and pulled the glass back to me. I inhaled the top of it while Teren scrunched his brows again. It smelled better than the meal I was ingesting. My mouth started to water as I imagined that thick, warm, fragrant liquid running down my throat. Grossed out at my own desires, I shoved his hand away from me and plugged my nose to keep that delicious smell back. "Oh my god, Teren."


    He tilted his head as he took a sip. "That bad?" he asked.


    I shook my head. "No...that good." I made a disgusted face and he laughed at seeing it.


    Extending the glass again, he said, "Are you sure you don''t want to try it?"


    I forcefully shook my head. "Ew, no." He shook his head, chuckling at me while I frowned at his reaction. "Hey, it''s not me that wants it." I placed a hand on my stomach, hoping the hormones in my body were really what were causing my craving. "These little bloodsuckers are the culprits."


    He busted out laughing at that and stood at the table to lean over and give me a deep kiss. The blood on his tongue...was fabulous, and I hated myself for enjoying it. Pulling away, he sat back down and tilted back the rest of his dinner. "You''re adorable, Emma." He gave me a love filled gaze. "Don''t ever change," he whispered. I did flush at that and smiled shyly as I finished the rest of my meal.


    When I was done, Teren cleaned up after me, sweeping my plate away as speedily as his mom did. Before I could stand to join him in the adjoining kitchen, he''d blurred back to the table and set a box right in front of me. I stared at it, seeing the small, velvet encased container, knowing perfectly well what fit inside boxes that size. My eyes started to water as I continued to stare at the thing.


    Teren squatted by my side, his voice soft in my ear while I was entranced. "It has occurred to me, that in the rush of all of this, I''ve missed a step." His hand reached out for mine but I still couldn''t tear my eyes away from that box. My heart was hammering.


    "I love you so much, Emma. I know we''ve rushed things, but I wouldn''t change a second of our time together." I finally tore my eyes away and looked at him, a tear finally dropping to my cheek. His eyes were overly wet as he gazed back at me. The level of love on his face took my breath away.


    He rubbed the back of my hand as he searched my face. "I know we don''t have the kind of time together that I wish we could have." He shook his head lightly. "I would keep you for all of eternity, if I could, if I could keep you just like you are." His other hand came up to rest on my heart and I understood the reference. He meant if he could keep me mostly human, like I was now, but immortal, like him. I swallowed back the emotion as more tears fell on my cheeks. A tear fell from his as he continued. "But, even still, I will live every day that you have, trying to make you happy. And I won''t ever take our time together for granted."


    He swallowed as another tear dropped from his eye. With an achingly adorable smile, he moved his hand from my heart and opened the tiny box. In it, was the most incredible ring I''d ever seen. The diamond was round, flawless, and huge. The platinum band it was set in was lined on either side, all the way around the band, with small, blood-red rubies. I let out a soft sob at the symbolism. The ring was the perfect representation of him and me. Gently sliding the ring up the finger of my left hand, he whispered, "Will you marry me, Emma Taylor?"


    I could barely speak through the sobs, but my nodding and throwing myself into his lap was pretty much answer enough. I was a little startled at how emotional the actual proposal was to me, to both of us really. I mean, we''d already decided to get married, and picked a date, and I even picked out a dress today. But him placing that ring on my finger...something about that, made it all finally seem real, and I could not stop the torrent of tears.


    God, I love this man.

 Page 5

    Between my mom and Ashley coming over three to four times a week to go over wedding details (and visit Spike), finally catching up on the backlog at work, tracking the babies progression daily on a baby calendar (they were the size of limes now), and somehow fitting in Christmas shopping, those first couple weeks of December flew by.


    Teren and I had gone out to the ranch the weekend before, helping Alanna make sure everything was prepped, but upon arrival, we''d realized that our visit really wasn''t necessary. Well, I realized that. Teren had been telling me the whole trip up that we were just going for a friendly visit, that they''d have everything good to go already. And they had. Alanna showed me the rooms containing all the decorations, just waiting for the following weekend. She showed me the flowers that she and the girls had arranged and were being stored in their massive fridge, since they didn''t need to keep a whole lot of food in there. I shook my head when they told me that their hired hand, Peter, had even become an ordained minister...just so he could marry us. They really had thought of everything.Advertisement


    We''d spent the entire weekend just relaxing, visiting with his family and talking about the two biggest events upcoming in my life - the wedding and the children. They had all taken turns with their heads against my stomach, relishing the sound of life within me. I again felt that jealousy that they could hear what I couldn''t, but I pushed it back. I''d hear those heartbeats again soon enough.


    That last week before the wedding weekend had been filled with tracking RSVPs, getting the final accessories and having everyone''s dresses fitted one last time. As I felt like I was slightly bigger than when I''d tried it on, I worried that my dress wouldn''t fit me. Luckily, it had, and Ashley had carefully packed it in her bag for the trip.


    Before I could really stress about the upcoming ceremony, it was the Thursday morning before the wedding. It was also my last day of work before the wedding. Much to Clarice''s annoyance, Tracey had gifted me one of her days off, and she and I were done in eight short little hours. The entire wedding party - Ash, Tracey, and Hot Ben - were going to spend the entire weekend out at the ranch with us. I was a touch nervous about that, but what had my stomach in knots on this beautiful, crisp December morning, was the fact that the girls were taking me out for a bit of ''last time your single'' girl fun and Ben and some of Teren''s coworkers...were taking him out.


    I wasn''t in the least bit worried that he''d do the whole ''one last screw before your tied down'' thing, Teren was much too loyal for that, but I was worried about him "drinking" all night with a group of guys. I obviously had an excuse not to drink, but Teren didn''t really, and bachelor parties usually didn''t stop until the groom was passed out in his own vomit.


    I had no idea what he was going to do.


    When I asked him about it before he left for work, he shook his head at me and said, "I''ve been acting human for a really long time, Emma." With a raised eyebrow he added, "I even know how to play drunk." I sighed as he left, but mentally grinned, wishing I could watch Teren act like an idiot to fool his friends. Shaking my head, I prepared for my last day of work as Emma Taylor.


    Clarice made no comment over the fact (no surprise, really), and I wondered if she even remembered why I was taking a long weekend. Tracey however, brought it up every five minutes and was practically giddy as she described the club she wanted to take me to tonight. Ashley went to lunch with us and blushed heavily when Tracey started gushing about these male dancers she''d seen there a few months ago. I sighed and rolled my eyes, already a little tired at the prospect.


    But I should have known that Tracey would make the night...memorable for me. She''d gotten us as all wedding veils to wear - her, Ashley, my mom (which really made the night interesting for me, at seeing my mom drool over hot, nearly naked guys), a few other friends from work and the gym, and me - and positioned us all right in front of the stage.


    Now, I wasn''t one to get all hot and bothered over a guy thrusting his hips in front of my face...even if the body was ridiculously defined, but watching my friends and family get sloppily drunk , and more and more friendly with said guys, was enough to have me in a nearly constant stage of gut busting laughter. It got especially intense, when the tallest, darkest-skinned man I''d ever seen, came over with a remarkably attractive Latino, and started dual grinding my mom. Oh my god, I''ve never laughed so hard.


    When the most attractive man in the place focused his attentions on my wildly blushing sister, I nearly cried for her. I could tell at the way her eyes never left him that she liked him, and he never once looked at her any differently than any of the other women, even admittedly hot Tracey. He treated Ashley the same, or maybe even a little better, as everyone else. I tipped him obscenely well for that.


    As the night went on, and I took my bachelorette attentions with as much dignity as I could, sipping on my plain ginger ale, I started to wonder how Teren was fairing with Hot Ben and the guys. I thought about texting him, but then thought better of it. That might look like I was checking up on him to his friends, like I didn''t trust him or something. And I couldn''t have trusted him more. My concern had nothing to do with a woman.


    As we piled into the limo Tracey had rented for the night, and I checked my phone to check the time, I saw several awaiting texts that I''d missed while in the loud club. With nervous knots in my stomach, I opened them as Tracey plopped down beside me.


    "Who''s that from?" she muttered drunkenly, as she looked over my shoulder.


    I tried to shield the phone, but I was too worried to really do it very well. I just knew something was wrong. I opened the first one without answering Tracey. It simply read, ''I love you. Have a good night.''


    I smiled and relaxed fractionally as I opened the second one. ''Love you, just got to the club.'' They had gone to a strip club, of course.


    The next one made me smile. ''Ben bought shots...and lap dances. I turned down the latter.''


    "Hey, what''s that say about Ben?" Tracey asked over my shoulder and I quickly opened the next one.


    ''Miss yuo...'' I grinned at his purposely misspelled message. Tracey frowned. "Either I''m drunk, or he''s drunk." She giggled at his next message. ''I cnnot wait be you husbnd.''


    She lightly bumped against my shoulder as the rest of our group clued in on what we were doing. "What''s up, Em?" Ashley asked.


    Tracey answered for me, "Teren drunk texted her." Ashley raised her eyebrows at that, knowing perfectly well that Teren couldn''t get "drunk." I lightly smiled and shook my head at her, reading the next one. Tracey busted up laughing and I turned bright red. ''Cnt wait to fuk you.''


    Oh, I was so smacking him for that one. Teren didn''t generally talk to me like that...and, while I kind of liked it, I knew he''d done it mainly to amuse my girlfriends. Drunk texting. Just another form of his near constant charade to convince the world he was just a typical guy. How little the world knew.


    Tracey beside me was doubled over with laughter as she repeated the text to the entire car. Everyone joined in on the laughs, my mom including, which made my blush deepen and I considered reading the rest when I was alone. Tracey jerked the phone away though and typed in a quick reply. I could only imagine what she''d just told him. Before I could get the phone back, she opened and read the last one. ''Ben''s sick...going home.''


    I smiled when I saw the message was just ten minutes ago, he''d be home when I got home. Tracey frowned though. "Ben''s sick?" She looked over at me, peeved. "How am I supposed to have drunk sex, if he''s sick?" She stuck her lip out as she handed me back my phone. "Jerk off," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.


    The laughing car turned their attention to her and I relaxed. Teren was right, he could fake being drunk, and, except for Hot Ben, everything was fine.


    When I finally did get home, I found him in our bedroom with his head tilted to the side, listening intently to something. I knew it wasn''t me, since I was clearly in the room with him, and I furrowed my brow for a second. Then he shifted his attention to me and the look of concentration faded as he grinned at me like an idiot. My confusion fell off of me as I took in the adorable look on his face. I raised an eyebrow curiously, as I set my purse down on my nightstand. "What?" I said quietly.


    His grin not leaving him, he raised his phone in his hand, the text Tracey had sent open on the screen. Not looking the least bit drunk, since of course, he wasn''t, his grin turned devilish. "Really? You''re gonna do...that, to me tonight?"


    I causally walked up to him standing next to our bed and glanced at his phone. Seeing what Tracey had told him I''d do, my cheeks heated, but looking back at his eager face, I tilted my head and gave him a seductive grin. Not answering him, I simply dropped to my knees.


    Teren had the most adorable grin on his face as we got ready to leave for the ranch early the next morning. I really wasn''t sure if his grin was because we were getting married tomorrow, or because of what I''d done for him last night. I couldn''t keep the grin off my face as I thought about that. Tracey would be so proud of me.


    We picked up my sister and then met the others at a gas station on the edge of town. Tracey had on the darkest sunglasses I''d ever seen, and her face was the look of someone who''d already thrown up a couple times this morning. I did sympathize with her; I''d thrown up a couple times this morning as well, just for completely different reasons. We leaned up against each other companionably as Teren filled up his car.


    Ashley slung her arm through mine, looking tired, but not nearly as green as Tracey; she hadn''t nearly overdone it as much as Trace, or Hot Ben for that matter. The three of us girls watched Teren laugh at Ben and smack him on the shoulder. Ben winced in pain, his eyes covered by equally dark glasses and a hand on his stomach, like he was going to lose it on Teren''s shoes. I laughed, remembering what Teren had confessed to me this morning. He''d sneakily switched out all of his drinks for Hot Ben''s empty ones. The rest of the guys had either been so drunk, or distracted by the nearly nude girls, that no one had even noticed.


    Ben had unknowingly drunken all of his drinks and Teren''s as well. It was a miracle that boy could still stand. I told Teren it was a good thing Tracey was never going to find out about that; she''d stake him for sure.


    Eventually, Teren explained to a slow looking Ben the general area of where we were going, and Ben shuffled off to his car with an equally slow looking Tracey. As Ashley and I got back in Teren''s car, I hoped that Ben could maintain focus long enough to not lose Teren on the highway.


    Surprisingly, we all made it to the ranch together. As both cars drove down the super long gravel driveway, we passed under the huge, white wooden arch proclaiming the family name and I sighed contently, knowing I''d soon be a part of that family. Maybe recognizing what my sigh meant, my sister reached up from the seat behind me and slung her arms around my neck. We both giggled while Teren smiled at us.


    As we got closer to the spread, I shook my head lightly and took in the beauty that was the Adams ranch. Sitting between the foothills, at the base of Mount Diablo, it was as close to idyllic as one could get. Green trees filled in the cracks between the valleys, where water obviously gathered in streams and pools. Teren and Ben would probably be spending some time this weekend fishing in those watery spots, regardless of the chill in the air. Boys would tolerate all sorts of adverse conditions for their hobbies. Men were weird that way.


    Various colored cows lazily munched on some long tan grass, watching us as we passed. Farther in the fields, we could see even more cows basking in the early morning rays. That was one thing the family kept fully stocked on at all times - cattle, food for more than one species.


    As we pulled into the driveway, I heard Ashley whistle lowly. "Wow, I don''t think I''ll ever get used to this place."


    I smiled back at her as Teren parked his car beside Halina''s sporty European car. I knew exactly what she meant. The place was breathtaking...and huge. It consisted of three buildings, forming a U shape around a pool area in the back. The side buildings were low and long one-stories, while the main building was a huge two-story dwelling that dwarfed Teren''s place. Every building was capped with Spanish tile roofs that gleamed blood-red in the sun, symbolic and perfect. The rest of the building was made up of warm, honeyed wood and white stucco walls, embedded with smooth river rocks along the bottom, so it resembled a seamless stone wall, sort of castle-like, and also perfectly symbolic. If any of the humans visiting this weekend realized what kind of people they were really visiting, they''d have found it as humorous as I did, I was sure.


    We stepped out of the car as Ben parked beside Teren. He and Tracey stepped out of their car with comically slack jaws. Teren grinned and I giggled at their faces. I suppose I''d looked like that on my first visit too. Locking arms with Ashley, I walked over to a still stunned Tracey. She looked at Teren oddly and then looked over at me, whispering, "You never told me Teren was loaded."


    I saw Teren''s lip twitch and knew he''d heard that. I grinned and shook my head at her bewildered face. "Because it doesn''t matter, Trace." I watched his lips widen as he flashed his eyes to me in-between a conversation with Ben.


    Ashley laughed at Tracey''s still confused face. Finally Tracey shook her head and said, "Why the hell are you still working for that bitch? You could probably buy the company."


    Teren laughed, switching it to a cough mid-chuckle, and I grabbed Tracey''s arm leading her to the house she couldn''t seem to get over. "They''re not that rich...besides, it''s his dad''s money." I wasn''t entirely sure how his family had amassed such an amount, or whose it was technically, although they seemed to live a communal lifestyle...or a "nest" lifestyle, to put it in vampire terms, and probably considered whatever they had to be everyone''s. It was sort of a sweet way to live. Assuming everyone liked each other, which luckily, his entire family immensely loved each other, nearly worshipped each other. That was sweet too.


    We all followed the granite steps to the huge wooden overhang above the front doors and I noticed the potted roses trailing up each one of the massive support beams holding the structure up. I grinned at the white beauties that the vampire women had put up for me. Nervous-excited energy flitted through me at the thought of tomorrow. Teren reached over and grabbed my hand, hearing my body''s change, and registering that I was nervous or excited or maybe both. He smiled at me encouragingly and moved his other hand to open the door.


    The door swung in before he had a chance and I suppressed a grin at his mom''s impatience. Ben took a step back with the unexpectedness of that, and his face went a shade of green over his sudden movement. Groaning, he put a hand on his stomach and I narrowed my eyes, praying he didn''t toss his cookies on my beautiful new roses.


    He kept it together though, and slapped on a gorgeous smile that almost made him seem normal, and not on the verge of being sick. I shook my head and turned to greet Teren''s...my...family.


    "Emma," Alanna beamed, as she, for the first time ever, ignored her son and swept me into her arms first. Her long black hair swished around my body as she humanly slow wrapped me in her cool embrace. I returned the gesture, feeling tears sting my eyes already. Oh, boy, I was never going to make it through this weekend.


    She pulled back from me, eyeing me warmly, and then shifted her attention to Teren. He grinned and greeted her just as warmly as she''d greeted me. Yes, one thing this family had in spades, was love for each other.


    When she pulled away from him, he swiftly hugged his dad standing at Alanna''s side, and then swished his arm out to indicate our friends. "Mom, Dad, this is Tracey and Ben, and of course, you remember Emma''s sister, Ashley." Ashley had visited me at the ranch not too long after Teren''s conversion. Alanna and Jack gave her soft smiles of acknowledgement before he finished his introductions. "Guys, this is my father, Jack, and his wife, my step-mother, Alanna."


    Tracey and Ben threw on polite smiles as they shook Jack''s hand and I mentally reminded myself about Teren''s cover story. Alanna, Imogen and Halina, all looked too young to be his mother, grandmother and especially, his great-grandmother, so, to the outside world his birth mother had died a few years ago and his father had remarried, to a younger woman no less. Imogen and Halina were being "sold" as Alanna''s sisters. That story would work for several years, I suppose, until eventually Teren''s never-ending youth would have to have him be Alanna''s sibling as well. That would be a weird lie to say, she was just too much a mom to me.


    Tracey was looking back and forth between Alanna and Teren, a clearly confused look on her still sickly face. I understood. Alanna and Teren were nearly carbon copies of each other; the resemblance was almost eerie. But he''d just established that he and Alanna weren''t blood related. Tracey was trying to figure that out. I smiled, picturing her astonishment when she met the other vampires; they were all eerily similar. That was one unfortunate part of the story. You just had to buy that they weren''t related to Teren, even though they looked just like him. Again, I suppose Teren could be altered in the story to be their brother...and again, weird.


    With Jack looking ecstatic at having another fishing partner in the house, he clasped Hot Ben on the back, which made Ben wince horribly, and we were all led into the foyer. Tracey let out a low "wow" as she looked around the house. I smiled as I looked around too. The grand double staircase, the beautiful French doors that opened up into the impressive living room, the art along the walls, including the achingly stunning sunset that Halina had painted, and the naked, crying woman fountain in the center; it was beautiful and meticulous and classy, much like Alanna.


    I noticed the details that weren''t there the last time I''d visited, as Alanna started walking the group to a side hallway that led to one of the different buildings (apparently, the guests weren''t staying in the main building, which was probably for the best). Alanna had set more potted roses along the banisters; the pot bases a swirled black and white marble, with faint streaks of red in them. The roses themselves alternated between deep red and a white as pure as snow...or vampire skin. The roses had been strung along the railings, so they looped around them, all the way to the top, the colors mingling beautifully. White and red pillar candles lined the edges of every single step, and when they were lit, I''d imagined that the entire staircase would glow. Even more candles and roses were spaced throughout the room, a few petals floating in the fountain, and I shook my head as we left it. It was impressive...and only the entryway.


    We passed through a covered breezeway, into one of the side buildings that the vampires never really seemed to use. I suppose that they planned on eventually filling all the rooms with grandchildren - great-great-great-great-etc-grandchildren. That was one of the things about living eternally - you had to plan for events really far out there. It sort of blew my mind. I wasn''t even sure what I''d be doing in the next six months, let alone the next sixty or six hundred years, although that last one wouldn''t really be a problem for me, as there was no way this human girl would live that long.


    Alanna showed us into a room she''d set up for Tracey and Hot Ben. They both thanked her and laid down on the bed, face first. I chuckled at our tired, hung-over friends. As Alanna left with Ashley to show her to her room, Teren laughed at Ben, smacking his feet and telling him he''d go get his bags for him. Ben muttered something about Teren being an ass, for not being even just a little hung-over too, and then started snoring. I shook my head at the still drunk looking model and his equally still drunk looking girlfriend, and wished them both a speedy recovery from last night''s festivities.


    Teren lickety-split got their things (which they didn''t notice, both having fallen back asleep) and then rushed to get Ashley''s as well. He blurred into her room, not having to hide any of his abilities from her, and she grinned and thanked him as she experimentally bounced up and down on the luxurious bed she was sitting on. Teren set down two black dress bags and cocked an eyebrow at me. I told him to not worry about it, and he grinned, knowing my dress was in one. I tilted my head as I studied the gorgeous man I was about to marry - that jet black hair and pale blue eyes, set off by impossibly sexy stubble - he was supernaturally perfect.


    He leaned in to kiss me and then excused himself so Ash and I could excitedly whisper about the wedding. Alanna joined us, and after assuring me that Teren was bonding with his dad at their favorite fishing hole, I showed Alanna the dress. She oohed and aahed, and started crying pinkish tears in her joy. She hugged me again and patted my slightly larger belly, exclaiming how amazing I''d look, and how excited she was to have me join her family. As I clasped her chilly hand, I felt exactly the same.


    Eventually, Tracey and Hot Ben woke from their "nap" and stumbled out to find everybody. Alanna pointed Ben to the general vicinity of where Teren was fishing with Jack, and Ben''s face brightened considerably. Looking like his normal handsome self, he grabbed some spare equipment and gave Tracey a quick kiss goodbye, before following Alanna outback, to where the jeeps were located.


    Tracey had taken one look out her window after resting, and knew exactly what us girls were going to do while the boys played in the chilly waters. She''d decided that we were all sipping mojitos in the hot tub. Okay, she and Ash were sipping mojitos in the hot tub. I was sipping caffeine-free Coke and dangling my feet over the edge. The doctor had told me that anything hotter than bath water wasn''t good for the kids, and after all I''d gone through to get knocked up, I wasn''t taking any risks.


    Ash would normally never wear a suit, but she felt comfortable around Tracey and I, and super comfortable around the vamps, and gleefully changed into a very modest one piece, while Tracey changed into scraps of material that I''m sure were illegal in several States.


    They ducked out to the pool while I headed to the kitchen to prepare their drinks. I could hear Tracey''s exclamation when she saw it, from all the way inside. I giggled, remembering how impressed I''d been with it too when I''d first seen it. The pool area was exquisite. Flat river rocks made up a patio that seamlessly surrounded an Olympic sized pool, hot tub, and barbequing area. There just weren''t enough words to describe how natural and incredible this place really was. I hoped the ranch stayed in their family forever.


    Alanna joined me, after seeing Hot Ben off, and slung a cool arm around my waist as I opened the fridge to look for some beverages that humans could drink. Alanna smiled and opened a drawer above the fridge, where several bottles of alcohol were tucked away. I was a little surprised at first, until she explained that Jack liked to have a drink or two with the hired hands, and Teren used to join them sometimes, back when he could drink.


    As Alanna automatically started making mojitos, having heard Tracey''s request, I leaned back on the counter and watched her lightening fast hands work. "Are you guys going to be okay this weekend, Mom? I mean, you won''t go hungry or anything?"


    She gave me a smile that I''d used her preferred form of address without having to correct myself, and then looked back to her work. "Of course, dear. We have ways to eat secretly."


    I worried my lip and looked out the window, to where I could see the rolling hills full of herds of cattle. "Yeah, well, I really appreciate all of the trouble that you''ve all gone to."


    She stopped and placed a hand on my shoulder, her youthful face warm and open. "It''s no trouble, Emma. You''re family." My hand automatically went to my stomach and her eyes tracked the movement. With a small smile, she shook her head. "That''s not what makes you family, sweetheart." I tilted my head, but she continued, that warm smile never leaving her. "You have my son''s heart...that''s what makes you family."


    She removed her hand and picked up a tray to put the drinks on. I felt my eyes water at her statement. That feeling only intensified with her next one. Picking up the tray, she shook her head again. "You have no idea how long he looked for you."


    I swallowed, a tear falling down my cheek anyway. "Probably as long as I looked for him."A goofy grin broke out on my face, along with more tears, and I silently cursed my hormonal body. My current state didn''t mix well with those darn emotional vampires.


    Alanna had pink tears in her eyes too, and she gave me a swift hug with her free arm. Both of us swiping our eyes, we headed out to the back. Seeing the area for myself, I gasped and felt my mouth drop open. A large, white wedding tent had been stretched out between the two buildings and dozens, no, hundreds of twinkling lights were strung underneath the canvas. Outdoor heaters had been set up around the perimeter, waiting to warm up the humans that would be bothered by a chilly December evening, and a Plexiglas floor had been constructed over the pool, effectively creating a huge open area where once only swimming had taken place. You could see the calm water under that glass, highlighted by blue underwater lamps. Walking on that glass, it would seem like you were walking right on top of the water.


    Dozens of balloons in reds, whites and black were tied off at the four corners of the massive tent, and to every available surface around the patio. Candles and roses, also in the weddings colors, made up nearly every other flat surface. Tables lined the area on the edges of the pool and the pool-floor itself was already set up with rows upon rows of awaiting folding chairs. The far end of the tent held a low bench with candles and roses and a wooden arch directly over it was draped in the twining flowers. I blinked away more tears as I realized what I was looking at - the spot where Teren and I would be married.


    Feeling Alanna''s encouraging pat on my back, I closed my mouth and muttered something along the lines of "it''s beautiful". It was all new, too - none of this had been here when we''d visited last weekend. The hot tub was behind the tent, and as the sides of the canopy were tied open, I could see through it, to where Tracey and Ash were laughing in the massive tub of near boiling water.


    Tracey noticed me walking up and exclaimed, "Isn''t this amazing, Emma!" She shook her head in open delight. "Your wedding is going to be so beautiful." Her eyes misted as she said that, and I saw a brief moment of wistfulness pass her features. I started to wonder if she and Hot Ben would get through this weekend without "the talk".


    As I took off my shoes and rolled up my pant legs, Alanna handed the girls their drinks. I watched Tracey, amused, as she took it and cautiously took a sip. She had to still be hurting some from last night. As the searing water hit my feet, I sighed contently. Alanna finished by handing me my Coke, and then cocked her head to the side, listening. I strained, but didn''t hear what her super ears could. Tracey took no notice about it, but Ashley watched her as intently as I did.


    She smiled at me. "I''ll be back to check on you girls in a bit."


    The day was cold but clear, and a flash of sunlight played on her dark hair as she turned to leave. I wanted to ask her what it was, but she couldn''t really explain it in front of Tracey anyway, so I didn''t ask. I would just have to trust the vampires.


    As I was banging my legs against the back of the tub and reveling in the mixture of chilly air and hot water, I started to truly relax. Everything was going perfectly...and everything would. This weekend was going to be fabulous. And I was going to come out of it...an Adams.


    The cause of Alanna''s earlier distraction became apparent when maybe ten or fifteen minutes later, my mom showed up in the backyard. I bounded up to greet my mom, as Alanna excused herself to get her something to drink. I also knew that Alanna needed to back inside, away from the bright sun. She could be outside for stretches, but it did eventually get uncomfortable for her.


    "Mom, you''re here!" I exclaimed, hugging the plump woman tight. Mom hadn''t been going to show up until tomorrow morning, giving us "kids" a chance to celebrate alone.


    She grinned and hugged me back. "Yeah, I ducked out of work early. I know you''re having a bonding friend moment," she pulled back to look at me, tears in her eyes, "but I wanted my girl."


    I shook my head, tears in my eyes as well. "It''s fine. I''m glad you came." I felt the tears slide down my cheeks and thought that maybe the vampires weren''t the only emotional ones. "I''m so glad you''re here." I nearly sobbed that and rolled my own eyes.


    Mom only sniffled and then laughed. Pulling apart from me, she swiped her eyes. "You''re a little emotional, aren''t you?" Everyone laughed at that, me included.


    Swiping my eyes, I muttered, "Yeah, darn pregnancy."


    Mom patted my stomach, a broad smile on her face. "And that only gets worse."


    I sighed and then hugged her again. A little while later, Tracey and Ash had had enough of the steamy water and scrambled out of the tub and into thick, warm robes. Mom looked around the fairytale like backyard and kept muttering, "It''s so beautiful, Emma."


    I nodded, agreeing with her, and showed her the areas of the house I could, while Tracey and Ash changed back into regular clothes. She was amazed at the glass walled living room that had a spectacular view of Mount Diablo. And she gaped at the stone fireplace, the stones along the flue meticulously positioned in such a way that they resembled a flame. But those reactions were nothing to the reaction I got when I showed her the kitchen.


    Alanna''s kitchen was to die for, especially if, like my mom, you loved to cook. She opened every dark mahogany drawer, examined everything in the double fridge (that mainly was holding flowers - no blood, thank goodness) and exclaimed loudly at the walk in freezer (which also thankfully had no blood, any visible blood at least). Alanna joined our tour and pointed out all the intricate details of the kitchen that only a fellow cook would appreciate. I tuned them out as they started going over recipes.


    If my mom thought Teren''s step-mother was odd, or a little too identical to not be related to him, you''d never know by her body language. She leaned in close to the woman as they animatedly talked over casserole recipes, and I tensed when Mom touched her shoulder, but then instantly relaxed. Mom was too caught up in the conversation to note Alanna''s "differences". I sighed, relaxing even more.


    Mom didn''t bother with the rest of the tour, content with Alanna in their favorite room. The two of them started preparing a feast for dinner tonight, just as the boys came back from fishing. Tracey mauled Hot Ben and I embraced Teren. Jack gave Alanna a warm hug and handed her the few fish the boys had managed to catch. It wasn''t much, it not exactly being fishing season, but Alanna looked like he''d just handed her a diamond bracelet, and gave him a huge hug, and then Teren.


    "Thank you, boys," she proclaimed brightly, as she and Mom started talking about ways to prepare it.


    I smiled and relaxed into Teren''s arms, comfortable that this weekend was going to be fine.


    While Alanna and Jack kept Mom occupied in the kitchen, the rest of us slipped into the living room. Tracey and Ben felt the need to make sure Teren and I got started in our marriage the "correct" way. I tried to pat my baby-filled stomach and explain that "we got it", but Tracey was having way too much fun describing, in detail, every kinky act that she felt we needed to try on our wedding night. My sister blushed horribly and sipped her drink, silent, but listening intently. I blushed, knowing every vampire could hear Tracey, but not knowing how to tell her to shut up in front of my in-laws.


    Teren only shook his head and laughed, occasionally looking embarrassed, occasionally giving me sly glances. I wanted to smack him at those eager looks, but resisted, especially when those sly glances started affecting me. Ben laughed at our obvious discomfort, and then interjected a few ideas of his own.


    Just when I''d had enough of their outlandish, and in some instances, painful sounding, suggestions, a cool voice sounded over our shoulders.


    "No, that position is better if her legs are held higher."


    I tensed, but every head shifted to look at the newcomer. Halina sauntered into our midst, the sun having set while we were talking. The entrance to her lair was actually in the living room with us, hidden as a closet, but no one had noticed her opening the door, too engrossed in Tracey''s latest suggestion. They all gaped at her, both at her sudden appearance, and her startling similarity to Alanna...and Teren. And her outfit probably didn''t hurt either, at least for Ben''s stares. She was wearing a form fitting, long-sleeved dress that stopped just below her ass. It was horribly provocative and nothing appropriate for ranch wear...and completely Halina.


    Hot Ben''s eyes drifted down to her long, snow-white exposed legs and I thought that he''d get smacked if Tracey was paying more attention. She wasn''t though. Her eyes were drifting between Halina and Teren, trying to figure out the familial connection.


    Teren stood and gave her a swift hug, happy to see his great-grandmother, but needing to look as if he was only greeting his step-mother''s younger sister. Ah, the never-ending charade.


    "Guys, this is Alanna''s little sister, Halina." Teren grinned widely, barely suppressing a laugh, and I could instantly see why. Behind his back, where only I could see it, Halina pinched his thigh, hard. On a human, it probably would have incapacitated him. The oldest woman in the house apparently did not like being referred to as the "little" sister.


    Hot Ben instantly stood and extended a hand to her. That got Tracey''s attention, and her eyes pulled away from Halina to glare at him. As he had a stupid ''wow, you''re hot'' look on his face, I thought they may have more than one uncomfortable conversation this weekend.


    Halina smiled at him crookedly, obviously enjoying his reaction to her. And I suppose it would be even more apparent to her. Since she was one hundred percent vampire, she had the most acute senses of all of them. And she enjoyed men. She enjoyed their attentions, just as much as she enjoyed terrifying them. As she listened to his...blood flow increasing, while shaking his hand and purring his name back to him, I could only imagine how satisfied she was with that.


    "A pleasure," she drawled out, her eyes dragging over his body.


    Tracey immediately stepped between them, breaking their contact, and waved at Halina, not wanting to touch her. Tracey looked a bit afraid under the mask of bravado she had on, and I thought that maybe some part of her was sensing what I''d sensed the first time I''d met Halina, that she was dangerous. It was a nearly primal feeling to not want to be in her presence. Of course, Tracey wouldn''t understand why, so she''d brush it off as jealousy or something, but it was so much more than that.


    "Hey...Tracey. Ben''s other half," she added with a slight smile.


    Ben made some sort of noise behind her and Tracey nonchalantly elbowed him. Yeah, definitely a conversation later. I cringed when I realized that Halina would hear it...and love them arguing about her. Then Halina''s eyes drifted to my sister. Her entire demeanor changed. The cold, calculating vixen that had just mentally undressed Hot Ben, was suddenly a nineteen year old girl, embracing her long lost best friend. She swept Ashley into a warm hug, both of them giggling like they were finally reuniting at summer camp. I shook my head as I watched them.


    They''d bonded when Ashley had visited. In a surprising way, Halina had taken to my sister, and she had nearly the same protective instinct towards her that Teren did. Halina hadn''t chosen this life, and had lost a lot when it had been forced upon her, namely her beloved husband. But also, the normalcy of working hard on their farm during the day and watching the sun set every night, the potential to fill that farm with children. Although she hid it well, the absence of that life crushed her daily. My sister had also had a fate not wanted thrust upon her. Her horrific scarring and the death of our father had set her on a path that most people wouldn''t wish on anyone.


    The two brutal fates had bonded the women, almost tighter than blood could have.


    Tracey was openly glaring at Hot Ben while my sister and Halina caught up. I laughed and started to go over to tell her not to fret too much about it, Halina just had that affect on men (thank god, Teren was related), but the last vampire finally made her appearance before I could take a step.


    Teren and Halina both looked over a few seconds before she entered the room, but no one noticed their seeming precognition. Halina slung an arm around my sister and turned to watch her daughter enter the room. Imogen walked straight up to me and swept me into a hug. In her exuberance she actually lifted me a good foot in the air. It looked a little odd, considering the woman was no bigger than I was, but my friends were too busy staring at her appearance to notice. She set me down and I pulled back in her arms to look at her. She had on the long skirt and proper blouse that she preferred to wear, her hair neatly pulled back into a braided up-do, but the face, that perfectly ageless, vampire face, was yet another copy of the family genes.


    Teren walked up and gave her a polite hug, again downplaying their closeness, and introduced her to the group, "This is Alanna''s twin sister, Imogen." I startled at that, before smoothing my features. I hadn''t known the story involved the mother/daughter being twins, I imagined the two of them loved that, they were very close. I bit my lip, a little irritated at myself for not knowing all the lies I''d have to tell, and then a little irritated at how many lies I had to memorize. Oh well, it was the life I''d signed up for.


    Teren pointed out Ben and Tracey, who greeted Imogen with friendly waves. Imogen was attractive, they all were, but she exuded an older vibe, like the grandmother she was, and not the raw sex appeal that just seemed to effortlessly drift off Halina, so Hot Ben''s eyes didn''t stay focused on Imogen for very long. After his greeting, he was back to ogling Halina, who played with a strand of her wildly free hair and gave him a look that clearly said, ''I have chains in my room, wanna see?''


    Under my breath, I muttered, "Stop it right now, Halina. Tracey is my best friend. If you try and sleep with him...I won''t let you come to the wedding." No human in the room heard me, but Imogen cracked a smile and Teren chuckled beside me.


    Halina openly pouted. Then she fixed her face into a wry smile and adjusted her super-short dress. Raising an eyebrow at me, she muttered, "There is no ''try'' about it, but...fine." She glanced briefly at him and then sighed softly before turning to leave. Ben and Tracey looked really confused by her seemingly random statement, but Ash looked over at me and cracked a smile, guessing what I''d said to her.


    She got to the doorframe and paused, putting a hand on the wall and seductively leaning into it. Ben openly watched her and Tracey finally smacked his chest, bringing his attention back to her. Halina smirked at the exchange and looked over at me. "Plenty of other fish anyway," she muttered. Shifting her gaze to Imogen and then Teren she brightly said, "I''m going out to eat. Have fun at...dinner." She smiled oddly at that and then left the room.


    My face went pale white, and I clenched Teren''s hand. I didn''t like the thought of her "going out to eat". That usually meant exactly what it sounded like, and I didn''t want her anywhere near my hometown, hungry. "Teren," I whispered, stress in my voice.


    He leaned over to kiss my cheek, whispering in my ear as he did, "She won''t kill. I made her promise." He pulled back and gave me a serious expression. I swallowed, but nodded.


    She won''t kill. I knew that stipulation was only a temporary one. Halina enjoyed what she did, and even though she only took the lives of people she deemed dead already, i.e., child molesters, rapists, general scum bags, it was still taking a life and it still knotted my stomach. I knew Teren had somehow coached a promise out of her to please me this weekend, and I also knew that the "promise" wouldn''t extend as long as I''d like it to.


    Imogen gave me a soft smile and shrugged her shoulders. Imogen had deep regrets over her own few kills and wouldn''t do it again, but they each sort of took an ''it''s your choice'' stance on the matter. Especially when it came to Halina. But then again, as Teren had told me once before, "Have you ever tried to stop a full vampire from doing something they want to do?"


    As I relaxed a bit, accepting that tonight some poor schlub was going to lose a pint or so, but at least not his life, walking away from the encounter in a forced state of forgetfulness from her mind control, the second part of Halina''s last statement started to worry me. Dinner. I''d completely forgotten about dinner. As Alanna and my mom came back into the room and announced that it was ready, I remembered it. Crap. Three non-eating vampires, faking eating dinner, around three not-in-the-loop humans. I had no idea what they were going to do.


    It turned out that what they were going to do, was sit down at the table with everyone else. I looked at Teren seated beside me and squeezed his hand nervously, but he only looked back with perfectly calm eyes. Whatever they had planned, it was something they were all in on, and all comfortable with. As I looked from him to Imogen, sitting across from us, next to Ashley, to Alanna, setting the table with my mother, I saw no tension in the vampire faces, only a calm peace.


    I shifted my eyes to Jack, the one human who knew that something was up, and he looked peaceful sitting back in his chair and making polite conversation with Hot Ben on his left. I watched the middle-aged man, the graying hair and the warm brown eyes, but didn''t see any stress in his features. Not until Alanna came up and put a hand on his shoulder as she set down his glass of water.


    When she did that, he looked up at her, and a brief look passed between them. The look in his eye worried me some. It wasn''t the nervous tension that I was feeling; no fear was in his face that they''d somehow be discovered. No, the look in his eye was one of deep sympathy. Like he knew she was about to do something that was going to be unpleasant for her, and he felt badly about it. She briefly smiled at him, leaning down to kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear.


    Imogen and Teren looked at her, Teren taking a deep, calming breath, and I felt tears sting my eyes. Whatever they were going to do, was not going to be fun for them, and they were all still resigned to do it anyway. For me.


    I wanted to stand up and beg them not to. I wanted to tell Alanna to bring out the carafe. I wanted them to feel comfortable in their own home. And I again debated moving this entire event somewhere else. I didn''t want them hurting themselves for me.


    As my hormonal eyes started to spill over, Teren turned my face to his and began kissing me. The humans at the table whistled encouragement, but I still felt like sobbing. His fingers discretely wiped away my tears as he whispered in-between our lips. "Don''t stress. We do this for you willingly. We love you." He pulled back, his fingers once again sweeping dry my face. As Tracey hollered her approval, he leaned in and whispered in my ear. "We will be fine. Just enjoy your evening."


    I gave him pleading eyes, wanting to know exactly what they were willingly doing for me, but I couldn''t speak. He sighed at the look on my face and leaned over to kiss the other side, whispering in my other ear, "Please, make what we''re about to do...worth it."


    He pulled back, giving me a pointed look and raising an eyebrow. I swallowed and nodded, looking at him and then Imogen and finally Alanna, as she and Mom finally finished setting the table. I suddenly realized why Halina was really skipping this meal. She didn''t want to partake in whatever they were about to do.


    My mom chuckled as she sat down beside me and I slapped on a bright, fake smile. She patted my knee and looked over me to Teren. "Just can''t keep your hands off each other, can you?" She sighed a little dreamily. "It was like that for me and your father before our wedding too."


    Imogen perked up and gave my mom a sympathetic glance. She didn''t mention her own husband''s death, her "character" never having been married, but encouraged my mom to talk about her long lost husband, maybe living vicariously through her grief. Mom did, and the entire table shifted to follow the conversation.


    My eyes drifted around everyone at this mammoth, elaborate table, the platters of steaks, freshly caught fish, mashed potatoes and green beans, slightly separating everyone. And then, during a pause in the story, Alanna began dishing up plates of food, brushing aside my mom''s attempts to continue helping her.


    My mouth dropped open as every vampire in the room was given a plate of food...human food. I couldn''t even conceal my astonishment as I watched them in horror. They were all given a steak, a spoonful of potatoes, a small helping of the fish Ben and Teren had caught earlier, and a forkful of beans. Once they were all served and Alanna had seated herself at the other end of the table, they all began cutting their food. My eyes were as wide as saucers as Teren grabbed a fork loaded with a hunk of meat and held it in front of his lips. His eyes looking nervous, but his voice steady, he told me, "Eat up, Emma." He popped the food in his mouth and gave me a quavering smile. "It''s delicious."


    He pointedly glanced at the plate of food Alanna had set in front of me when I still hadn''t done anything. I tore my eyes away from the sight of him eating, and made myself concentrate on my plate. My mom and Tracey talked obliviously while Jack watched his wife with worried eyes. Ben went on and on about how good the fish was, and Ashley looked around at all the eating vampires with a look of puzzled amazement that probably matched mine. But unlike me, she shrugged, assuming it was just something they could do, and joined in a conversation with Mom.


    I cut my food and woodenly popped some in my mouth. I really wasn''t sure if it was something they could do or not. I watched Teren and the girls eat, and felt a knot of apprehension at the look of near disgust on their faces. I wasn''t sure what human food tasted like anymore to him, but I knew he had no desire for it, and I imagined it was much like eating a plate of dog food, or maybe worse, dog vomit or something.


    Tears stung my eyes again, but I pushed it back. They seemed to be eating fine and if it really was only that it tasted badly, well, they could handle that for one night, right?


    As the meal progressed, and eventually everyone finished their wonderful food, a light and happy feeling fell upon the table. It would seem that dinner had successfully gone by with no one the wiser to my new family''s situation. I relaxed back into Teren''s side, but he held himself rigidly in his chair. Alarmed at the tension in his body, I subtly turned to watch him. His face was trying to stay smooth, but I could see the way he clenched his jaw, the way his eyes winced every once and awhile. He was in pain. He was sitting there, calmly having a conversation with Ben, in pain. I clenched his hand, but he didn''t look at me.


    That was when I noticed the faces on the other vampires. They were all in pain, horrible, horrible pain. I could see it in their body language. To me, it was written all over their faces. Seeing the look on Jack''s face, his eyes overly moist, I could see he clearly saw it too. It was a little miraculous to me that the rest of the room couldn''t tell.


    As Alanna hadn''t moved to clear the table - a startling indicator all by itself, my mom offered, and began clearing things away. Alanna smiled softly and thanked her. At this point, Imogen stood and politely excused herself. No human took notice of her leaving, but my eyes couldn''t stay off of her. She walked slowly and stiffly from the room, sort of resembling the way Ash walked. She was gone for just a few moments before Alanna and Teren closed their eyes at the same time, a look of compassion passing their faces.


    That look terrified me. They were hearing something I probably wouldn''t want to hear, something Imogen was doing that they would each have to do. I suddenly closed my eyes, understanding. The vampires could eat food, obviously, they still had mouths and stomachs after all, but they couldn''t digest it. So...the food had to come out. The same way it came in.


    I squeezed Teren''s hand, my eyes watering. He opened his and looked down on me, giving me a tight smile. He nodded and I nodded back. We both knew now, we were both on the same page.


    Alanna excused herself as Mom started bringing in pie. I wanted to cry at the sight, tell Mom that no more food was needed, but I made myself smile and thank her. Made their sacrifice worth it.


    Teren sat there the entire time we ate, no longer talking, his brow scrunched in un-disguisable pain. I wanted to scream at him to just go, get rid of it, since it was hurting him, but no one else would understand that, and I was way too riled up to secretly whisper it to him. Finally, Hot Ben seemed to notice his discomfort. "You alright, Teren?" He raised an eyebrow at him and tilted his head. I could have kissed Ben.


    Teren cracked open his eyes. "Actually...I feel a little odd. I think I''ll turn in." He slowly stood and calmly said goodnight to everyone. I watched him leave the room and had to force myself to not run upstairs to be with him. I looked over at Jack and saw the same level of restraint on his face.


    None of the vampires returned to the table after that.


    As Mom and Ashley and Tracey cleared the dishes and made some coffee for Ben and Jack, I excused myself to check on Teren. Jack gave me a sympathetic look and briefly nodded at me. He apparently knew what I''d find, and knew it would be bad.


    My stomach clenched with each step up to our room. I hated what he''d done to himself, all to maintain the image of humanity. I hated that he had to hide, but at the same time, understood it. As I reached the top of the dual staircase, I put a hand on my stomach, wondering if this was the future I was condemning our children too. I suddenly understood one of the reasons why Teren hadn''t wanted to continue this...trait.


    Softly and cautiously, I opened the door. I wasn''t sure what to expect. Looking around our opulent guest room here at the ranch, I blinked in the soft light of the lamps, surprised. It was empty. Just as I was wondering if maybe he went somewhere else, I heard him.


    It wasn''t hard. I could clearly hear him cry out, although it was coming out muffled, like he was screaming into a pillow or something. It was coming from the bathroom, so I ran in there. My mouth dropped open and my heart leapt into my throat when I saw him. He was covered in blood. Panic seized me, until I watched him heave a pile of blood onto the tile floor. It wasn''t coming from a wound, it was coming...from him. My panic tripled as I knelt beside him. I wanted to yell for help, but there was no one to yell for. All the vamps were going through this, and the humans that knew the secret, were entertaining the humans who didn''t. There was no one to help Teren, but me.


    He was curled into a fetal position and clutching his stomach, groaning into a blood soaked towel, in-between vomiting up more blood. His fangs were extended, having dropped down at the presence of blood, even his own. I''d never imagined so much blood could leave a person''s body. I started crying and shaking as I held him. He was so out of it he couldn''t speak, only continued screaming into anything that would muffle the noise, and heaving up more blood, food having long ago left his system.


    His body apparently had had a severe reaction to the food being put inside it. His sickness was about quadruple what my morning sickness was. As blood ruined his clothes and mine, I held him tight, stroking his back and murmuring that I loved him, and everything would be okay. I wasn''t even sure if he heard me. I wasn''t even sure if everything was okay. I had no idea how to help him.


    Worrying that my family would come check on us, and then understanding why Jack wasn''t immediately at Alanna''s side - someone had to run interference - I cried lightly into Teren''s back as he continued his muffled screaming and heaving, not knowing what else to do.


    Shaking near uncontrollably, the vomiting eventually stopped. A while later, the cries stopped as well. I held him in my arms, our bodies coated in the blood he''d released - it was cold and sticky, and smelled awful, all pooled together like it was. I fought down my own nausea as I stroked back his hair and kissed his temples. I don''t know how much longer I held him in that chilly, bloody bathroom, as he shook in my arms, but eventually a body breezed into the room.


    "Teren...how long did you let it go?" I startled as Halina knelt beside him, her face both irritated and worried. She lifted his weak head and his eyes lolled back before he could focus on her, his fangs red from his own blood.


    "Will he be okay?" I whispered, hope filling me that someone who understood what was happening to him, could help him.


    She muttered something in Russian as she examined him. "Yes," she looked back at me, "We''re harder than that to kill." Running her hand over his face, she muttered, "But he didn''t have to let it get this bad." With a wry look, she added, "And he could have made this mess in the toilet."


    A soft laugh escaped him and I nearly sobbed in relief. He hadn''t responded to me once since I''d come in here.


    Halina started cleaning him up and then helped him stand up. He was weak, but managed to get on two feet. She started walking him away, more carrying him than helping him. They walked into the bedroom and then she surprisingly turned to the window. Picking Teren up and slinging him over her shoulder, like he weighed nothing, I watched her open the window and prepare to jump. Confused, I exclaimed, "Wait, where are you going with him? Shouldn''t he rest?"


    She paused and looked back at me, her face hard. "No, he needs to eat. They all...need to eat, now." Deep understanding rang through me, as I suddenly saw the real reason Halina had skipped dinner.


    It wasn''t that she wanted a bite in town. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to go through what Teren and the others just had. It was that one of them needed to stay strong, to help the others. Their love for each other was overwhelming, as was my guilt, that they''d felt the need to do this in the first place. I couldn''t imagine having the foreknowledge of how painful something you were going to do was, and then doing it anyway. It would be like knowingly shoving your hand in a fire. But, as my hand automatically drifted down to the twins in my belly, I reconsidered that. The end result of my situation certainly wasn''t going to be easy, but sometimes, the ends justify the means.


    I nodded at Halina and watched her step up onto the window ledge; I guess they couldn''t really just walk out the front door, what with Teren soaked in blood like he was. Before she jumped, she turned back and looked me over. Shaking her head, she muttered, "Shower, change, and then go tell your friends that he''s fine and he''s sleeping." She raised an eyebrow at me pointedly. "You''re going to be a member of this family. You must now play your part."


    I nodded again and then she turned back to the window and jumped. They were gone by the time I looked outside.

 Page 6

    I stared at the ceiling of our bedroom, waiting. I mentally traced every raised section of the textured walls, making images out of the patterns, where there really wasn''t any. Anything to distract my mind. Anything to stop myself from wondering how Teren was doing, if he was feeling any better. That last horrid image of him covered in blood wouldn''t leave me. Several of the patterns on the walls reminded me of the pool of red liquid we''d been huddled in. God, I hoped he was okay.


    As I shifted for the thousandth time in the too quiet room, I finally heard the door crack open. It was late, several hours past the time everyone had called it a night, and the hallway behind him was dark. His eyes glowed at me until he walked into our dimly lit room. I sucked in a sharp breath when I saw him.Advertisement


    He softly closed the door and stood beside it, letting me take him in. He looked like something straight out of a Steven King novel - splotches of dried or drying blood covered him, his jeans and shirt saturated with it. His face had deep red smears and smudges, both from the act of being sick and my bloody hands caressing him. He stood slightly hunched and his face looked worn, close to exhaustion, if not already there. His pale blue eyes were slightly unfocused as he looked at me, but a small smile was on his lips.


    "Hey," he whispered hoarsely.


    My eyes instantly watered at the sight of him and I flew out of that bed to throw my arms around him. My forcefulness made him stumble back a step, and I choked back a sob at how frail he seemed. His arms swept around me securely though, as he held me tightly.


    "Teren, what were you thinking?" I murmured in his ear.


    He didn''t answer, only softly stroked my back. I pulled away, my hands going to his blood smeared cheeks, cupping them and searching his eyes. He tilted his head and gave me another small smile. Hating the evidence of his painful night all over him, I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the bathroom. He willingly followed, his feet shuffling heavily on the padded carpet, as he forced his body to move.


    I closed the door behind us, not really expecting any distractions, but playing it safe anyway. He watched me, almost blankly, and I thought only sheer will power kept him standing. I came back to him and gently swept his shirt over his head. His chest was smeared with dried blood from where the wet shirt had stuck to his skin. Some sections of the shirt were still wet, and I threw it in the corner of the recently cleaned bathroom. Bringing my eyes back to his chest, I bit my lip and felt mine start to water. His fingers came to my chin, lifting my gaze to his. "I''m fine, Emma." He shrugged in a tired, but casual manner. "Just a little...discomfort, but it''s gone now." He smiled softly again.


    My mouth dropped open as the sounds of his muffled screams earlier filled my ears again. A little discomfort? I shook my head. "You didn''t have to do that," I whispered, my voice sounding loud to me in the quiet room.


    His fingers, still tainted red, brushed over my cheek and he tilted his head as he regarded me. "Yes, I did. We couldn''t have all walked out on dinner with your family, especially Mom and me. We had to appear normal."


    My hand grabbed his hand, flattening his cool fingers to my cheek. "No, none of you should have had to do that." I shook my head again as I stepped into him, bringing my warm arms around his cool body, wanting him to feel the comforting heat I provided. Looking up at him, I bit my lip. "We could have gone somewhere else, or eloped. I was so selfish to ask for this."


    He immediately grabbed my cheeks, shaking his head. "No, Emma. We wanted this. We all wanted to give you this."A warm smile lit his tired face. "You deserve a normal family dinner. I wanted to give you that, we all did. We crave normalcy too." His eyes stared intently into mine. "And we want to give you a normal wedding experience."


    I sighed and then cocked an eyebrow at him, rubbing a smidge of dried blood off his chin pointedly. He grinned crookedly and shook his head. "Well, as normal as we can give you." He shrugged and then looking too tired to keep standing, sat on the edge of the tub.


    I watched him sitting, looking up at me with a content face, and sighed again. Turning from him, I stepped over to the shower and turned on one of the dual heads. Under the sound of the water, I again said, "You didn''t have to do that."


    As I turned back to him, he smiled, and I knew he''d heard me. He didn''t comment though, only slipped his stained shoes off. I helped him remove the rest of his clothes and then helped him get in the shower. It felt a little odd to help him, when he was usually the supernaturally strong one, but the evening had sapped a lot of that strength, and as he sagged against the shower wall, I slipped my pajamas off and hopped inside, to continue helping him.


    He laid his head back against the wall, his eyes closed and his usually nearly tanned face pale. The spray of water hit his chest, droplets landing on his face and mine, the dried blood starting to break apart and run like rivulets down his body. I shook my head at the red streams and grabbed some soap, determined to see that bloody mess gone. He exhaled contently as I worked the soap into a lather and spread the bubbles over his chest, pausing, to scrub harder in the more concentrated areas. The bubbles forming on his body turned pink from all of the blood, and the water streaming around us went through various spectrums of the shade.


    Noting the haggard look on his face and the shallow way he was breathing as I scrubbed his cheeks, I lifted a corner of my lip and wryly said, "You finally look hung-over."


    He cracked an eye at that and smiled. His eyes glanced down my naked body once, before closing again. "Totally worth it," he muttered.


    I ran some soap in his hair, watching my fingers turn pink as the dried blood in the blackness came clean. "I don''t see how anything could have been worth that," I muttered.


    Hearing me, he opened his eyes again. His hands came up to my hips, pulling me into him. "You''re worth it. You''re worth anything."


    I sighed at my pinkly suds-up fiance, and laced my arms around his neck. I ran my fingers back through his wet hair and just took a moment to appreciate him. For me, he and the women had willingly done something that they knew would cause them intense pain. And as Halina had explained, while cleaning up the bloody mess he''d left, Teren had made the situation worse, by allowing the nearly toxic food to stay in his system much longer than was necessary, or healthy. She''d explained that anything but blood in their system now had a nearly acidic effect on them, and what Teren had done had literally eaten holes in his body. If it weren''t for his super healing ability, it would have killed him. Sort of brought new meaning to the word allergic. Well, I guess we had a viable excuse for him to not ever eat out with us again - extreme food allergies.


    I smiled and shook my head, kissing him softly and resting my wet head against his. His hand came up to grab some suds on his chest and teasingly, he plopped them on my hair. I laughed and he smiled, then closed his eyes again, too tired to keep them open.


    While he continued to lean against the wall for support, I cleaned the rest of him, paying close attention to his fingers, ears and neck, anywhere where blood would pool, and be visible to someone else. When he was sparkly clean, I shut the water off and helped to dry him.


    Looking half asleep on his feet, we crawled into our oversized bed, naked. His lukewarm from the shower body wrapped around me, and his head dropped down to rest in the crook of my neck. He sighed contently and buried himself further into me. I cradled his head, kissing him softly, before shutting off the lamp and closing my eyes.


    Before sleep took me, I started replaying the evening, again marveling at what he''d done for me. As I smiled and stroked fingers down his back, I whispered, "Thank you."


    Thinking he was already asleep, I was a little surprised to hear him murmur, "You''re welcome," into my skin.


    I hugged him tighter and then a thought struck me. "When did you guys realize you''d have to do this?"


    His body stiffened and I adjusted myself to look at him. Cautiously lifting his head to look at me, apprehension was clear on his face. I furrowed my brow at seeing it. He sighed a cool breath and then closed his eyes for a second, before meeting my gaze. "We''ve always known this would happen this weekend, Emma." He shrugged. "We''ve been preparing, since you first said you wanted it here."


    Horror and guilt went straight though me. I pushed him away and brought my hands to my mouth. "Why didn''t anyone...?" I couldn''t even finish the thought, but Teren understood.


    His hands came to my face, lowering mine. "We didn''t want you to worry about us. We knew we''d be fine...once it was over."


    I shook my head, tears forming again. "We could have gone somewhere else. We could have gotten married at a courthouse, Teren."


    He stopped my sputtering with his lips. When I was calmer, he muttered, "This is what you wanted, what you deserved to have. Our...problems were manageable."


    I stared at him, speechless. Then irritation flared in me, like it does sometimes, when I''m really worried. "You could have given me a heads up! I could have been told what would happen, instead of finding you covered in blood and not knowing why!" My tone got especially heated on the end as I replayed my fear.


    He blanched and looked guilty again. "You''re right...I''m sorry." He shook his head on his pillow, his fingers coming up to move a strand of hair behind my ear. "I just didn''t want to you to worry...and I honestly didn''t know it would be that bad. I''m sorry if I scared you."


    I hugged him tight after he said that, my temporary anger gone. "You did, Teren. You terrified me."


    He murmured that he was sorry again, his voice thick with the need to sleep, and I hugged him tightly, needing him close, even if he was slipping from consciousness. When I again was sure he was asleep, I playfully muttered, "I wonder why Halina got to be the lucky one? You guys draw straws or something?"


    He chuckled in my arms, still awake. "No, she just wouldn''t have been able to tolerate it like us, so it wasn''t an option for her." I pulled back, surprise in my face.


    He looked over my expression, his eyes lighting the distance between us in the dark room. He shrugged. "The side affect of food is less severe for us than for her. Her full vampire body doesn''t react...as well."


    My mouth dropped open at that. As well? I didn''t think him spouting blood all over the bathroom floor was exactly "well". It was worse for Halina? How much worse could it get? He sighed, taking in my stricken face, and shrugged again. "She probably would have lost it at the table."


    I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. Yes...that would have been worse.


    Teren was still asleep when I woke up the next morning. He looked better, as I watched the sunlight flash on his dark hair. His face didn''t look so pale anymore and he didn''t have any circles under his eyes anymore. No sign of fatigue was with him at all as he slept beside me. I shifted on my side to watch him, suddenly realizing that this was the last morning I''d wake up beside my boyfriend. Tomorrow morning, he''d be my husband.


    He was a stone still sleeper: no fidgeting, no fussing, no snoring. Looking at him closer as he laid on his stomach, his head angled towards me, I realized he wasn''t even breathing. Curious, I put my hand in front of his face. Nope, nothing. No breath at all. It was eerie, and too reminiscent of when he''d died, and I pulled my hand away.


    "What are you doing?" he muttered, his eyes still closed.


    I laughed and ran a hand through his hair. A smile cracked his face, the still look finally leaving him as he woke up. "Just seeing if you were alive." I giggled at my own joke and he peeked up at me, his pale eyes amused.


    "Cute."


    I giggled again and sat up on my elbow. "I just never noticed that you don''t breathe when you sleep." I shrugged. "It''s kind of creepy."


    He stirred, inhaling a deep breath, obviously just for show, and then stretched out before propping himself up on his elbow, facing me. "That is just what every man wants to hear on his wedding day." He grinned crookedly at me and leaned in.


    I obliged him, and leaned in to meet him, pressing my lips to his. His slight warmth from his shower last night had worn off, and he was cool again. I tried to not think about that awful moment, of finding him in a pool of his own blood, and I instead focused on the miraculous things he could do with his mouth. He scooted closer to me as I let my memories fade, until his cool body was along the length of mine under the sheets. His hand reached out to pull my elbow out from under me and I gasped as I fell back to the bed. He was on top of me in a flash, still kissing me intently, purposefully.


    Gently pushing him back, I playfully muttered, "What do you think you''re doing?"


    His hands slid over my body as his mouth shifted to my ear. "I really thought you''d have that figured out by now."


    I laughed huskily and pushed him away when his mouth drifted back to mine. "We can''t have sex before we get married, Teren."


    He pulled back, looking normal and healthy, and...incredulous. His hand rested on my stomach and he gently squeezed while cocking an eyebrow. "Really?" His voice matched his disbelieving eyes and I clearly got the implication - ''what does it matter, if I''ve already knocked you up?''


    I laughed and shifted my body out from under his. Standing, I stole the sheet and demurely wrapped it around myself. He frowned at me and made no move to shield his bare body with the remaining covers. I bit my lip as I took in the sight of him, but made my body stay where it was. "Yes, really. We may have done things backwards, but we''ll at least do the wedding night the right way.


    I sat down on the edge of the bed and he finally softly smiled and scooted over to me, covering himself in the process. "Alright, love." He said, after kissing my cheek.


    He looped a lock of hair behind my ear, and I again thought of being this man''s wife. Immediately after that thought, the image of him in blood returned to me. I frowned, wishing I could keep that one away. He frowned too, and I tried to fix my face back to happiness. He''d seen it though. "What''s wrong?" His knuckle stroked my cheek as he looked over my face.


    I could feel my eyes water as I gazed at him, and hated that I was nearly crying already. "I''m just glad you''re okay," I whispered.


    He sighed and pulled me to him. "I''m sorry I worried you. I''m fine...we''re all fine." He pulled us down into the bed, lying on his back and wrapping me securely to his chest. I heard my heart through his body and made myself believe it was his.


    My worries left me as peace flooded me. He held me for what felt like an eternity. It probably would have lasted for an eternity too, except he cocked his head and then started chuckling, covering his body more securely with the bedding between us. I raised my head, curious, but he only grinned and shook his head.


    Just as I was going to ask him what was going on, our door busted open. I gasped in surprise and clutched the sheet wrapped around me even tighter as Tracey and Ashley bounded into our bedroom. Teren didn''t even flinch, and I had to assume he''d either heard them coming.


    Feeling every spot of skin on me heating, I sat up and glared at the two of them. "We could have been having sex, you guys!"


    Ashley blushed and giggled, looking away, but Tracey pouted and looked at Teren like he''d completely let her down. "I know," she muttered gloomily, and I thought that she''d actually been hoping for that. Teren laughed at the look on her face and snuggled farther into the bed, slipping his arms under his head. I was pretty sure he wouldn''t have let us get caught like that, not with those super ears of his, although, sometimes he did get a little...lost in the moment.


    "Good morning, girls," he said brightly, looking completely relaxed and comfortable, even though I knew he was probably a touch embarrassed, and if his skin could still do it, he''d probably be blushing slightly.


    Ashley giggled and greeted him and Tracey gave him a sly grin, probably picturing the thick quilt over the top of him being gone. I rolled my eyes, kind of wanting to smack her, but then she grabbed my hand and helped me pick out some clothes for my big day, while Ashley sat down on the bed.


    Teren and Ashley watched me get dressed under the sheet, managing to slip my clothes on without ever revealing my naked body (an art form that really, only girls have mastered) and then Ashley turned to Teren on the bed.


    "Are you feeling better?" she politely asked him.


    I caught the curiosity in her voice, she had to be wondering what could possibly make a vampire not feel well, but Tracey didn''t seem to catch it, asking Teren before he could answer Ashley, "Yeah, you getting cold feet or something?"


    I inadvertently laughed - Teren''s feet were actually very cold - and he shook his head at me and Tracey before answering my sister, his tone just as polite as hers had been, "I feel much better, thank you."


    When I was dressed, I leaned over him, kissing him firmly, before I had to leave him for the afternoon. Finally, a giggling Tracey and Ashley pulled me off of him. All of us laughing as they held me back, I playfully told him, "I guess I''ll see you later. Don''t be late."


    He grinned and shook his head as the girls literally pulled me through the door. Once in the hallway, I heard him respond with, "I wouldn''t dream of it."


    Several steps down the hall, the giggling girls finally let go of my arms, seemingly assured that I wouldn''t rush back into that gorgeous, naked man''s arms. I was tempted to do just that, but laughing along with them, I let them drag me down the gracefully curving dual staircase to the kitchen.


    Holding hands with my two best human friends, we came across my two moms. My plump mother was humming to herself as she scrambled a pan of eggs on a ceramic burner. Her grin was a wide one as she worked, and her brown eyes sparkled as she looked up at me. I shook my head, thinking my mom was in hog heaven here. My second mother, Alanna, was frying up a batch of bacon, the maple smell mixed with the telltale hiss of frying grease, making my mouth water. I prayed my stomach stayed down today.


    Alanna looked up a second after my mother, and they both nearly greeted me in unison, "Good morning, Emma."


    Feeling giddy and anxious and eager for today, I giggled as I sat on a stool at the center island. Ashley and Tracey each sat on stools beside me, the chairs creaking merrily as they twisted them back and forth experimentally.


    "Good morning, everyone," I said chipperly, sort of feeling like a Disney princess, especially since Tracey had made me put on my fuzzy white slippers with the word bride on the front of each in big, black script. She''d wanted to buy me the matching jacket too, but I''d put my foot down on that one.


    Mom beamed at my enthusiasm, her eyes starting to mist already, and Alanna next to her gave me a warm greeting. I eyed her more carefully than I had my mom, to see if any of her lingering sickness was still with her. But her skin was the normal olive color it always was, her pale blue eyes showed only happiness, and her perfect, lineless face was only giving me a warm look of reassurance. I was sure that if I could have asked her how she was, she would have shaken her head and told me that she''d never felt better.


    Just as I was about to ask her anyway, Tracey popped up beside me. "Teren''s got amazing Pecs, does he work out a lot?"


    Ashley giggled into her palm while my mom gave Tracey a blank look, probably wondering when she''d seen Teren''s chest. I smacked Tracey across the arm as Alanna softly chuckled and studied the bacon she was cooking. Tracey made an offended noise and looked at me, confused. "What? I''m just saying...he''s deceptively defined." She shrugged and ran a hand through her long, blonde locks. Her lip turned up into a wry grin. "That''s not a bad thing."


    I closed my eyes and shook my head, picturing Teren busting up laughing in our room right about now. There was just no way he hadn''t heard her. Alanna pretty much confirmed that for me, by glancing upstairs and smiling widely. Shaking her head, she went back to cooking her bacon. I shifted the conversation by asking what the plan was for today. Mom shook off her confusion at Tracey''s knowledge of Teren''s body (her absolutely correct knowledge), and started animatedly going over her plan to help Alanna prepare all of the food for the guests.


    My jaw dropped at that. They were going to spend all day cooking for, at last count, one hundred and fifty people? Alanna chuckled and assured me that most of the food was already prepared and in the freezer, they simply had to heat them up. They were going to spend today preparing the "finger foods" - cookies, dips, mini-sandwiches, and various forms of pastries. That not sounding like any fun to me, I wished her and Alanna well.


    As the girls and I dug into the steaming plate of food Alanna set before us, I began to wonder how I''d pass the time today. The nervous energy in my body was only building, and the actual ceremony wasn''t until seven o''clock at night, well after dark, so Halina and Imogen would have a chance to fully enjoy the festivities. As the still steaming eggs burnt my tongue with my excited food shoveling, I started to think that maybe I should find a more constructive way to taper off this feeling. Besides, I couldn''t spend all day eating. I did have a dress to fit into tonight. Unfortunately, the only other things I was coming up with, involved Teren''s aforementioned Pecs, and while that would be wildly entertaining for me, it sort of left the other members of my wedding party out.


    As I finished my food way before anyone else, and had started in on my sister''s, Tracey came up with spending the day going out and getting mani/pedis and having our hair twisted into fabulously intricate up-dos. I didn''t really want to leave the ranch, but I was buzzing like a woman who''d just downed six shots of straight espresso, and with my mother emphatically agreeing that they''d get more done without me around, I was finally convinced to go get pampered. It was my day anyway, right?


    Tracey thought it would be fabulously fun to not tell the boys we were leaving. I didn''t spoil her fun, by letting her know that Teren was well aware of everything we''d just talked about. She also thought it was great fun for me to leave my bride slippers on. I groaned dramatically, but secretly loved it. I wanted everyone to know that I was getting married today. Hell, I felt like announcing it on the radio, or interrupting the scheduled programming with breaking news. Something big - because that''s how I felt today, that something big was happening. Something big and wonderful...and eternal.


    After the seventh hug and kiss, my mom practically shoved me out of the kitchen so she could get down to business with Alanna. While hugging Alanna, I did secretly ask her if she was okay, and she did tell me that she felt great. I knew she would say something like that, but at least by my asking, she knew that I''d been worried about her. And I had, I''d worried about them all.


    Whispering a goodbye to Teren, the three of us girls scrambled into Alanna''s sleek sedan that she let us borrow. The car was black and luxurious, with cream leather seats that were so soft, you almost felt like you melted into them. Tracey ran her hand over the edges of the cushions and sighed as her head dropped back. "This is the life." She rocked her head over to me. "Now I seriously wish I''d met Teren first."


    She winked at me, so I knew she was kidding (she was hopelessly in love with Hot Ben, after all), and I shook my head at her, suppressing a laugh. If she realized that the owners of all the fineries she was enjoying this weekend, no longer had heartbeats, she''d never come near this place again. Luxurious or not, Tracey wouldn''t deal with the idea of vampires being real very well.


    As I drove us back into the city, I wondered if we''d even find a place to accommodate three of us on such short notice. Then Tracey pulled out her cell phone and speed dialed her salon. That clued me in that maybe it wouldn''t be a problem. Five minutes later, we all had reservations at Bella Sole. I had to smile that the name of the salon meant Beautiful Sun. If they only knew the irony of them doing a vampire''s fiance''s hair.


    Tracey kept us occupied for hours. Time flew by as we were pampered - our toes painted in a girly shade of pink, our nails dipped and buffed and French manicured, and our hair curled into long spirals and twisted into elaborately done up-dos, except Ash, who had her hair curled, but left it down. Since only one side of her head would grow hair, I think she felt more secure having it the way she was used to having it. The salon girls seemed a little reluctant to touch her at first, but with more than a few tip encouragements from Tracey, they finally got over their unease at my sister''s startling appearance, and by the end, were treating her the same way they treated me.


    After a late lunch at a small cafe close by, we grabbed coffees (and cocoa for me) and headed back to the ranch, eager to start dressing for the big event. Pulling up to the drive, we could see that a few guests had started to arrive, even though it was still hours away from the actual ceremony. Some people just really like weddings.


    The girls pulled me into the guest room Ashley was using, giggling the entire way. We sat on the edge of the bed and talked about all the things girls talk about when they get together: catty girls at work, or at school in Ashley''s case, the current mystery running through our favorite television shows, the most unusual sexual requests, positions and/or places. I kept my mouth shut on that one, thinking that Tracey would not want to know the things my bloodsucker liked doing. While Tracey and Ashley gabbed and changed into their dresses, I started to wonder what my bloodsucker was up to.


    I wasn''t sure how he''d spent his day, or how he was feeling now. I wondered if he was also feeling the anxious butterflies that were currently swarming around my stomach. A stomach that was also starting to veto the BLT I''d eaten at the cafe. Either that or Grande sized hot chocolate I''d just finished tilting back.


    As Ash and Tracey adjusted the clingy, blood red fabric of their dresses, I put a hand on my stomach and exhaled slowly and carefully, hoping pure will power could convince my belly that everything was fine. It wasn''t working though. I closed my eyes as my stomach churned. I felt a bead of sweat on my professionally done makeup and bit my lip, knowing that that was the least of my concerns now. Clamping a hand over my mouth, I shot off the bed and ducked out the door, muttering "be right back" as I ran for a bathroom.


    Running blindly down the hall, I began to wonder where the bathroom was on this side of this stupidly huge house. I ran into an open door that looked promising, and nearly groaned in frustration when I saw it was just another stupid bedroom. Then I noticed the cracked open bathroom door and exhaled in relief. I would have done the happy dance if I''d have had the time. I didn''t though. The only thing keeping down my lunch was the hand covering my mouth.


    Dropping to my knees, I lost it right at the toilet. Knowing I was pretty much ruining my makeup, I couldn''t help a few tears from falling. I hated getting sick. When my body was empty, I sat back on my heels and rested my head on my arms over the seat. I felt myself sniffling, more tears forming, and not wanting to be alone in my discomfort anymore, I suddenly wished Teren was with me, and not out bonding with the boys somewhere.


    As if on cue, cool arms soundlessly wrapped around me. I was pulled back into a muscular chest as the arms twisted me into a carrying position. As he stood, I sighed contently and wrapped my arms around his neck, just glad to have him near. He kissed my head and walked me back to the bedroom. I buried my face in his cool shirt, the smell of the outdoors filling me - water, grass, and nature - all with a light hint of his cologne underneath it. He was manly and wonderful, and his mere presence had a calming effect on my queasy stomach.


    He laid me down on the bed and came up to lie beside me. I lolled my head over to look at him as he propped up on an elbow to watch over me, almost protectively. I smiled at the look of concern in his face. "You found me," I whispered.


    He half-grinned at me, a finger coming out to wipe off my smudged mascara. "I heard you," he said softly, his smile shifting to a pout. "Are you alright?"


    A small laugh escaped me at how trivial my sickness was, compared with what his had been. "I''m fine, Teren, really." I shook my head, my smile feeling huge to me. "This is nothing at all." My arms snuck out to clutch his body and I pulled him into me, like we were two magnets that couldn''t bear to be apart.


    A small laugh escaped him as I clung to his body and then he sank down to the pillows and held me just as tight. "Good," he murmured, his nose sliding along my neck. I shivered at the cool touch and felt him smile as he pressed his lips to a vein there. I had to imagine that vein was pulsing faster than normal. "Why did you run into this guest room anyway? There is a bathroom right by Ashley''s room at the other end of the hall."


    I lightly smacked his shoulder. "Because this house is too damn big, and I have no idea where everything is." He chuckled and I pulled back to look at him, his pale eyes catching a flash of sunlight streaming through the window next to us. "Why were you in the house? I figured you boys would be off in the wilderness somewhere, hunting vicious trout."


    He laughed at my comment and bit his lip. "I''ve been feeling edgy, anxious. " He gave me a sheepish grin. "I was scaring the fish away." I laughed at that while he shrugged at me. "I thought I''d get something to eat, thought maybe that would calm me down."


    I raised my eyebrows at him, happy that he was feeling what I was feeling, but wanting to tease him some. "Oh, nervous?"


    He smiled and shook his head. "No, excited." He bit his lip and then leaned over to kiss me.


    I relaxed into the feeling of that cool mouth on me, that glorious tongue sliding against mine, and let myself indulge in this man I was going to marry, just a few hours from now. My hands threaded up into his hair as he shifted his weight over my body. My fingers slid up his cool t-shirt as his hands palmed me through the outside of my button-up. I groaned and rocked against him as his lips moved down to my neck, that course stubble sending tiny waves of pleasure through me. As his tongue found the spot in the crook of my neck that he preferred, I pulled his hips directly over mine.


    He groaned a little as he instinctually pressed against me. "You know cold cow''s blood won''t satisfy you right now," I whispered in his ear. He growled low in his chest and pressed against me again in answer. I suppressed a moan, quickly inhaling my breath instead. He was ready for more than just a love bite, and I sort of was too. Breathily, I added, "You can snack on me, if you like?"


    "I always like..." He rumbled a low growl again and the lips pressing heated kisses into my skin turned into the pinpricks of fangs, ready to plunge deep inside me. I gasped at the thought, but pushed him back.


    "What do you think you''re doing?"


    He blinked, his eyes full of passion and hunger, his fangs extended to drinking length, and his brows furrowed in puzzlement. "You said..."


    I rolled my eyes and smacked his shoulder. "I''m getting married in a matter of hours." I pointed to the glaringly obvious vein in my neck that he''d been about to puncture. "I don''t need to go down the aisle with a hickey." Or circular fang wounds.


    He looked down, embarrassed. "Oh, right." He peered back up at me with just his eyes. "Then, where?"


    The look of clear desire still on his face, made me feel supernaturally sexy, and with a quick glance to make sure the door was closed, I gently pushed him to the side of me and began slowly unbuttoning my white long-sleeved blouse. His breathing stopped as he lasciviously watched my fingers exposing my skin, button by slow button. When the shirt was completely opened, his breathing started again, heavier than before. With my newly perfect, French manicured nails, I drew a line straight down the middle of my chest. Stopping just above my bra, I grabbed a section of the cup and pulled it back, exposing the creamy skin on the top part of my breast, the part my bra and dress would easily cover.


    "Here," I whispered, my other hand reaching up to his neck and pulling him to me.


    He exhaled a cool breath across my skin, his eyes closing just before contact, and then he sunk his teeth in, gently, tenderly, and yet at the same time, commandingly. I gasped at the tremor of pain, followed by the warm heat of my blood being pulled from me. His cool lips desensitized the skin around the area, and the cool brush of his tongue soothed me, just as surely as it ignited me too. He made a purring noise, his hands clenching and unclenching my hips as he drank from me. I smiled. This was the last time he''d do this from his girlfriend. The next time, I''d be his wife.


    I was in a euphoric, connected, peaceful state of mind, when everything suddenly took a drastic turn. Somewhere in my haze, I registered the one sound Teren and I really couldn''t afford to hear right now. The sound of a door rapidly swinging open.


    "Teren, you in here?"


    Hot Ben stepped into the room, closing the door softly behind him, just as Teren and I both shifted to look. Teren''s super abilities hadn''t registered that Ben was opening the door, until it was too late; he did sometimes get caught up in the moment when we were like this. And we''d definitely just been caught. My mouth dropped a mile wide and my whole body tensed, as Teren lifted his head to stare at Ben, his mouth also wide open in startlement. In the brightly lit room, the blood on Teren''s tongue and dripping down his chin was startling. As were the all too apparent fangs.


    Ben, at first, didn''t notice. "Oh, hey, sorry guys. Trace said she saw Teren go in here, but I didn''t...know you...were both..." His voice trailed off as what he was seeing started clicking together in his mind. I could almost hear the gorgeous boy''s thoughts out loud - Oh, I caught them almost screwing, cool. Wait, why is there blood on Emma''s chest? Wait, why is there blood on Teren''s mouth...and holy shit, are those... fangs?


    Teren inhaled sharply as the realization of what had just happened struck him. His teeth immediately retracted with his breath. Ben''s eyes widened and he scrambled to open the door. "How did you...? Oh my god." He managed to open it in his fumbling, but it was quickly slammed shut by Teren, who was instantly standing at Ben''s side holding shut the door.


    Hot Ben stepped away from him, like he had the plague. "How did you...?" he said again, clearly confused by Teren''s speedy abilities. "Stay back," he muttered as he bumped into a dresser.


    I sat up, pulling my shirt tight to my body, knowing that my white bra and shirt were now bloodstained; Teren hadn''t had time to close the wounds. "Its okay, Ben."


    Ben looked at me, nearly frantic. "Run, Emma, I''ll hold him off."


    I smiled softly, warmed that Hot Ben was willing to take on a vampire for me, and shook my head again. Teren answered Ben before I could start to. Walking toward him with a hand outstretched, like Ben was a terrified dog who might bite him, Teren calmly said, "I can explain. Please...calm down."


    Ben tittered, sounding on the verge of a panic attack as he nervously laughed. "Explain? You can explain your teeth...what the hell was that, Teren?" His eyes shifted to mine. "What the hell were you doing to her?"


    Teren cocked his head, looking flustered and embarrassed, not to mention scared that he''d just lost the closest thing to a friend that he had. While he floundered for something to say, I said, "He was hungry, I told him he could bite me." Still clutching my shirt, I walked over to Teren''s side, putting my other hand on his arm. Teren looked back at me, sadness in his pale eyes.


    Ben looked between the two of us, like we were both mad. His eyes darted to the door behind us and I could nearly see him calculating the odds of getting around both of us lunatics. I sighed and wondered when the screaming would start. Ben opened his mouth a few times, running a hand through his blonde highlights. "Bite you? Hungry? He''s what...? A...a..."


    "Vampire," Teren calmly stated, raising his chin a little.


    Ben snorted, looked at us disbelieving, and then swallowed nervously. "You guys are nuts. I''m gone." He moved then, edging around me to get to the door, but Teren moved to block it. Ben pushed him out of the way. Well, he tried to. I could see that he put a lot of strength into the move, but if Teren didn''t want to move, no human could make him.


    "Let me go," he said through clenched teeth, looking like he was torn between cowering, and peeing in his pants, or fighting back, and using some of his kickboxing skills on Teren. I didn''t know how to tell him that neither response would help him escape.


    "He''s not going to hurt you, Ben," I said quietly behind him.


    Ben flicked a glance back at me, panic and fear only making him more attractive. "Then tell him to let me go." He twisted to me, grabbing my arms painfully in his fright. "Don''t let him kill me." I heard Teren sigh behind him, and start to say his name, but my shirt had fallen open when Ben jarred my hands free and my blood-soaked bra elicited a harsh reaction from an already freaked out Ben. He inhaled in sharp pulls and his tight-to-begin-with fingers, dug in even tighter. I cried out and hunched over as the pain shot through both my arms.


    That was all Teren needed.


    He shoved Ben off of me. And when Teren wanted a human to move, that human moved. Ben flew to the other side of the room, smacking into a wall and sinking down into a slump. He slowly raised his head and Teren was instantly standing right in front of him, bent into an aggressive crouch, a low growl coming from his chest. Ben shied away from him and I hurriedly ran over to the pair, putting a hand on Teren''s back.


    I knew the reason for Teren''s overreaction, but poor Hot Ben would never understand. Teren had helplessly watched me be brutally attacked before, and had vowed to never let that happen again. While Ben wasn''t exactly harming me like our maniac captor had, the instinct to defend me was still the same. Teren would never let anyone harm me again, even a friend.


    I rubbed soothing circles into Teren''s back, urging him to calm down. He looked at me, his fangs extended and a mean sneer still on his face. Seeing my concerned face, his entire body relaxed. Closing his eyes, he sighed and lightly shook his head. When he opened them again, he was calm again, his fangs hidden away. With a sheepish face, he turned to Ben and extended a hand. "Sorry, man. I get a little...protective of her. I didn''t mean to do that." I squeezed Teren''s arm while he extended his hand farther to Ben. "I really wish you hadn''t walked in here."


    Ben stared at his hand, like it might ram through his chest at any second. Looking terrified, he whimpered, "Are you going to eat me now?"


    Teren retracted his hand when it was obvious Hot Ben wasn''t going to touch him. Rolling his eyes, a small laugh escaped him. "Yeah, Ben, I''m gonna drain you dry."


    His tone was incredibly sarcastic, but I elbowed him in the ribs anyway. Ben didn''t catch the teasing note in Teren''s voice and looked about to be sick. "Oh god..."


    I sighed and squatted in front of him, putting my hands on his shoulders. "He''s joking, Ben. He''s not going to kill you." I rolled my eyes and threw a glare at Teren over my shoulder.


    Teren sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I''m still the same person, Ben. I''m still the same smartass that goes fishing with you, and jokes with you about Tracey''s shoe fetish." His hands patted his chest as his brows scrunched in hopelessness. "I''m still me. This is just a part of...me, but it doesn''t change my character. I''m still the same guy that you know. Am I a killer?"


    Ben grudgingly looked over my shoulder at him. Inhaling a calming breath, he kept his gaze locked on Teren''s. I could practically see the courage building in him, as he considered all the times that Teren could have killed him, if he''d really wanted to. He obviously hadn''t, Ben was still a breathing human being, so maybe he was piecing it together that being a vampire, didn''t automatically make you bad.


    With a shake of his head and a much clearer voice he said, "You''re...a vampire."


    Teren extended his hand to Ben again, his face nearly begging Ben to take it. "Yes...and I''d never kill you."


    Ben eyed him for long moments as I moved away from the two friends. Finally, Ben nodded and took his hand. Ben stared at that hand while Teren effortlessly pulled him up. "I really am sorry about flinging you into a wall," Teren said sheepishly.


    Ben didn''t respond to that, just kept staring at Teren''s hand after they separated. Finally he pointed at it. "Is that why you''re always so cold?" Teren shrugged and nodded. Ben ran a hand down his face as he slowly shook his head back and forth. "I can''t believe this." He looked over at me, slowly buttoning back up my shirt. "And you''ve known about this?"


    I bit my lip and then nodded. "From nearly day one." I walked over to Teren and grabbed his hand, lacing our fingers together and gazing up at him adoringly. He looked back at me, adoration clear on his face too, although, I could see the worry in there. He''d really loved his time with Hot Ben. I looked back to Ben, my voice as confident as my gaze. "Believe me, when I say that you don''t have to worry about him hurting you...or me...or any human." I shrugged as Ben''s mouth dropped open a little. "He doesn''t eat people."


    Ben''s still startled face shifted to take in the embarrassing stain right over my breast. Damn, I''d really liked this shirt too. Teren followed his gaze and coughed once, a little embarrassed. "Um, that wasn''t really eating..." He looked back at Ben, a devilish half-smile on his face. "That was more...foreplay."


    Ben''s eyes widened again and then he shook his head, running both hands down his face and then back through his hair. He seemed a little confused as to how drawing blood could possibly be erotic. Oh, if he only knew...


    Teren put a hand on Ben''s shoulder and Ben looked up at him, his beautiful face an odd combination of horror and wonder. As I thought of his panicked reaction, I started remembering my own initial reaction. Teren had always said I was rare. As I watched Ben''s eyes slightly widen as they focused on where Teren was touching him, and I remembered Teren telling me that nearly every other girl he''d ever told, had had much the same reaction as Ben, I came to appreciate just how rare and odd my initial reaction had been. And what a relief that must have been to Teren. I squeezed his hand tighter.


    In a soothing voice, Teren spoke to Ben, as one would a person going through shock. "Ben, I know this is hard to take in and I''ll admit, having you know about this, would make our friendship so much easier..." he shook his head, a heavy sadness in his eyes, "but, if this freaks you out too much, you don''t need to remember it." He shrugged on the end of that and looked resigned that, either way, things would be different. And I suppose they would. Ben would either remember, and have to come to terms with Teren''s reality, or he''d have his mind wiped, and Teren would have to deal with the fact that his best friend couldn''t accept him for what he really was. I squeezed his hand even tighter and he lightly squeezed back.


    He dropped his hand from Ben''s shoulder as Ben gave him a blank look. "What do you mean?" Ben backed up a step, like Teren was about to do something. "What are you gonna do to me?"


    Teren sighed, cocking his head and muttering something under his breath. I wondered what, but figured he was probably speaking to his family. They had to know what was going on. Well, maybe not Halina, since she was probably still sleeping. Teren sighed again before answering him. "I won''t do anything... but when Halina wakes up-"


    "Halina?" Ben interrupted, his eyebrows furrowing into perfectly attractive points. "Your step-mom''s hot sister?" Teren started to speak, but I could see the light go off in Ben''s brain as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped. "Oh, god...she''s one too." He cocked his head at Teren. "Did you turn her?" His eyes hardened just a bit at that, like, if Teren said yes, then he was going to kick his ass. I bit my lip to stop the inappropriate laughter that was bubbling inside of me.


    Teren gave him a half-smile and shook his head. "No, actually, she''s my great-grandmother, and she''s the one that...spawned all of us." Teren chuckled lightly then and I couldn''t help but match him.


    Ben gaped at us. "All of..." His mouth dropped open further as more lights clicked on. "Oh god, they''re all...the whole family?"


    Teren shook his head, still chuckling. "No...my dad is human."


    Ben looked pale, and I released Teren to help him sit on the bed, sitting beside him and stroking his broad back soothingly. Ben ran his hands through his hair repeatedly, before slumping his head in his hands over his knees. "All of them..." He looked up at Teren. "It''s all a lie?" His face looked incredulous, and a little hurt.


    Teren sat on the other side of him, careful to keep his distance. "Yes. But you can understand why we have to, right?"


    Ben nodded woodenly, still looking lost in thought. He stared at his knees for a moment before looking over at Teren again. "Then, Alanna...?"


    Teren smiled widely for the first time since this little fiasco. "Is my mother, my birth mother."


    Ben looked incredulous again. "Vampires can have children?" I giggled, my hand going to my stomach reflexively. Ben caught the movement and blushed, realizing that of course they can, since I was expecting. It wasn''t that simple, but Ben didn''t need to know all the gory details. "Oh," he muttered, looking between my stomach and Teren.


    Teren beamed at me, not feeling the need to explain all the facts to Ben either. Ben watched our little love fest for a minute, and then turned to me. "Aren''t you worried that they''ll," he flung his hands at my stomach and shrugged, "you know?"


    I cocked my head, completely confused. "That they''ll what?"


    Ben flushed and shrugged again. "Eat you...from the inside."


    His face grimaced at the thought. Mine did too, and at the same time that my hand came around and smacked him harshly in the chest. "God, Ben! Ew!" I smacked him again as he cringed away from me and Teren chuckled.


    Trying to defend himself, Ben muttered, "Hey, I''m just saying, there has to be blood and stuff in there and what if they get hungry and you know..."


    I smacked him again, really putting my comparatively frail human strength behind it. Ben made pained noises as he tried to block my hits. "God! No! They are just babies. There will be no blood swilling in the womb. Ew!" I smacked him again as Teren full on laughed.


    Ben finally managed to stop me from clobbering him and apologized, throwing a, "she''s worse than you," to Teren, which made him laugh even harder. As I watched the exchange, I thought about what he''d just said and whispered to Teren, "That won''t happen, right?"


    Hot Ben was busy rubbing his arm from where I''d fisted him and hadn''t heard me, but Teren had, and gave me a ''really'' face before rolling his eyes and shaking his head, no. I smiled and relaxed. That''s what I''d thought anyway.


    When the laughter died down, Ben looked back at Teren and silently stared at him, like he was seeing him for the first time. Finally, he shook his head and muttered, "I still can''t believe it. I mean, we''ve hung out during the day...we went camping for God''s sake." He scrunched his brow. "I''ve seen you eat...lots of times. Are you sure you''re a vampire?"


    Teren chuckled and then sighed, knowing he''d have to explain his special brand of vampirism. Taking a few minutes he went over his family line. When he was done, Ben looked even more confused. "So...you can eat, and be in the sun, and you were born, not created, so...you''re mainly human?"


    Teren sighed. "No, not...anymore."


    Ben scrunched his face, his perfect features looking so puzzled, it was charming. "He died recently. Side effect of vampirism," I said while Teren gave me a loving glance.


    Ben''s mouth opened and he looked from me back to Teren. "Oh, sorry, man." He gave Teren an odd, friendly pat on the arm, like I''d just said Teren''s dog had died, and not him.


    Teren laughed at the move and shrugged his shoulders. "It''s not so bad." I laughed at his causal answer to being a member of the walking dead, and Hot Ben shook his head, still stunned. I patted Ben''s back, hoping he''d choose to remember this conversation, for Teren''s sake.


    As he was still piecing the puzzle together, he looked between the two of us and shook his head, yet again. "But...you ate last night?"


    I stopped laughing as I thought of that. Teren did too, as his eyes locked to mine. A moment of shared sympathy passed between us and then Teren answered Ben''s question. "I...paid the price for that."


    Ben brought a hand to his chin, making a connection. "Oh, that''s why you were sick." Teren nodded and Ben looked amazed. "You willingly got sick, to pass as human?"


    I nodded, my eyes watering. "Yes, he did." My hand stretched across Hot Ben to grab Teren''s knee and he laid his cool hand over mine, squeezing gently before releasing it.


    As I pulled back, Ben watched our connection break, his face still speculative. "The club...the drinks?" He looked over at a suddenly sheepish Teren.


    "I switched my full ones for your empty ones." Teren shook his head, his eyes apologetic. "You never noticed."


    Ben suddenly laughed, his face relaxing. "God, I thought I''d suddenly become a lightweight." Teren laughed with him and then, still studying his odd friend, Ben''s face turned serious again. "So, that''s your whole life? Playing a role, living a lie?"


    Teren sighed, looking past him to me. "It feels like that sometimes." He shrugged. "I wouldn''t if I had a choice. But this...isn''t a choice for me. It never was." Ben sighed and put a hand on Teren''s shoulder. I nearly cried at the contact, so did Teren. His eyes watered a bit, as he watched Ben''s reaction carefully. "So, like I said, we have ways to make you forget, if you don''t want to remember this." That last part came out in a whisper, and the moisture in his eyes got dangerously heavy.


    Ben looked him over and then looked back at me. "I just...I need a minute to process this." He looked back at Teren. "Do I have a minute?"


    Teren nodded, smiling slightly. "Of course."


    Ben looked at each of us again and stood shakily. "I need to go lie down," he muttered.


    Teren nodded and stood with him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ben looked back at him, not flinching at the contact. I took that as a promising sign. "You can''t tell Tracey, you can''t tell anyone." He gave him a pointed look. "We''re trusting you."


    Ben swallowed and nodded. He took a step to the door then turned to look at me. "You''ve know about him from the beginning, Emma?" I smiled and nodded. Ben shook his head, amazement in his face. "Wow, you''re a strong person. I don''t think I could..." He let that trail off, as he looked back at Teren. My earlier hope that he''d be okay with it, faded a bit.


    As he took a step towards the door, Teren called out to him. "Ben." As he looked back, Teren continued. "Halina will make the choice for you, if she knows that you know. You can''t let her see that you know the truth." Ben swallowed, looking a bit frightened again. He took another step towards the door when it seemed that Teren was finished. As he got to the handle, Teren spoke again. "I would really rather you make this choice for yourself, so please, be careful what you say...even alone. We have exceptionally good hearing."


    With his hand still clasping the metal lever of the door, he turned his bleach-blonde highlighted head back to Teren, a perfect brow cocked. "How good?"


    Teren smirked and took a step towards the door. Lowering his voice, he said, "Good enough to know that last night, Tracey asked you if you would..." Teren looked over at me and then took a step to Ben, whispering something in his ear.


    Ben paled, his mouth dropping. "Jesus, Teren! We weren''t even in the same building as you."


    Teren raised an eyebrow. "I know..."


    Ben paled more, his blue eyes as wide as lakes. "Oh, that means they all..."


    Teren grinned and nodded and Ben shut his mouth, flushing with color as he said, "God, I wish I''d known that earlier." He cringed and shrugged. "Sorry."


    Teren laughed and patted his shoulder. "Don''t worry, I''ve heard worse." Then Teren cringed and Ben let out a nervous laugh. Sighing at the both of us, Hot Ben shook his head and finally opened the door to leave. I was happy that he was at least not screaming at the top of his lungs. Muttering goodbye, he practically fled the room that had probably just changed his entire view on life.


    I sighed and walked up to Teren, clasping his hand. He sighed and looked down on me. Not knowing what about that to comment on, I playfully said, "So...what did Tracey ask him?" I grinned and Teren grinned with me.


    "You don''t want to know," he whispered in my ear as he leaned down to kiss my cheek.


    I sighed and rested my head against his shoulder. "Now what do we do, Teren?"


    He sighed and rested his head against mine. "Now...we get married."

 Page 7

    There are a lot of things that happen when you get married. The first of which, is having your friends and family dress you like you''re suddenly incapable of doing it yourself. After Teren escorted me from that fateful guest room, he took me back to Ashley''s room, where even I could hear the ruckus laughter emanating. The two girls inside were sipping on glasses of champagne, and doing last minute adjustments to their hair and makeup when we opened the door.


    Tracey squealed when she saw Teren standing beside me, both giving him congratulations for the upcoming nuptials, and admonishing him for confiscating me for a quickie before the ceremony. Neither one of us wanting to explain what had just happened, we let her think that. Plus, Teren was shirtless, since I was wearing his t-shirt (I couldn''t have walked into that room with a blood-soaked boob now, could I? Not without squeals of a different kind). And as Teren had felt the need to escort me all of the way into Ashley''s room, claiming he was worried I''d get sick again, when really, I think he just needed the comfort of my presence, after the tension with Ben, sex was really our only cover story.Advertisement


    Teren took the commotion (and Tracey''s relentless teasing about the absence of my shirt) with an embarrassed grace. His eyes betraying the true worry he felt over recent events, he kissed me softly on the head and told me he''d see me at the altar. Those words passing his lips had a way of making me forget that a friend had discovered our secret. That was, until he left and I was attacked by Tracey. Having her fuss over me, while I discreetly slipped on a bra of Ashley''s (thank goodness we were nearly identical in more ways than one), reminded me that Hot Ben was no longer clueless Hot Ben. As Tracey stripped off my clothes, I hoped Ben wouldn''t break Teren''s heart.


    The second thing about getting married, besides no one letting you do anything for yourself, is that you''re not allowed any freedom. Once I was in my white gown, I may as well have secured myself in heavy manacles, down in the deepest dungeon. True, it was the nicest dungeon on earth, but still, I wasn''t allowed to leave Ashley''s room. A prisoner in white satin and a crystal tiara. Only bathroom breaks were being allowed, and even those were monitored and supervised, the hallway cleared of outsiders like my friends were the secret service and I was some foreign dignitary.


    I was allowed a few visitors to help me pass the time, mainly family, so really, just Mom and Alanna, so I had to watch the growing festivities through the window. Through my peephole into the real world, I could see one of the pastures near the front of the house, where Jack and Jack''s trusted hired hand, Peter Alton, were having guests park their cars. Some of the more uppity looking people did not looked pleased about walking through the mud to get to the house. I smiled, knowing their view of the ranch would change dramatically, once they got inside.


    The time passed slowly, my nervous energy dissipating a little in my boredom, as I watched distant relatives and friends of friends walk through the muck to come view my wedding to a vampire. Mom and Ashley regaled me on tales of what such-and-such a cousin was wearing, and how the forty year old ex of a far-off uncle had brought her twenty year old boyfriend. I laughed with them at their stories, and then the group of us started taking candid photographs.


    Teren and I weren''t doing the traditional posed photos. We''d rather have everyone looking natural and causal, so we could remember people how they really looked. Like Teren had said, "Capture people in their natural environment." As my friends and I snapped at least three dozen "natural" photos, and a couple risque ones of me for Teren, it was finally time to face the music. The wedding march music, to be more precise.


    That brings me to the last thing that happens at weddings. Your friends become your ability to stand up straight and walk upright, as your body becomes so overwhelmed with love and terror and excitement, that the very act of breathing becomes too difficult to do properly. With my entire body lightly shaking, the closest people in my life led me away, supporting me with their arms wrapped around my laced covered ones. We slowly walked down the hallway to a side door that led out back to the pool. Out back to where my vampire was dressed to the nines, and probably waiting just as anxiously as I was, only with every eye already on him. I gave a nervous titter at the thought of him all antsy out there. I really hoped Hot Ben was still standing beside him.


    My nerves shot to near panic level when the door was opened and the sound of orchestral music, mixed with the smell of lit candles, filtered back to me with the swirling air wrapping around my body, the slightly colder air from the outside forcing back the warmer air from the inside. As my comforts started leaving me one-by-one to set the stage before me, I clasped on to my anchor, my lifeline - my mother.


    Once Ashley and Tracey had left me, and mom and I were alone in the hallway, I turned to her, grasping her upper arms as icy terror flooded through me. "Mom, I can''t do this."


    She calmly looked me over, tears in her eyes as she gently stroked my cheek with her thumb. All she said was, "He loves you...and he''s waiting."


    A calm peace flowed through me. He loved me...and I loved him. That''s all that mattered. I nodded, a true smile breaking over my face as my mom and I hugged. I clung to her, to that last tie of my childhood that I was truly leaving behind, and felt the tears sting my eyes already.


    I vaguely heard the music that was my cue, and vaguely heard my mother tearfully tell me that it was time as she handed me my bouquet of flowers. Grabbing them with one hand, I wrapped my other around her arm, pulling strength from the contact. Then she led me out those doors, and led me to my future.


    The rustle of people standing was what I noticed first. I couldn''t really see much, and I was supremely grateful that Mom wasn''t leaving my side, as tears hazed over my vision. I could make out the red of the carpet that was leading me to the white canopy, holding every person in this world I cared about. I felt the bodies standing around the outskirts of the tent, too many people inside to all fit well, and felt the heat of the outdoor lamps as we passed by them.


    A whispering followed me wherever I went, and I could just make out the words - "beautiful", "gorgeous", "wonderful". I tucked the praises away in my brain, storing them away for later days, when I knew I''d need the positive reinforcement. Then Mom and I were under the tent and my hazy vision turned crystallized. The tears in my eyes caught the twinkling lights strung everywhere underneath the canvas and expanded them to glowing snowflakes. The spectacular beauty of them stole my breath as we walked along that red carpet leading me to the altar.


    Then the water in my eyes became too great to bear, and the heavy tears dropped to my cheeks. As they did, my vision cleared and Teren was the first thing I saw. Teren was the only thing I saw. I was positive more people were in the tent, I could still hear the whispering above the procession of the music, but I took no note of them. My soon-to-be husband was waiting, and with tears on his cheeks too as he smiled at me.


    I held his pale gaze as more tears dropped off my cheeks, staining my dress. I didn''t care, I barely noticed. Mom brought me ever closer to him and my breath came faster with each step. He was mine, he was waiting. His smile was glorious as he stood in his jet-black tuxedo, matching his jet-black hair, his hands calmly clasped together in front of himself. He stood tall and straight, the sharp tux, with a button collar instead of a tie, and a silver vest peaking out underneath the jacket, emphasizing every enticing thing about him.


    He was...perfect.


    As my mother handed me off to him, something inside me changed as well. As his cool hand took mine, I felt something shift inside me, some instinct buried deep within me, something that told me that everything was going to be fine, because we were now in this together - for life. I''d never worried about Teren straying on me, not with what we meant to each other, but as his fingers interlaced mine, a calm assurance filled me. This man would love me, with the same intensity that had driven him to throw Hot Ben against a wall to protect me, until my very deathbed. My looks, my body, my mental facilities...none of that fading from me, would keep him from my side.


    I turned to him, facing him, suddenly feeling as if the rest of this ceremony wasn''t even necessary. I completely understood what he''d meant when he told me once, that in his eyes, I was his the day I''d saved him. That, to him, I was already his wife. And he was right. We were already married, already bound, in our souls, if not on some legal document.


    My eyes lost in his, I heard the gruff voice of their friendly hired hand fill the space of the tent. There were introductions and a poetic rendering on the meaning of love, and, although I never turned from Teren to look at him, I imagined the leathery Jack Palance-like man speaking of love, and couldn''t suppress a giggle. Peter Alton led the crew that helped the family out throughout the year (more for show than anything else) and he was pure cowboy, rough and hard, and with a heart of gold. Or so I had to believe, since I also believed he was well aware of the family''s true nature, and worked for them anyway.


    As he got to the section about exchanging rings, Teren''s eyes finally pulled away from mine. He looked behind him to his dad, who handed him my ring, a beaming smile on his aged face as he stood next to his son. It was probably a little odd to my distant relatives that Teren''s dad was standing up as his best man, instead of some twenty something guy, but that was just Teren''s family. They were close. As Teren turned back to me, I looked past Jack and felt myself sigh with relief. Hot Ben was standing beside him, looking pale and nervous, and eyeing Teren cautiously. I knew from his behavior that he still remembered what Teren was, and he''d decided to stand beside him anyway. Again, I could have kissed Ben.


    Finally registering what I needed to do, I turned to Ashley standing beside me, her blood red dress making her look elegantly beautiful, the elaborate curls on half of her head facing the direction of the crowd. From their perspective, she''d look nearly normal. To me, she looked perfect. I gave her a quick hug, handing her my bouquet of white roses and then taking Teren''s unadorned platinum band from her. I flashed a quick smile at Tracey behind her, looking exceedingly hot in her skintight dress and intricate up-do, and then turned back to Teren.


    Opting for our own words instead of prepackaged ones (since nothing about our relationship was prepackaged), Teren began speaking to me as he slipped the ruby encrusted ring on my finger. I swallowed as silent tears ran down my cheeks.


    "Emma Taylor, I think I fell for you, the moment you dumped your coffee all over my shirt." He grinned and a soft laughter went around the tent, followed by a round of soft sniffling. He tilted his head as he gazed at me adoringly. "I would have married you on that first day in the coffee shop, if you''d have had me."


    I smiled at his sentiment and he stroked my fingers, once the ring was in place. "I promise you that I will always love you, that I will always take care of you, and that I will never let any harm come to you." A silence filled the tent as Teren''s face got intensely serious at those words. I understood the meaning though, and even more tears slid down my skin.


    Clutching my fingers, he added, "I will be your husband until the day I die." With tears building in his eyes and falling down his cheeks, he softly said, "I will love you, for the rest of my life."


    A sob escaped me and tears fell rapidly at hearing those words, at seeing the tears running down his cheeks, at understanding what he really meant by that. When most grooms say things like that, they are assuming that they will live a long life together, and will each die within a relatively short amount of time of the other. With most men, those sentences merely imply that ''I will never love another while we are both alive, that I will never stray, and we will still be in love with each other on our deathbeds''.


    But when Teren says those things, he knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that I will die before him, quite possibly, centuries before him. What he is really saying, is that he will literally mourn me, miss me, and love me...for eternity. That he will never move on from me, will never marry another. I will always be his wife, no matter how many hundreds of years we were apart. It was a heartbreaking admission and I openly sobbed. I heard others sniffling at his sentimentality, but really, only his family understood our true pain at those beautifully simple, yet horribly complex words.


    Knowing I was skipping a step, I reached up and kissed him. The sniffling in the crowd shifted to laughter and Peter coughed and said, "We''re not there yet," but I ignored them. My man had just said something that deserved a bigger response than me sobbing in front of him. I poured my soul into that kiss, letting him know that I would make the short time we were together worth it. I would give him the memories he could take with him, for the rest of his supernaturally long life.


    Finally we broke apart as the crowd openly laughed at us. I sniffled and wiped my eyes, muttering an apology to Peter. He smiled warmly at me, shaking his head and looking very debonair in his gray dress suit. He indicated the ring I was still holding, and I turned back to Teren, to slip it on his finger.


    I said something, something warm and loving that brought tears to Teren''s eyes and made him smile warmly at me. It wasn''t nearly as moving as what he''d said, although the crowd still sniffled, not realizing just how heart-wrenching Teren''s speech actually was. While I couldn''t remember the words in my hormonal, emotionally charged vows, the overall sentiment was - I love you more than words can express, and that will never stop.


    After that, we kissed again, and a laugh went over the crowd again until Peter finally gave up and simply proclaimed our kissing bodies husband and wife. I ignored the thunderous applause and the sensation of several bodies standing and clapping; I already knew we were husband and wife. Teren and I kissed, smiled and hugged. Finally we tore our attention off of each other, long enough to take in the crowd of well wishers.


    I didn''t know a lot of them, only having heard of them through family stories my mom told, but some were familiar and I smiled warmly at them. At the people I loved, I smiled brightly - My mother, her eyes a red, watery mess. Alanna, her eyes so pink from her pink tears, that she almost looked like she had an infectious disease. Imogen, who was clapping at us and swallowing repeatedly. I could tell she was forcing herself not to cry; vampires cried pure blood, and although that trait had faded away by the time it had diluted to Teren, it was still pretty obvious in the fifty percent vampire that was Imogen. Beside her, her bare arms wrapped around her daughter, was Halina. No tears were on the vampire''s cheeks, nor did she seem to be holding back any, but her face beamed at us as she hugged Imogen.


    After another moment of the clapping, Teren took my hand and led me down the carpet path placed over the Plexiglas floor above the pool. Along the sides of the carpet, I could see the pool water glowing blue, lit from the bulbs beneath it. Combined with all the candles and the twinkling lights above, the space was well lit, and no trace of a glow was in Teren''s eyes as he shook hands with my relatives, no glow but a happy one, that is.


    The music shifted to a happy beat as Teren and I drifted over to the barbeque area of the patio, where the tables of food were being set up. People congratulated us and gave me hugs. In fact, I hugged so many people that my automatic response to someone walking in front of me was to grab them and enclosed them in a teary embrace. Teren thought that was pretty funny, since I didn''t even know the majority of the people''s names.


    Between the bustle of talking to strangers and having my sister shove some food in my mouth, some sort of teriyaki beef that was to die for, the folding chairs were swished off the pool, and the red carpet rolled away. As I noticed people starting to dance on the huge Plexiglas floor, I also noticed that the lights under the pool had started shifting to different colors in time to the music. They pulsed red and then blue and then a really beautiful green. I smiled around a mouthful of food at the beauty of my fairytale wedding. And I hadn''t planned any of it really.


    I firmly embraced and thanked every in-law I could find after that. With tears running down my cheeks, I even told Halina I loved her. She smirked at that, raised an eyebrow to Teren, and then proceeded to bump and grind a couple of my cousins on the dance floor, her super short, strapless dress, riding even higher up her toned thighs.


    I pulled Teren out to that dance floor, and much to my mother''s dismay, we danced all night long. People were so entertained by the environment and the food and the music, not to mention the wine and the huge hot tub that a few brave souls jumped in, that no one really noticed that we skipped over the cake cutting, just serving the slices instead, and no one gave any champagne toasts, we didn''t need them anyway. Well, my mom noticed, trying to get me off the floor several times to do the "formally correct" wedding things, but I ignored her, only hugging Teren tighter as he twirled me around the see-through floor, and telling her we''d do it later. Of course, I had no intention of doing that, as my husband couldn''t eat or drink, and I was not about to subject him to another round of blood-chucking on our wedding night. I had much more appealing plans for him than that.


    Eventually, Mom let it die, Alanna helping with that by keeping her occupied on the floor with her and Ashley. When it was horribly late at night, the revelers finally started dispersing. I cried and hugged each one, telling my third cousin, Tyra, that I loved her and we''d get together soon, even though we''d never hung out before and I wasn''t even sure of her last name.


    When just a handful were left, and Teren and I were sleepily slow dancing, Hot Ben and Tracey came up to us. Teren stopped our movement and we broke apart, both of our eyes on Ben. Tracey, oblivious and slightly tipsy, congratulated us both and gave us each long hugs and sloppy kisses on the cheeks. After pulling apart from Teren, which made Ben clench his jaw, she slurred, "It''s getting cold out here." With a grin she added, "You should go upstairs before Teren turns into a Popsicle."


    I giggled at that, but stopped when I noticed the pale look on Ben''s face. Teren extended a hand out to the side of the pool and asked Ben to talk to him for a minute. Ben swallowed, but eventually nodded, looking around at all the human witnesses before he did so.


    I sighed at his reluctance to be alone with him, and without seeming like I was eavesdropping, which I was, I turned to Tracey, who muttered to me, "Did you see Ben during the ceremony?" She shook her head, her now freed blonde curls dancing, "You''d think he was getting married up there, by how nervous he was."


    I giggled self-consciously as Tracey frowned at her seemingly reluctant to commit boyfriend. I was pretty sure that that wasn''t the case, since Ben adored Tracey, but I couldn''t really explain the reason for Ben''s nerves to her, so I didn''t comment. Luckily I didn''t need to, as a beaming Ashley joined us.


    "We''re gonna take off, sis," Ashley said brightly.


    I cocked my head at her. "You''re not gonna stay until tomorrow?"


    She shook her head and she and Tracey both giggled. "No way, we don''t want to be anywhere near you on your big night."


    I flushed furiously and smacked her arm. "God, Ashley. We''re in a different building for goodness sake." I wasn''t worried about their ears hearing us anyway.


    She and Tracey exchanged a look and then they laughed again. "Yeah, we know." I completely couldn''t hear what Ben and Teren were talking about, over their fresh bout of giggles, but figured Teren would tell me later. Wife''s privilege, right?


    I sighed and smacked them again before they went off to pack their stuff. As they walked away, Teren and Hot Ben came back. They both looked worn, but had slight smiles on their faces. As Ben gave me a hug goodbye, I watched Teren over his shoulder. He cocked his dark head, listening, and then muttered something under his breath. I knew he was talking to his family, and could easily imagine which one. As Ben and I broke apart, I looked over to the other end of the dance floor. Halina was staring at us unabashedly, her eyes narrowed in disapproval as she stood still amid the handful of dancers left.


    Ben noticed my gaze and looked at her too. He sucked in a quick breath as he caught her glaring at him. I think if Halina had made the slightest move towards us, he''d have bolted. "Oh god, did she hear Teren and me talking? Does she know that I know?"


    I didn''t need to answer him, for Halina, several feet away from where he''d whispered that, nodded, slowly and deliberately. There was no question that she was answering him. He gasped and backed up into Teren. Teren put a hand out to steady him and Ben looked back, a little unsure about his closeness. Teren kept his eyes on Halina, as he firmly said, "You won''t be bothered, Ben. You''re free to go home, if you wish."


    Halina shifted her gaze to Teren, clearly not happy about that, but made no move to disagree with his decree. Ben took Halina''s distraction as a chance to scramble away from us. I sighed as I turned to watch him leave, both grateful that he''d chosen to remember, and sad that he wasn''t as instantly okay with it as I had been. Although, when it came to Halina, even I had needed a minute to adjust. Teren''s eyes still on Halina, I heard him mutter, "We''ll talk about this later."


    Halina shot him a glare and then turned to walk away from the pool, out the back of the patio where she could disappear into the night. I figured a cow or two were going down tonight and I hoped no humans were, deserving or not. Teren sighed and looked down on me, an arm wrapping around my satiny waist. I sighed as I wrapped an arm around him.


    "So?" I asked.


    He shook his head. "He says he wants to remember...but I feel like he, just as much, wants to forget." His eyes looked sad as he softly smiled. "I don''t know if we''ll ever be the same, but I don''t think he''ll say anything." His eyes lifted to a point off to his right, where he could sense his great-grandmother in the darkness. "And if he does...she''ll take care of it."


    I patted his chest, leaning into his side in sympathy. I knew what that friendship had meant to him, and I hoped it could somehow survive. Before I could respond to him, the rest of the guests started coming up, saying their goodbyes. My mother said it last, wishing us well, but not wanting to stay and pester our first night together. I automatically put a hand on my ever-so-slightly expanded belly, thinking it was nowhere near our first night together, but understanding my mom''s sentiment. In a way, it was our first night together, as husband and wife anyway.


    As she left, Alanna came up to us. With tears in her eyes, she congratulated us both. Then she turned and started to walk away, towards the darkness Halina had disappeared into. "Where are you going?" I called after her.


    She turned, a knowing smile on her lips. "We are all spending the night at the ranch hand''s home." Her arm lifted to indicate the massive, empty spread. "You have the main house all to yourself."


    I flushed everywhere as I stammered out a thank you. She shook her head and giggled, the youthful sound matching her youthful appearance, and then she blurred from sight. Teren chuckled at seeing her dash away, and then swept me into his arms, a broad smile on his face. "Mrs. Adams, are you ready to retire for the evening?"


    I tightened my arms around his neck, pushing aside my embarrassment as the desire to rip off that incredible tuxedo struck me. "Oh, yes, Mr. Adams." I leaned in, giggling as I kissed him.


    I felt his strong arms tighten and then the rush of air as he blurred us upstairs, no longer having to hide his abilities in this empty home. An empty home that for once wouldn''t be privy to my moans of passion. I delighted in that fact, just as much as I delighted in the feel of his stubbly jaw along my sensitive skin.


    He set me down beside our massive bed, a fire in the fireplace already going and dozens of candles around the room, already filling it with the heady scent of vanilla. The multiple flickering orange lights masked the glow of his eyes and emphasized the desire in them. He stepped away from me, his hands trailing down the lace sleeves as he took me in. "That dress...is spectacular," he murmured.


    His eyes, combined with his feather-light touch down my arms, heated my core, made me start to burn with need for him. He inhaled deep, his eyes unfocused when they came back to mine. Stepping toward me, his body lightly brushing mine, he leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Do you have any idea how good you smell...when you''re ready for me?" His nose ran up my bare throat, left purposefully unadorned for him, since my bare neck was what he preferred most, and a gasp escaped me, my knees feeling weak. "When you''re wet...because of me?"


    I could only groan at his erotic words, speech not really capable in my brain anymore. His cool lips closed over an earlobe as his hands ran up my back, the chilly fingers tracing the heart outline between my shoulder blades, giving me goose bumps. As his mouth shifted back to mine and my fingers traveled up to that dark, thick hair, he started popping open the pearl buttons along my spine.


    He did each one at a slow, human speed, and it took awhile; they went all the way down to my backside. Then, with our mouths never stopping, he slipped the satin and lace material off my shoulders. His fingers followed the fabric down my arms and my breath picked up with each new inch of skin exposed. When my arms were free, his fingers explored the ribbon corset highlighting my ample cleavage before he let the dress drop. When all that remained was a satiny white pool of symbolic purity, he pulled away from my mouth and gazed at my body. His face was anything but pure as he took me in.


    His breath heavier, he trailed one finger along the strap of my snow white bra. Achingly slow, he followed the strap down to the cup. My chest heaving at this point, he dipped his finger into the cup, twisting it, so the cool pad could caress the twin wounds he''d made earlier. I gasped at the sensation and the memory, and attacked his mouth, ripping his jacket off in the process.


    He lifted my body out of the remnants of my heavy dress and set me on the bed. Leaning over me, still kissing, he helped me remove his shirt and vest and other fabulous adornments. When only his lower body was dressed, he straightened and looked down at me. Under his powerful gaze, my shaking fingers went to the button of his pants and slowly unfastened them. His hand came up to run through a curl in my up-do and as I, amazingly slow, opened the zipper of his black slacks, he pulled out the pins keeping my hair in place.


    At the same time that I freed his pants and pushed them down his hips, he freed my hair and fluffed out the curls around my shoulders. He left the tiara on. He kicked off his shoes and socks after stepping out of his pile of pants and then, only in his black boxer-briefs, he leaned over me again, until I leaned all the way back on the bed. He sighed and scooted me up to the middle, pausing only slightly, to rapidly toss the mountain of decorative pillows to the floor.


    His fingers traveled from my plain white, virginal looking bra to my not so virginal abdomen, holding his twins safely deep inside. As his cool body explored every inch of my heated flesh, I explored every inch of his. My hand ducked inside his underwear, eager to feel how ready he was. He did not disappoint. My hand tightened around his cool erection as he groaned low in my ear. Then he pulled my hand away from him and crouched over me.


    "Give me fifteen minutes," he said, a playful grin on his face.


    I frowned and sat up on my elbows. "Fifteen minutes? What for?"


    His smile turned devilish. "It''s a surprise, one you''ll like."


    I kept up my frown, but his playful smile intrigued me. "Fine...but after fifteen minutes, I start without you."


    His smile dropped at that and his eyes dragged right down my body to stare at my underwear. I couldn''t help but tease him, so I ran a perfectly manicured finger over the most sensitive part of me. He blurred out of the room after that.


    While he was gone, I completely undressed and spread myself over the luxurious silk sheets, having tossed the covers to the floor, and let the firelight dance along my bare skin, making shapes and patterns in the hills and valleys. I started to feel my long, emotional day catch up to me, and hoped that whatever he was doing, he did it soon before I fell asleep. That would not be a satisfying wedding night story to tell Tracey, not that I''d be telling her much anyway.


    Just when I was wishing I had his super senses and I could either hear him or sense where he was, he blurred back into the room. I gaped at the sight of him, just as he gaped at the sight of me. He looked no different than before, but he was completely naked now in the doorway, and his magnificent body was still completely ready for me. My body was instantly ready again too as anticipation shot through me.


    His eyes lingered on my nakedness spread over the bed for him as he walked towards me. "You''re so beautiful," he muttered before crawling over me. I started to respond to that as my arms instinctually went to embrace him, but the words froze on my tongue. My eyes widened in shock as he laid down on top of me, a small grin on his face at my reaction.


    He was warm.


    Every extremity of my body wrapped around him as I tried to process the now odd sensation. He was warm, really warm, slightly above my temperature. While I loved the cool sensation of him against my skin, feeling him this way brought back every memory of when he was alive. My eyes started to water as I caressed every section of that skin that I could find.


    "How...?"


    He grinned as I continued mauling him. Leaning down, he brought warm lips to my ear and I shuddered as his hot mouth sucked on a lobe. "Hot tub," he whispered.


    It was only then that I noticed that the warm skin, while not damp, had that muggy feeling you get when you''ve been in water a long time. I also finally noticed that the edges of his hair was wet, not the top, just around the sides like he''d held his face under the water. I sighed contently and brought his mouth to mine. Even his tongue was warm.


    "Oh my god, you''re so warm...you''re so warm." My hand ran down to the lower part of him, still completely hard, and now completely warm. "Oh my god..."


    My eyes started watering and he stopped his chuckling to look over me. Confusion passed his eyes as he dried my tears. "I thought you''d like this...I''m sorry."


    I immediately shook my head. "No, I do...I so do. I just..." I swallowed and made myself smile, made myself push back the emotion. "I love how you are...I even like the cold." My hands tightened over his body, drawing him even closer to me. "But like this..." I sighed as I hugged his head to me. "You feel alive again, Teren."


    He exhaled and pulled back, gazing at me for a moment and then shaking his head. "I am alive, Emma." He smiled softly and rested his warm forehead to mine. "I may not be living...but I am alive."


    He kissed me then, intently, like he could show me through physical contact what he meant. I reveled in him, in our mouths perfectly moving together, our hands clutching the other''s warm flesh, our breaths fast, our sounds full of need, and his warm arousal sliding along the warmth of mine as our hips rocked together...just one shift by either of us and we''d officially consummate this marriage.


    Getting lost in his temperature, I pushed his head down my chest. "I need to feel your heat...everywhere."


    He groaned, obliging me with searing kisses down my body. "God, that''s hot," he muttered into my skin. His hands and lips worked over my body, firing every sensitive stretch of skin he passed - a swell of my breast, a rigid nipple, the slight bulge of my stomach, the softness behind my knee, a tender spot on my inner thigh. And as his pleasantly warm tongue stroked and tasted the wetness between those thighs, I grabbed his head and loudly cried out, instantly grateful this house was empty.


    As I came down off my orgasm, he flipped me over, bringing his attentions to the low of my back, my spine, my ribs, my shoulder blades. It was incredibly stimulating and I was instantly ready for him again. As his mouth sucked on his favorite part of my neck and his hands slid under me to caress my breasts, my head buried into my pillow and panting into the satin, I pushed my hips back into his warm ones, wanting him to enter me.


    He growled low in my ear as his hands shifted to my hips, guiding me onto him. I gasped as his warmth filled me. His coolness was incredible, but so was him feeling alive again. He groaned and dropped his head to my shoulder, his warm chest resting flush to my back, heating me inside and out. His hips moved against me as I rocked back into him. I let him know exactly how incredible he felt to me and his left hand reached out to clutch mine. Our wedding bands clicked together as we grasped each other''s fingers, nearly feeling like we were drowning in the pleasure engulfing us.


    He trailed warm kisses along my shoulder blades as he moved over me and I angled my hips up to him, allowing him deeper access. Sitting back on my knees slightly, I felt a little submissive in the position I was in, which also felt appropriate. I was his. I wanted him to claim me. I wanted him to own me. And with each deep, groaning thrust, he was.


    But as he was nearing his climax, he pulled out, quickly twisting me around to enter me again, but with us facing each other. His mouth came down to mine and he groaned in relief as our bodies resumed their rhythm. I felt like I understood as I wrapped my legs around him. He didn''t want to come with me submissive. We were in this together, he wanted us to come together...as equals.


    Breathing heavy in my ear, he muttered with a tight voice, "Oh god, Emma. It''s so....it''s so..."


    His voice trailed off and I grabbed his head, muttering, "I know, I know, baby."


    And I did know. We''d made love dozens of times. I mean, he''d already successfully impregnated me, but this, making love right now, it felt completely different and new. It felt like the first time. No, better than the first time, better than anytime. I wasn''t sure why that was, but being with him like this, as his wife, was such a deeper connection than I ever expected to feel during sex.


    I clutched him tight as I felt a second orgasm rising in me, almost scared to feel the intensity of it; I could even feel the tears rise in me. His hand reached over to grab mine, left to left again, and he squeezed us tight, his body rigid and lightly shaking with the force of the release building inside of him. Feeling more confident that we were going into this together, I relaxed the hold on my body and let the explosion hit me. And it was an explosion, bigger than anything I''d ever felt before, ever. I let out a long cry filled with all of the love and ecstasy that I felt pouring through me.


    He continued to move in me, possessing me, filling me, overwhelming me, and then a moment later, his body stilled and he cried out, his moans matching my own, his orgasm as intense as mine. I felt the release as he spilled inside of me and nearly sighed that that also, was warm. With panting breaths and slight rocking movements, we maintained the sensation as long as our spent bodies would hold onto it, and then the feeling ebbed and only peace and satisfaction remained. And a whole lot of love. Always that.


    He stayed on my chest, stroking my hair and kissing my forehead as I reveled in his still warm body on top of me. "I love you, wife," he said into my hair.


    I looked up at him, the tears still in my eyes finally rolling down my cheeks. "I love you too, husband."

 Page 8

    I stirred under slick, satiny sheets. In my mind, I wasn''t in a luxurious bed, though. No, in my semi-conscious state I was floating in a pool of light red liquid. The sun was bright in the cloudless sky and as I experimentally moved, the water, while warm directly around me, became cooler farther away from my body. And unlike any liquid in real life, it supported my weight, cradled me like a waterbed - a tropical fruit punch waterbed. Somewhere in the distance, I heard birds calling and waves lapping, and as I basked under the glorious rays of the sun, I trailed my fingers through the oddly supportive red water, beads of it splashing over my bare skin, turning portions of me a speckled pink.


    I laughed at the oddness of it all and a deep laugh answered me. Turning my head, I saw Teren lying next to me, supported in the strange liquid as well. He turned his head to gaze at me, his blue eyes and dark hair in sharp contrast to the red water. He smiled, his fangs pure white and casually long, then rolled over the springy water to lie over the top of me. With a soft sigh, he dropped his head to the crook of my neck. His scratchy stubble against the sensitive skin of my collarbone started bringing me to awareness.Advertisement


    He was real. The red lake was not, but he was real.


    The haze of my dream lifted as my legs stirred in the sheets again, this time recognizing the fabric as our bed, and not a fruit punch pool. My eyes still closed, I also recognized the weight on top of me, and the smell - that light cologne scent that Teren had been wearing yesterday, the day we got married. Inhaling, still more asleep than awake, I let out some sort of mumbled greeting to my husband. His head still buried in my neck, I felt the rumble through his chest in response.


    Neither one of us being more than slightly conscious, I wrapped my arms around him. His body, while not nearly the temperature he''d been last night, was still on the sort-of lukewarm side, and I sleepily indulged in the feeling of him over every bare inch of me. His hands wrapped under my body in response and we held each other as we drifted through phases of light sleep.


    As I fluttered in and out, my legs instinctively opened to him. As he fluttered in and out, he instinctively pressed himself against me. Neither of us speaking, one of my hands trailed down his broad back to rest at his hip, while one of his slid down my spine, curving around my pelvis to rest on my knee. He gently brought my leg around him as he settled himself more perfectly over me.


    I exhaled slow as his ready body gently pushed into mine. He let out a deep sigh, sounding more like a man relaxing back into his favorite recliner, than a man making morning love to his wife. Perfectly content. With our eyes still closed, his head still buried in my neck, we began to move together. It was slow and languid, neither one of us really striving towards anything, just enjoying the feeling of being so intimately connected.


    We stayed that way, silently and slowly rocking together, between the cool satin sheets and the warm, down filled quilt, for a long, blissful eternity. Just when I could feel a deep, slow buildup starting, another part of my body decided to speak up first.


    One hundred percent wide awake now, I stiffened board-straight underneath him. Confused, he stopped moving and raised his head, blinking sleepily at me. "Emma?"


    His tired eyes tried to focus on mine, but he was still groggy and slow moving, and my body needed him to move much quicker. One hand flew to cover my mouth and the other shoved back his shoulder, pushing him off of me. He instantly retreated, understanding that I was about to lose it on him if he didn''t. Without looking back, I shot up off the bed and stumbled my way to the bathroom. I just barely made it into the private room with the toilet.


    I was so ready for this part of pregnancy to be over with.


    Almost immediately, his now cool hands were running up and down my back. I looked at him over my shoulder as I panted into the bowl, sort of hating him for putting me in this position. He smirked at my expression and pointed at the swirling water I''d just flushed down. "Sorry, did I do that?" His voice was sweet and innocent, but the twinkle in his eye was not.


    Glaring at him as I sat back on my heels, I put a hand on my stomach and raised an eyebrow. "You know you did."


    "Sorry." He grinned, not looking sorry at all.


    I wanted to complain a bit, but then he swept me into his arms and treated me to a nice, relaxing, soapy shower. As he washed my hair and massaged my back, I just couldn''t find the words to complain anymore. When I was clean and feeling human again, he wrapped me in a huge, fluffy robe and put me back in bed. Then he blurred away and left me alone. I wanted to complain about that too, until ten minutes later he came back with bacon, eggs and a plate of waffles. I love my husband.


    He seemed to love me too. As I scarfed down my food in our bed, he played with my wedding band, a loving, peaceful look on his face the entire time he twisted my ring in never-ending circles. When I was full and finished, and positive it would stay down, I set my plate on the nightstand and proceeded to finish what I''d so rudely halted this morning.


    This time, I made it through without getting sick.


    His family stayed away for the bulk of the day. Well, for Halina and Imogen it wasn''t really a choice, they were stuck wherever they were until the sun set, but Jack and Alanna stayed away, giving us our newlywed space. And we needed it. We didn''t leave the room much, or the bed for that matter. We lounged, laughed, talked, made love, napped, played card games and made love again, all afternoon long. It was bliss. Pure, romantic, we-just-got-married bliss.


    Teren did slip out of our oasis once or twice (dressed only in a pair of loose lounge pants, which was a delightfully yummy sight) to get a bite to eat. I let him leave by himself, taking the time he was gone to call my mom and sister. I sort of wanted to call Tracey, just to talk to Ben, to make sure he was okay, but I suppose that could wait. I mean, Teren and I had already kind of had our honeymoon, and today would be all I was going to get, so I was going to enjoy every darn minute.


    When Teren came back, full and satisfied, he immediately stripped off his lounge pants, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of our time together.


    Eventually the sun did set though, and Teren and I got dressed, and stayed dressed. He let me know they were coming back and we headed downstairs to greet everybody. As I was hugging Alanna and thanking her for the beautiful weekend, Halina immediately grabbed Teren''s arm and pulled him into the library. And let me tell you, when Halina wanted someone to follow her, vampire or not, that person followed. Teren stumbled a bit as she drug him away.


    I eyed where they went nervously as I saw both Alanna and Imogen cringe a bit. At one point, even I could hear the heated voices. At that point, Imogen slung her hand over my arm and gently patted me, pulling me towards the kitchen. I let them drag me away, knowing they were trying to spare me the showdown going on a few rooms away. Alanna set me at the table and made a quick meal for Jack and me. Jack studied his plate, but occasionally looked at his wife and then down the hallway where Teren and Halina were still "talking".


    When he did it again as Imogen and Alanna started sipping their drinks, also throwing glances at the hall, I dropped my fork and said, "Shouldn''t someone go in there?"


    The trio looked at each other and then to where Teren was. Imogen finally broke the silence, sipping her blood. "He''s fine."


    I sighed, giving Alanna hopeful eyes. She sighed as she met my gaze. "He really is fine. He''s just...explaining the situation to her."


    I looked at the three of them and shrugged. "What situation? Ben?"


    They looked at each other again and then back at me. Imogen answered, her youthful face looking concerned as she glanced at the door. "Yes. " She brought her eyes back to mine. "We really don''t like people to know about us. Teren knows that. Ben should have been wiped immediately."


    I blinked at each of them. "I knew."


    Alanna and Imogen shared a glance that spoke volumes. I suddenly realized that if Teren and I hadn''t ended up together, I most definitely would not have been allowed to remember what he was. I suspected that, but knowing that for sure was a bit startling. Tears stung my eyes at the thought; I couldn''t imagine not knowing. Alanna''s eyes sympathized as she watched the emotion on my face. "It''s just a precaution, Emma. The fewer who know, the fewer who can find out."


    I swallowed as I looked over her beautiful but sad, pale eyes. "My sister knows," I whispered, suddenly worried that my confidant was going to be snatched away from me.


    Imogen looked down while Alanna glanced at Jack. With my heart in my throat, Alanna spoke at me, her eyes never leaving her husband. "Halina spoke with her. She won''t wipe her mind," her eyes returned to me, "as long as she stays silent." She smiled softly and shrugged. "Halina is quite attached to the girl, as are we all."


    I exhaled softly, relief filling me that my sister''s memory would not be tampered with. A thought struck me as I thought about that. No one was allowed to know their secret? Did that mean that no one was allowed to even remember them? "How much does she wipe? When she erases someone, how much do they remember?"


    The vampires looked at each other again and it was Imogen who answered me this time. "It depends on the circumstances. She won''t touch the people who came to the wedding, that meeting was too trivial, must people will have forgotten our faces in a few weeks. For other relationships, she may take everything. Some people, the acquaintances we''re around the most, but can''t be let in on the secret, well, when we leave here, they won''t even remember our names. They''ll only have a vague sense that they knew this person once...but every specific thing about us will elude them. We could meet them again, giving them the exact same names, and they''d never even realize that they already knew us."


    The tears stung my eyes again as the implications of that hit me. Aside from each other, hardly anyone they met really remembered who they were. I suppose, when it was time to move to another region, all traces of them were erased. That must take Halina weeks to scour through all the people. Although, most of the family stayed secluded at the ranch. The only vampire really out there forming attachments, was Teren. He was creating a lot of work for her by leaving coworkers and friends and others that would need memories dimmed, if not eradicated. No wonder they didn''t like him being away from the ranch. How lonely to not have anyone remember the bond they had with you.


    And, I suppose, if things had worked out differently for Teren and I...I wouldn''t even know him. With how close we''d gotten, they would have taken everything. Every cherished memory I had. While I wouldn''t know the difference, Teren would. He''d still be in love, but to me, he''d be a complete stranger, just someone I''d spilt coffee on one day. I desperately wanted to hug him, all of them. "That''s so...sad," I whispered, a tear finally dropping to my cheek.


    Alanna reached out and wiped it away, a small smile on her fanged face as she sipped her blood. "We have each other."


    I shook my head. "But Teren wants more."


    Imogen sighed and reached out for Alanna''s hand. As one, they turned to Jack when he finally spoke. "He does. He wants a normal life, normal job...normal friends." Jack sighed and shook his head. "The fact that the side effects are so mild on him, that he can pass as human so easily, makes living a life in secret...more difficult." Jack shrugged, his aged eyes looking sad. "He''s always wanted to leave his mark on the world...and that just can''t happen. It''s impossible to not leave some sort of trail, not with how connected the world is now, but we do what we can. It''s one of the reasons Teren writes under an alias."


    Jack sighed while that fact sank in. Teren wrote articles for Gate Magazine under the name John Jones. Very generic. I had always assumed he did that for privacy. I guess in a way, I was right. Alanna met eyes with Jack and they gave each other sympathetic smiles. I wondered if someday, Teren and I would share sympathetic smiles over the table, while our children''s spouses dealt with the realities of their lives.


    "It hurts him, I think, having to hide," Alanna said quietly.


    I looked down, hating this conversation, but understanding it too. The constant charade, the self imposed isolation, the endless lies - all of it to hide the truth from everyone. People who, either way, wouldn''t be allowed to remember much, if anything, about him. It was heartbreaking for someone who ached for normalcy.


    The vampires simultaneously looked up at the door, and a moment later Jack and I did as well. Halina huffed through first, heading to the table and pouring a thick glass of blood from the carafe, immediately downing it. Teren came in a few steps later, looking tired, but happy. He smiled softly at me as he sat down. When Halina slammed the carafe down in front of him, probably denting the table, he didn''t react, only grabbed it and calmly poured himself a glass. I guess he''d won.


    After the silent dinner, where Halina pouted and both Imogen and Alanna whispered foreign words to her, I tried to help Alanna clean up the wedding decorations still strewn all throughout the entryway and backyard. I should have known better. She shooed me off, loaded Teren down with our presents and as much of the leftovers for me that he could carry, and practically swept us out the door.


    As Teren packed up our car, I said my final goodbyes and thanked all of them. Ending up in front of Halina last, I gave her a hug, her cold body giving me a slight shiver in the December air. Her pale eyes were worried when I pulled back, but she wasn''t looking at me, her eyes were attached to Teren''s back, watching him fill the trunk of his Prius. Feeling sympathetic, and hormonal, and full of I-just-got-married good feelings, I cupped her cheek.


    Shocked, her eyes shifted over to mine. A little shocked myself, I dropped my hand and stole a glance at Teren. "He''ll be okay, Halina." Bringing my eyes back to hers, I held them intently. The wind picked up some, billowing out Halina''s tresses like a pure black cloud. "I won''t let anything happen to him."


    Even I knew my promise was an impossible one. I guess I said it so that she would know she wasn''t alone in worrying over him. I was right there with her. She seemed to understand that and smiled at me, nodding lightly. We hugged again and were still hugging when Teren walked up to us.


    He smiled at the two of us, at me seemingly bonding with the one vampire that had nearly had me running for the hills a few months ago, and then his eyes settled on his great-grandmother. He spoke a long, flowery Russian sentence to her. She sighed and nodded before reaching up and hugging him, repeating the only line that I''d actually understood - Ya Tebya Lyublyu - I love you.


    My eyes watered as Teren grabbed my hand and led me to the car. Darn emotional vampires.


    I tried to bring up the conversation he''d had with Halina on the car ride home, but he didn''t really want to talk about it, only saying that she was worrying too much about it, and that he was positive Ben wasn''t going to say anything to anyone. I could see the tension in his jaw when he said that though and thought Teren was simply wishing out loud. He wanted to believe Ben would choose their friendship over fear, or even over fame. I wasn''t sure, but I''d imagine that one of Halina''s concerns was that once he was outside of their influence, he''d gather his courage and speak out. Most reputable news sources would scoff at his tale, but if he looked hard enough, he could probably find one that wouldn''t. If he wanted to sell a story and make a little money, Teren''s was a good one to sell.


    I just didn''t see that with Ben though. Neither did Teren apparently, that''s why he let him leave. He had faith. I guess tomorrow would answer the question for both of us. If he was going to spill, Tracey would be the first one he spilled to.


    I put it out of my mind when we arrived at home; there was nothing I could do about it tonight anyway. Teren walked around the car to help me exit, as he liked to do, but paused an inordinately long amount of time at my door. He looked at me blankly through the glass and I knew he wasn''t really seeing me. I knew he was listening. Without opening my door, he straightened and looked across the street. I looked with him, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.


    It was the same large, two-story dwelling that we''d left behind Friday morning. Painted in a sort of salmon color that I found atrocious, it had high hedges that formed a natural fence around the perimeter. A balcony on the front of the home, highlighting what I''d always assumed was the master bedroom upstairs, was just as empty as it usually was. And In the darkness, I could just make out Goldie, Spike''s favorite cat to chase, jump down off the vacant front porch to dash underneath the shrubbery before running off down the street. All pretty standard stuff.


    Teren had an eerie look on his face though and a growl rumbled from his chest. I could hear him all the way through the thin metal of the car. I could almost feel it vibrating my skin as I sat safe and sound on the inside. Panic sliced through me at hearing that noise coming from him, but when he looked about ready to stride over to our neighbor''s garish spread to personally investigate whatever was bothering his senses, I cracked open my door. He startled and looked back at me, pointing at the door in a clear command to stay put.


    Ignoring my natural instincts to not be commanded, I opted for caution and stayed standing in the open door frame. He looked back at the street when it seemed I was obeying, and then took a step forward. I caught his hand at the last moment and he looked back at me, the desire to stay warring with the desire to leave, clear on his face. I shook my head at him, commanding him to stay. If I was going to be cautious, then so was he.


    "I''m tired. I want us to go to bed." I stressed the "us" in that sentence, just in case he''d missed it. I didn''t know what he was hearing, but I knew it was something I didn''t want him leaving me to go check out. Besides, hadn''t I just promised Halina that I wouldn''t let anything happen to him? We were stronger together than apart, he needed to learn that.


    He finally sighed and with one last look, and I swear a sniff, scooped me up dramatically to carry me across the threshold, like we were back in the fifties or something. I giggled, letting relief push worry from me, and an exuberant Spike met us at the door, having run into the house from a newly installed doggy door just off the laundry room. He barked and ran circles around the two of us, running in-between Teren''s legs whenever he could, while Teren attempted to keep moving forward without stepping on him.


    Teren set me down in the entryway, Spike jumping up so he could try and lick my face, while Teren walked back outside to get our bags. I watched him through the open door as he grabbed our belongings from the trunk. He occasionally glanced over at the house, shaking his head a little, but made no move to go near it. I exhaled in relief when he was finally done, setting our stuff down just inside the door and softly closing it, shutting the world out. Then with a wicked grin, he blurringly fast swept me back into his arms. I squeaked and held him tight as my body adjusted from being upright, to being carried. Laughing at my reaction, Teren held me tighter and gave me a quick kiss. Then our little trio headed upstairs and Teren laid me down on our bed while he went to bring our stuff up from downstairs.


    I gave him a look that clearly said, ''you better only be going downstairs, and not outside to investigate whatever you heard, while I''m out of eyeshot''. He stared at me for a second and then nodded in silent acquiescence, understanding. Trusting that he''d listen to me, I comfortably settled myself on the bed, letting the busy weekend overwhelm my body. Spike hopped up with me, his long tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as his whole body vibrated with happy energy. He nuzzled into my back and, snuggling into his furry warmth, I was asleep long before Teren came back.


    I was so tired that I didn''t wake up until Teren kissed me goodbye for work the next morning. Smiling that he was fine, I kissed him back eagerly. My fingers ran over the metal of his wedding band as our hands slid together; the metal was as cool as his skin. As he straightened to leave, he handed me a calla lily. I smiled and took it, inhaling deep, amazed at his never-ending romantic side. So far, married life was going swimmingly.


    Once he was gone, I crawled out of bed and made myself get ready for work. I couldn''t help the small grin at the fact that I was in my pajamas. I was so out of it last night, that I hadn''t even noticed him changing me.


    Forcing my still tired body to go through the motions of showering, dressing and doing makeup, I suddenly thought Tracey had a good point when she''d asked why I was still working. Teren''s family had money, seemingly a lot of money. Did I really need to keep trudging to a job every day? I did like it though. It occupied my mind and made me feel like I was contributing to something bigger than myself, even if it was an already well-off corporation. Sometimes it was just the process of getting there that sucked.


    And once I finally dragged myself there, I was met with multiple little surprises. First, Clarice congratulated me. I think my eyes were as wide as they could go when she said that. Of course, she handed me a stack of papers at the same time, so really, I suppose, she could have been congratulating me for that. Second, someone, and I''m going to assume Tracey, had decorated my "office". My tiny cubicle was swarming with balloons and roses and cards stuffed with well wishes. It made my eyes water, looking at the thoughtfulness.


    And my last surprise was the one that filled me with relief. Tracey hugged me and exclaimed over and over about what a great weekend she and Hot Ben had, and what a perfect wedding it had been. She was startled that I''d pulled it off, but not startled that my husband was a member of the undead. She was none the wiser. Ben had apparently been worthy of Teren''s trust, and not said a single word. Yet again, I could have kissed him.


    After a day of warm hugs, endless flashes of my gorgeous ring and thank yous to anyone who would listen, even the FexEx guy, who was only dropping off a package to Mr. Peterson and looked a little confused at my gratitude, I was worn out. By the time five came around, I was ready for a long bath and maybe a backrub by my extraordinarily strong husband.


    But the surprises weren''t quite done for the day. Late in the evening, an anxious looking Ben arrived on our doorstep. Shuffling his weight from side to side, he nervously glanced over my shoulder at Teren, standing a few yards back in the entryway. Then he exhaled a long, slow breath. Seemingly more confident, he asked if he could come in.


    Running through all the things he could potentially say that would break Teren''s heart, I told him of course he could, and led him into the entryway. He looked around our home, his blue eyes taking in all the little luxuries Teren surrounded himself with, and then followed Teren and me into the living room.


    He took a seat on the leather sofa, only cursorily glancing at the wall of windows that showed a magnificent view of the water, the expanse of water dark, as the sun had set. Teren and I exchanged soft sighs and a long look before joining him. Sitting in-between us on the long, softer-than-your-bed couch, Ben stared at his hands clasped over his knees. His fingers traced the tiny scars and marks a person gets on their hands over the course of their life, but he didn''t speak. Knowing that his mind was probably running a mile a minute, Teren and I gave him all the prep time he needed.


    Finally he spoke, although he still stared at his hands. "I know, I wasn''t supposed to see what I did the other night," he began quietly. "But I did." He finally looked up at Teren. "And I can''t stop thinking about it."


    Teren swallowed and nodded, his face calm, almost resigned. Ben slowly shook his head. "What you are...blows my mind." Looking over at me, Ben shook his head again. "I don''t know how you handle it so well, Emma."


    Looking between the two of us, he sighed and leaned back onto the couch; we followed suit. "Watching you two at the wedding though...all I saw was a couple in love." He looked at Teren again. "I didn''t see a fictional monster." He looked at me. "And I didn''t see a woman who willingly gives her blood to a fictional monster." He looked down at his hands again. "I only saw love. A love that makes me believe the world is a better place, because the two of you are in it."


    I smiled and looked over at Teren who smiled with me, although his was tight. Reaching out for Ben, I put a hand on his knee. "Thank you, Ben. You don''t know what your acceptance means to us, to Teren."


    Ben stopped studying his hands to look up at me. I swallowed when I saw the tears in his eyes. "I''m sorry, Emma." He shook his head. "But that''s not what this is."


    I felt my own eyes water and shook my head. "But...you said..."


    He swallowed, flicking a glance at Teren and then me. "I know, and I do feel that way about you," he looked at Teren, "about both of you." He shook his head, a tear finally falling. "But I can''t deal with what I saw anymore."


    He looked over at Teren, his face deeply apologetic. "I''m sorry. I know you''re not a bad person, or whatever, but I can''t handle being in a world where things like you exist."


    Teren nodded and looked down, not saying anything. I found I couldn''t be as stoic. "What?" I smacked Ben''s shoulder so he''d look at me; he did so reluctantly. "You''re his friend! That means accepting him for what he is!" My voice heated, as my hormonal emotions flared.


    Ben swallowed and leaned away from me. "I am his friend. It''s not him I can''t handle." He looked back at Teren while I furrowed my brow, angered and confused. "I can''t deal with the fact that all the myths are true. That horror stories are real."


    I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Ben..."


    He looked back at me, his perfect face pale "No, Emma. I''m sorry, but I''m not as strong as you. I need to go back."


    Irritated, I let out, "You not knowing won''t make it any less real, Ben."


    He shook his highlighted head at me. "I know that. But, in this case, ignorance is better." Teren exhaled softly and Ben ran a hand through his hair and looked back at him, still staring at the ground. "I can''t sleep, Teren. Every bump, every dark corner...I just keep wondering what else is out there."


    He sighed and put a hand on Teren''s shoulder, as Teren finally looked up. "It''s not you...it''s the possibilities you represent." He pointed outside, to the house Teren had been interested in last night. "I mean, just walking over here, I thought I saw something in the shadows." He brought both hands to his face and leaned over his knees. "I''m sorry, I''m really sorry, I just can''t live this way."


    He stayed bent over while I fumed silently, more angry over Teren''s loss than Ben''s choice. Teren only sighed again and put his hand on Ben''s back. "Okay, Ben. I''ll have Halina fix this. You won''t remember a thing."


    I straightened in my seat, wondering just how much Teren was planning on taking. If he took everything of Ben''s memory, then he''d have to take Tracey''s too; we''d spent too much time as a foursome. I suddenly realized that by marrying him, I''d sort of signed away all of my relationships too. Teren noticed my rigidness, but didn''t comment. Ben looked up, cringing. "She freaks me out, man." Teren smiled softly and Ben added, "How much will she erase? Will I even remember you?"


    Teren sighed and looked at him for achingly long moments. I thought he was debating right now if he should just end the friendship. I felt those tears from earlier slide down my cheeks. Finally, he softly said, "I''ll only take the day of the wedding." He left it at that, but I could clearly hear the part he didn''t say...for now.


    Ben didn''t catch it and instantly brightened, relief filling his gorgeous face. "Oh, thank you. I was hoping we''d still be..." He swallowed and looked down, suddenly not able to look at Teren anymore. "You hate me, right? Think I''m weak." He glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.


    Teren smiled and patted his back. "No, Ben. I understand. You''re not the first who couldn''t handle knowing."


    Ben nodded and glanced at me sheepishly before turning back to Teren. "I''m really sorry, you guys. I wish I could..." He sighed and shrugged.


    Teren stood, extending a hand to Ben, who stood and clasped it in a friendly shake. Friendly, but businesslike. Teren smiled at Ben and told him it was okay again, that he understood and wasn''t angry. A part of me wanted to tell him that too, but a bitter part of me just thought Ben should man up and deal with it, and for now, I listened to that part. I stayed on the couch, arms crossed over my chest, not wanting to share in the warm goodbyes. Teren deserved having a friend that loved him for him, and everything that entailed.


    After a swift goodbye, Teren told him, "I''ll line up a meeting with Halina. It may take a little bit though. Will you be okay until then?"


    Ben smiled nervously, but nodded. I frowned, knowing that Halina would come right now if Teren called for her. He was still giving his friend a chance, still holding out hope that Ben might choose to know him, rather than not know him. Ben sputtered apologies again and then sheepishly backed out of the room. I said nothing as he left, barely even acknowledging his hasty exit. I was still too busy being pissed off for Teren, since he didn''t appear to be.


    After showing him out, Teren came back to the living room and sat down in the same spot on the couch. He was silent, looking composed, and staring straight ahead of himself. I thought to say something, just didn''t know what. Then a low sob broke from his lips. After that, it was like he crumbled, his head dropping into his hands as he started lightly crying. I was at his side immediately, holding him, stroking his back and murmuring sympathies.


    Mentally I cursed Ben for finding us, for walking into that room. I silently berated him for freaking out and for wanting to forget, for hurting Teren with his rejection. But I couldn''t completely hate him, not even when Teren gave up stoicism and sought comfort from me, laying his head in my lap and sniffling back his pain. Even then, I couldn''t hate Ben. I couldn''t hate him, because I sort of understood him. I understood his fear anyway. Sometimes I even shared it.


    I just loved Teren enough to deal with it.

 Page 9

    Teren put off dealing with Hot Ben for much longer than I thought he would. In fact, I was well into my fourth month, with an adorably cute baby bump on me, and he still hadn''t done anything about it. His optimism that his friend would come around tore me a little, especially since Ben asked him every time we all four got together, when Halina was going to see him. Ben was starting to get a little worried that the longer it went on, the greater the possibility that she couldn''t help him anymore.


    With a harsh swallow at the fact that Ben considered memory loss a "help", Teren assured him that that wasn''t how it worked. That if she wanted, she could convince him that he didn''t even know his own mother. That line didn''t make Ben appear any more comfortable. He actually looked worse and worse every time I saw him. His normally gorgeous face started thinning out. Deep circles started to appear under his eyes and his skin had the sallow look of someone who woke up every ten minutes at night. He seemed to have been genuinely honest with Teren when he''d told him that he couldn''t sleep anymore.Advertisement


    Tracey didn''t understand the physical or emotional changes in her boyfriend, and had started to do what most women in her case would do. She started to think it was her. We had multiple conversations that involved me assuring her that he was still head over heels in love with her, that he wasn''t liar and he definitely wasn''t a cheater. I was pretty sure she didn''t believe me on that last part, and it didn''t help the matter any that Ben had a habit of asking Teren about Halina right in front of her. Tracey was convinced that her boyfriend was sleeping with the sensual woman. I really couldn''t blame her for coming up with that explanation. Hot Ben was different - moodier and quieter, more introverted, and always looking over his shoulder whenever we went out. I was a little surprised that Tracey hadn''t come up with drugs too, as he was starting to act like some paranoid meth addict.


    I felt horrible about the whole thing, especially when Tracey replayed some of their fights to me. They''d never really fought before, and now it was becoming a more and more common thing. Honestly, I was getting a little scared for them, for how long they could make it through this stress, but, stubborn as always, Teren still wouldn''t call Halina.


    "Teren, he looks awful. I know you want his support, but you can''t force this." I sat on the bed rubbing my expanding belly as Teren calmly changed his clothes. He looked at me in the vanity mirror over his dresser, but didn''t answer. I watched his jaw tighten with tension though, and knew him well enough to know that he wanted me to drop this.


    I got up off the bed and walked up behind him, slipping my arms around his waist from behind. He''d just taken off his work shirt, and my body shivered a little as I clung to his, the bump of our children touching him before any other part of my torso. He smiled, wrapping one hand over the both of mine and bringing the other around behind himself to slip between us, feeling my stomach. Laying my head on his shoulder, I met eyes with him in the mirror. "You can''t keep avoiding this. It''s cruel to him."


    My irritation with Hot Ben''s choice had faded away as the physical symptoms of his stress had started to show. He really couldn''t handle knowing that the myths were true, and Teren keeping ignorance from him, really was kind of cruel. Teren hung his head, his fingers over my hands on his stomach tightening. "I know," he whispered. He looked up at me, his eyes almost pleading with me. "I just can''t yet, Emma."


    He didn''t say please, but I could feel the word in the air. He wanted time. He wanted Ben to know, and to eventually find peace with it. I bit my lip, resisting the urge to tell him that Ben would never be okay with the knowledge, and he should just let it go. Teren eventually had to let everyone go...but, right now, he needed this. Plus, as time went by, Ben had actually started talking to Teren about his life. They would sit on our couch, Teren''s face animated as he went over aspects of what he could do. He wasn''t bragging to Hot Ben or anything, he was just relieved to be able to finally tell him the stories he kept bottled up. Like, that one of the rainbows they''d caught last camping trip, he''d heard coming up the stream and had plucked it out with his bare hand while Ben had had his back turned. Or how he knows that the waitress at a bar we frequently go to (since Teren could fake drinking better than he could fake eating) had a major crush on Ben; apparently her heart started racing whenever Ben was near her. Ben listened to all of this with his head in his hands over his knees, looking both intrigued and freaked out.


    One of my hands moving to Teren''s shoulder, I rubbed his skin warm and then kissed it. "Okay, but if he keeps asking, you need to do it." I raised my eyebrow at him pointedly. "For him, if not for you and the others."


    I kissed his shoulder again and then released him. He sighed as we pulled apart and then nodded. Merrily I said, "I''m going to go get a snack." I grinned and he shook his head at me. I was starting to "snack" on a more and more frequent basis. I rationalized it as I was eating for three, but really, I just loved having an excuse to eat nearly a half gallon of ice cream nightly.


    Massaging my protruding stomach again as I walked downstairs, I marveled at how amazing the human body is. Currently, I was incubating two lives inside my own. That was a little miraculous to me. And now that the horrid morning - no, more accurately, "anytime throughout the day" sickness was over with (I hadn''t tossed my cookies in two solid weeks, so I had my fingers crossed), I was feeling pretty good about this pregnancy thing.


    My clothes had tightened up on me dramatically once the wedding was over, almost like the two realized that they didn''t need to hide anymore, and they were free to grow like weeds. Teren had taken me shopping for a whole new maternity wardrobe. Yeah, it was as amazingly fun as that sounds! So with a stomach that looked like I''d swallowed a cantaloupe, although Teren would say bowling ball, I reveled in my new incredibly comfortable, super-stretchy, body-concealing clothes (I still hadn''t told Clarice yet).


    As I made an obscenely huge bowl of peppermint ice cream and loaded up on the chocolate sauce, I was feeling really, really good about this pregnancy thing. I grabbed my bowl and sat on the couch, flipping on the TV to some reality show that didn''t require any brain cells to follow. I thought enough during the day, I didn''t want to have to do it while relaxing. The creamy goodness hit my tongue and I sighed contently. I smiled, knowing Teren would hear that happy sigh. I liked knowing that he knew when I was happy. And I was frequently happy. Sure, my life was more complicated now, being married to an undead vampire and all, but the underlying emotion I felt every day, was happiness.


    I giggled and kicked my feet against the couch cushions like a five year old. Above the noise of the TV, I started hearing a scratching sound. Curious, I set down my ice cream and went to check it out. Walking past the table in the kitchen, I headed to a small hall that held the laundry room and a bathroom. The sharp, clicking noise was coming from the laundry room, so I stepped in there.


    I flipped on the switch, but the room was empty. I couldn''t figure out what the sound was at first, but then it happened again and I immediately understood. This room had a door that led to the backyard and Teren had put up a doggy door so his pup could come and go freely. A round laundry basket had been set right in front of the flap, the heavy obstacle overflowing with clothes and impossibly for the collie to push back, effectively trapping him outside. A flash of guilt washed through me that I''d inadvertently blocked Spike''s entrance to our warm home, and I immediately removed the basket, vowing to do better on keeping up with that sort of thing. No one ever mentions that the signing of wedding papers, also commits you to the responsibility of doubled laundry loads. Of course, my husband did make amazing dinners for me, more often than not, so I didn''t complain about it, too much.


    Spike immediately bolted into the room, cowering back into a corner. Startled at his odd behavior, I went over to him, hugging the shaggy coat to me. He nestled into my side and I could feel him lightly shaking. "You okay, boy? Something out there?"


    Feeling protective of my step-pet, I walked over to the door and unlocked it, stepping outside onto a small concrete slab. The late January air was chilly and a shiver went through my pajama clad body as I vigorously rubbed my arms, looking over Teren''s sloping lawn. It was a big yard and there were hidden areas with deep shadows and dark, menacing looking trees. As something in the back corner near a garden shed shifted, my heart seized. Then Goldie the neighbor cat hopped up on Teren''s fence and I nearly had a heart attack. Thinking I was beyond stupid at being alone in the backyard, investigating strange things just like Teren had a habit of doing, I hurried back into the house.


    I closed the door, securely locking it, and encouraged Spike to follow me into the kitchen to get him something to eat. Teren instantly breezed into the room, a disapproving look on his face. Oh yeah, I guess if he could hear me sighing contently, then he''d also just heard me ask the dog if something had spooked him, and then he''d heard me stupidly go check on what that might be. That really wasn''t too smart of me, and I wouldn''t have been happy if he''d done it. We did need to be more careful than the average husband and wife.


    Teren seemed about to scold me, when a strange look suddenly passed over his face and he tilted his head at me. Then he looked over to the hall where the laundry room was and his features shifted to surprise. "Oh," was all he said.


    His face shifting to normal, he came over and squatted down by his dog, ruffling his fur. "Sorry to lock you out, boy." He grinned and then kissed Spike''s head while Spike thumped his tail noisily.


    Confused by his weird reaction, I put my hands on my hips. I''d really been expecting a reprimand; I''d already even prepared my defense, namely that the hormones in my body had temporarily flooded my common sense. "Oh?" I said sarcastically. "That''s it?"


    He looked up at me, still smiling, then straightened and kissed my forehead. "Yep."


    He turned to walk away, but I grabbed his t-shirt. "Wait, you can''t just say ''oh'', all surprised like, and then not explain." Shaking my head at him, I added, "That''s not proper etiquette."


    He chuckled and raised an eyebrow at me. "I didn''t realize you and me followed the rules of etiquette."


    I slung my arms around his waist, trapping him to me, well, not physically, but symbolically. "Yes, we do. Everyone does to a certain extent." Smiling, I added, "That''s what keeps us civilized."


    He grinned and leaned in to place a cool kiss along the vein in my neck. "Was I being civilized then, when I bit you last night in that spot that makes you-"


    I cut him off, smacking him in the chest. He straightened and chuckled while I sputtered out, "What was ''oh''?" My cheeks heated from the memory he''d just given me and his thumb traced the flush of color.


    "I felt you," he whispered.


    I cocked my head, confused. "You...felt me? What do you mean?"


    He slung his arms around me, actually trapping me, and shrugged his shoulders. "When you went outside, I knew it. At first I thought I''d only heard it, but when you came back inside, I realized that I was wrong." He shrugged. "It was faint, but I''d also felt it."


    I sighed, not understanding his meaning. "I don''t..."


    He grinned, twisting me back and forth a little in our embrace. "Like I can feel my family...I felt you. I sensed where you were. I''m doing it right now. I see you, I feel you, I smell you, I hear you...and I can sense you."


    My eyes widened as his meaning hit me. His entire family, well, the vampiric part of it, could sense each other''s locations, like they''d all been low-jacked, or bugged or something. And now apparently, he could sense me too. "How...?"


    His eyes drifted to my stomach, bulged between us. "Them." His eyes went back to mine, joy clear in the pale depths. "I can sense them. Their blood is my blood, my family''s blood." He squeezed me tighter, a huge smile spreading over his face. "Now that I know what that faint feeling is, it''s very apparent to me, and I think that will only get stronger as they grow." He chuckled a little. "As long as they are inside you, I''ll know where all three of you are."


    Shocked silenced me. I''d forgotten about that vampiric trait. Well, not necessarily forgot about it, but I certainly never considered that he''d have a bond with the children like that before they were even born. A tiny part of me was jealous at his connection to them, and a tiny part of me was irritated that even more of my privacy was lost. He''d always know where I was now. My mind spinning, I focused on what his bloodline tracking ability meant for our children''s future. "Well, I guess we''ll never have to worry about losing the kids at the mall..."


    He chuckled, and held me as tight as my GPS-spouting stomach would allow.


    A couple of weeks later, nothing had changed. Well, nothing had changed in the Teren vs. Ben standoff. Plenty of things were changing in my world. For starters, I felt the twins move. At first I thought it was just gas or my stomach rumbling, but one night, when Teren and I were snuggling on the couch watching a movie, I felt a definite and profound kick. Teren looked at my stomach at the same time I did, both of our hands shortly following.


    I glanced up at him. "Did you hear that?"


    He grinned and nodded, his eyes returning to my tummy. "Yeah, I''ve been hearing movement for awhile now, but that was really distinct."


    A second kick greeted our awaiting hands and we both started laughing, and then I started crying, Teren scooping me into his lap and laughingly kissing away my emotional tears. Once I knew what it felt like, I started feeling those little kicks and squirms all the time. I started to feel less jealous of Teren''s ability to bond with our children pre-birth, and started relishing my connection to them. He may be able to sense them and hear them in ways that I couldn''t, but I was the one keeping them alive.


    Teren started becoming more conscious of that too. In a move that actually didn''t please me, he stopped feeding off me. A week after we''d both felt them kicking, I''d tried to get him to bite me. I''d never had to really try before, not since that very first bite, and it was a little irritating to me to have to beg for it. He worried his lip as he stared at his favorite vein in my neck that I was offering him, and slowly shook his head, his eyes betraying the fact that he wanted to be piercing my skin more than anything.


    "Why not?" I said breathlessly. "I can wear that nice turtleneck you bought me for a few days."


    With a sigh, he sat back on his heels, still kneeling over me, just below my hips where my growing belly didn''t get in the way. He shook his head, his eyes instantly going to that belly that was getting larger and larger as I now rolled into the halfway point, the 20th week. The doctor said they were growing wonderfully, and every blood draw or pee test I''d taken had showed no inherent dangers to them. Personally, I wasn''t worried about me passing anything dangerous to them, I knew exactly what condition they were going to end up with, but it was a comforting thing for a doctor to say anyway. We had an intensive ultrasound scheduled in two weeks - the big one - the one where they could tell the sexes. We hadn''t decided if we wanted to know or not.


    Teren put a cold hand on my naked belly, his chilly fingers automatically eliciting a response from the twins. I don''t know if they sensed his temperature, even through the layers of skin and fluid separating them, or if they just sensed that Dad was near, but they almost always kicked or moved when he touched me like that. A slow smile broke out on his face, a face full of wonder and love, as his hand circled the now watermelon-like stomach.


    "I can''t. I shouldn''t," he whispered. I tried to sit up, but failed in getting around my belly. He looked back up at me struggling to get closer to him, and shifted his position to lie beside me. I rolled onto my side and put a hand on his bare, silent chest, still subtly exposing my neck to him. His eyes drifted over to what I offered, but he shook his head again. "It''s not mine anymore, Emma." His eyes came back to mine, content and committed. "You are supporting three lives with that precious blood." He took my wrist and placed a kiss along the crisscross of veins just under the surface, his eyes closing as my pulse vibrated across his lips. "I won''t let you support a fourth." He opened his eyes and smiled at me. "I have plenty of other ways to get fresh blood."


    I frowned at that, but knew full well he meant an animal. Teren would never bite another human, and not just because he couldn''t erase the event from them like Halina could. No, he would never bite another human because that would almost be like he was cheating on me. The act of drawing blood was a surprisingly intimate one, and I''d be devastated if he ever touched another girl that way. He knew that and would never hurt me like that. So no, my frown wasn''t over fear that he''d "stray", my frown was because...well, I liked it.


    He smiled as he followed my thought process. "After they are born, I will drain you until you pass out, but not right now, okay?" He grinned playfully and squeezed my bloated body tight to his.


    I sighed, then smiled and kissed him softly. "Fine...but you better."


    He laughed and then rolled me on top of him. I had to bend over my stomach to still kiss him, but I managed. "You''re so kinky," he whispered through increasingly heated kisses. I laughed huskily, my hormonal body quickly igniting at the seductive, half naked man pinned underneath me.


    "You haven''t seen anything yet," I whispered right back at him, a low groan escaping him at hearing my words. Then I proceeded to show him just how "kinky" my hormone driven body could be.


    After those changes, the next biggest shift in my life was work. Eventually my expanded body was too much for me to hide, especially since my clothes before had always kind of highlighted my figure; me switching to baggy clothes had tipped off some of the more observant girls that worked there. Not Clarice though, she didn''t clue in until she caught me absentmindedly stroking my stomach one day. Then her jowly jaw had dropped, and I swear her face went a ghostly shade of white.


    "God, are you pregnant?" She asked that like I had some sort of infectious disease. She almost looked like she wanted to put her hand over her mouth and nose as a precaution.


    Stopping myself from rolling my eyes or laughing at her response, I threw on a bright smile and calmly said, "Well, I was going to tell you this when I was a bit further along, (say, nine months along), but I guess you should know as soon as possible." Just to see her reaction, I lifted my shirt and showed her my stretched beyond natural tummy. "Yes, Teren and I are expecting. Twins, actually," I tossed in for good measure.


    Her reaction was pure gold. Her mouth dropped even wider and she went slightly green. Shaking her head, she backed away from my stomach like she was witnessing that scene from the movie Alien. You know, the scene where the creature bursts out of the person''s body, leaving a bloody, gory mess behind. As she stared at my skin in horror, I swear that''s what she expected to happen. "Why would you do that, Emma?"


    Her shocked eyes lifted to mine as I frowned and covered my body again. "We want children," I said, a little defensively.


    Shaking her head, her eyes looked at me like I''d just set a match to a winning lottery ticket. "Oh, you had such potential here. I was really thinking you''d take over for me, one day." She shook her head sadly, her thick neck barely allowing the movement.


    I bristled at that. "I''m not leaving. I can have children and a career."


    The corner of her lip lifted in a smirk. "That''s what they all say." She sighed. "When is D-Day?"


    My lips turning down, my momentary high dulled, I sullenly said, "June 26th."


    She sighed, mentally ticking off how much time she had left with me, then she turned and waddled back to her office, probably to call the temp agency and have them start looking for my replacement. Irritating woman. Once again I thought Tracey was on to something, and Teren''s family should just buy the company for me. Clarice wouldn''t seem so high and mighty if this pregnant chick was suddenly her boss.


    The last biggest change in my life happened not long after Clarice discovered my secret. The last biggest change sort of changed a lot for me, especially how I looked at my husband. In one day, he was brought down a peg in my eyes.


    Tracey and I were having a leisurely cup of coffee at a local shop in town. Well, she was having coffee; I was still sticking to hot chocolate. It was mid-morning on a Saturday and the place was starting to pick up. We sat on luxuriously padded chairs in deep crimson and gold fabric. They could have just as easily been in a medieval throne room as a coffee shop. I sighed and relaxed back onto the exquisite chair and glanced around the space while Tracey went over her Hot Ben woes. Contemporary music played softly in the background as dim lighting was suspended over other groups of plush chairs, most in sets of two or three, just perfect for relaxing with a friend or two.


    Most of the people who already had their beverages, were sitting in those fancy seats, looking as comfortable as I felt. An older man with a head of thick, dark hair, that any twenty year old guy would die to still have at his age, was having a pleasant conversation with a woman who looked about half his age. Yet again, something twenty year olds would probably love to have at his age.


    Just behind where the older man was resting his hand on the woman''s knee, I could just make out a pair of forty-something women, eyeing the man contemptuously. They whispered heated conversations as they glared at the woman, not the man, and I thought that perhaps they had each lost a beloved to a younger woman. I hoped that when I reached their age, Teren didn''t come to regret his decision to marry me. I immediately discounted that though. What we had went far beyond physical looks.


    Tracey''s sigh pulled me back to our conversation, well, her conversation. As she sipped her frothy coffee treat, I sipped my cup of hot cocoa, savoring the chocolaty goodness hitting my tongue while she continued on with her theory that Hot Ben was diddling Halina.


    After hearing this theory for so long now, I wasn''t sure what to say to it anymore. I''d already told her that there was no way it was true (and there really was no way it was true...Hot Ben was terrified of Halina), but she never believed me, so now I just listened. As one of the twins kicked my ribcage, I brought a hand to my stomach, soothing the youngster and massaging the spot that he or she had been kicking repeatedly all morning. They generally rotated and twisted, kicking and squirming in different spots, but things were getting tighter in there as they, and in turn me, got larger, and they had started concentrating on one spot more often. That wasn''t as much fun for me.


    As Tracey started debating whether or not she should hire a private eye, her hand absentmindedly stroking out a piece of her blonde curls, I fixated on the slightly swaying lamp hanging over a table behind her. It was a deep red shade, the bulb inside just visible under the porcelain, making it glow from within. The shade reminded me of Teren, and the fact that he still wouldn''t bite me.


    When Tracey mentioned a name and an address of a detective, I fully concentrated on what she was saying. She wasn''t just randomly joking around that she should have someone trail her possibly straying beau, she had actually researched it.


    "What?" I said, a little startled that she''d seriously do that.


    She set down her coffee, the smell wafting up to reach my nose, making my mouth water a little; I did miss my caffeinated coffee fix. "Well, what else am I supposed to do, Emma? Ever since the wedding, he''s been so weird." She worried her lip and shook her head, her hair swishing over her shoulders. "I know he''s hiding something."


    Her eyes watered and guilt filled me. I knew so much that I couldn''t tell her. I knew exactly what was wrong with Ben. I knew exactly why he was being weird around her and what secret he was keeping from her. I knew...and I couldn''t tell her. There was nothing about the situation that I could share, no comfort that I could bring her. Nothing I knew would make her feel better anyway. She''d just be as freaked out as he was, even worse. She''d be beyond terrified, and would scream to the world that vampires existed. She''d probably end up in a straight jacket.


    Doing the only thing I could, I extended my hand out to her, placing it on her arm sympathetically. "I''m sure it''s not you, Trace. He loves you, adores you even."


    She looked at me doubtfully, her beautiful face held in a frown. I set down my cocoa and grabbed her arm with my other hand. Letting my face brighten and look hopeful, I exclaimed. "Why don''t you and Ben, and me and Teren all go-"


    A woman walking past us, brushed up against my shoulder and stopped walking. The place had been picking up pace and several people had walked back and forth as Tracey and I sat on a main path to the counter, but those people, even the ones that had inadvertently touched us on their journey for more beverages, had only apologized briefly before continuing their journey. This woman stopping and facing us, made me cut off in my conversation and stare up at her.


    She was my age, seemingly, with straight, shoulder length hair. She wasn''t a drop-dead beauty like Tracey, but she had a certain girl-next-door quality that made men take notice of her, including the male barista that I could see checking her out from the corner of my eye. She was slim and tall, with small features to match her small curves. Her eyes were a grayish blue color and were narrowed in confusion as she looked at me.


    "I''m sorry," she said quietly, as Tracey finally took notice of her and twisted her head to look. "Did you say...Teren?" I nodded, confused as to what this woman wanted. Her eyes widened and she sputtered on her next sentence. "Teren...Adams?"


    My eyes narrowed as someone I didn''t know, a female someone I didn''t know, mentioned my husband''s full name. "Yes," I said slowly, curiosity nearly killing me.


    Her mouth dropped open as her entire posture relaxed. "Oh, wow. There''s a name I haven''t heard in awhile." Her hand came up to her mouth for a second as she looked between the two of us. "I''m so sorry, I didn''t mean to eavesdrop. I just heard you mention that name, and it''s so unusual, I just thought, what are the odds, right?" She shrugged as a bright smile lit her lips. I sort of hated thinking that my husband made anyone else smile like that.


    "Yeah, it is...different." Curiosity eating me alive, I finally managed to say, "I''m sorry, who are you?"


    The woman shook her head, her face becoming apologetic. "Oh, I''m so sorry, how rude of me." She extended her hand to me and I lightly took it. "Carrie, Carrie Davids." She smiled brightly again, like I should know exactly who she was now. Glancing at the ring on my finger she added, "Are you Teren''s wife?"


    I smiled that I indeed was. "Yes, Emma Adams." I stressed my new last name, just to make absolutely sure this strange woman knew who I was. "And...how do you know Teren?" I added as casually as I could. Tracey beside me was silent, but when I flicked a glance at her, I could tell her pessimistic mood lately had already labeled this woman standing before me as Teren''s side action. I ignored Tracey, focusing on the girl again. Teren wasn''t cheating...I was certain of that. Pretty certain, anyway.


    She flushed a bit, her hand running through her hair nervously. "Oh gosh, I''m just being all sorts of rude today, aren''t I? Sorry, you just caught me by surprise with that name. I mean, I never expected to hear that name here, of all places." She shook her head. "The odds, really?" I threw on a barely contained smile, since she still hadn''t answered my question and noticing, she quickly said, "High school. We went to school together in Virginia."


    I immediately relaxed as the relationship to my husband became apparent. Tracey beside me snorted, clearly she didn''t buy that, but I still ignored her. Brightening, I threw on a genuine smile. "Oh, I''ve never met anyone who grew up with him. It''s nice to meet someone from his past." A part of me was a little surprised this girl even remembered who he was. Didn''t they say that most people would only vaguely remember him? She''d picked up on him by only his first name.


    The woman smiled at me, her face clearly rewinding back into that past. "Yeah, we had some great times. You''re very lucky...he''s a great guy." She said that last part wistfully and that tension came back to me. Just how had she known my husband? Before I could ask, she added, "Do you live around here?" She looked around like Teren might be here too. I mentally smiled that he was visiting his family at the ranch. Bringing her eyes back to me, she said, "Do you think we could all get together while I''m in town?"


    Relief flooded through me that she didn''t live here. Sighing with a fake reluctance, I said, "I''m not sure. He''s very busy with his work."


    She brightened at that. "Oh, did he become a writer? He was so brilliant in school."


    My smile left me that she knew him so well. "Um...yes. He writes for a magazine here." Not knowing how I felt about meeting this woman, I slapped on a friendly smile, my hand automatically going to my stomach, as yet another child knocked me from the inside. "Well, I''ll be sure to tell him you say hello." You can be sure of that. I had many questions for that boy.


    She didn''t react to my clear dismissal. Instead her eyes went to my stomach and I swear her face paled. "Are you...is that...?" She looked up at me, her eyes unnecessarily moist. "Are you expecting ...Teren''s child?"


    My brows furrowed at the look on her face. I couldn''t even speak. Luckily, or unluckily, Tracey answered for me. "Yep. He knocked her up good...twins. Right around the time they got married." She stressed married, like she was trying to warn away this could-be home wrecker.


    As the woman''s eyes filled with tears, I still didn''t think that that was what this was about. Her eyes went back to my stomach and as the tears filled to flood level, she hastily brushed them aside. "God, I''m sorry. I''m being so inappropriate today. I just didn''t expect to hear about him again...and here you are...and you''re..." She looked at a smugly smiling Tracey and then to me. "I should go. Congratulations...to both of you."


    She hastily turned to leave and I reached out and grabbed her hand. She looked back at me, more tears falling, and the sympathetic side of me kicked in. "Are you okay?" Tracey snorted again and I ignored her again. This woman was hurting for some reason, and it couldn''t just be because some boy she''d known in high school had gotten married and started a family.


    She sniffled as she looked back at me, another tear falling, her blue eyes glistening. "I''m sorry. It shouldn''t still affect me after all this time, and we were so young, it really was for the best." She bit her lip and shrugged. "I guess you just never really get over that kind of loss." She shook her head, more tears falling.


    She was really starting to lose it and I had no idea why. Then her words started filling in my head, and over the music piping through the room, I started to piece together what she meant. Loss. She didn''t mean losing Teren. She hadn''t seemed much more than curious about him, until she looked at my stomach. That was when pain had brought her to the blubbery mess she was now. Pain, over my pregnancy. Loss...over her own?


    She stared at my stomach, her voice sad and reminiscent. "I wonder if they will have his super dark hair and beautiful pale eyes." She stopped talking and looked back up at me. "Such a great combination, isn''t it? The darkness and lightness. So perfect." Her hand went to her stomach in a familiar move, a move I did daily. My eyes widened as I watched her, my suspicions confirmed.


    My mouth dropped wide open. "Were you pregnant?" I whispered.


    She looked terrified, like I might strike her, and backed up a step, pulling apart from me. She looked over at a startled Tracey and then back to me. "God, I''m so inappropriate. I shouldn''t be bringing this up with you." She shook her head and started to leave. "Please, tell Teren hello. It was nice to meet you."


    She turned to leave again and I stood up quickly. Well, as quickly as I could get out of the throne room-like chair. Tracey understood, and helped me to stand up quicker. The woman paused as I desperately grabbed her arm again. "Please," I begged. "I need to know. Did Teren get you pregnant?"


    She sighed, looking horribly apologetic. "It was a long time ago. Please don''t be angry." She shrugged off my hand and took a quick step back. "I''m so sorry I said anything." She looked at my stomach again. "You just...surprised me. Brought back a lot of...memories." Backing up another step, she muttered, "Please, give Teren my best."


    I only nodded. I planned on giving Teren my best as well. I couldn''t even comprehend the fact that this woman vividly remembered him, right down to the hair and eyes and the fact that he loved to write. Her admission over what their relationship had been was so beyond startling, that I was a little numb from it, and Tracey had to physically help me walk to my car, for fear I might pass out at any moment. I wasn''t the first woman to have Teren Adams'' seed growing inside her. I felt like my world had just shattered.


    I managed to separate from Tracey after we left that fateful coffee shop, convincing her that I was fine, and it was in Teren''s past and didn''t concern me in the slightest. She eventually bought that, and left in her own car to go home and visit Hot Ben, maybe now even more concerned over what he may be hiding from her.


    I couldn''t worry about them any longer, as the hole punched through my gut started to ache. He''d gotten someone pregnant and never once mentioned it. You would think that was the sort of thing he''d mention while we were trying. And what happened to the baby anyway? Carrie had only mentioned loss. She never actually said what kind of loss. Did she not make it through the full pregnancy or did she give the baby up? I couldn''t imagine Teren''s family letting an heir go, so I tended to think it was the first part. She''d lost the baby. Willingly or unwillingly? How far along? While they were in school? How often had they had sex to get her pregnant?


    As I automatically started driving to the ranch to confront my husband, that''s the direction my mind went. I knew I shouldn''t, I mean, neither one of us were virgins going into this relationship, and I''d had my fair share of dalliances, but as I sped along that highway, the only thing running through my head was the various positions he and that woman had possibly been engaged in. I pictured them in her car in the school parking lot, under the bleachers during a pep rally, and even up against the wall in the girl''s locker room. I doubted any of those scenarios had actually happened, but I pictured them anyway. I also wondered if I''d just met Teren''s "first". My stomach felt sour by the time I got to the ranch.


    Alanna greeted me at the door, opening it right as I walked up - she could now sense me too, since the blood in my babies was a homing beacon to all the vamps. She smiled widely at seeing me. "Emma, I didn''t think you''d be by today." She cocked her head as I strode into the entryway. "Are you alright, dear?" She could probably hear my hammering heart.


    "Where is he?" I bit out through clenched teeth.


    She looked over her shoulder to a place outside, where he must be with Jack. "He''s coming. He sensed you approaching."


    I nodded and started pacing the room, my fists clenched tight. Alanna stopped me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "What is it, Emma?"


    I started to answer her, to ask her if she knew about any of this, and how could she not tell me, and what else did she know, when suddenly Teren breezed into the room. His pale eyes took in my body language - my heart, my smell, my stance - everything about me was pissed off. He scrunched his brows as he walked over to me, his cool fingers coming to my cheeks while his eyes looked for clues. "What happened?"


    Grabbing his hands and pulling them off my face, I clenched his fingers in mine. He made no indication that I was hurting him, which I probably wasn''t. "I met someone today, someone who knows you...very well." I said it calmly, but an undercurrent of seething anger was there, and he sensed it.


    His body stiffened as he searched me. "Okay," he said slowly, his face horribly confused as to why I was such a different person than the woman he had tenderly made love to, just this morning.


    Remembering all of the intimate moments we had shared, and unfairly mixing them with all of the intimate moments I''d imagined him having with another woman on the drive over, I shoved his chest away from me. He took a step back, looking hurt. "Carrie," was all I said, seeing if he''d instinctually know what I was talking about.


    I glanced at Alanna, but she looked hopelessly lost. That made me feel a little better. Maybe I wasn''t alone in my ignorance. Teren looked hopelessly lost too...at first. "Carr-" His eyes widened and I knew the exact moment he realized he''d just been busted. "Oh god, Emma." He shook his head and walked over to me, putting his hands on my upper arms. "I can explain."


    I shoved him away from me again, as if he''d just confirmed every intimate act that I''d imagined of them. "You can explain getting another woman pregnant!" Teren took a step back, a hand going up to his mouth while the other ran back through his hair.


    "What? Teren?" Alanna came over to stand beside me, her cool hand over my arm as she stared incredulously at her son. I put my hand over hers, grateful that not everyone had kept this secret from me, just my husband apparently. Jack walked into the room, now filled with a horrid tension, and stood still in the hallway that led to the kitchen. He looked between me, his wife and his son, and seemed unsure if he should stay or not. As I was still fuming, I really didn''t care which choice he made.


    Teren looked at his mother when she questioned him, then upstairs to where Imogen was probably questioning him too. Keeping his eyes up there he finally said, "I''ll explain." He brought his panicked eyes back down to me. "Just let me explain."


    I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded. I wanted to tap my foot too, but felt that was a little dramatic, so I stood as still and rigid as I possibly could. Teren made a move towards me, but seeing my clear tension, sighed and stopped where he was, next to the crying woman statue. His face sort of matched hers.


    "We were young, Emma, just kids." He shrugged and glanced at his mother before returning his eyes to mine. "We dated a few months and then...she got pregnant." He whispered the word, like him saying it out loud was somehow more horrid than me yelling it. And in a way, it was. I cringed as the words left his lips. I bit my own to keep back the tears stinging my eyes. He took in my turmoil and sighed. "She lost it, Emma. She didn''t even make it eight weeks before she miscarried." He shrugged his shoulders. "There is no baby."


    My arms crossed over my chest flew to my sides, my hands clenched so tight my fingernails dug into my palms. "Why did you never mention this to me?"


    He shrugged again, his face looking sad and unsure what to say. Shaking his head, he repeated, "There is no baby."


    I looked away from him as my anger ebbed and surged. I couldn''t control the waves of emotion and looking at his torn face was only making the sensation worse. I needed to ride out this tidal wave of anger before speaking again, or I may try and tear off that secretive mouth.


    Alanna took my silence to speak to her son. "Carrie?" she said slowly, stepping up to him. "Who is Carrie?" I turned to watch her as she walked up to him, hands on her hips.


    He sighed, looking up at the ceiling and closing his eyes for a second, looking for all the world like he was about to have a conversation that he had never intended to have with his family. He opened his eyes and looked back down at her. "We dated in high school."


    Alanna scrunched her brows. "I don''t remember a Carrie in high school. I don''t remember you being serious with anyone, not until college."


    Teren looked at the ground while Jack stepped up to his wife''s side, grabbing one hand from her hip and holding it. Her entire posture relaxed. Without looking up at her, Teren said, "I didn''t tell you about her. I didn''t want any of you to know."


    Alanna looked like Teren had just slapped her. He guiltily looked up at her and spoke a long Russian sentence. Her face turned mildly softer and she shook her head and put a hand on his cheek.


    Irritated that her irritation was leaving her, I spat out, "You should have told me, Teren."


    His eyes came back to mine. "I know, I''m sorry."


    Alanna turned to look at me, her eyes pink with unshed tears. "You saw her today? In town?"


    I nodded. "She''s visiting or something. She won''t be here long, but she wanted to see Teren once she found out he was here." My eyes shifted to him as my tone dripped with venom. "She says hi, by the way."


    He closed his eyes at that but opened them immediately when Alanna spoke again. "We''ll need to tell Halina, she''ll want to see the girl."


    "No!"


    The heat in Teren''s tone when he said that shocked Alanna and me. We both turned to look at him, his dad giving him a puzzled look as well. "Teren, she can''t be allowed to know-"


    Teren shook his head and grabbed his mother''s arms, cutting her off. "She doesn''t know. She never found out."


    Alanna raised an eyebrow at him, surprised. "You didn''t tell her what you were, when she got pregnant?"


    He shook his head again and anger surged through me at hearing that stupid p-word again. "I thought you wouldn''t bring anyone into this unknowingly. Isn''t that what you said to me?"


    He cringed and stepped away from his mother to finally step up to me again. Cautiously he put his hands over my arms, sliding them all the way down to my fingers, trying to relax me. All it did though was remind me that he''d probably slid his hands down that woman''s arms in this exact same way, comforting her when she realized she was with child - his child. I bristled at the contact and he sighed.


    "She''s why, Emma." He stepped up to me and my belly brushed his stomach. He clenched my hands as he spoke softly. "When she found out, I realized how dangerous what we''d just done really was. She was the only one that I wasn''t cautious with. She was the only one that I didn''t make sure one of us was protected. And I just couldn''t tell her what she was really carrying. If she had given birth..." He sighed and rested his head against mine. "I was sixteen, Emma. I was stupid...please don''t hate me for that."


    I started shaking as I held in my conflicting emotions. Anger still boiled in me, but so did understanding and compassion. Lord knows I hadn''t made the smartest choices, especially at sixteen. I''d just managed to dodge the proverbial bullet. Teren hadn''t been so lucky, and it had certainly woken him up as to how hard relationships were going to be for him. Even the first few times we were together, he''d been diligent about protection. Come to think of it, he''d been diligent until the day he watched me pop a pill. Feeling the truth in the hard lesson he''d learned, I relaxed slightly in his grip, finally letting his fingers interlace mine. He sighed again and rocked his head against me as he whispered that he was sorry.


    Alanna came up to him, resting a hand on his back. "You should have told us, Teren."


    He looked back at her, his eyes sad. "It didn''t matter. She didn''t know and she lost the baby." He shrugged, looking like a sixteen year old that had just gotten caught doing something really stupid.


    Alanna shook her head at him. "No, you should have told us, so you wouldn''t have had to go through that alone. We can''t start lying to each other, Teren. We''re all we have. We need to be honest. Here, if nowhere else, we need to be honest."


    He swallowed and looked down, a tear finally dropping to his cheek. "I''m sorry, Mom. I just...I wanted her left alone." He looked up at her. "It was hard, not to tell you, but I wanted her...to remember." He spoke another Russian sentence to her and Alanna sighed heavily and lowered her hand from his back.


    "I have to tell Halina, Teren. I can''t keep something this big from her and mother won''t." Her eyes drifted upstairs to where Imogen was hiding out the sunshine in her room. I thought that if there were more curtains in the entryway, Imogen would be right down in the middle of this conversation, putting in her two cents worth. As both vampires still had their head turned to the upstairs room, I thought maybe she was anyway.


    Teren started shaking his head as he looked back down at his mom. "Just give it a few days. Emma said she was only visiting, just wait until she''s left town before you tell Great-Gran. Please?"


    Teren''s hands tightened in mine as he begged for his ex-girlfriend''s memory. Thinking back to her tears in the coffee shop over their lost child, I had no idea why he wanted her to remember that tragic event. Alanna seemed equally as confused as she looked at him.


    "Teren, we removed the memory of your face from every other person in that school." She blinked as she thought about that. "I don''t know how Grandmother missed her, really."


    Teren interjected, his face sheepish as he twisted to face his parents. "Carrie''s mom removed her when she discovered what had happened. She pulled her, and took her to another school, to get her away from me. Since you weren''t aware how close she and I were, I never told you that she left."


    Alanna''s eyes widened. "Teren, we rely on you to tell us everything, so we can get everyone. It was the only reason we let you attend a regular school in the first place. If you''ve held back..." I could see Alanna''s eyes calculating all the people they''d have to track down. It was daunting, even to me.


    His head hung down under the weight of her words. "It was just her, Mom...she was the only one." He raised his head, his pale eyes pleading. I found myself squeezing his hand in encouragement. "And her parents never met me either. It was just her, I promise."


    Jack finally stepped into the conversation. "Halina went to a lot of trouble to blur you out of the students'' memories, to make sure that no one specifically remembered you. That was very foolish of you, Teren."


    Teren seemed to crumble at his father''s words. I think they crushed him more than his mom''s. I put a hand on his chest and he looked over at me, grateful for the comfort and looking like he felt he didn''t deserve it. I kind of wanted his parents to ease off, my own anger gone at his clear repentance. He honestly had only made a mistake that thousands of teenagers made every year, and I suppose for all parties, this one had worked out for the best.


    Alanna wasn''t quite done with her reprimand though. "I will give you time, but she has to be wiped. Her especially, since you are such a strong memory." She shook her head. "She knows too much, Teren."


    "She knows nothing, Mom." He tried again.


    Alanna firmly shook her head, not budging on the issue of her family''s isolation. "She remembers you, that is too much." She raised an eyebrow as she gazed at him sternly. "What if you run into her in sixty years, Teren? She will be old and frail, but you, you will be the same man she knew, young and strong. What then?"


    He frowned. "I was a kid. I look nothing like I did then. I should be allowed to keep my childhood." He frowned and sounded a little petulant. Alanna sighed, sounding like she''d had this argument with him before. He bristled at hearing a sigh he''d probably heard before. "Besides, she''ll be older; she''ll assume I''m a grandson or something."


    Alanna looked down and shook her head. "That would probably work for some..." she lifted her head and sadly shook it, "but you''ve left her with too strong a connection to you. She''ll look in your eyes, and see you looking back at her, and she will have no doubt over who you really are."


    He shook his head, but she cut him off when he opened his mouth to speak. "It''s part of your nature, Teren. It''s part of what makes you a vampire. You have a strong magnetism that humans respond to. In small doses, it''s fine...but you bedded this woman, repeatedly." She raised an eyebrow. "You were each other''s firsts?" Teren looked embarrassed, but nodded. Alanna nodded in response, his answer seeming to solidify her point.


    Alanna glanced at her husband and then back at Teren. She gave him a look that a parent gives a teenager when they are about to speak about something that will horrifically embarrass said teenager. "Your sexuality is also part of being a vampire; it''s more in your vampiric blood than your human blood. It''s just a vampire''s nature." Teren flicked a quick glance at me and I flushed horribly, just as embarrassed as if I was young again, and my mom was trying to explain to me where the "boy" part went. Alanna quickly continued to the finale of her point. "This human, that you''ve let get so close to you, will always remember you, if that is left unchecked. Even ninety and senile...she will remember you, Teren." She shrugged. "Your nature...makes you unforgettable."


    She smiled softly and squeezed Jack''s hand, Jack looking a little embarrassed too, but giving his son a look of fatherly support. I tried to ignore that Alanna was basically saying that sex with a vampire was so good - no one would ever forget it. I knew that that was true, but I didn''t like some strange woman out there also knowing that was true.


    He hung his head and then finally, nodded. She put a friendly hand on his shoulder and spoke too softly for me to hear. He nodded again and finally lifted his head to look at her. "Why don''t you take your wife home, dear?" Alanna looked over to me sympathetically. "I''m sure you have a lot to discuss."


    He nodded a final time and then gave her and then his father a swift hug goodbye. Then he took me back to our home and spent the rest of the evening telling me about his greatest childhood mistake. By the time he was finished with his story, my anger was sapped and I held him and consoled him, finally feeling the experience through his terrified, teenage eyes instead of my own jealous ones. Experiencing it that way, I found I could let the horrid images of them having sex go, and could feel his fear, both at the thought of being a father so young, and at having the mother possibly go into hysterics if she ever found out what he was. And she would have, once the baby was born. Now that I was beginning to understand just how rare my initial reaction was, I couldn''t imagine how frightened and alone young Teren must have been.


    I couldn''t forgive him for not telling me (that really should have been something he mentioned while we were trying) but I could understand why he didn''t like talking about it. And after we spent an entire night talking about it, I let it go. Well, I tried to anyway.

 Page 10

    Teren and I didn''t talk much about Carrie after that and he didn''t meet up with her while she was in town. I think he wanted to; sometimes when we were at home, I''d catch him staring at the door, lost in thought. I think he wanted to see her, just to make sure she was okay, that her life had turned out well. As if he were somehow responsible for every bit of sadness she may have had over the past ten years, because he''d let her remember one tragic event that had happened when they were kids. But he didn''t leave my side. Maybe he felt like he''d done enough damage, and was kissing up to me by not seeking her out or maybe he was nervous that she''d notice his changes. Either way, two weeks went by, and while I wasn''t sure how long she was in town for, most vacations don''t last longer than that.


    I relaxed tremendously after that second week passed and I didn''t see her again. I know it wasn''t her fault that she had a history with my man, but I didn''t exactly want to sit around and compare notes with her or anything. Once she left, I surprisingly found myself grateful that I had run into her at all. Teren may have never brought up that part of his history without a little prodding. He could just be secretive like that, if he thought he was protecting someone, and he didn''t want to hurt me or expose Carrie to his family.Advertisement


    I was getting to be a little better with the fact that he hadn''t told me. I mean, we really did jump right into this relationship head first and never really sat down to discuss our pasts. And there were certainly a lot of things in my past that he didn''t know. For instance, I''ve never told him about the guy who slipped me a roofie at a party (thank god for girlfriends and nothing happened) or the guy who had become so obsessed with me in college that I''d nearly had to get a restraining order on him to get him to back off. There were a lot of little skeletons in our closets that Teren and I had just never had the time to sit down and look at. And he repeatedly assured me that Carrie was the biggest, the one he''d been trying to hide from his family, and had inadvertently hid from me as well.


    But he couldn''t hide her from his family forever, not thanks to my sort of public declaration of their past, and eventually Alanna or Imogen did tell Halina. It became immediately apparent when they did. She showed up on our doorstep, looking hot and fiery, a thoroughly pissed off vampire. I hid out upstairs while he and Halina "discussed" the situation that was Carrie. I''m not sure what they said exactly, since most of it, at least from Halina''s side, was in heated Russian (apparently being really mad got her to revert to her native tongue). Teren responded in English for the most part, but catching just one side of a conversation was frustrating and after awhile I stopped listening.


    When she slammed the door and left, all I''d gotten was the fact that Carrie had indeed left town and Halina wanted to know where to find her. Teren didn''t know, or wouldn''t say, and Halina was on the warpath to find out. She wanted her wiped more than anything, much more than she''d wanted Ben''s memories. I had a feeling that she''d take everything from Carrie, just to teach Teren a lesson. Assuming she ever found her that is.


    But not everything was stressful. Amid the drama of Carrie''s surprise visit, Teren and I had the big ultrasound. He walked me into the lab where they ran the tests, his nose wrinkling at the antiseptic smell that bothered even my sense of smell. We sat in padded waiting room chairs and he rubbed my shoulders while we waited. He''d been doing a lot of massaging after our spat. I didn''t tell him that it wasn''t necessary, that he really didn''t need to keep buttering me up. He was good at massages and my body was sore, and aching in spots I hadn''t expected to ache in, and I wasn''t about to ask his heaven-sent fingers to stop.


    A short, plump woman with platinum hair and raspberry scrubs called my name and after Teren helped me stand up, we walked over to the doorway to greet her. She held her clipboard to her chest as her pale eyes took in our excited faces. "First timers?" she asked brightly.


    I nodded eagerly and Teren chuckled, rubbing a spot on my back as we followed the nurse through the door and into a hallway leading to several small exam rooms. She nodded her head as she walked us by spaces full of various complicated looking equipment. We passed other patients, some getting tests done that were not nearly as joyous as the one we were about to take, and I tried to contain my joy and not smile merrily at the more dour faces.


    Sweeping her arm, the chipper nurse said, "Well, we''ll take good care of you." I bounced into the room with her and plopped my growing body down onto a flat, padded bed.


    Teren walked in before her and she encouraged me to lie down while she shut the door and flicked off the light. The room had no outside windows, like my doctor''s office did, and the space darkened dramatically. Teren froze where he was by the closed door, momentarily closing his eyes as he didn''t know how dark the room was, didn''t know if that odd glow he couldn''t control would be too bright. The nurse didn''t catch his pause and walked over to me, turning on a couple knobs to warm up the machine as she started going on about how exciting the first pregnancy was. I only partially listened to her as I stared at Teren. He was still standing close to the door, behind her, ready to slip out of the room if his eyes were too perceptible.


    It wasn''t exactly dark though; a couple nightlights cast a soft light and the machine itself had a glow that made it almost seem bright, the closer you got to it. My breath held as I watched him put a hand in front of his face and open his eyes to look at it. I could see the glow from where he stood, back in the darkest section of the room. He could see it too. He looked up at me, tossing a quick glance at the nurse. His face looked torn; he wanted to stay, but he couldn''t if she''d notice.


    I felt tears sting my eyes that he may miss this and found myself reaching my hand out for him. He tilted his head as he watched me, even more torn. And then he took a deep breath and came over to me. My heart increased as I watched him walk past the technician. She was busy prattling on about the miracle of life while she ran through a few steps on the computer, and really wasn''t paying any attention to the undead man walking past her.


    Keeping his gaze down, he went around to the far side of the bed and sat in a spinning stool. He shifted the rolling contraption so that he could both hold my hand and be closer to the nightlight. Taking another deep breath, he lifted his head to look at me. I swallowed as the glow was still really perceptible to me. But then again, I knew it was there. I tried to see the whites of his eyes as an outsider would, but I was so used to it, it was a little difficult. I shrugged, not knowing if it was noticeable to others or not.


    "Hey, relax, dear. You''re all tense." The jolly nurse was stroking my arm and I made myself not worry. She started taking my vitals and asking me if I''d loaded up on water (because apparently having a bladder close to bursting is how they get the best picture), and then she looked over at Teren, finally.


    She was listening to my heart and I knew it had just started spiking as her gaze locked on Teren''s. He immediately shifted his gaze to my face, but the nurse frowned and tilted her head, like she swore she had just seen something weird, but wasn''t sure what. Teren''s fingers tightened around mine and I was pretty sure he was holding his unnecessary breath.


    The tech turned back to me. "You nervous or excited about this, honey? Your heart''s all over the place." I let out a nervous chuckle and felt Teren''s fingers relax as he lightly laughed as well.


    Without looking at Teren again, she squirted some really cold, blue liquid on my stomach and rubbed it around. I had to laugh as the twins started to kick and squirm. The liquid was as chilly as Teren''s touch and they were responding, just like they did when he touched me.


    "Oh, active aren''t they? Well, that will ease up when things start getting tight in there." She took what looked like a handheld grocery store scanner and rested it over my stomach. As she twisted it around, she shook her blonde head. "Twins. Brave woman. A girlfriend of mine had twins and those two have aged her at least a decade." She laughed and looked up from the computer monitor to my face, looking a little worried that she''d offended me, or scared me. "I''m sure it won''t be like that for you though." Her tone clearly said that she thought it would be just as tricky for me, but she didn''t want to freak me out.


    I smiled and nodded encouragingly, like I was sure my children would be perfect angels and nothing like her girlfriend''s. I wasn''t sure what they''d really be like, but I''d love them no matter what. Just as I was busy picturing black-haired, blue-eyed toddlers crawling around my feet, the nurse pointed to some hazy, gray blob on the screen.


    "And there is a good one of a face." I stared at that stupid screen until she shifted it, nodding, like it was the best face I''d ever seen, but really, all I saw was an abstract gray and white swirl of indistinguishable features.


    Teren squeezed my hand, and looking back at him, I saw tears in his eyes. He''d seen it, whatever it was. His eyes faintly glowed at me as he smiled and stroked my hand. I sighed and looked back at the screen, hopeful to see something that resembled a child today. Then she spotted something and focused the image on it. Then I gasped. It was five perfectly distinct digits that were unmistakably a hand. I started to cry and felt Teren''s cool hand brushing a tear off my cheek. The nurse smiled over at us and went on about other body parts that she and Teren could clearly see. He was quiet, listening to her, but not commenting, not wanting to drawn her attention back to him, but he squeezed my fingers whenever he saw something. I never saw anything else that resembled anything other than a gray blob, but that one hand made my day.


    At the end of the test, she looked at each of us with a crooked grin. "Do you want to know the sexes?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Teren and I both looked at each other and then simultaneously shook our heads. That was one thing we''d both agreed on earlier. We wanted the surprise. It had annoyed my mom to no end when I''d told her that we weren''t going to find out. She''d used the excuse that she needed to know if she should buy pink things or blue things, but I''d been firm on my decision and told her to stick to yellows and greens. We''d decided that some things were just meant to be surprises, and babies were one of those things.


    The technician nodded and wiped off my belly, helping me adjust my clothes and sit up. Teren wrapped a cool arm around my waist, his slightly glowing eyes beaming at me. She flicked the light back on and we both blinked in the suddenly bright room. I exhaled a true sigh of relief that we''d gotten through that without him getting caught, and without caving on the babies'' sexes. And as the nurse merrily tucked away the machine, she assured us that everything was well within the spectrum of normal, and she saw nothing to worry about. It made me obscenely happy to hear that my kids looked normal.


    When we left the lab it was dark outside and as we walked through the orange light of the parking lot lamps, a happy smile was on my face as I thought about that tiny little hand floating around in my body. I imagined the baby attached to it was sticking it into its mouth and sucking on it. I''d read in one of my baby books that they sometimes did that in the womb. Teren was grinning ear to ear as he described the face to me. His vision had seen it in even more perfect detail than the nurse had seen it.


    He was describing the tiny, button nose he''d seen, when he suddenly stopped walking, grabbing my hand to stop me as well. I looked back at his concerned face searching the darkness. I looked over the lot to the other side of the street where a cluster of trees were thick with shadow. Teren made no protective move like he did sometimes, so I thought maybe he was sensing something he knew, like maybe a relative.


    "Halina?" I whispered, hoping the vamp hadn''t decided to come pick another fight with Teren right now over Carrie or Hot Ben.


    He tilted his head, his eyes still glued to the trees. "No, she''s not in the city tonight." I nodded, grateful she wasn''t around, and curious as to what he was sensing. Then he moved in front of me, a low growl coming from his chest. Recognizing that move, I stayed safely behind him, my hand clutching his arm in case he got the stupid idea to check out the oddity without me.


    "Teren, what is it?"


    He straightened then and looked down the street. Whatever it was, had apparently run off. Teren turned to look at me behind him. His eyes went down to my stomach, concern evident in his face. "Nothing, Emma."


    I furrowed my brow, knowing he was lying. "Teren, just tell me."


    He shook his head. "I''m not sure, Emma, but..." he looked down and then peered up at me, "I think someone''s stalking me."


    My eyebrows shot right up my forehead and the icy panic that I''d kept at bay ever since our abduction, flooded my chest. I put a hand over my stomach and searched the darkness. "A hunter?" I whispered, my hand on his arm clutching him tight.


    I looked back at him and he shook his head. "I don''t know. I keep smelling..." He twisted to put both arms over mine. "Please don''t go out alone anymore." His face searched mine frantically. "Please, I can''t lose you, Emma." His hand drifted down to rest over mine on my stomach. "Any of you."


    I nodded and hugged him tight to me, my eyes darting out over the suddenly vast and terrifying world we lived in. I squeezed him tighter, trying to block out the irrational fear I felt now. It crept in though, and the icy tendrils snaked around my core as Teren took my hand and led me to his car. He helped me inside and shut the door, a low growl issuing from his throat as he took a final look around. I thought maybe Teren was feeling that icy fear too.


    I spent the next few days keeping close to home and close to Teren. Tracey noticed my behavior and asked if everything was alright. I assured her that it was, that I was just exhausted from the pregnancy and wanted to sleep more than anything. Which was true, I just found sleeping difficult. There is nothing quite like your supernatural husband telling you that someone is stalking him, and subsequently you, to make sleeping soundly near impossible. I tossed and turned at night while he whispered in my ear that he heard nothing, that I was safe.


    I tried to take that to heart. He wasn''t exactly easy to sneak up on and he''d never let anyone harm me, but he wasn''t infallible either. When Hot Ben came over a few nights later, I thought we looked similarly exhausted now. He asked Teren to, yet again, wipe him, and for the first time, Teren seemed to think maybe he should. Ben had lost a good ten pounds in his stress and had deep circles under his eyes now. I''d heard that he and Tracey hadn''t spoken in nearly a week as his constant fear had put the brakes on their relationship.


    I hated that, but found I understood Ben''s fear. I was constantly looking over my shoulder now too. While Hot Ben was explaining to Teren that he saw something move faster than humanly possibly (which may have been true or not), I made the mistake of telling him about Teren''s worry that someone was watching us. Ben latched on to that and we spent an entire evening going over what could possibly be hunting us. I was convinced it was another sanctimonious do-gooder with a stake and a vendetta, Hot Ben was convinced it was a werewolf.


    As Teren ushered Ben out for the evening, walking him to his car, he whispered to me, "I''ll call Halina tomorrow night." I sighed, thankful that at least Ben''s life would get back on track. He could probably still repair things with Tracey, although she was still convinced he was sleeping with Halina. Picturing Hot Ben returning to his normally easy going self, I started thinking that maybe Halina could mind wipe me too? Just about the stalker thing, just so I could sleep. But, I knew that hiding from the problem didn''t make it any less of a problem, and I should be aware, just so I could be extra cautious if anything. Still, it was a tempting thought, knowing I didn''t necessarily have to remember. Maybe I''d have her take the memory of Carrie too.


    The next night Teren and I had gone out to eat at a nearby restaurant (well, I ate, Teren watched, ordering food for himself but letting me eat it, since I could pack away a deceptive amount now) when we''d decided to take a detour to the gym to tell Hot Ben the news. Tracey had told me this morning that he was subbing the kickboxing class tonight. She hadn''t been excited about that, but had decided to go anyway, not wanting their estrangement to ruin her routine. I ran into her in the lobby after class and explained that we were going out with Ben. She looked over at him talking to Teren after I said that and glared. I asked if she wanted to come, knowing what her answer would most likely be, and she predictably shook her head no. They hadn''t been out together in a while and she had no desire to see him until he could explain some things to her. I gave her a swift hug, hoping that, if anything, at least their relationship would be better after tonight.


    Ben walked in-between us as we made our way to our cars behind the gym. I took in his workout shorts and sweaty hair and sighed, sort of missing working out; I hadn''t been to the gym since my body had seriously started expanding outward. Teren heard my sigh and looked over at me, giving me a small, sad smile. He knew it was time to release this burden from Hot Ben, but he was still reluctant to do it.


    Ben stared at our surroundings, not noticing anything other than the threat that being out in the open posed. His antsy energy as he looked from car to car, from light to tree, started infecting my antsy energy. I started looking around too, a little scared that something was going to jump out at us. Teren''s plan was to drive Hot Ben to our house and then call Halina. I think he hoped that he could take the short time it would take Halina to arrive, to convince Ben that knowing was a good thing. That he should consider keeping his memories, and that he really didn''t need to be so afraid.


    As we approached the side parking lot where the employees of the gym parked, even I noticed the emptiness of the enclosed space. It was blocked in on three sides by high concrete walls and as we walked in, it started to feel sort of claustrophobic. Ben felt it too, wrapping his light jacket tighter around his firm body as he seemingly tensed every muscle.


    Teren glanced around the area, but didn''t appear concerned. I relaxed that he wasn''t. Of all of us, he would have the most accurate senses. He walked Hot Ben to his car, explaining that he wanted to do this at our place and Ben should follow us over there. Ben looked a little disappointed, like maybe it could just happen right now in the parking lot. Eventually he seemed happy that at least it was happening tonight though, and resigned that he''d have to see Halina again, for it to happen.


    While Teren was talking to Ben at his car, he started tilting his head and listening to something other than Ben. That worried me some. It worried me even more when he stopped talking mid-sentence and closed his eyes. Alarm shooting through my body, I watched him raise his head to the sky and slowly shake it. He muttered, "Damn it," right at the same time Ben and I asked what he heard.


    Looking annoyed, Teren turned, right as someone hopped up effortlessly onto the six foot wall behind us. Hot Ben scrambled backward s a few steps while I inhaled a quick, scared breath. Teren only sighed and shook his head. "I thought you''d linger by the wharf for a few more hours."


    The dark form on the wall, dark except for the faintly glowing eyes, jumped down into a pool of light and I exhaled in relief - Ben did not, backing up another step. Halina strolled into the lot, her dark hair mildly lifting in the breeze. Her short skirt had shifted higher up her thighs from jumping up on the wall and she did absolutely nothing to change how much skin she was showing. She languidly strolled towards Teren, her eyes focused on Ben a few steps behind him. When Teren sighed and put his hands on his hips, she brought her attention back to her great-grandson.


    She shrugged nonchalantly. "I finished my meal early. Thought I''d come say hi." I cringed, knowing what her "meal" had consisted of, and I watched Hot Ben do the same. His haggard face paled even more as Halina threw him a crooked grin. Directly at Ben she said, "Are you interested to know which lowlife will no longer be bothering your kind?" Ben sputtered and backed up a step as Halina started to walk past Teren to follow him. Grinning ear to ear she added, "I believe he was on one of your most wanted lists."


    Teren grabbed her elbow as she walked past. "That''s enough," he whispered harshly as she snapped her eyes back to his. She glared at him, probably still a little irritated at the whole Carrie thing, but finally left Ben alone.


    Pushing aside the fact that she''d just admitted to killing someone, I walked up to her as genially as I could. She turned her head to me at my approach, her gaze softening as her pale eyes rested on my stomach before flicking up to my face. "We''re glad to see you, Halina. We were just going to call you when we got back home. We need you to do something for us."


    She tilted her head at me while Teren frowned. I gave him an apologetic look as I''d just confessed that we needed her help. Teren had been secretly hoping that he wouldn''t have to call her tonight. He was still hoping Ben would come around. Left to his own devices, I think Teren would "hope" Ben into an early, stress-filled grave.


    "Call me? Why? Did you find her?" She immediately grabbed my arm, her eyes intensifying in the orange parking lot light around us.


    I shook my head, carefully removing her clenched hand from my arm. "No, we haven''t heard from Carrie." Truly, we hadn''t been looking either. Teren was content to let that go and I was content to never think about her again. Even Tracey had finally stopped asking me if I was okay with her revelation. As Halina''s face scrunched in disappointment, I nodded my head back at Hot Ben. "For him...he doesn''t want to know anymore."


    I heard Teren sigh and watched his head slump, but Ben took another step back as Halina''s gaze fell solely on his again.


    "Do you now? Shrugging free from where Teren still held her, she walked around a suddenly immobile Ben. He stiffened and jutted his chin out defiantly as she walked in a circle around him, lightly trailing a finger over his body as she did. Knowing how intimidating that could be, I felt some major sympathy for Ben, especially when she leaned in, her hand shifting to his more...private areas. He inhaled and froze, too terrified to do anything else.


    "You don''t want to remember? Do you realize all the wonderful things we could do together, before I make you forget?" Ben started lightly shaking as her hand gently squeezed. "I could make you scream, and you wouldn''t even remember it."


    Before I could tell her to knock it off, she was suddenly sitting on her ass. I blinked, not seeing the actual move that had gotten her there, but with Teren standing over her, looking sort of pissed off, I could only imagine that he''d had enough of her teasing and had finally stepped in. Ben hunched over on his knees, cupping himself with one hand while muttering thanks, as he tried to get his breathing back to normal.


    Halina looked up at Teren, pure shock on her face. I got the feeling that Teren had never physically stopped her torments before. I had no idea how she''d react. I knew they loved each other, but I was pretty sure Halina would rip Teren a new one if she felt he needed it, especially without the other vampires there as witnesses. And even though Teren was strong, I knew Halina could throw him through a brick wall without breaking a sweat.


    Not knowing what I could do, only hoping that Halina wouldn''t hurt me, or more appropriately, the twins inside me, I took a step towards them.


    Keeping their eyes locked on each other, Halina humanly slow stood up, her youthful face looking like the petulant teenager she pretended to be. With Teren not backing down from her gaze, he slowly spat out, "I said...enough."


    As I took another step towards them, Halina slowly started to bring her hands up to Teren''s chest. He didn''t react, only kept up the stare down they were having. I was pretty sure once she touched him, Teren was going to end up in the next county. I could just barely discern Teren bracing his body and thought maybe he was aware of that too.


    I was standing right next to her, as her fingertips just brushed over his shirt. I heard Ben say Teren''s name in warning and I mentally braced myself to grab the female vampire, to stop her from flinging my husband a town over, somehow. My hand was just on her arm, her hands just on his chest, when both vampires suddenly looked over at the wall that separated the gym parking lot from the accountant''s parking lot next door. That wall was around five feet high and brick, just like the back wall. I stared at it as well as the vamps, the hairs on my neck sticking straight out at what had grabbed their attention from the tension that had been escalating between the two of them.


    That feeling of unease only amplified as they moved as one. Halina took a protective position in front of Ben and me, slightly crouched for action as a low growl rumbled from her throat. Teren stepped a few paces in front of her, also assuming a protective position, only he was protecting all of us. I clasped Ben''s hand as we hid behind Halina, and Teren''s familiar rumble joined with hers.


    They were both intently focused on the edge of that wall and my mind started spinning over what on this earth could so provoke two powerful creatures. Was I right about a hunter or was Ben right about a werewolf? Ben beside me started to shake and I was a little surprised to find myself slinging an arm around his waist, supporting him. I was terrified too, but only of whatever was out there. Poor Hot Ben was sort of scared of everybody.


    A chuckle filled the still air, emanating from behind the wall and I crouched down, prepared to run if needed. Expecting a burly man yielding a chainsaw or something, I blinked in surprise at the short man who kind of looked like the guy who used to do my mom''s taxes, before I got her hooked up with the firm I worked for. Briefly, I wondered if the guy worked at the accountant''s firm next door and had just gotten off work. Maybe he''d heard a fight starting and was foolishly trying to stop it. I reconsidered that as Teren and Halina had not eased up their guarding stances.


    The short, middle-aged man had his hands casually in his pockets and strolled into the lot lights as casually as if he were taking a stroll through the park on a sunny, Sunday afternoon. But that''s when I noticed his eyes, and realized that this man hadn''t been anywhere near a sunny day in quite some time. His eyes had the same faint glow around the whites that Teren''s got in dim lighting. While not noticeable to someone not in the know, it was a neon sign to me, and I clenched Ben''s hand, hard.


    The accountant making his way over to Teren...was a vampire.


    He laughed again and shook his head. "My money''s on the woman." He laughed at that thought, his voice coming out with a southern drawl to it. It didn''t match his average height, average looks and averagely plain blue jeans and brown jacket. Added to his dull brown hair and dull dark eyes, this guy''s accent was the most interesting thing about him. Oh, that and the fact that he wasn''t alive.


    Not relaxing his defensive posture, Teren tilted his head at the man. "Who are you?"


    The man stepped up to Teren and grinned, his fangs extended as if to show to Teren that they were alike. As Teren didn''t react to the show, I was pretty sure he''d known exactly what this man was, and hadn''t needed it. Of course, super ears, used to hearing thumping hearts everywhere around them, would instantly pick up on a walking body without one. The move did finally clue in Ben though, and I heard him curse beside me and squeeze my hand so hard, I heard something pop.


    The man extended his hand out in a friendly handshake to Teren. "So sorry, name''s Thomas, but you can call me Tommy."


    Teren looked at the hand, but made no move to touch the man. Shifting slightly so he was still in front of us, Teren inhaled deeply and a low growl escaped him before he spoke again. "I recognize your scent. You''re the one that has been stalking me. Why?"


    Halina hissed at the man after hearing that. Regardless of her irritation at Teren, he was family, and she didn''t like hearing about someone watching him. My eyes were huge at the revelation. I''d suspected something much different than a vamp watching us. I didn''t know if I should feel relieved at the news, or worried.


    Tommy looked back at Halina, gave her a suggestive smile and a wink and them shifted his focus back to what he probably deemed the bigger threat, Teren. "Sorry about that." He tilted his head as he shoved his hand back in his pocket. "I was just so curious...you smell so odd. I''ve been trying to figure out what you are. You''re not like me, but, at the same time, you are like me." He leaned in as Teren subtly straightened. "What are you?"


    Tommy seemed genuinely intrigued by the mystery that was Teren, and I relaxed. Maybe our stalker had just been trying to piece things together before making a formal introduction, and meant us no harm. Being a vampire didn''t automatically make you evil after all. Teren completely straightened, relaxing his posture as he seemed to realize this too. Halina and Ben did not, and I hoped my hand didn''t go numb, since no blood was getting to it anymore.


    Giving the man a cautious look, Teren said, "I''m mixed - part human, part vampire - that''s probably why I seem odd to you. I was born this way and I''m not...hampered by all of the side effects of vampirism, so I don''t smell exactly like a pureblood."


    Tommy''s dark eyes widened as he absorbed that. He grinned than let out a low whistle, slightly shaking his head. "Part human, huh? Fascinating." He cocked his head at Teren''s chest, probably noting the absence of a heartbeat. "Born? But, you''re dead?"


    Teren nodded. "I recently died. One side effect that even humanity can''t overcome for long."


    The man shrugged, not too moved by hearing that. "Ah, well, I''d sympathize, but I died over fifty years ago." He grinned and rocked back on his heels. "I''ve been vampire longer than I''d been human. And being human was no picnic, I was happy to give it up." Teren frowned and I saw some of his defensive posture return. Tommy''s eyes shifted back to Halina, a slow smile spreading as he took in the wild beauty crouching in front of Ben and me. "You though..." he inhaled deep, taking her scent in as well, "are pure vampire, like me."


    Halina hissed again, not looking like she was in a friendly mood. The man chuckled at her and then cocked his head at her still protective posture in front of us. Confusion passed his face as he looked between Teren and Halina. His finger came out of his pocket and he pointed in my direction. "Are you protecting ...humans?" His drawl couldn''t have sounded more surprised by that. "And I''ve seen you with these humans several times." He gave Teren an odd look as he gestured with his thumb over his shoulder. "You do know there''s an ocean of them out there, don''t you?"


    The man seemed truly baffled as to why two humans would warrant such a strong reaction in his kind. My stomach twisted as I realized he didn''t share Teren''s views on mainly eating livestock. Ignoring the throb in my hand, I shifted slightly behind Ben. My movement brought Tommy''s eyes right to me and I froze.


    "Ah, and one with child...my favorite. No blood is sweeter than a woman filled with life." His grin turned into a leer and my heart shifted into triple time. He heard it and smiled wider. That was all the reaction he got though.


    Teren was on him in a flash, his hand securely around the man''s throat, his fangs extended now too. I prayed no one happened to walk past this tension-filled parking lot while the supernaturals were being, well, supernatural. "She''s mine," Teren growled.


    Tommy batted Teren''s hand from his neck like Teren was a child, his strength superior to Teren''s mixed blood. That made me swallow, but Halina stepped forward to stand closer to him, to back him up if needed and I relaxed a little. Two-to-one odds were better.


    Tommy glanced at her and then back to Teren. "Relax. It was just an observation. It''s not like there aren''t more like her out tonight."


    He rolled his eyes after he said that, like he didn''t understand why Teren was being so rude. I hated the feeling of being looked at purely as dinner, and wanted this...creature, gone. Teren seemed to share my feelings. "It was nice to meet you, but we have somewhere to be."


    Tommy frowned as both he and Teren retracted their fangs. I relaxed further as the sudden tension started dissipating. "Oh, I was hoping we could get to know each other better. I do get bored being on my own all the time." He tilted his head at Teren. "And you...fascinate me."


    Teren smiled tightly as Halina stepped up to his side. "Another time perhaps? When it''s just you and me."


    As the vampires seemed preoccupied, I pulled Ben''s hand, urging him back towards the car. He didn''t move though, his perfect face glued onto Tommy''s. He was shell-shocked, too scared to do anything. I silently cursed my luck at being pretty much glued to him and whispered his name repeatedly, to try to break him out of his stupor.


    Tommy flicked a glance at me, a disappointed look on his face. "Yeah, alright, since you''re busy with your...humans. I was about to get something to eat anyway." His eyes lingered on Ben, contemplative. Bringing his attention back to Teren, he casually asked, "Do you need both of them? Since you seem so partial to the female, can I have the male?"


    He''d asked that as if we were nothing more than Thanksgiving turkeys at a store, being divvied up between customers. Ben beside me groaned softly and finally took a step back with me. As quietly as we could, we started walking backward. Teren tried to distract Tommy by stepping into his line of vision, but Tommy looked around him, watching our slow retreat to Teren''s car.


    Answering Tommy''s question, Teren calmly said, "No, the male is ours as well."


    Tommy brought his attention to Teren again, sighing sadly as his dinner sulked away. "Didn''t think so. Fine. Like I said," he flung his arm out to indicate the neighborhood, "an ocean of humans awaits."


    Fixing his face and his stance, Teren firmly said, "No."


    Tommy grinned, like Teren had made a joke, and then blinked his dark eyes at him. "Excuse me?"


    "There is no killing of humans, in or around the city." Teren''s voice stayed remarkably steady when he said that. I nearly expected Halina to scoff at his remark, but her face was equally as serious as she eyed the strange vampire.


    Tommy started laughing and then stopped when he saw that Teren was not even remotely joking. Looking between him and Halina he sullenly said, "I''m hungry, I need to eat. What are a few cattle, in a city this size?"


    I cringed at his word choice as Ben and I finally backed into Teren''s car. I tried the latch of the door behind me, but the stupid thing was, of course, locked. I cursed under my breath as Teren laid down the law for the vampire. Even terrified, I had to admit that his authority was sort of a turn on.


    "You are in my territory and you do not have my permission to hunt here. You will leave every...cattle, in my city, alone."


    Tommy scoffed at that and gave Teren a once over. "Permission? I don''t need your permission, boy. And why should I deprive myself from the best meal in town? It''s not like they''re endangered. They breed like rabbits. They spread over this world like cockroaches. I''m simply doing my part, to thin the herd." I really hated this guy referring to us as much lower life forms.


    Teren took a step towards him menacingly, having a good half foot over the short, plain vampire. I knew that was misleading though, the vampire''s strength didn''t come from his size.


    Halina stepped forward as well though, her strength equal, if not greater than Tommy''s. I jiggled the handle of the door uselessly as she calmly told him, "This is my city too and since I''ve been vampire longer than you, that makes me your elder. And you will listen to me when I say, back off. Why don''t you try farther south? There are some wonderful specimens in Brazil."


    Surprise flitted through me, mixing oddly with my fear, that Halina would care if he hunted here. A part of me wondered if he simply irritated her and she sided with Teren just to piss him off. Or maybe it was just a show of family unity. Either way, she was more imposing than Teren at the moment and the man paused, considering the threat of her before him.


    "Well..." he sniffed and brought his hands out of his pockets, flexing them, "maybe you and I could hunt together, little minx?" He eyed her up and down, a little more seductively than he had Teren. "You could...approve my meal choice and then perhaps we could find a hole to hide up in until dusk?" He leaned toward her, running a hand up her thigh. "I''m sure you have one, somewhere."


    She scoffed and batted his hand away, crossing her arms over her chest. "I got a more appealing offer from a junky down at the wharf earlier."


    He bristled at that, anger clouding his face. "I think I will go." He glared at Teren and then Halina. "The hospitality here is not what I expected."


    Teren stepped back, bringing an arm out to his side in a gesture of dismissal. "We''re sorry for the rudeness, but this is our home, and we do have rules here."


    The man made no move to leave, only frowned at Teren further. "You disappoint me half-breed. I was so hoping we could be friends."


    Teren raised his chin, shaking his head. "I have enough friends."


    Tommy''s lip twitched at that, and although I couldn''t see it, I thought his fangs had dropped down again. I quietly asked Ben if his car was open, desperately wanting to be behind a sheet of metal instead of standing out here in the open. Ben didn''t answer me, too caught up in the showdown going on in front of his face. I jabbed him in the ribs, but he still paid me no attention, only grasped my hand like I was his lifeline.


    Tommy heard me whisper to Ben and shot me a glance. I met his eye and froze. His lips curved up in a cruel smile. It made me think about how a cat about to pounce on a mouse would look, if their faces could show emotion. His eyes gleamed in the orange lights and his body sank down just a fraction of an inch. Halina and Teren looked at each other briefly while Tommy held my gaze. Not looking away from me, he told them, "Fine, I''ll be on my way." He tilted his head, his mouth opening enough so that I could indeed see his fangs. "But first...maybe a snack."


    That line brought Teren''s attention back to him, but he was too late. That plain looking vampire was fast, faster than I''d ever seen a vamp move, and that was saying a lot. I saw nothing at first. In fact, I was only aware something had changed, because I felt it. My brain couldn''t track him, and I still saw him standing by Teren. But he wasn''t. Before anyone else could do anything, I was suddenly shoved against Teren''s car, my bulging body trapped by one as hard and commanding as stone. By the time my brain could comprehend that he had moved, that he was pinning me to the car, my head was tilted so hard to the side, I thought it might break.


    Before I could scream at that pain, a searing pain burst open on my neck. Then all I felt was pain; my entire body burned with it. My vision swam and faded, the orange glow of the parking lot warping and distorting, and I never did actually see him standing in front of me. The pain intensified to a level that made speech impossible and I''m pretty sure no sounds ever even left my body. I felt warmth being pulled from me, as fire burned through my head, neck, shoulder - everywhere. I heard muffled shouts, but they were distant, like everyone was suddenly miles away from me, or I was underwater. Then the pain started to fade and my vision dulled, started shifting to a sheet of black, like someone had turned off every light in the city and pulled a blanket over the stars.


    As every muscle in my tense body started relaxing, and one long, raspy breath left my body, "seven seconds" kept replaying itself in my head. That''s how long an experienced killer took to drain a person dry. It felt like the pain had lasted an eternity to me, but I wondered if really, only a few seconds had ticked by. As thoughts started getting harder to keep, harder to hold onto, my very last one was, ''I love you, Teren''.


    Then I felt nothing.

 Page 11

    I was dead. I was completely sure I was dead. No one survived an attack like that. No one just walked away from a hungry vampire with a point to prove unscathed, not even this, until now, pretty lucky girl. I hated that what a whacked out maniac had failed to do a few months ago, a lone CPA looking vampire had managed. I also hated that Teren would be devastated. He''d be so upset with himself, like he''d failed me again. I didn''t blame him for my death though; fast as he may be, he couldn''t have known what was going to happen. I hoped that his family helped him through my demise. I couldn''t imagine how wrenched he was, losing me...and the children, all at once like that.


    A new horror struck me at that thought. They were gone. We''d struggled so hard to conceive them in time and now they wouldn''t even get the chance at life. They''d never know how much we loved them, how excited their father was to hold them. They''d never know...Advertisement


    As I dwelled, my thoughts turned to my family, and how much pain they were going to be in. My poor sister. I''m sure Teren would tell her the truth of what happened. I wondered if she''d have a different opinion of vampires after that. Maybe she wouldn''t want to know the truth anymore. Maybe she''d ask him to wipe her mind of all of them. I hated that Teren would lose her too. He''d be so alone.


    My mother would have to be told a lie; an animal attack maybe? I couldn''t imagine how she''d get through burying another family member. That was just too horrid to comprehend. I thought of Tracey and Hot Ben - maybe their grief would bind them. Maybe Halina wiped him immediately after the incident, so he wouldn''t have to know what really happened. I''d imagine that he''d go mental with fear, if he''d watched his biggest one happen right in front of his face. That was, if the vamp didn''t get him too.


    Speaking of that bastard, I hoped Halina rammed her hand straight through his chest, ripping out his heart. Drastic, I know, but we are talking about the creature that took the life of my children. No punishment could be grand enough for him. On second thought, I hope she took him to the ranch and staked him out in a field; let the sun burn away his sins.


    A little surprised at my dark thoughts, I raised a heavy hand and scratched an itch on my nose. Odd. I wouldn''t think a dead person would still have the occasional itch. As my heavy hand thudded down to land on a soft, springy surface, I thought that was pretty odd too. Why was my afterlife feeling like waking from delirium?


    I experimentally inhaled. My lungs expanded and the scent of iodine burned my nostrils. I choked on it and coughed, and that''s when the pain hit me. I forced myself to stop coughing, my eyes stinging in protest, but that was preferable to the tearing sensation that moving had seared through my neck. Why would pain follow me in death? Shouldn''t I be pain free, lounging with my deceased father and grandmother on some fluffy white cloud, while a window to earth let me keep an eye on the loved ones I''d left behind?


    Unless, of course, I''d somehow survived? But that just wasn''t possible. I''d felt the hole ripped in my throat, I''d felt the warmth of life being stolen from me. I''d felt my body give in, succumb to death. There is just no freaking way I lived through that!


    But I couldn''t ignore the awful sensations running through my sore body. My head felt like it might split open. My throat was dry and aching. Even keeping my neck perfectly immobile, it still throbbed where that bastard bit me. But most of all, over all of the painful sensations I was definitely feeling, was an overriding sense that my body was foreign. Maybe that''s why death had seemed a more logical conclusion; I almost didn''t feel real.


    My skin felt stretched tight over limbs that were suddenly too long, muscles that were too sculpted. I felt the air in the room brushing across my flesh, like someone had left a window open. It was a tad icy and a shiver went through me. My eyes felt heavy and lidded, like I couldn''t possibly open them, and my mouth felt...full, like my tongue was too big and my teeth had doubled in size.


    I stretched my body carefully and felt dull aches and tensions releasing. I opened my jaw and it cracked loudly in my ear. My jaw ached and I brought a hand to the joint and massaged it a little while I tried to open my eyes. Well, I guess I wasn''t dead. The room was too real, nothing ethereal about it. It was dark, nighttime, but light was filtering in from under the door, highlighting it in orange. The effort was too much and I closed my eyes again. I hated being in pain and a tiny, tiny speck of me, preferred the idea of me being dead, like I''d originally thought.


    Confused as to how I wasn''t, I moved my hand to my neck and felt the bandage there. A thick bandage - hospital grade. I wondered vaguely if that''s where I was. If Teren had scooped me up and sped me to the local ER. Now that I was sure I was alive, I wanted to see him, and make sure he was okay too. I wondered where he was. For some reason, I felt like he was close by, and I''m sure he was. I doubt he''d leave me, knowing I was hurting.


    Hurting...


    That thought made me immediately bring my hand to my stomach. The skin there was tight too and worried, I pressed down, first on one side then the other. I was rewarded with a light kick and a jostling bump as the twins responded to my touch. They were alive...I was alive...we were all fine. Somehow, we were all fine.


    I inhaled deep again, my nose more prepared for that hospital smell, and held it in for a few seconds before letting the exhale go. Despite the pain, I felt cleaner, more alive than I''d felt in a long time, maybe ever, but still odd. My throat burned and I swallowed; it was hard to do. With my hand still protectively resting over my babies, I listened to the sounds of the room.


    Everything was muffed at first, like my ears were waking from delirium too, but as I concentrated, clarity filled me. Surprisingly, I could actually hear Teren''s deep voice and in answer to him, a woman''s musical one. I knew the strange female''s voice almost immediately, felt instantly connected with it. He was talking to Alanna. I wondered what she was doing here at the hospital and then, for some reason, I knew that all of the vampires were here. I frowned and wondered why they''d come all this way. Knowing that even I had thought I''d died, I suppose it had been pretty touch and go for awhile. Maybe they''d all come to support Teren. Maybe my mother and sister were here too, all to grieve me with my husband, if I didn''t make it. I cringed at the thought and held my abdomen tighter. No longer wishing death over pain, gratitude filled me that I hadn''t lost them, that my horrid vision of them never seeing their father wasn''t going to come true. Tears stung my eyes as I silently thanked the fates for their safety.


    Suddenly the questions were too much. I needed someone here to answer them. Maybe a someone with pain meds for the fire burning on my neck, and water, for the fire burning in my throat.


    "Teren," was all I could croak out.


    It was enough. I heard the door immediately swish open, felt the difference in the air current as it was swished closed. Air eddied around me and I shivered again with the ice I felt in it. The bed compressed near me and I felt Teren''s presence, even if I couldn''t open my eyes yet to look at him.


    His cool hands brushed over my face, tucking hair behind my ears. I was sure I looked atrocious and I was equally sure Teren didn''t care. I felt him lean down to kiss my forehead, his cool lips comforting on my searing skin.


    "Hey, you''re awake. It''s been a few days. I was so worried..." His voice was strained, like he was nearly overcome with emotion. He must have really been scared for me. I could hardly imagine how awful waiting around for me to either live or die must have been. I idly wondered what he''d told the doctor.


    I forced my heavy eyes open and took in his concerned pale ones, glowing faintly in the darkness of the room. His face was oddly lit in a way I couldn''t understand, but I was so happy to see him, that I didn''t really care. The tears in my eyes threatened to roll down my cheeks as I took in the perfect face I was so sure I''d never see again. He reached beside him to the lamp on a nightstand and flicked it on. As soft amber light filled the room, and I blinked in the harshness of it, I finally noticed that we weren''t at a hospital, we were at the ranch.


    I scrunched my brows as I looked around with only my eyes, careful to keep my aching neck still. "Why are we back here?" My words were coming out sounding all weird, my tongue still seeming like it didn''t fit in my body correctly and my throat raspy, like I was a lifelong smoker all of a sudden.


    His hands cupped my cheeks as his eyes watered. "Do you remember...anything?"


    I carefully lifted my hand and placed it over his, my warmth seeping through his coolness, so that I felt it on my cheek. "Don''t be scared, Teren...I''m fine." He tried to adjust his face so he looked carefree and untroubled, but I saw the lie behind it. I saw the tension in his jaw, the tightness of his eyes; I could almost smell the fear on him. "I remember...a little. I remember being held down and I remember teeth..."


    I closed my eyes as the memory of the attack seared through me. I''d thought it was over. I was positive when I''d felt the viciousness and brutality of the bite, nothing like Teren''s love nips, that I was done. Teren''s cool head came down to rest on mine. "I''m so sorry, Emma. It happened so fast. I didn''t see it coming. I didn''t know he was going to..."


    I switched my hand to his chest and pushed him back so I could look at him. "It''s okay, Teren...I''m fine." Dead thirsty and like I was in a possessed body, but fine. I was alive at any rate and so were our children. That equaled fine in my book.


    A look passed over his eyes that I swear was guilt, and he looked down at the pillows. Feeling an odd tension building, I jokingly muttered, "Did anyone stake the bastard?"


    He looked up at me, a slight crooked grin on his lips. "You won''t believe me."


    Preferring that face to his worried or guilty face, I dropped my hand back to my belly and gave him an odd-feeling smile, or tried to anyway. "Tell me." Pain seared through me, but I tried to ignore it, not wanting Teren to feel bad, and not wanting him to leave my side just yet. I''d been too close to losing him once tonight already, when I''d been sure I was dead.


    He sighed at the look of restrained pain on my face and oddly avoided looking me directly in the eye, but he continued with his story, maybe also not wanting to leave me yet. He lightly shook his head, his wry smile returning. "Ben." My brow furrowed and I tried to shake my head, but immediately stopped at the jolt of pain that gave me.


    Teren bit his lip as he looked over my face, but explained before I could ask him to. He sighed and rolled his eyes, a small grin returning to his otherwise almost tragic face. "I guess Ben has taken to arming himself when he goes out." He shook his head, his eyes locking onto my neck. "This time...it was warranted." He looked up at me, and I got the feeling he was making himself meet my gaze. "The whole time he was watching the...conversation, he was clutching a stake in his pocket. When that vamp moved, he automatically swung." Teren raised an eyebrow at me and lost what little grin he''d had. "He pierced his heart, through his back." Then the smirk returned and he nodded his head towards the door. "He''s still here, downstairs...drinking heavily. He won''t leave until he knows that you''re okay." He shrugged and sighed. "I think he''s just too freaked out to do anything else yet."


    My mouth dropped wide open. I cringed at the wave of pain that ran through my shoulder up to my jaw and Teren averted his eyes. "Ben?" I croaked out, momentarily ignoring my pain over my shock. "Scaredy-cat Ben staked a vamp?" From somewhere, I swear I heard a husky laugh. I also thought I could hear the sounds of people rustling and lowly talking, but I pushed out my imagined hearing as I focused on my husband. Teren looked up at me, a half-smile slipping off his face as he looked me over. I carefully closed my mouth; it felt odd to do so. "You''re right, I don''t believe you."


    Teren''s eyes were oddly locked onto my mouth, so I tried to smile for him, to reassure him, since he seemed to be having major guilt over the attack. My mouth still felt odd and thick though, so I gave up the feeble attempt, that didn''t appear to be reassuring him anyway. I reached over and grabbed his cool hand, lacing our fingers together.


    He raised his eyes to mine and swallowed. He also tried a brief reassuring smile, but it quickly fell off of him too as he swept his eyes over my face. I wasn''t sure what he was seeing, but it must have been bad. He bit his lip and he looked on the verge of actually crying. "Emma..." He stopped and swallowed again. "I...I don''t know how to..." His voice trailed off and he sighed and ran a hand down his face.


    I reached my other hand out weakly and stroked my thumb over his cheek as I pulled him towards me. "I know, Teren." He''d been gone from my arms from too long and I needed him closer. Whatever guilt he was feeling over me being assaulted, he needed to let it go. I needed him. I needed his reassurance. Understanding my need, or maybe needing it to, his arms carefully went around me and he held me tight. The coolness of his body felt good on my aches and pains and I sighed and relaxed slightly at the comfort of his familiar touch.


    With his head buried in my uninjured shoulder and no longer able to look at me, Teren finally found the words he was looking for. "He bit you, Emma...there was so much blood loss. I heard it...I heard it all being taken from you." I felt a sob break free in his chest and clutched at him. I hadn''t considered what the attack would have felt and sounded like to Teren. Being so attuned to my blood, he was probably aware of exactly how many units I''d been depleted of. He must have been so scared for me, much like the time I''d been terrified for him, during his conversion.


    I stroked his back as I comforted him. "It''s all okay now, Teren."


    His head rested in the crook of my neck and he started lightly shaking it back and forth. "He took so much blood, Emma..." I kissed his head, as best as I could with my mouth that felt full of marbles and tried to shush him, but he said it again. "He took so much blood. I''m sorry."


    There was so much guilt in his voice when he said that, that my nerves shot right through the roof. I suddenly had a horrid feeling that everything was not fine. I tried to swallow again, but my throat was fire. I wanted water...or a milkshake, something thick and creamy. I wanted to ask Teren for something to ease my throat, and the fire radiating from my neck, but adrenaline was pouring through me now and I was almost too terrified to speak. Everything was not fine.


    Somehow, I found the courage to say his name. "Teren?"


    He pulled back to look at me and again his eyes flicked over my face. Did I really look so awful to him? Did he really feel so guilty that he''d let a vampire get close enough to nearly drain me dry?


    Nearly...


    My brows scrunched together as Teren repeated softly that he was sorry. "Why...what did you do?"


    He closed his eyes and I felt like I''d hit the proverbial nail on the head. He wasn''t confessing his guilt over the attack, which I''m sure he felt a huge amount of guilt over, since he''d sworn repeatedly that he''d never let anyone harm me - an impossible to keep promise. But that wasn''t what was making his eyes fill to the brim with tears. That wasn''t what was making it difficult to look me directly in the eye. No, he was torturing himself with guilt over something he''d done, not the vampire...something after the attack. My brows scrunched further as I tried to understand. I couldn''t. We were all alive - surely that was a good thing.


    "Emma..." His voice was shaky and a tear finally broke over the surface of his beautiful pale eye and splashed on the sheet over my aching body.


    My stomach twisted into painful knots while I tried to decipher his mixed messages. He was glad I was alive and he felt guilty. Why? "Teren, you''re scaring me..."


    He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, gathering his thoughts and his strength. "You lost...a lot of blood. When his body was pulled off of you, even before, I could hear your heart slowing...your pulse slowing." He slowly opened his eyes and they looked aged, and for once, what they really were, dead. "You needed more blood..."


    He swallowed noisily and ice filled my veins. "What did you do?" I whispered.


    He sat up more, his hands going to my upper arms, almost like he was afraid that once he told me, I would make a run for it. Like my pain-riddled body could even do that right now. I braced myself for whatever he was going to tell me. "I''m so sorry, Emma...I wasn''t thinking. You were going to die, all three of you were going to die...I panicked." He shook his head as he repeated, "I panicked. I''m sorry."


    As the ice and confusion flooded my system, somewhere my voice broke through the pain and dryness of my scratchy throat and found volume. "What did you do!"


    He cringed away from the heat in my tone. "I wasn''t thinking. I just wanted to save you...like you saved me..." His eyes, still tired and remorseful, searched my face.


    I was on the verge of grabbing him and chucking his dead ass out the window if he didn''t tell me exactly what he''d done. "Teren!"


    Maybe noticing my patience was virtually gone, he quietly said, "You needed more blood...I gave it to you."


    I cocked my head, not understanding what the big deal was. "Yeah, so...like a transfusion or something?"


    His twisted his lips. "Or something..."


    The look on his face, the guilt in his voice...a past conversation filled my head, shouting through every fiber of my sore body and reverberating through every aching joint. My hand instinctually went to the wound at my neck as my body suddenly felt on fire and words tumbled through my mind in a never-ending loop:


    "...drained of all her blood...replaced by a vampire''s. Drained of all her blood...replaced by a vampire''s..."


    Replaced by a vampire''s. A vampire had drained me...or nearly so, close enough that my heart had been beginning to fail, and Teren had replaced the blood...with his, with his vampire blood. My mouth dropped wide open again. Teren was against turning anyone, and he''d turned me? I couldn''t comprehend that. I couldn''t believe he''d do that to me? Even dying, I couldn''t believe he''d do that to me. We''d never talked about me becoming a vampire, nothing beyond him wishing that I could be like him. But that wasn''t possible. It didn''t work like that. Did he save me, by killing me?


    "What did you do to me?" I asked, stupefied. "Am I...?" I brought a hand to the other side of my neck, trying to find my heartbeat. His eyes tracked my movement as I found my pulse on my skin easily. I could even hear its fast pace in the room. Nope, it was definitely still ticking.


    He shook his head. "No, no you''re still alive. Your heart is still beating. The babies'' hearts are still beating."


    Now I shook my head. I was rewarded with a surge of fresh pain as my neck protested the movement. I cringed and my voice came out laced with an edge of that pain. "But...did it not work then? Was your blood just blood after all?" He cringed and looked away. I felt the guilt come back into the room and saw it again, all over his features. "Teren...what did you do? What am I?"


    He looked back to me as another tear dripped to his cheek. "I don''t know, Emma...I''m so sorry."


    Before I could say anything else, Alanna and Halina breezed into the room. They left the door open and I could see the familiar hallway of the Adams family home behind them. He''d brought me back to his home after he''d...replenished me.


    Alanna held a travel coffee mug out to me and I slurped it down without looking. I was so thirsty...coffee didn''t really sound appealing at the moment, and I had been staying away from the stuff, but at the moment, I didn''t care. It was warm and thick, and tasted better than any latte I''d ever been given, sweet and intense in flavor...and a little tangy. My mouth still felt odd but the warm liquid was soothing it, and my aching throat. I even felt the pain in my neck subside and thought maybe Alanna had dosed the coffee with painkillers.


    I watched them over my cup as I slurped down my drink. They were all looking at me oddly, like I was some science experiment. Teren finally looked down, clear guilt still on his face. Alanna only looked thoughtful, and perhaps a little sad. I shifted my gaze to Halina, who looked the most curious of all of them. Their stares were starting to annoy me.


    "Quit looking at me like that."


    I went back to my soothing drink while Alanna looked away and Halina smiled and continued staring. Once I got to the bottom of my drink and was tipping it back for the last of the coffee, Alanna finally spoke. "Would you like some more, Emma?" Her voice had an odd, curious edge to it.


    I ignored it and nodded, my neck feeling better already. "Please...I''m still really thirsty and whatever you put in that, it''s really helping my neck."


    She cocked her head to the side as she absorbed that. Putting a hand on Teren''s shoulder, they met eyes for a moment and then she flitted out of the room. Feeling more put together, once my throat and body weren''t aching so badly, I put my hand over Teren''s in his lap. He flinched slightly at the contact and looked up at me.


    I smiled warmly for the first time since he''d walked in here. It still felt odd, but I managed to do it pain free. "Well, it obviously didn''t do anything to me, Teren...your blood. I''m fine. Sore and feeling kind of odd, but fine. I''m not undead or anything." I managed a weak laugh and expected him to laugh with me at my joke, but he didn''t, he looked down again. He looked guilty again.


    Halina smirked at me and then shook her head. I got an uncomfortable feeling looking between the two of them. Eventually Alanna came back with more steaming coffee and Imogen was right behind her. "Is she really...?" Imogen let her sentence trail off as she stared at me on the bed. Her mouth opened wide. God, did I look that bad. I put my hand over my neck wound reflexively.


    Alanna handed me the drink and I started gulping down my second cup of Joe. As Teren sighed and locked gazes with his mother again, I concentrated on my pain-reducing coffee. The warm, thick treat got easier to swallow with each loud gulp I could hear going down my throat, but, as wonderful as it was, I was about to chuck it on Teren if he didn''t stop looking so solemn. I was obviously just fine, heart still beating and everything. Something about me seemed to be freaking them all out, I just didn''t know what. Maybe they were just surprised that his blood really didn''t do anything to me, but save me. Maybe they were just startled that a mixed vampires'' blood only acted as some miracle healing potion. Although, it had only kept me alive, the residual pain in my neck assured me that the skin there was still torn, healing at a normal human pace.


    I still couldn''t believe what he''d done for me. As I watched him look between Alanna and Imogen and watched Imogen place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, I pictured what must have happened in that parking lot. After Hot Ben had dispatched the vamp, and I still couldn''t wrap my mind around that one, Teren must have blurred to my side and swept me into his arms. I pictured him crying and moaning my name; he was very grieved in my mental movie. I pictured Halina scanning the area and warning him that they had to leave immediately; she was not so grieved. And I pictured Ben staring at my bloody near-corpse and peeing his pants (yeah, I was really having trouble with seeing him any other way, but terrified).


    Then I imagined Teren''s fangs coming out and ripping open his own wrist. I imagined him bringing that wrist to my mouth and my nearly deceased body automatically swallowing the cool liquid of his foreign blood. In my mind, I imagined Halina and Ben screaming at him to stop, but overwhelmed with grief, he couldn''t, and he continued giving me his miraculous blood until his wounded wrist healed. I had no idea why vampiric blood pouring into my stomach had kept me alive, or kept any vampire "alive" for that matter, but then, there was a lot about vampires that I didn''t understand. Hell, there was a lot about the human body that I didn''t understand. Some things you just have to go with. But it had, and it hadn''t changed me. I couldn''t see why they weren''t all doing a vampire jig.


    I closed my eyes for a second, to wipe away the stomach churning image of Teren feeding me his blood, and concentrated even more on the yummy coffee I was drinking. As soon as I finished this cup, I was demanding some answers from the oddly quiet vampires. As I neared the end of my second helping, a happy noise left my throat. Dang, Alanna makes good coffee, so much better than Starbucks.


    Teren dropped his head to his hands and Alanna put her hand on his shoulder again. "God...Mom..." He spoke something else, but it was in Russian and I couldn''t make it out. She responded in a solemn voice, also in the foreign language. He dropped his hands to his lap and shook his head, looking a little defeated.


    Irritated by the let''s-keep-Emma-out-of-the-loop Russian, I stopped drinking, and feeling a little saucy as Alanna''s miracle coffee made me feel even better, I spat out, "What? Why do you all look like that? I''m fine. In fact, I''m feeling better every second." Looking at each vampire pointedly, I more calmly said, "I''m normal. The babies are fine. Teren saved us all...where''s the celebration?"


    They all shared a look between each other, but no one spoke again. I sighed irritably and was about to speak, when Jack and Hot Ben entered the room. Jack looked at me with the same odd, curious reaction that the vampires did, as he walked over to stand beside his wife. She looked at him and clenched his hand. A thoughtful look past between them that I couldn''t even begin to place.


    My attention was redirected to the door frame when I heard Hot Ben say, "Whoa, Emma." His face was pale and his eyes were wide as he stared at me. He stumbled slightly and I recalled Teren saying that he''d been spending his idle time drinking heavily. I tried not to take offense at his reaction to my - I''m sure - horrid face. He was probably barely seeing straight at this point.


    He looked about to say more, one hand running through his highlighted locks, but Teren shot him a glance that had a clear warning in it. Teren obviously didn''t want him mocking my appearance right now. Regardless of my irritation at him, I squeezed his hand appreciatively as Hot Ben shut his mouth, leaning against the doorframe as he stared at me relentlessly.


    Teren looked at my hand over his and then up at my smiling face. Holding my cup out to him, I said, "This is really helping, can I have some more?"


    Teren looked pained and focusing on his mother, spoke to her in Russian again.


    "No! Stop that, right now!" I was getting more used to my odd feeling body and had brought a little heat into that sentence. Damn their secretive language anyway, I was tired of being kept out of conversations that were clearly about me. They all looked over at me, a little stunned at my outburst. "What? You are all looking at me like...I don''t know. What is it?"


    It was long seconds of everyone looking at everyone else before anyone would finally look at me. Just when my patience was about was high as it could go, Teren finally sighed and looked at me with resignation clear on his face. "Emma," he began slowly, like at any moment I was going to lash out at him, "please don''t freak out."


    Even more irritated, I spat out, "I''m already starting to freak out. You can''t ask me to not do something I''m already doing! What the hell is going on?"


    Teren sighed, but it was eventually Halina who handed me a small hand mirror off the vanity behind her. Confused, I took it and looked at my reflection. Ugh, I was as horrid as I thought I''d be. Deep circles under my eyes and my hair a wild mess. The bandage on my neck was huge and although a more manageable amount of pain than before, still tugged at me whenever I shifted; maybe I should still ask for that pain pill. But other than that...I looked the same.


    "Okay, I don''t get what the..."


    I stopped talking once a flash of my open mouth showed in the mirror. My jaw dropped nearly to the sheet and I stared at myself with a mix of wonder and horror. I couldn''t believe what I was seeing, what they had all been staring at, why Teren was having trouble looking directly at me. For one, my tongue was red, blood red, but more importantly than that, so much more importantly than that...


    I had fangs.


    "Holy shit."

 Page 12

    Every sound in the room stopped, or maybe, I just stopped listening. Either way, I could have suddenly been in space for all the silence in the room. My pain was suddenly gone now too, like my body had shut off all other sensations to focus solely on my vision, more specifically on the oddity that was my mouth, and that, I could not stop staring at.


    I ran a finger down a canine and felt the long tooth that dropped down to a sharp point. It was coated with a slight twinge of red which rubbed off with my finger, leaving a shiny, white surface underneath. It looked new, slightly brighter than the teeth around it and I had no idea if my old canines had fallen out, to be replaced with these ones, or if these were in fact my old ones, just somehow sharper and noticeably longer. When I got to the end of it, I experimented, pressing the pad of my finger against it. I broke the surface easily, a dot of fresh blood welling on the tip of my index finger.Advertisement


    Something inside of me wanted to bite down harder, to make more fresh blood ooze from the wound, and I quickly pulled my hand back. Startled at my own reaction, my eyes instinctually locked gazes with myself in the mirror. My eyes were a warm, brown color that normally were bright and alive with whatever underlying emotion I was feeling. If I was happy, I was told that they seemed lighter, the flecks of gold in them overpowering the darker shade. If I were angry, well, one ex-boyfriend had confessed that my eyes darkened to rival the pits of Hell. I really didn''t like that comparison, or the boy who''d said it. As I stared at my eyes today, the color was the shade of darkly stained oak, sort of in the middle of the two spectrums. But the whites of my eyes were huge, as the shock I felt was evident, even to me.


    "Emma?"


    Teren''s voice brought all sound rushing back in on me. It was a sudden cacophony assaulting my ears. The rustle of everyone moving. Jack and Alanna whispering worried words back and forth to each other. Imogen rushing out the door as she went to get me more coffee, although, by the color of my tongue, I had a horrid feeling that the world''s best coffee wasn''t what I''d been enjoying. Hot Ben stumbling noisily near the door, his hand reaching out to brace himself on the frame; the sudden movement sounded like a jackhammer in my brain.


    It was all too much and I wanted to cry, I could even feel tears well up. A cool palm rested on my flushed face. "Hey, relax. I''m here, Emma." Teren''s deep voice pushed away all the other sounds as I focused on it. I drug my eyes back to him, watching his lips move as he spoke more soothing phrases.


    "It''s too loud," I whispered.


    He nodded and glanced up at his mother. She had heard me as well and ushered Jack to the door. He hadn''t heard me or understood, but he followed his wife''s lead unerringly, as if he was aware that a vampire had spoken to her from somewhere. I suppose he was just used to not being in on all of the conversations. Halina, the only one who been stone silent (she wasn''t even breathing as she studied me) nodded at Teren and turned to leave the room, grabbing a clumsy looking Ben by the arm on her way out the door. I heard him fall and curse on the other side of it, then heard Halina laugh and pick him up, much to his loud dismay. Not used to hearing so much, so quickly, I closed my eyes to try and shut the sound off again.


    Teren''s lips were cool on my forehead and cheeks as he leaned over me, comforting me and whispering apologies. His lips brushed mine and I stiffened, not ready for that sort of contact. He sighed, but didn''t press the issue, instead sitting back down on his space on the bed, his hand removing the mirror from mine before clasping it.


    "You changed me?" I whispered, now understanding why my mouth felt so odd. I was speaking around fangs. I had no idea how to retract them.


    I opened my eyes and watched him cringe and give me an apologetic smile. "It would seem so, although, I have no idea why your heart is still beating." He shrugged and shook his head. "I''ve been waiting for days for it to stop."


    His eyes glanced down to my stomach when he said that and his face seemingly aged right before me. I suddenly understood his real fear. He''d thought he''d converted me. While a conversion would be okay for me, in the long run, it most certainly would not be for the two lives dependant on my survival. I put a hand on my stomach and one of the twins kicked me, almost as if to let me know they were still there. "You''ve been waiting around for me to die? For them to die?"


    He looked back up at my eyes, tears in them again. "Yes," he whispered. "I was so scared."


    Now I was scared. Just because I hadn''t died yet, that didn''t mean I wouldn''t. After all, I knew from experience that the human side could only take the strain of vampire blood for so long. Did my twenty-six year stop watch start now, or was I already ticking away, only having the couple months until my birthday, before I literally became, just like Teren. "Am I going to die?"


    I was pretty sure I knew the answer to that, as well as Teren did, but he shrugged and shook his head. "I don''t know, Emma."


    Fear made my anger resurface. "You don''t know?"


    He cringed under my tone and shook his head again. "We''ve never changed anyone, Emma. We just don''t know what will happen to you, or even really, what did happen to you." A tear dropped from his eyes as he whispered, "We don''t even know if you will convert...if my mixed blood is enough to complete the change, or...if you''ll just...die. We just don''t know, Emma."


    My eyes narrowed at his lack of information. What I needed right now was information and, even though a part of me knew I shouldn''t blame him for his ignorance, I didn''t have anyone else to blame at the moment. "How could you have done that to me, without knowing what would happen? To me, or to them?"


    His face saddened and he looked away from me, like that was something he''d repeatedly asked himself too. He hung his head and merely said, "You were dying..."


    I had no response to that and only continued to unfairly glare at him. He didn''t look at me, his own guilt keeping his head down and his eyes firmly fixed on my stomach, the real question in this whole equation. If it were my time, then it was my time...I guess, but them...


    Just as a new wave of anger hit me, Alanna quietly stepped into the room. Well, I''m sure to most it was quiet. To my new hearing, that I could only partially get a handle on, when she opened the door and my attention focused on it, every sound muffled behind it became crystal clear. Jack was asking Imogen what would happen to me. Imogen replied that she didn''t know. Halina was hoping the children could be spared before I died, sounding much less concerned over my fate, than that of the twins, and Hot Ben was throwing up in one of the bathrooms.


    Alanna closed the door and apologized for the intrusion. Teren didn''t look up at her. I stopped glaring and tried to fix my face into impassiveness as she approached me and handed me another cup of steaming coffee. I sniffed it this time. My senses could distinguish every delightful thing about it, the headiness, the tangy sweetness, but nothing in it smelled as awful as what I suspected it was. Hoping I was wrong, I stuck my finger in the black looking liquid inside the black thermos. Teren sighed as I pulled my finger back. And of course, my entire finger was as darkly red as the one dot that had been on it earlier.


    "You gave me blood?" I focused my disgust solely on Teren, even though Alanna had technically given me the mugs.


    He cringed again and looked up at me. "Your body needs it now. It will help you heal, Emma." His hand slightly lifted to point at the wound on my neck. "You even said it was helping."


    Not feeling any better about any of this, I yelled, "You gave me blood!"


    Alanna reached a hand out and started saying my name at the same time that he did. Feeling overwhelmed and tired and on the verge of an emotional breakdown, I did the only thing that seemed sensible in the heat of the moment. Stubbornly raising my arm to the door, I pointed at it and snapped, "Get out!"


    Teren cocked his head and furrowed his brows, probably wondering if I was seriously kicking him out of his family''s home. I was. "Get...out," I repeated, my tone seething, as fear and anger and sadness swirled within me.


    His jaw dropped and he looked like I''d just told him I never wanted to see him again. Biting back my guilt at making that look appear on his face, I pointed to the door again. He finally stood and walked over to it, giving his mom a sad look. Before he opened it, his eyes came back to mine briefly. "I love you, Emma," he whispered, and then he opened the door.


    Like before, the sounds hit me as my concentration shifted with the opening and shutting door. Before the physical barrier redirected my attention to just inside the room, I heard Imogen proclaim, "Did she really just kick him out? Are they through?" Halina answered her by complaining that she couldn''t wipe me now, since I had vampire blood in me. Jack insisted that things would be fine once I cooled down, and somewhere in the house, Hot Ben threw up again.


    On the other side of the door, Teren sighed softly, told me he loved me again, and then sped out of the house. I heard one of the doors shut behind him and a sob broke out of me, finally.


    Alanna sat down in the spot he''d just left, her thick denim jeans rustling as she adjusted herself beside me. She placed a cool hand over my arm as I silently cried. "You should go easy on him, dear. What he did...was very difficult for him."


    I looked up at her, her loose, black hair hazy in my watery vision. I scrunched my brow, not sure what she meant. She smiled softly and brought a knuckle up to brush aside my tears which were thankfully slowing. Her hand came down to rub my stomach reassuringly as she continued. "He feels horrible about what he''s done to you."


    As if to emphasize what he''d done to me, I lifted the mug and made myself take a drink. I knew from all the previous cups I''d had, that it would taste good, but my stomach still churned at the thought of chugging it down. As the thick, warmth passed my lips, I resisted the urge to both purr in pleasure and vomit in disgust. Alanna watched me with fascination as I took a few large swallows. "He should. He''s dead and I''m about to kill him again," I said after my Mary-less Bloody Mary.


    She tilted her head and sighed, her pale eyes exactly matching her son''s. Watching her was like watching a feminine version of him. It hurt my heart, knowing that I''d hurt him with my angry words. "Emma, he only wanted to save you, you and the children. You mean everything to him."


    I paused in my drink as I felt more tears roll down my cheek. As I focused on them, I swear I could hear them slithering down my skin. It was all so overwhelming. Anger was the only thing keeping me sane and I tried to hold onto it. Peeking up at her, I heatedly said, "But what am I now? What will happen to me, to them?"


    Alanna looked down, taking her hand from my belly and placing it in her lap. Her eyes fixated on her still hands as she answered me. "I''m sorry, Emma, but we don''t have those answers for you." She looked up at my stomach and shook her head, pink tears in her eyes falling to her cheeks. Her hand came up and rested on the bulge of the twins again and she closed her eyes and tilted her head, listening to them. "This is all new for us too, dear." She opened her eyes, her wet ones meeting my wet ones. "We just don''t know."


    I nodded and tried to accept that I couldn''t force answers from people who didn''t have them. My hand went down to rest over hers on my stomach, my hot skin starting to warm her chill. She smiled at me, her youthful face still sad. Wiping tears off of her own cheeks, she spoke lowly, but my enhanced hearing easily picked it up. "What he did wasn''t easy for him. It goes against everything we believe." She raised her eyebrows and gave me a serious look. "We don''t changeover anyone - not even our own spouses. We don''t have Halina bring people into this life that way, as purebloods, forcing them into the shadows for eternity, like she has to." Her look softened as her face saddened. "No matter what they mean to us."


    I took a long drink of my healing blood as I thought about that. I knew Imogen had watched her beloved husband sicken and die, never changing him, and knew Alanna was watching Jack age every year, and didn''t seem to be inclined to change him either. I''d known going into this that immortality wasn''t my end game, and I''d been fine with that. Really, it was Teren who had to deal with the loss. I''d have a full, happy, natural life with him; he was the one that would have to mourn me for an unnaturally long time. Thinking of his pain had kept me up at night sometimes. I didn''t know if I would have the strength, if our roles were reversed. But that was the way of things, the way things were supposed to go down. This was never part of the plan.


    Alanna sighed softly as she seemed to read the emotions on my face. "Teren and I have had several lengthy conversations on how we''d deal with our loved ones dying." I watched her face as she turned her head and looked down through the floor. Following her gaze, I could hear Jack speaking to Ben, making sure he was alright. She spoke as we both listened to her husband. "It''s a tricky thing, knowing that you''re going to live so much longer than the person who holds your heart, the person you want beside you forever."


    I swallowed harshly at the wave of emotions that sent through me, barely containing my need to release those emotions in either a sob, or a temper tantrum. Alanna shifted her gaze back to mine. "It''s even more difficult for Teren and me, knowing that we could possibly save them from that death with our mixed blood." She sighed and shook her head. "And it is only a possibility. We really don''t know what our blood does to humans. So we resist the temptation. We let them die naturally, as we''re all meant to." She gave me a wry smile. "Immortality isn''t all it''s cracked up to be anyway."


    A small smile lit my lips and she grinned wider at seeing it. I suppose that was the whole point of her comment. Her smile dropped as she shook her head again. "But you..." She sighed and looked down for a moment before lifting her gaze to mine again. "He wasn''t prepared...to lose you so fast. He thought he''d get a lifetime, and he reacted purely on instinct...and love." She put a hand on my cheek as my tears fell freely. "Don''t fault him for that, Emma. What would you have done?"


    I closed my eyes, squeezing out the last few tears welling. I know exactly what I would have done for him. The fact was, I''d done much worse for him already. I''d taken a life to save his. He''d only given me a chance at another, when mine had been ripped away. Sure, this new life may not stick, and either me or the twins, or all three of us, may die anyway, but then again...we were going to die anyway. He had, at the very least, given us a slim chance at survival. Even if today was all I got, at least I''d get to say goodbye.


    No, on the grand scale of things, what Teren had done to save me was nothing compared to what I''d done to spare him. What I''d do again to spare him. I''d move heaven and earth to keep him, and I had to believe he would do the same for me.


    As my fear and anger started dissipating, guilt flooded in. I''d had no right to snap at him, he''d done nothing wrong. He''d given me a chance, and without him, I''d be lying in a morgue somewhere, instead of a plush ranch resort, sipping on what could arguably be the best cocktail on earth.


    I sighed and opened my eyes to find Alanna watching me intently. "I should talk to him. Where did he go?"


    She tilted her head at me, curious. "Can''t you feel him?"


    My brows scrunched. "No. Why would I-"


    I stopped speaking as a nagging sense in my head shouted at me to listen. I focused on that and instinctually, I knew where he was. It wasn''t like I could see him in my head, I couldn''t. But if you''d blindfolded me and told me to point him out, my finger would just unerringly go to exactly where he was. In fact, I could sense the location of every vampire in the house that way. The way that some people just always know where north is, no matter how many times they''re twisted around, I knew where every Adams vamp was. Every single one of them was my true north.


    My eyes widened and my mouth dropped at this new, odd feeling. "He''s in the east pasture, about a quarter mile away." My eyes fixed on hers, startled beyond belief. "How do I know he''s a quarter mile away from me?"


    Alanna smiled warmly, her suspicions confirmed apparently. Her hand turned one of mine over and traced the line of one of my veins from wrist to elbow. "Our family blood now runs through these veins. You''ll be able to sense all of us, just as we can sense you. You''re connected to our family now, Emma. It''s in your blood." She smiled broadly and then reached over to hug me.


    I was so startled at this, I hugged her back loosely, more out of instinct than anything else. I''d already been low jacked, thanks to the twins, but now he was low jacked as well. And this connection we shared wouldn''t leave when the twins left me. I''d been connected to the hive, so to speak, and we were blood-bonded for life now, however long that life may be.


    Alanna left me still reeling over this new development as she went to go talk to Teren. He''d been too far away to hear any of that conversation and wasn''t yet aware that my anger had faded. I got a little nervous waiting for him to come back; I hadn''t exactly been real nice to him, and he had saved my life, even if it was only a temporary patch. A slice of fear ran though me at that thought, but I pushed it back. I felt fine right now, well, aside from the slight throb of my neck and the overall odd feeling of my newly enhanced body. At any rate, I was fairly certain I wasn''t dying today.


    Oh boy, don''t I sound exactly like Teren used to now.


    Actually letting a small laugh escape me, I settled in to finish my drink and let my ears and eyes open. My eyes were picking out dings in the furniture that I''d never noticed before. A gouge missing in the vanity leg, a slight crack in the mirror on one of the corners of the frame, faint spider-line breaks in the plaster on the ceiling. As my eyes took in the faint threads of blue running through the gold and cream colored quilt over my body, words floated into my head nonstop.


    "Oh good, she wants to talk to him, I''m sure they''ll work it out now...oh god, I still feel sick...yes, they can''t ever seem to be apart for long...drink some water for a change, you''ll be fine...and Teren would be so lonely without her...no, don''t pass out by the toilet...right, he''d have to find someone else to scream his name when he-"


    I sat up straight in bed, my neck irritated at me for that. "Halina! You know I can hear you now, right?" I felt my entire body flush with heat over the comment that I knew without a doubt came from her sultry voice.


    I heard her laugh huskily and reply with, "Yes, I''m aware of that... and?"


    I floundered for a snappy comeback, but couldn''t manage to come up with anything other than ''shut it''. Not wanting to sound like a bratty teenager, I kept my mouth shut and fumed silently instead, setting my empty cup down on the nightstand. Even with the contents of the cup gone, and the mug itself a good foot and a half away from me, I could still smell the blood. The air in the room was so heavy with the lingering scent of it, that it nearly felt palpable on my skin. I tried to pull my fangs back, but I may as well have tried to retract my fingernails. Nothing happened.


    Then I felt every sense in my body focus on one location - Teren was coming back to the house. There was something about his presence getting closer to me that my body reacted to. I didn''t know if it was because of our earlier spat, or if it was because he was directly responsible for changing me, but I was more attuned to him than the others. I felt a slight tingling sensation in the very core of my bones. I relaxed back on the cushions and inhaled a deep cleansing breath, the smell of blood mixing with the scent of antiseptic and lilacs. Letting it out slowly, I could feel him approaching me. Just the act of him drawing nearer gave me goose bumps and my body surged with energy; I felt like I was vibrating.


    He paused at the door and I stared at the stupid obstacle, wishing I could see through it. I didn''t know why he stopped; I couldn''t sense his intentions, only his location. It was frustrating me that I didn''t know if he felt this energy too, or if he was just nervous to be near me. Wanting him to enter either way, I whispered, "Please come in. I need to see you."


    He twisted the knob and I focused solely on the sounds coming from him, to block out the rest of the house. Even though I could still make out Jack helping Ben into a bed, Alanna and Imogen have a tearful sounding conversation, and Halina tossing out suggestive one-liners, Teren''s slight noises pushed them all back into a dull buzz in a corner of my head. The sound of his strong hand twisting the brass knob, the creak of the wood frame as he pushed the door in, the rustle of his jeans as he stepped forward, the slow, deep breaths that he didn''t need to take, but faked so often that he did it as unconsciously as any living person, and my name, whispered off his tongue as he came into view.


    The energy in my body almost came to a sharp point and I gasped when I saw him. It was an odd sort of feeling, like how I''d imagine lovers reuniting in an airport terminal after months, or maybe even years of separation must feel. I had no idea if my physical reaction to him was just because of the emotional day and everything we''d gone through already, the rekindling in the air as I waited to tell him that he did nothing wrong and I wasn''t angry, or if maybe, we did have a unique bond now and we''d feel this...electricity every time we were together.


    Tears stung my eyes as the emotion in the room and the energy in my body mixed. Teren''s face had the same sort of surprised and emotional look on it that mine did. He softly closed the door and then closed his eyes and inhaled deep, almost like he was savoring the tension of reunion in the air, savoring the smell of us. I could sense it too. Even with all the other smells lingering in the room, like notes of a specific fragrance, I could pick out his. It was unexplainable. It was just a smell uniquely his own. Nothing on this earth compared. Nothing on this earth smelled as good, not even blood.


    I was bristling with the need to touch him by the time he opened his eyes. Nearly ready to jump out of this luxurious-to-the-touch bed, I tossed back the covers at the same time that he blurred to my side. He scooted into the spot I''d just opened up for him, his hands instantly on my face, his lips instantly on my mouth.


    The energy between us culminated as we connected: fiery, needy, unrestrained. Our heated kisses tapered, as the feeling between us finally subsided to a dull roar in the background. Returned to the more normal level of intense love we always felt for each other. His lips slowed on mine and it was only then that I noticed that his hand had drifted down my body to curl my leg around his hip, my fingers were locked tightly in his hair, and somewhere along the way, I''d managed to pull my teeth up.


    We pulled apart slightly to look at each other and from down in the kitchen, I heard Halina''s throaty chuckle. Swallowing, I tried to steady my too fast breath. His was fast as well as his eyes searched my face, drifting over to the wound on my neck, a wound that until he looked at it, I hadn''t even felt. I felt it now and rolled onto my back, my leg sliding away from his hip.


    He propped up unto an elbow and leaned over me, his brow creased. "I''m sorry, I just needed...to do that."


    A chuckle escaped me and I sucked in a quick breath as my neck throbbed. He laid a cool hand over the wound and I sighed as his touch calmed the area. Meeting eyes with him, I gave him a small smile. "Don''t be...I needed that too."


    He smiled in return and leaned down to kiss my forehead. "I''m so sorry, Emma. Please believe me."


    I sighed and cupped his face as he pulled back, his eyes down. Feeling those tears again, I carefully shook my head. "No, I''m sorry. You did what you had to, to save us. It may or may not have worked, but you had to try." I gripped his face harder, making him raise his eyes to mine. "I love you so much, for fighting for us." I reached up and grabbed his hand from my neck, placing our fingers over my stomach. The twins reacted to our joint touch and we both smiled. "I love you so much, for fighting...for them."


    He sighed, his smile not leaving him and I left his hand on my stomach to stroke his cheek again. "This may not have been the path I expected, but, I want us to be in this together, not pushing each other away." The tears in my eyes fell freely as the uncertainty of my future loomed ahead of me. "I don''t know how much time I have, Teren. I don''t want to spend it fighting. I love you too much, for that to be how we end."


    The tears in his eyes fell too as his hand reached up to clasp over mine on his cheek. Leaning over me he whispered, "I won''t let anything happen to you, Emma. You or them." His voice quavered as the emotion behind it threatened to crush him. "If we don''t have answers, then we''ll find those who do." His mouth set in a firm line as determination filled him.


    I scrunched my brow, feeling like I was a step behind. "What? Who would know about this? Who would know if I''ll be okay?"


    "Other mixed." He nodded as he stated that, like it was really just as simple as that.


    I blinked at him. Mixed? Up until that maniac had taken us, the Adams hadn''t even known other mixed vampires existed; they''d thought they were the only ones. His revelation that they weren''t, had been quite a shock to them, and their existence was a shock to full vampires, as that bastard who''d created this mess had pointed out. He''d obviously never seen anything like Teren. But somehow...we were supposed to find these secretive vamps in time to save the children''s lives and mine, if they even could or would?


    Teren''s face didn''t lose any of his determination as he watched my reaction. This was his hope. This is what he''d cling to, to save himself from despair. I swallowed. I wouldn''t snatch that hope away. Wouldn''t tell him he was grasping at straws. He needed this. "Okay," I said quietly. "What do we do?"


    He relaxed back and even smiled softly. I think he''d been prepared to have to convince me that this was a completely doable and realistic goal that he''d set for himself. He grabbed my fingers and interlaced them, stroking his thumb against me excitedly as he talked. "That man that killed me, Great-Gran kept all of his journals. She wanted to make sure he was working alone and that no one would come searching for him." My eyes widened at that; I hadn''t realized they''d looked into his life. Teren shook his head. "We can''t find anything that says he wasn''t, so we''re pretty sure now, that he was on his own." I nodded and swallowed again.


    Teren put his hand back on my neck automatically and I realized I must have flinched when I''d nodded. He kept up his plan, obviously having done quite a bit of thinking about this in the past few days, when he''d been waiting around for me to die. "Great-Gran also wanted to know what he''d dosed me with, so she kept anything that looked like research." His eyes brightened along with his smile. "I think I can use his notes to find others." He shook his head, his eyes swimming with hope. "There has to be someone out there, like us, who''s tried to turn a human." He shook his head. "There just has to be." He nodded, his jaw set. "And I''ll find them."


    I put my hand on that jaw, trying to ease the tension I felt there. "We''ll find them, Teren. Together, remember?"


    He looked away briefly and then looked back. "No, Emma. I''m sorry, but you have to stay here now."


    I laughed, and then realized he was serious and stopped."What? No, I want to go with you. I want us to do this together."


    He sighed and ran a hand down my hair. "Emma, baby, it''s too dangerous. We don''t know...what sort of people we''ll find." He looked down. "I''m not risking your life like that. Not when I''m trying to save it."


    I grabbed his arm as he pulled his hand away. "Then I don''t want you to go. If it''s dangerous..." My throat closed up on me and I couldn''t finish that thought.


    He sighed again as he looked over my face. I could see the strain of the last few days in his countenance and hated everything that had happened to our merry family, changing it completely. I suddenly wished our biggest problem was the ex who remembered too much of him.


    Finally, he softly said, "What choice do I have, Emma. I can''t just sit back...and not try and save you." I looked about to protest again and he held up his hand, cutting me off. "I won''t go alone. I''ll take someone with me." From downstairs I heard a flood of Russian and Teren chuckled softly. I hadn''t caught the comment (I guess magically knowing Russian wasn''t something passed along with his blood, darn), and Teren smiled softly as he explained. "Great-Gran just volunteered her services."


    I relaxed back into the pillows a bit with that news. Halina was strong, stronger than Teren, and as driven to save my children as we were. Plus she''d fight tooth and nail to keep Teren safe. As far as bodyguards go, she was a pretty good one.


    Seeing my silent acceptance of that, his face brightened for a moment. I smiled at seeing the hope there. It didn''t ease the strain I saw underneath it, but it lightened the edges of it considerably. I wanted to let myself believe that he''d find our answers, that everything would be okay, but even with the madman''s help, finding others like Teren seemed impossible to me. At least finding them in time seemed impossible.


    Exhaling in an attempt to distract my mind from my pessimistic thoughts, I felt my teeth stubbornly drop back down. They slid into my lower lip and popped right through the tender skin. "Ow," I muttered, as I carefully sucked on my lip.


    Teren gave me an odd, knowing grin and pushed back a corner of my mouth to look at my tooth. He didn''t seem at all weirded out at seeing fangs on me, now that I was aware they were there, but I felt a little weirded out by him examining me. He dropped my lip and brought his hand back to my stomach. "You need to be careful, those things are sharp."


    I gave him as much of a lopsided grin as I could with my still overly large feeling mouth. "Well, I didn''t exactly mean to do that. I suppose I''ll get used to them. I hope I do okay at work with them." I sighed and looked over his suddenly perfectly still shape lying beside me, still propped up on his elbow. "What day is it anyway, Teren? How much work have I missed?"


    Watching his reaction carefully, I wondered how angry Clarice was at me for missing even more work. I seriously hoped she didn''t take it out on me by inundating me with records room work. My feet were starting to swell in the afternoons and the thought of standing on them all day made them ache already.


    Teren sniffed and looked down, speaking more into the sheets than at me. "It''s Sunday. You only missed Friday."


    I sighed at that, relieved. The attack was on a Thursday night. If I somehow got through this with only one day missed, she may not can me. Feeling the dull ache at my neck return, I started to wonder how I''d explain that. I hadn''t looked at it yet, but I was positive the wound was much more than two tiny fang pricks that a turtleneck would easily cover. I''m pretty sure that bastard had used every chomper he had, and my skin looked like a pit-bull had mauled me. Swell.


    Teren still wasn''t looking at me, and I thought some of his earlier guilt had crept back into his features. A bit of the ice crept back into my stomach too. "Teren, please tell me you called in for me on Friday?"


    He peeked up at me from the corner of his eye. "I did."


    I exhaled again. "Oh, good. I wouldn''t want to get fired." I chuckled, but he didn''t laugh with me. He bit his lip; that worried me a little. "What did you tell them? What''s my story?" I was fairly certain he didn''t tell them a creature of the night bit me.


    He sighed and looked down again. I had the sudden image of a large hammer slowly lowering through the air. I wasn''t sure why, but I was pretty sure I wasn''t going to like what he was about to say. He sighed, confirming my suspicions. "I told them you were in a car crash."


    I heard a gasp escape my lips as he looked up at me. Car crash seemed a little extreme for a neck wound. I suppose he was under a lot of strain at the time that he''d come up with it though, and I suppose I could hide my neck with a brace. Not exactly flattering, but, effective. He looked over my face and continued with, "I told them the crash put you into premature labor and the doctors were barely able to stop it." My eyes widened even farther as the tale he''d spun grew. I didn''t see why he''d felt the need to expand on the lie. Wasn''t simpler, better? He swallowed and finished his cover story. "I told them...the doctors put you on bed rest until the babies are born."


    I felt that imagined hammer land squarely on my head.


    "You what!" I yelled that, and my ears started ringing. Teren flinched and I''m sure his ears were ringing too. I guess I didn''t need to be so loud now, but some things can''t be helped. "They don''t think I''m coming back? Why would you tell them that?" I managed in a more level tone, and from where the vamps were still chit-chatting in the kitchen, I heard Halina mutter, ''Here we go''.


    Teren sighed and put a hand on my cheek. "Because you can''t go back, Emma. You have to stay here...at the ranch."


    His eyes looked sadly sympathetic. He knew I''d liked my job and had goals of moving up in the company. Being kept from there for months? Well, I wasn''t even sure I''d have a job to go back to, at least, not the same one I''d left. Clarice would most likely replace me. I''d have to start over, in the mail room or something.


    Feeling stubborn and childlike, I whispered, "You don''t get to decide that for me."


    He looked away for a second, thoughtfulness on his face, and then twisted his head back to me. "I didn''t, you did."


    Confused, I stared up at the ceiling. I didn''t remember anything over the past few days, but surely I''d remember basically throwing my career away. "I''ve barely been conscious. When did I agree to that?"


    He smiled and a cool finger traced the edge of my cheek before twisting to grab a long piece of my dark hair. With a half-smile he said, "When you told me I was foolish for staying in San Francisco, around all those innocent people." I blinked at him and was about to start some sort of response when he lost his small smile and shook his head. "The fact is, Emma, we don''t know what''s going to happen to you." He gave me a pointed look. "If you convert," he looked down, away from me, "which is what I''m hoping happens, if your body can''t handle..."


    He didn''t finish that thought and looked back up at me. "You''ll awake just as hungry as I did. You''ll attack anything that moves." His small, wry smile returned as he twirled the lock of hair in his fingers. "And you are the one that convinced me that the safest place for a creature about to go through that kind of transformation, was here, at the ranch." His eyes looked over the room, as if he were taking in the land outside. "Surrounded by yummy cattle," he murmured.


    I sighed softly, not really having an argument for that, since it was sort of my argument in the first place. Me and my big mouth. I never once imagined when I''d first said that, that I''d be referring to my own situation later on down the road. Yeah, the shoe on the other foot thing? Don''t like it.


    His smile grew at my silence and his fingers trailed down the strand of hair in his fingers before he let it drop. I could hear the individual fibers sliding over his skin. He sighed and his fingers shifted to my face, a light scent of grass on the tips, like he''d been plucking it outside. "I know, I didn''t like it either, but you were right and here is the safest place for you."


    Knowing I''d sound foolish objecting, I tried to anyway. "But...I have doctor''s appointments to keep and the hospital is so far away now." I knew I was spouting improbabilities. The odds of me surviving until my due date probably weren''t that great, but still, I was first and foremost a first time Mom, and I was a little worried about the whole "exiting" process. Doctors in white coats, with sterile equipment and vials full of drugs, were a very soothing thought. "I know you drive fast but-"


    He tilted his head at me, his brow scrunched. "You...can''t see doctors anymore, Emma. I''m sorry, I thought you''d see that right away. Your blood is mixed now, like mine, and it''s just too risky. We can''t let them examine you too closely. And really...a hospital birth was never going to happen. They would test the children''s blood. I''m sorry, I thought you''d see that."


    Truthfully, I had made that connection, but I''d pushed it out of my head almost immediately. Denial was a strong thing. And so was fear. "Can''t see doctors? Can''t go to a hospital? I''m about to have babies, Teren. How do you expect me to do that without doctors?" And loads of pain meds.


    He smiled softly and ran his hand down my hair again in a soothing fashion, like he thought I was on the verge of hyperventilating or something. I heard supportive encouragement coming from both Alanna and Imogen, but blocked it out, focusing on the stubbly jaw of the man who, quite rightly, was keeping me from my building full of well trained professionals. "You can do it, sweetheart." His grin turned a little wry. "And you''ll do it the same way women have done it for thousands of years."


    I was about to roll my eyes and tell him he couldn''t possibly understand the turmoil that I was feeling over this new consequence to the events of a few nights ago, but he leaned down to kiss me softly and my objection died. "Besides, all the women here have experience in baby delivery. You''ll get all the help you need, right here."


    I heard Alanna and Imogen agreeing with him, telling me that they''d take the very best care of me. Even Halina, said everything would be fine. Of course, her concern was more on the infants, than my pain level. Thinking about having a child in my luxuriously rich bed, the satin sheets feeling like liquid along my skin, I felt my chest tighten in anticipation. I was not a "natural" birth sort of girl.


    "Can my mom be here? She wanted to be with me for the birth." Not that I was agreeing to any of this yet.


    He looked down and then slid his elbow down the silky sheet to rest his head on his arm, his face directly in front of mine as I looked over at him. "Emma, I don''t know about that. She can visit as often as she wants, of course, but the actual birth, may be...too much for her." I nodded, tears sprinting into my eyes. Being like I was now, I had no idea what to expect from childbirth, assuming I even made it that far. I guess I really was stuck with vampire midwives.


    He kissed my nose. "I haven''t called her yet. If I told her you were in an accident, she''d rush right out here, and you needed time to...adjust before you saw her."


    I sighed and looked down at his chest. "Oh." I looked back up. "Ashley?"


    He nodded. "Ashley knows, I told her the truth. She is dying to come see you, but I asked her to stay away until you called her." I raised my eyebrow at that. He shook his head. "I didn''t mention to her that you may...not have made it." He smiled sadly. "I painted it in the best light that I could for her."


    I wondered briefly how he''d painted being attacked by a vampire in a good light. He was either very vague or underplayed things a lot. "Does she know you gave me your blood?" I said softly.


    He sighed and shook his head. "I only told her I saved you, I didn''t go into details." He raised an eyebrow at me. "She didn''t ask either, so, I''m pretty sure she figured it out." He sighed and kissed me again.


    I swallowed a painful lump, thinking my sister was probably going out of her mind and I should call her right away. I wondered if she''d talked to Tracey for me, explained about me missing work. Maybe she even told her that Hot Ben had been there and had been surprisingly very heroic. Maybe in the story, he pulled me from the wreckage or something. Either way, Tracey was probably waiting for a phone call too.


    I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by all the lies I''d have to tell soon, and heard words around the house drifting to me. Hot Ben was snoring, sleeping it off. Jack was watching TV while Alanna and Imogen started making dinner. Imogen and Halina started talking about eating outside tonight and my mouth started watering at the detailed conversation. I felt my teeth get longer and heard my own heartbeat quicken in anticipation.


    Teren''s hand came up to my cheek, bringing me back to this room, with him. I opened my eyes, surprised to find my breath faster. He was smiling softly at me, his eyes sympathetic. "You''ll get used to it," he whispered.


    I sighed and nodded, surprised and grossed out over how much my body wanted even more blood. Apparently my pregnancy hunger had shifted to this kind of nourishment as well. I suppose staying out of the city was a good idea after all. I didn''t plan on biting anyone, ever, but the cravings in my body might try and convince me otherwise.


    Shutting out as many of my enhanced senses as I could, I focused on Teren''s calming, sky blue eyes. I could see flecks of gray in them that I''d never noticed before. As my heart and breathing returned to normal, I started relaxing. Feeling calm, I found I could will my teeth to retract. They moved slowly, and in my awkward mouth, I could hear the canines sliding against my gums and against the teeth next to them. I smiled when they were pulled in as far as I could get them and ignored how my jaw ached from creating space for the new, longer teeth to disappear into. Teren grinned at my normal looking smile and kissed me softly.


    Softly at first anyway. Our kiss started picking up a little bit and I heard Halina''s chuckle before she and Imogen left the house. As his tongue swept along mine, and I reveled that some things felt exactly the same, a stray thought pricked my brain. Pulling back, I playfully said, "So, are you sort of my father now? Do I call you Sire?" He grinned and I leaned in for a deep kiss. "Because that makes this a little creepy," I muttered between our lips.


    He laughed and gently angled me to kiss me even deeper, his cool palms resting on my neck, soothingly. "Husband will be fine," he chuckled.


    One of his hands staying on my wound, the other started trailing down my body and his leg started coming up over one of mine. I sighed and pulled him over, so the top half of him was over the top half of me; the bottom half just had too much belly in the way for him to lie on. His hand still came down to cup my backside though as he pulled my leg back over his hip. My fingers tangled back in his hair and that earlier connection we''d shared started burning under the surface. I wondered again if that bond was unique to us, or just a remnant of our terrible experience. His hand traveled over my stomach while I thought about that.


    One of the twins reacted strongly to Teren''s caress and kicked him so hard we both looked down. He laughed and rested his palm over them, feeling them squirm to get near him. I found I could hear their movements too. I closed my eyes and concentrated, tuning out every other sense I had. It took a minute, but then I heard it, the faint, fluttery heartbeats, the same as at the doctor''s office. I could hear them without any special equipment. I could hear the life flowing through their veins. It warmed my heart and tears were in my eyes when I opened them.


    Teren was watching me, his hand still on my stomach. "I can hear them," I whispered, a huge smile on my face. Thinking of what Teren''s blood may have done to them, I frowned. "What do you think happened to them in all this? Do you think your blood...altered them in any way?"


    Teren''s hand rubbed my stomach and he shrugged, his face thoughtful. "I obviously don''t know for sure...but I don''t see why it would. Unlike you...and Grandma, really, when Great-Gran was turned, they were never entirely human in the first place. My blood was already in their veins..."


    I nodded, smiling again, feeling relieved by that. He smiled in kind and leaned down to kiss me again. Before his lips touched mine, I whispered, "Take them." He pulled back, confusion clear on his face. "Whatever happens to me, if I die and convert, or die and just...die, take them."


    He tilted his head, concern now clear too. "What?"


    I reached up and cupped his cheek, a calm peace flowing through me as I did. "Take them out of me, and do whatever you can to save them."


    He shook his head, his hand from my stomach coming up to cover my hand on his cheek. "Emma, it''s too early. They won''t survive and we can''t take them to a hospital, not with their blood."


    I searched his eyes, seeing that he clearly didn''t want to think about this yet. I needed him too. We needed every possibility covered, and the chances that I wouldn''t make it full term, were too great to ignore. "I know I''m asking you to do something terrifying, something that you know nothing about, and, I know it''s an exposure risk, for them and for you, if take them to get help, so all I can ask from you, is that you and your family try and save them. I trust whatever you all decide is best, but promise me, that no matter what happens, you''ll take them out of me. Promise me that you''ll at least try. That''s my deathbed request." I took our hands from his face and put them back on my stomach. "Don''t let them die inside of me, Teren. Give them a chance...please."


    He looked down at our hands resting over the bulge of our children. His eyes were wet when he looked back up at me. "I will, I promise. I love you, wife."


    I smiled, knowing that it may not make any difference, they may not make it anyway, none of us might, but at least he would try and save them. "And I love you, husband."

 Page 13

    Teren stayed where he was, cuddled in bed with me. He pulled me over onto his chest and I wrapped my arms underneath his cool body. He tucked one of his hands under my aching neck, soothing me, then ran the other down my hair, calming me. As we embraced in that plush setting, I tried to forget the many uncertainties in our future and instead focused on my one constant - him.


    I closed my eyes and memorized all of the markers that made him unique. Most of the ones from my human senses, I already knew - the dark hair, pale eyes, course stubble, deep voice, cool skin - but I found that my other senses could pinpoint him even more accurately. Besides the odd sensation of feeling someone''s location in your head when that person is lying directly beneath you, I could also smell the way the world danced across his skin, the different fragrances mixing, mingling, and retreating from his own masculine scent. The cologne smell I''d always associated with him was more distinct this way as well, and I could almost taste the different notes in it. It made my mouth water.Advertisement


    I could hear his slow, easy breath between the deep words he was telling me - words of love and devotion and encouragement. I ignored the words themselves and listened to the timbre, the feeling he inlaid into every syllable. As odd as it sounded, I could feel love, like it was some physical thing and not an intangible object. His words rumbled deep in his chest as he spoke, and the rise and fall of his lungs were a steady rhythm that I found myself matching.


    Peeking my eyes open, I looked up at him. I watched the lamps in the room create a band of reflected light in his dark hair and noticed that the shade was different to me now. I could see the varying degrees of black in it - some so dark, they almost crossed into blue, others so light, they almost looked brown. It was nothing pure human eyes would even notice; to them, his hair looked one solid color. It was fascinating. I drifted over his sculpted face, clearly seeing the bone structure beneath it. He was strong, masculine, profoundly attractive and, I could easily see now, perfectly symmetrical. My eyes drifted over his watching me, as he continually spoke. The gray flecks I noticed before were still there, still clear to me, only now, I could actually see a pattern in the right one; it sort of looked like a small clover. It was beautiful and I smiled at seeing it.


    His lips smiled as well as he watched me take him in. My eyes drifted down to those lips - full, perfect, one edge curled up into a small smirk, hinting at the playful attitude inside of him. I watched those lips form words and phrases, watched the tongue enunciate sounds that could have been in Russian, for all the attention I was giving it.


    He swallowed naturally during a break, and my eyes flicked down at hearing the sound. I drifted over the slight stubble he kept over his jaw line, dark, but lighter than his hair, making him constantly look as if he''d spent a long weekend wrapped in soft sheets, too preoccupied with other things to worry about shaving. It was hot.


    He swallowed again and I continued on down to watch his throat move with the movement. I took in his neck while he talked, the way he turned and adjusted, the way the movement of the air needed for speech crept up from his lungs, making his throat bob. I could hear the light breath on its journey and smiled again.


    Then I noticed a vein at the base of his neck move. It startled me and I focused on it. It was a thick artery, full of blood that I had to imagine was as cool as his body. It popped away from his skin, the same as all large veins did on regular humans, and I was a bit dumbfounded by it all. Experimentally, I took a finger and pressed down on it. It gave way and then bounced back. The room silenced as Teren stopped speaking, maybe curious by my curiosity.


    He shifted his neck and the vein shifted as well, sinking away to somewhere deeper in his skin, where I couldn''t see it. "What are you doing?" he whispered, running a hand down my hair.


    I peeked up at his amused face and then back down to find that vein again. "I never noticed before, but your veins are just like mine."


    He chucked, his body lightly rumbling under mine. "No, you probably wouldn''t have noticed that. You weren''t as focused on blood before." I peeked back up at him and he grinned. "Why are you surprised? Of course I still have veins."


    I gave him a wry grin and rolled my eyes. "I know that." I looked back down as he shifted again and the vein reappeared. Lightly, I stroked it with my finger. Focusing my senses, I could feel the blood moving under his skin, I even imagined that I could hear it surging through his body. "It''s moving," I muttered, mystified.


    He laughed again and brought his hand to my back, pulling me into him. "Of course it is. Did you think my blood was stagnant? Just pooling at my feet? Or maybe suspended...like Jell-o?" He laughed again, and I could tell my ignorance on the subject greatly amused him.


    I glared when I looked back up at him. "Well, yeah, actually." I furrowed my brows. "You don''t have a pumping heart, how does your blood circulate?"


    He smiled and ran a finger down my cheek. "I''m a vampire, Emma. Don''t try and apply the rules of human anatomy to me." I gave him a blank look and he laughed. "I don''t know how. I haven''t exactly dissected a vampire to find out. But, something in our blood keeps it moving. We don''t need a circulatory system; our blood takes care of its own." He cocked his head, considering. "I think that''s one of the problems with being mixed, having that kind of blood along with a heartbeat." He looked at me and shrugged. "The two are constantly battling each other; the vampiric blood wanting to move on its own, at its own fast pace, the rest of the body wanting a slower, more relaxed rhythm."


    I grinned at the image that popped into my head. "Like an insolent teenager, battling its parents." I stopped grinning when I realized that my body was fighting with itself now too.


    He sighed as he looked over my changed expression. "Yeah, something like that." He raised my jaw and made me look at him. "But in answer to your implied question, yes, it moves." A thought occurred to him, and he gave me a devilish smile. "How else did you think I could still...perform?"


    I blushed and laughed, smacking his chest and settling down to stare at that fascinating artery again. He laughed underneath me and held me tight.


    I pictured that blood, just under the surface and thought of the blood I''d downed earlier. I wondered if Alanna would bring more with the dinner I could hear her finishing up in the kitchen. It marveled me a little that I actually wanted her to. Of course, what happened next marveled me even more.


    As I watched that flowing vein under his skin, I found my lips moving towards it. Teren resumed talking, explaining other theories of vampirism that he had, but that vein commanded all of my attention. I brought my lips to his cool skin and felt the flow against my flesh. It didn''t pulse like my blood, it was just a constant stream, a river, surging under the surface. A never-ending loop of fresh, cool, refreshing blood. My tongue came out to lightly stroke his skin and he instantly stopped talking again. I think he stopped breathing too. I was too fascinated to pay close enough attention though.


    I pressed down on the vein with my tongue, his skin still slightly salty to me, even dead, and the vein popped back up when I released it. I groaned a little bit at the pleasing sensation and my teeth instantly snapped back down into place. My tongue had been in the way and I poked right into it. I pulled back from his skin, wincing in pain. "Ow, damn it."


    Teren rubbed my back, but didn''t laugh at me injuring myself again. Instead he looked at me with an eyebrow raised. His eyes took in my extended fangs and he furrowed his brows.


    What?" I asked cautiously, feeling a little stupid that I''d basically been thinking about snacking on him. Hadn''t I just sworn I''d never do that?


    He seemed to know what I''d been about to do too. "Were you going to bite me?" His voice came out amused and a little concerned.


    I looked down, embarrassed. "No, I don''t know...maybe." I looked back up at him quickly. "I wouldn''t have, not without asking you." Not that I wanted to, not really anyway.


    He shook his head, brushing aside my concern. "I heal fast, Emma, you wouldn''t have hurt me. I''m just..." He tilted his head and rubbed my back, looking worried.


    "What?" I asked again, thinking I''d just about done something really wrong. "Do vampires not feed on each other? Not that I want to," I quickly added.


    He shook his head again. "Sometimes they do, Great-Gran sometimes likes a little... But that''s not what I''m..." He stopped again and bit his lip.


    I sighed and felt tears sting my eyes. I was doing something wrong, I just didn''t know what. I wish he''d just tell me what faux-pas I was making. It wasn''t really my fault anyway. I''d only had a day to really get used to these cravings. He was born this way, used to it from day one.


    His finger lifted my jaw when he noticed the emotion in my eyes. "Hey, you''re okay, Emma." He smiled warmly and shook his head. "I''m not angry at you. It''s okay if you want to bite me." He raised an eyebrow and grinned devilishly again. "I think I''d even like that."


    I ignored his expression and felt myself pouting. "But you''re concerned...why?"


    He looked down for a second and then met my eyes again. "Your cravings." He shook his head again. "They just seem more advanced, like when I was close to..." He stopped talking, his eyes moistening.


    I exhaled, understanding. "You think I''m close to a changeover, because of how much blood interests me?" He nodded, swallowing heavily. I looked down, absorbing that. One of the twins jostled me while I was thinking and I grinned and looked back up at him. "It''s them, Teren."


    He scrunched his brows and was about to ask who when he stopped and looked at my stomach. Understanding, he smiled and removing his ice pack hand from my neck, snaked it down to my stomach. My hand trailed down to meet his. "All of my cravings have ramped up because of them - ice cream, pasta, hot chocolate..."


    "Sex," he interrupted, that grin on his face again.


    I rolled my eyes and hit his chest again. "And now, blood," I finished, ignoring him. His smile relaxed into an easy one. "It''s not because I''m close to dying, it''s just because of them." I said it matter-of-factly, like somehow saying it firmly enough, would make it true. But the truth was, we had no idea. All of this was new territory for the whole family. He nodded and looked reassured, but my new vision could tell that he wasn''t. But he only returned his hand to my neck, encouraged me to rest against his chest, and continued stroking my hair while he talked to me about things I could do around the ranch so I didn''t get too bored.


    This was just something we''d both pretend to believe. It was better than the alternative.


    I felt Alanna approaching awhile later. Felt her, heard her, and smelled her, and the dinner she carried. No more sneaking up on this girl. Out of courtesy, she knocked before entering our room. She smiled warmly at the image of Teren and me, snuggling together in bed, and then set a tray of food - soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, sick person food - on the night stand. The tray also held a glass of milk and right beside it, two steaming cups. My fangs were still out and they extended a little more as I watched her pick up that tall thermos. She handed one to me as Teren helped me sit upright. I started drinking it immediately, still a little grossed out, but wanting it too much to care anymore. Teren and Alanna both chuckled at me and I paused and watched them watch me; Alanna hadn''t even gotten around to handing Teren his yet. She smiled warmly at me and urged me to continue. "It''s alright, Emma," she encouraged.


    Blushing, I continued drinking, more slowly, and Teren smiled before taking a sip of his. He thanked his mother, his fangs out as well now, and she rumpled his hair before wishing us both a good night. Teren turned back to me and smiled widely around his mug. I didn''t know what pleased him more, us drinking together, or downing what I now understood to be the best damn stuff on earth.


    I grinned as I paused. "I can''t believe we''re drinking blood together." I laughed once and shook my head, noting that my neck felt even better as the blood acted as a natural pain reliever.


    He grinned and tilted back his cup. "Think of the possibilities now. When your neck is healed, we could even paint each other''s bodies with it and then lick it off." He laughed, so I knew he was joking, but I stopped and stared at him at the thought. His eyes took in mine and he stopped laughing, he stopped breathing again too. That made me giggle, as I tilted back my drink.


    I sighed as I finished my cup. "I can''t believe I enjoy this. I can''t believe I''m a vampire...sort of."


    He tilted his head as he finished his. "You''ve never thought about it? Really?"


    I sighed again as I handed the cup to him. He put them both on the nightstand and put an arm around me. I leaned into his side and looked up at him. "Well, of course I''ve thought about it. I mean, you can''t exactly date a vampire and not think about it." He smiled at that, a little sadly, and I continued. "But, after the way you reacted when I asked for Ashley, I just sort of took it off the table and stopped thinking about it. Plus...I didn''t want to be tempted to kill my friends and family. That''s not cool."


    He laughed genuinely at that and hugged me. Kissing my hair, he muttered, "I think you can handle it."


    I heard Alanna laugh at that too and Jack ask her what was funny. While I heard her repeat my comment, I pulled away from Teren to give him a serious look. "I''m sorry about asking you to change my sister. That I begged you to bite her, to drain her blood when you didn''t want to. That was wrong of me to try and make you do that. It was wrong of me to even ask."


    He sighed and shook his head, his hand going to cup my cheek. "You had a right to ask. I''m sorry I overacted. We just...we don''t do that...normally."


    He sighed again and looked down. I put my hand under his chin, bringing his gaze back to mine. "I know. I get that now. I love you." He nodded and kissed me. I looked over his face as I pulled back. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"


    He understood my vague question about the night he gave me his blood and looked at the sheets, shaking his head. "No, not really."


    I sighed and ran a finger down his cheek. "Will you anyway?" I whispered that, and it was quite loud and clear, even to my own ears. He looked over at the tray of food Alanna had brought in, and sighing softly, he reached over and grabbed a plate piled high with grilled cheese sandwich halves. Handing it to me, he started telling me about what was probably the worst night of his life.


    "I was by your side before you even made it to the ground." He shook his head, staring at the sheets again. "But I still wasn''t fast enough." I paused in picking up a still warm sandwich, to put my hand on his chest encouragingly. He glanced over at me and sort of smiled. Sighing again, he laid his head back and shifted his gaze to the ceiling. I noted the silence in the house, as Alanna listened to her son speak his pain. "Ben had already gotten him. Great-Gran pulled him off of you, and all I saw was blood. So much blood. His, yours. It was awful. Everyone was talking to me at the same time and everything seemed so loud."


    He shook his head, his pale eyes replaying the event as a shudder passed through me. "Great-Gran was telling me that we had to get rid of the body." He looked over at me. "At first, I didn''t know which body she meant. But then I heard your heart - it was so faint. She picked up the vampire and blurred away, telling me to get you out of sight. Ben was yelling for me to get you to a hospital. He kept pulling at me, trying to get me off of you." He shook his head as his eyes watered. "But I was holding in your blood. My hands were on your neck, and I was holding in what little blood was left."


    He ran a hand down his face and I set my plate on my lap, food momentarily forgotten. I kissed his shoulder and whispered that I loved him. He peeked over at me, seemingly comforted by that. "You started to shake, so I picked you up and we got in the back of my car. I yelled at Ben to drive and then..."


    He paused, like he really didn''t want to confess this part. Since I already knew it, already pictured it in my head, I nodded at him and urged him to continue. He swallowed before he did. "While he drove, your heartbeat started stuttering. All I could think was that my blood heals fast now, maybe it would heal you." He shook his head. "I wasn''t thinking that it would change you. I just...I wasn''t thinking." He swallowed again while a tear ran down my cheek.


    "It''s okay, Teren." I rested my head on his shoulder. "Tell me."


    He exhaled shakily, like he was trying not to break down. "I tore my wrist open, put the wound over your lips. You wouldn''t drink it at first. It just kept collecting in your mouth. I didn''t know what to do. I begged you...and eventually, you swallowed it." He smiled softly and then frowned, looking down at my untouched plate of food. "Ben went nuts when he saw what I was doing. Nearly stopped the car, but I...growled at him, told him to drive to the ranch." He sighed softly and shook his head. "I may have told him I''d kill him if he didn''t." He looked up at me. "But I knew I couldn''t take you to a hospital, not with my blood inside of you." I nodded and he looked away.


    "I didn''t know how much you needed, or if it was even doing anything. I wasn''t thinking about anything other than ''more'', you needed more." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I had to keep reopening my wrist, it kept healing. I was making myself really weak, but I couldn''t stop, your neck hadn''t healed." I grabbed his hand, his wrist. He watched me as I examined the skin. It was perfect, flawless. I grabbed the other one, but it was the same. He was perfectly healed. "I''ve never been so scared, Emma. Not even when I died. I''ve never been that scared in my life."


    He didn''t continue talking, and I thought that was the end of the story. Then he looked up from where his wrist was still in my hands. His eyes were wet again. "I fed you the entire way back to the ranch. I only stopped when Mom pried me off of you." He shook his head and swallowed. "I think if she hadn''t, I would have given you every drop I had." Another tear dropped to my cheek at that admission. I wanted to say something, but he smiled at me. "It was only when she picked you up, that I realized your heart was beating steadily again. And when we looked, your neck wasn''t healed, but it wasn''t bleeding very much anymore." A long, languid smile broke over his face. "My blood didn''t do what I''d ever have expected it to do, but it kept you alive. It kept you all alive."


    His eyes drifted to my stomach, to the twins resting under my plate of cooling food. I smiled and brought a hand to his cheek.


    "Have I ever told you, how amazing you are?" He grinned and I leaned forward to kiss him for a few long moments, glad I was unconscious for that, and didn''t have the memory, and wishing someone could take the memory from Teren. I couldn''t imagine how scared he''d been. Then again, I''d watched him die, almost twice. Maybe I could imagine his terror all too easily.


    After a few moments of collection, I dug into my human food. My comparatively bland human food. Not that it was bad, it wasn''t, Alanna was amazing in the kitchen, but it wasn''t what my body was really wanting. The human part of me still needed it though, so I ate everything in front of me. Teren sat behind me while I ate, playing with my hair or massaging my shoulders. He didn''t seem to want to leave me alone. I understood that, I didn''t want him to leave me alone either.


    But eventually, he had to. Eventually it was Monday morning and he, at least, had to go back to work. He knelt by my side of the bed, concern clear in his face. "Hey, I have to go. It''s going to take me longer to get to work and back now, but I''ll be here, just as soon as I can." I nodded and he leaned over to kiss me. "I''m going to swing by the house and get some stuff for us." He looked down, a little worried again. "I need you to talk to your mom today, if you don''t mind." I scrunched my brow and he explained, "I don''t know how long we''re going to be here, so I thought I''d leave Spike with her," he grinned wryly, "since she loves him so much."


    I nodded. Mom would need to know why she was watching the dog for so long too. I sighed, not looking forward to that conversation. She''d want to move out here to the ranch when I told her I was on bed rest. That would put a strain on the vampires, me too. I''d have to convince her that there were plenty of people waiting on me, and she needed to stay in town for work, and now, the dog. That would brighten the experience for her. I smiled and told him I''d call her this afternoon and let him know what she said. He grinned and kissed me goodbye, lingering for a much longer kiss than we generally said goodbye with. I tried to block out the feeling that he was saying "goodbye" with his goodbye...just in case.


    After he left, I stretched out on the bed. My body was still a little stiff, and still felt really odd, but overall, I felt better. The ache on my neck was a manageable level, as the human and vampire sides within me worked together on fixing the damaged skin. My fingers went to the wound, the rustling on the bandage loud in my ear, and I had the sudden desire to shower and dress and try to appear normal, since I didn''t feel normal.


    Bracing myself, I slowly sat up, the bed compressing a bit under my weight. My head swam for a fraction of a second and then cleared. I heard Jack and Alanna talking quietly downstairs as Alanna made him something to eat. In the side building, I could hear Hot Ben still snoring away. No other noises intruded on me, but I could sense where Halina was tucked away for the day and where Imogen was being deathly silent. I remembered that Teren didn''t breathe or move much when he slept, and figured that was what she was probably doing.


    Wanting that shower, I slowly stood up. Well, that was my intention anyway, but my desire to be clean was so strong, as my sensitive skin could fell the layer of grime on it, that I blurred to my feet. I''d never moved at vampiric speed before, and really, hadn''t been expecting that side effect. It completely took me off guard, and not even having time to curse, I overshot my balance and crashed harshly to the ground.


    "Emma? Are you alright?" I heard instantly from Alanna in the dining room.


    Blushing, and grateful that at least no one saw that, I muttered, "Yeah, I''m fine...just clumsy."


    I carefully sat up on my knees and then stood up. Alanna''s concerned voice filtered up to me. "Oh, okay. Be careful. You need to concentrate on how quickly you move now. Everything for you will take a concentrated effort for awhile, then it will be natural."


    I nodded, then remembering that she couldn''t actually see me, thanked her. Great, just what a pregnant woman with a major case of space-brain needed - to have to super concentrate on everything. I had a feeling I''d be falling over a lot for a while. With my mind focused on every muscle contraction in my body, I slowly walked into the bathroom.


    Alanna''s voice followed me. "Are you hungry? I can bring you up some breakfast."


    I walked over to the mirror and sighed at my reflection - my thick, wavy locks were the worst case of bed head I''d ever seen, dark circles under my eyes made me seem like I hadn''t slept in days, my lip had swollen from where I''d pierced myself yesterday, and the bandage on my neck was comically huge. My enhanced sight could also see the slight red tinge seeping through it. My stomach growled and my fangs dropped down, luckily not piercing anything this time. Staring at them, I focused on pulling them back. It was more difficult than you''d think. They resisted slipping back up, but like purposely contracting a muscle, I eventually made them hide again.


    I sighed again and answered Alanna. "I''m going to attempt a shower, then I''ll come down and join you. Wish me luck," I muttered softly.


    I heard her faint laughter. "Good luck."


    I turned on the shower, adjusting the knob until the temperature was how I liked it. Walking back to the mirror, I wondered if sunlight would be an issue for me. Teren had told me once that his family had the same reaction to light after their conversion as before. I''d been sequestered in our room here at the ranch for days. I hadn''t been in direct sun yet. But I took it as a good sign that I wasn''t suddenly Halina''s roommate in her lightproof dungeon. Our room had heavy, beaded curtains that were closed when I''d woken up, but it was nowhere near as light resistant as Halina''s pad. Or Imogen''s dark room for that matter. Plus, neither Teren nor Alanna had mentioned anything about it. I took that as a good sign. I don''t know if I could handle never seeing daylight again.


    Looking at myself in the mirror again, I slowly began tearing off the bandage over my wound. It stung where it pulled away from my skin and I paused. Taking a deep breath, I let my control over my muscles relax and ripped the material off lightning quick. I hissed in a sharp breath and clasped my hand over the surge of pain. Finger by finger I removed my hand. The wound was as horrific as I''d imagined, and it was days old now. Red, raw, blood-encrusted skin, with a distinct oval shape that was obviously from a mouth. Twin deep holes were at the top, right over my jugular, and the remaining teeth gouged deep into my flesh, the top and bottom edges ripping the skin ragged where he''d dug in. He''d practically torn a chunk out of my skin to get to the blood beneath. It was horrid and I could see a couple places where someone had sewn me up with a stitch or too, the stitches themselves pulled out, but the skin puckered back into place. I knew I''d have a scar there permanently.


    Anger surged through me as I ran a finger along the bumpy scar. Prick vampire. In my irritation, I lost control on my teeth and they came back down. Too irritated to do anything about it, I left them down and angrily jerked off my clothes, hopping into the shower.


    The warm water calmed me back down and I was able to tuck them away again while I was dressing. With the wounds cleaner, they weren''t quite as horrific, although they were still not pleasant to look at. I left them uncovered and fluffed my hair to partially cover it. As I took in my clean appearance, I felt a little better, and was starving. I moved to the door, but let myself do it a little too fast and stumbled as I ran into the knob. Really grateful that Teren wasn''t witnessing my awkwardness, I opened the door and carefully walked down the elaborate staircase that led into the entryway. Not wanting to fall down the stairs, I had to focus hard on every single step.


    I hit the bottom step right as Hot Ben walked into the room. I smelled him before I saw him; he did not smell good. I wrinkled my nose at the scent of scotch and vomit wafting from him. He didn''t look much better. His eyes were bloodshot, his highlighted hair sticking up on one side and flat on the other. His clothes were rumpled, obviously still the ones he''d fallen asleep in (or passed out in) yesterday. His face, although still sculpted and gorgeous, was pale and slightly green.


    He looked up at me when I stepped off the last stair, a small smile on my face that I hadn''t tumbled down them. "Hey," he whispered.


    I wanted to hold my breath at the smell on his. "Hi, Ben. How are you doing?"


    He gave me an ironic smile and brought his hand up to point at my neck. "Shouldn''t I be asking you that?"


    I shrugged and hid my wound a little better, not wanting to freak him out even more. His eyes locked onto my scar though and something in his visage changed. Suddenly he straightened taller as he stared at where I''d nearly been killed. His blue eyes shifted back to mine and his entire demeanor seemed more focused than I''d seen in awhile.


    "I''m really glad you''re okay, Emma. I can''t imagine if you''d..." He shook his head and swallowed. "I''ve been sort of...handling things...poorly," he looked down and then back up at me, "but that changes, starting now." He tilted his head at me. "I''ve caught bits and pieces of what''s going on. I don''t really understand it, but I understand that you''re still in danger, and so are your kids." His eyes flashed to my stomach as I automatically put a hand on them. He looked back up at me, his face solemn. "I want to help. Whatever you guys need."


    My jaw dropped at that. I sort of figured that he''d be wiped by now, it had been a little shocking to me yesterday that he still hadn''t been, and now, he was offering to remember for even longer. I swallowed and walked over to him, carefully putting my arms around his neck, my high emotions threatening to bubble over. "Thank you, Ben."


    He held me back, wrapping his arms around me in a friendly way. "You''re welcome. I only wish I could have stopped..."


    He sighed and I pulled back, looking at his grieved face staring at my neck again. "Hey, even Teren hadn''t been fast enough." I bent down to look him in the eye. "Don''t beat yourself up." He nodded and grinned, his whole face lightening. As we separated, I clapped his shoulder, using him to slow my footsteps as we walked to the kitchen. "I can''t believe you got him," I told him, slightly shaking my head. "You staked a vamp."


    He looked over at me walking beside him. "I know, me either frankly." A small, confident smile lit his lips. "It actually feels pretty good, knowing I can defend myself."


    I laughed and grabbed his arm, steadying myself. "Good." I gave him a meaningful glance. "Are you done with the drinking then?" He looked down sheepishly and nodded. I laughed again, feeling lighter than I had all morning. "Good, cuz you smell really bad."


    He looked up at me, embarrassed. "Sorry."


    I bumped his shoulder as we entered the dining room. A bright ray of light flashed upon my hand and I cringed...but felt nothing. Relaxing, I laughed again. "Don''t worry about it." He helped me sit in a chair, taking one beside it. I watched him sit down, a small smile on his lips as he nodded over the table at Jack. "You know how you could help me the most, Ben?"


    He looked back at me, his brow furrowed, but his jaw set. I had the feeling he''d agree to whatever I asked of him. I smiled at my upcoming statement. "You can call Tracey," I said softly.


    He looked down, looking sheepish again. He peeked up at me from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, I know. I owe her...so many explanations." I opened my mouth to warn him, but he quickly shook his head. "I won''t tell her about Teren, or you, but I need to explain myself somehow." He shrugged. "I''ll come up with something. I''ll call her today."


    I grinned and rubbed his back. "Good, because she loves you, you know?"


    He smiled and looked at the table. "I know." He looked up as Alanna flitted into the room with a plate of food for Jack. "I love her too." Hot Ben tore his eyes away from Alanna kissing her husband and looked back at me. "And now I know I can protect her." His jaw set again as his tone intensified. "I won''t let anything touch her."


    I smiled and nodded. Somehow, scaredy-cat Ben now sounded exactly like Teren. Through our bond, I couldn''t sense exactly where he was, just the general location. He was somewhere to my left. Miles and miles away to my left. It was a surprisingly lonely feeling and I was a little amazed that I wanted to sense him closer. I almost ached with the need of it, like I wouldn''t feel whole again until our bond was more closely connected. I wondered if he felt that way too.


    Hot Ben left a little after breakfast, saying he wanted to clean up and surprise Tracey at work by taking her out to lunch. I sighed that I wouldn''t be there to see the surprised look on her face when he showed up. I could picture her struggling between tears and anger - things had been tense between them for awhile now, but I was pretty sure Tracey would melt like butter for Ben. It would just take a little effort (and some fanciful tales) and their relationship would be back on course. Hot Ben was the only guy she''d let herself fall in love with, the only guy she hadn''t pushed away with superficial excuses. Regardless of the strain lately, she''d take him back simply because she couldn''t not be with him. I was immensely grateful that Ben was a good guy, and that his secrets were nothing near what Tracey had been afraid of.


    I found myself passing the time by being on the phone. I had a surprising number of calls to make. Settling into a comfortable chair in one of the libraries in the main house, I called my doctor''s office first, to cancel every appointment I had. I hated to do it, I wanted to go to them, but Teren was right, I couldn''t let them test me anymore. I was just going to have to trust that everything was going smoothly. At least I could hear them now; I could keep an ear out for any odd changes. Not that I''d be able to do anything about it, if something did go wrong.


    Pushing aside my fears, and my abhorrence at the thought of giving birth, literally, the old fashioned way, I told the receptionist that I was having a home birth at my in-laws place and had found a clinic closer to their location. They urged me to still come see them before the births, but I reassured them that there were a couple of midwifes here and I''d be just fine. Alanna told me I would be when I hung up the phone. I glanced through the wall to where I could sense her in the living room and thanked her, not really any more excited over the prospect.


    After the doctor, I called my sister. She interrogated me for fifteen minutes on the details of what had really happened. Apparently, Teren had been really vague when he''d explained things to her. She''d used all of her will power to not rush out and see me; Teren''s warning that I needed time to adjust giving her pause. With a heavy sigh and tears evident in my voice, I proceeded to tell her exactly how I''d nearly died and exactly how Teren had saved my life.


    Only silence answered me. "Ash?"


    More silence, but I could hear shifting in the background and thought she was pacing. I could even hear her heart pounding, through the phone. Finally she said, "He made you a vampire?"


    I really wasn''t sure how to answer that. "Um...well..."


    She didn''t let me finish. "How could he do that to you, to the kids? How could he condemn you to that life?"


    I sighed, momentarily thankful that I''d never mentioned my crazy plan to condemn her to that life. "What choice did he have, Ash? Watch us die? You know Teren. He''s not capable of just sitting there and watching that, not without trying to help me. Not after everything we''ve been through." I said that last part quietly and heard my sister sniffle at the memory.


    She was silent a moment more and then sighed. "I know. I''m not angry...at him. I guess, I just wish that hadn''t happened. I mean, what happens to you now?"


    Even though she couldn''t see it, I shrugged. "We don''t know. I''m still mostly human right now, like Teren used to be." I paused, considering that. "Actually, I seem to be exactly like Teren was, back when he was alive."


    She brightened and I could hear her smile through the phone. "Oh, well that''s not so bad. You''ll just have to hide the fangs and not suck on any cows around people." She laughed and I heard the rustle of her sitting, her heart started calming too.


    I closed my eyes for a moment. Part of me wanted to let her keep her fantasy version of my life, the one where everything about me, pretty much stayed the same, and a part of me didn''t want to hold back the awful truth of what I was really facing. Eventually, that part won out. "Ashley, it''s not that simple."


    She stopped laughing. "What do you mean?"


    I sighed, hating that I had to cause another person I loved worry. Imogen upstairs offered kind words of encouragement. Alanna told me she loved me. I closed my eyes and prepared to jolt my sister''s world, again. "Do you remember all of what Teren went through, how his human body couldn''t handle the strain of being mixed...?" I let my voice trail off, hoping my sister understood what I was getting at. I didn''t want to have to say it.


    She gasped and I heard her heart miss a beat. "You''re going to die?" Her voice hitched as she whispered that. I was about to tell her everything would be fine, when she repeated louder, "You''re going to die!"


    Tears were on my cheeks now as I listened to my sister start to cry. "Ash...don''t cry. It will be fine. I''ll come back, just like Teren." I really didn''t know if that would happen, but I couldn''t leave my sister without any hope. I just couldn''t do that. She needed to know the truth, but in the broadest sense of the term. She didn''t need to worry about the details. There were enough of us worrying already.


    My sister saw right to the problem though. "What about the babies? What if you die before they''re ready?"


    A sob escaped me at that. "I don''t know...we just don''t know." I sobbed into the phone as Ash sobbed into her end. Suddenly wishing I could hold my sister as we cried, the library door swished open and Alanna scooped me into her cool embrace. I hugged her back, still clutching the phone to my ear. Alanna whispered that everything would be fine, that none of them would stop looking for an answer, and I relayed the sentiment to my sister.


    With sighs and hiccups and a promise to not let Mom know anything was wrong with me, aside from the doctor ordered bed rest, we said our goodbyes. I clicked off the phone and continued to hold Alanna, grateful for the cool woman''s comfort. She stroked my back soothingly and kissed my head. Then she confessed that Imogen and Halina had spent all last night, pouring over the madman''s journals.


    I pulled back and blinked away tears. "They did?" Hope filled me that maybe they''d found an answer already.


    Alanna sighed and brushed aside a lock of my hair. "Yes. Grandma has looked through it before, but not with the same...intent." She raised an eyebrow at me and I nodded. No, things were much different now. Things were much more serious. Alanna nodded as she watched me, then she frowned. "They haven''t found any leads yet." I frowned as well and Alanna brought a palm to my cheek. "We won''t stop looking. We''ll find something."


    I nodded and looked down as Alanna kissed my forehead again. When she left the room, I continued on with my difficult phone calls.


    My mother was next and just as I''d suspected, she wanted to spend every long, boring moment sitting in a chair beside my bed here at the ranch. I told her over and over that Imogen and Alanna had experience being midwifes, having helped their older sisters deliver children (also part of the cover story) and they had the free time to wait on me. My mother had a nine-to-five job and bills to pay. She couldn''t just drop everything for me. She protested, vehemently, and then I asked if she could help us out by watching Spike. That gave her pause. I told her the girls here were allergic to dogs (since I couldn''t tell her that Halina had a sweet tooth for them. Not that she would do that to Teren, but no need to tease her with him being under foot all of the time) and it would really help if we knew he was being taken care of.


    After long pauses and exaggerated sighs, she finally agreed to take him. Honestly, with Ashley moved out, I think my mom was getting lonely. While she was worried about me, I think my news had just made her day. After more details on the accident, which I had to have Alanna fill me in on before I could tell her (and they mainly involved us getting rear ended, nothing too dramatic, but enough to jumpstart labor), and my mom asking if I''d been hurt, (I told her my neck hurt a bit, which was true), we finally said our goodbyes, Mom assuring me that she''d be up often, especially the closer I got to the births.


    I didn''t say anything to that. I couldn''t think that far ahead, not without crying, or panicking, or both.


    I took a break after that, having a light, bloody lunch with Alanna in the kitchen while Jack took care of ranch stuff in the fields. She flitted out to help him throughout the day, but had to take breaks from the sun if it was too nice out. Today was sunny and bright, a beautiful ''spring is just around the corner'' day, so she''d been spending a lot of time indoors.


    We talked about inconsequential stuff while we ate. She seemed to understand that I''d had enough tough conversations already and I really didn''t want to have any more. I thanked her for the sandwich, and the glass of fresh blood, and made my way back to the library to make more hard phone calls.


    My next two, both happened to be at my work. Opting for the easier of the two, I called Tracey''s direct line first. She picked up on the second ring, her voice light and happy. "Neilson, Sampson and Peterson. This is Tracey."


    I blinked a moment at her tone, she hadn''t sounded like that in awhile. I could hear her light breath coming through the phone, heard her hair swishing in a repeating pattern, like she was twirling a piece in her fingers. "Hello?" she asked.


    I coughed, embarrassed. "Hey, Tracey. It''s Emma."


    Her voice brightened and I could hear her smile through the other line. "Hey! Missed you Friday. Clarice only scowled when I asked about you. What''d you do to piss her off?"


    I exhaled a breath I hadn''t realized I''d been holding, happy from her ignorance that no one had told her my story yet; at least she hadn''t been worrying about me all weekend. "Well, that''s why I''m calling actually..." I went in to all the details of the fake story that I could, Alanna supplying the details I still wasn''t sure about, whenever I paused mid-sentence.


    Tracey''s voice was sympathetic, but unworried. "Oh, Em. God, that sucks. I have no idea what I''d do if I was stuck in a bed for months." She started laughing and I knew exactly what she was picturing herself doing, stuck in a bed for months. A thought struck me as I remembered Hot Ben saying he was going to surprise her for lunch. She seemed pretty chipper, compared to how she''d been lately. Maybe it had gone well.


    Grateful to talk about something that didn''t directly involve me, I smiled and said, "You seem in a much better mood than you have been lately. Something up?"


    She started giggling and I heard her hand come up to the receiver, like she was cupping the phone. "Besides the world''s best nooner?" She laughed again while I blushed. From upstairs, I heard Alanna and her mom laugh softly. I shook my head. I guess things had gone exceedingly well.


    "Ben?" I asked, already knowing who had met up with her today.


    She laughed again, her hand dropping from the receiver. "Yes, of course Ben." She sighed and I heard her relax back in her chair. "He came into work with a bouquet of flowers, looking hot as hell." I bit back a laugh, knowing how awful he''d looked this morning. She sighed again, a small, satisfied sound escaping her throat. "We went to that cafe around the corner and he told me he''d been acting stupid because of some family drama back home, but he''d never meant to push me away and he loved me more than anything." She sighed dreamily. "Em, you should have heard him, he was so sweet, and honest, and...regretful. He was so worried that I didn''t love him anymore. It was charming. He was almost desperate to get back together with me, like he wanted to be by my side every second now, to watch over me or something." She laughed huskily. "We didn''t even make it through our meal before I was pulling him into the bathroom."


    I laughed and mentally made a note to never use the restroom in that particular cafe anymore. "That''s great, Tracey. I''m glad you two...worked things out." I laughed again after I said that and she laughed with me. I thought over Hot Ben''s cover story to her and smiled that he''d basically called Teren and I family. And him not wanting to leave her alone, I knew exactly what that was about.


    Tracey sighed and then a thought that wasn''t about Hot Ben seemed to strike her. "Oh, you''re on bed rest...you''re not coming back, are you?"


    I felt the tears sting my eyes as I sighed softly into the phone. "I don''t know, Trace." I ran a finger down a canine; my fangs had decided after lunch to not stay up and were snapping down every time I stopped thinking about them. It was annoying, and after awhile, I''d just stopped pulling them back up. Right now, I didn''t see how things would ever return to normal.


    Tracey sighed and I heard the quiver in her voice. "I''m gonna miss you, Emma."


    She swallowed heavily and I heard the tear splash on her cheek; it made my barely contained tears flow too. "I''m gonna miss you too, Trace." She lost it a little more and I struggled to not let my surging hormones run away with me. Barely containing myself, I told her, "Hey, stop that. We''ll still see each other. I mean, we''re best friends and our guys are best friends, right? We''ll still see each other all the time." I didn''t mention that we''d all be keeping some major secrets from her now.


    She sniffled and I could hear her tone brighten. "You''re right. I''m being silly. We''ll see each other so much, you''ll get sick of me." I laughed at that and she added, "And besides, I love kids, I can''t wait to babysit yours."


    That line got to me and I slapped my hand over my mouth to not openly sob. I just didn''t know if they''d get the chance to be "babysat" by anyone, much less Tracey, who could never know what they really were. I nodded and squeaked out a, "Yep."


    Tracey wished me the best of luck breaking in my bed, and I knew when she said that, she meant it literally, and promised to come see me soon. Feeling more put together, but still hanging on by a thread, I told her I''d call her often, and then we said our goodbyes.


    That left me a worn out tired mess when I finally called Clarice. I openly sobbed with her, figuring she didn''t really care either way and I could at least get the release, while at the same time sounding contrite. She told me that she wasn''t holding my spot for me indefinitely, but under company policy, she couldn''t fire me. If and when I decided to come back, she''d find a place for me...somewhere. I sighed, knowing wherever I ended up...would suck. Figuring that out of everything in my life, my job was probably the least important, I thanked her for her tutelage over the years and wished her well in finding a replacement for me. She surprisingly said she''d miss me, and then she bluntly hung up the phone, not even waiting for my reply. I blinked into the receiver and then sighed and hung it up.


    My last call was to Teren, to let him know that Mom was excited to watch Spike for him. He told me he''d swing by there after going home for a bit, and then he''d rush out to me. I told him I missed him, and hated feeling him so far away. He told me he felt the same, and I could hear the ache in his voice when he said it. I sighed and told him to hurry back to me and then we said our goodbyes.


    After all my calls were done, I headed upstairs, only slipping up once on the top step, when I moved faster that I''d intended and tripped over the lip of the stair, and then I stumbled into bed, throwing the blankets over me and wishing that blip on my internal radar that was Teren, would hurry up and get closer already.

 Page 14

    I was just starting to feel the pull of sleep, when something in my body instantly sprang awake. All fatigue that I''d been feeling, poured off of me, replaced with an icy wash of anticipation. My skin pebbled in response, my breath picked up pace, and I squirmed under the silky sheets of our bed, suddenly restless. Teren was getting closer. I could feel it and the pull in my body to be near him was growing with every single step he inched closer. He was still miles away though, and I felt like my skin was crawling with the need to be in his presence. I couldn''t stop shifting positions in the bed.


    I tossed and turned, the dull ache in my neck practically non-existent to me as the restlessness took over. He was so far away. I needed him closer. I needed him in my arms. I needed him now. I had no idea what this pulling sensation was, or if it was even normal, but it was driving me crazy, like foreplay without the play part.Advertisement


    As I tossed again, I heard Alanna asking me if I was alright. I sighed and sat up, my face heating as I explained. "Teren''s getting closer."


    She knocked and then opened the door, having blurred upstairs at the sound of my distress. "I know, dear." She looked over my heightened breath, my glazed eyes, my extended fangs. She tilted her head. "Your reaction..." She inhaled and I blushed furiously. "You seem almost..."


    I stood up, not wanting to hear her say it. "I know. It''s like this..." my hands ran over my body, "...this pull. I just need to be near him. Now." She tilted her head at me and scrunched her brows. I frowned at her reaction. I''d sort of been hoping they all felt some level of this about each other. "You don''t feel...weird, when you feel the others get close to you?"


    She shook her head. "No, not like this. I might be happy to see them, if it''s been awhile, but certainly not to the degree that you''re feeling it." She grinned and shrugged. "Of course, my relationship with Teren is much different than yours."


    I sighed and covered my face with my hands, beyond embarrassed. She laughed and brought my hands down, replacing them with her cool ones on my cheeks. It felt nice against my fevered skin. I closed my eyes, but the rest of my body buzzed with energy. "Curious," she muttered. "I wonder if he feels this too, and if it''s because you''re in love, or because he created you."


    I opened my eyes to find her studying me, once again like a science experiment. "Or maybe this is just on your end," her eyes looked down to my stomach, "because of them?"


    I pulled away from her, my body needing to move as I felt him approach me. It was like waiting for your lover to walk from the bathroom to the bedroom, only the walk Teren was on was much, much longer. The anticipation of reunion was making me stir-crazy. "I need to get out of here." I blurred past her, tripping on the door frame and nearly crashing to the floor. Her cool arms were securely under me before I could though.


    "Calm down, Emma. He''ll be here soon." One of her hands brushed down my hair and I whimpered and bit my lip. I wanted to run. I wanted to set out on that highway and run blazingly fast to fly into his arms. I knew enough to know that wasn''t a typical reaction, so I nodded, and forced myself to walk achingly slow down the elaborate staircase.


    Once in the entryway, I made myself stay in the house. It took every amount of will power that I had. I kept staring at the door and imagining myself running through it. Alanna stood near the fountain and watched me, her eyes curious and slightly concerned. I suppose I had the frazzled look of a woman who''d run out into traffic, if it met her goal.


    Teren had had a lot of errands after work - going to our house and dropping off Spike. I knew my mom had probably grilled him over and over about the accident, making sure I was really okay, and about living out here, making sure the women could take the proper care of me. All of his tasks had taken awhile, and the sun finished setting while I was pacing.


    Imogen came down the stairs and stood by her daughter, watching me curiously as well now. Halina, probably wondering what we were all doing hanging out in the entryway, eventually strolled in and sat on a step, watching me with a huge grin on her face. She glanced at Alanna as Jack peeked his head in the room, shook it, and then headed to the living room. "What''s her problem?" Halina asked merrily.


    Alanna shook her head as she answered her. "Teren is getting closer to the ranch."


    Halina shrugged. "Yeah, and?" Alanna only shrugged at that and turned back to watch me continue to restlessly pace.


    Shoving down my embarrassment, I made an irritated noise and ran my hands back through my hair. The restlessness ate away at me as I paced in circles on the marble floor. My hands ran over my body in ways that I really shouldn''t have touched myself with everyone watching, but I couldn''t help it, my body felt on fire. Occasionally I even itched and had to scratch my arms in places. I was pretty sure if this went on too long, I''d develop a nervous tick.


    He got even closer, to the point where I could feel him at the end of the super long driveway. I flashed a look at the door again, my chest nearly heaving as I breathed heavily. He was so close now, I imagined I could already smell him. I wanted to shove the door down and get to him, but I knew that was nuts, and made myself stay put, staring at it and willing him even closer.


    Halina giggled behind me. "This is exciting!" I tossed a glare at her over my shoulder, but she only smiled wider and looked over at Imogen and Alanna. "I wonder what will happen when he gets here?" She looked back to me, delight clear in her face. "Do you think they''ll combust...or just start having sex in the driveway?"


    I hissed at her in a way I''d seen her do on several occasions when someone had irritated her, but she only laughed at me, throwing her arms over her knees, her short dress exposing all of her thigh, and resting her head on her hands, like she had a front row seat to the biggest event of the year.


    I couldn''t focus on her any longer though; Teren was halfway down the drive, approaching fast. My heart surged, my breath picked up even more, and the circle track I''d been pacing became a short back and forth strut, right in front of the door. I couldn''t help the image of Spike pacing like this when he''d see Goldie in the backyard and wanted out, to chase her down. I wanted a chase too...just a much more satisfying one.


    Over Halina''s chuckles, I heard Alanna and Imogen talking about how unusual my reaction was. Apparently getting into a fervor over your lover approaching, was not typical vampire behavior. Maybe it was the twins that were ramping up my emotions. Maybe I''d burst through the door and Teren would be completely unaffected by coming closer to me. But then again, yesterday he''d been just as...eager, as me. And that had been a much shorter separation. If he was feeling an ounce of what I was feeling, Halina may not be too far off the mark with her joke.


    I heard the crunch of his tires as he pulled up to the house. I stopped walking. I heard the engine of the car shut off and I stopped breathing. My body started shaking with unrestrained energy and a rush of longing surged through me. He was so close. So close. I''d be in his arms soon. Soon.


    The ache became too much, the need to be with him too great with him right outside. I surged forward, not even trying to hold back my super speed, and Alanna just barely streaked to the door before I busted right through it. The cooler air temperature prickled my flesh and the wind buzzing past my ears was distractingly loud, but neither one did anything to impede my progress. I was just past the huge, ancient timbers supporting the massive overhang of the front door, when a streak came rushing towards me.


    That streak twirled me in a quick circle, my balance momentarily thrown off, but before I could fall, my shoulders were pushed back into the supportive log behind me. I ignored the momentary pain in that as I felt Teren''s presence collide with mine. My breath came back in a groan and my hands reached out to grasp any part of him I could find.


    His mouth came down to mine and he groaned as his body pressed carefully, but firmly, into the side of my hip, ever cautious of my belly, even in the midst of...this. We both panted and moaned as lips and tongues and in my case, fangs, attacked the other. I tasted blood and knew I was nicking him, but he never complained, only growled deep and pushed his hard body into mine. Wanting to kiss him deeper, and feeling, more than knowing, that they were in the way, I somehow managed to pull them back up. He slipped his tongue more completely into me and I whimpered, sagging against the beam now holding me up.


    He groaned, his breath heavy as his hands ran over my body. "God, I couldn''t get here fast enough," he muttered as his hands ran down my backside, bringing a leg up around his hip.


    He pushed against me and I gasped, then groaned. "I know, I was going crazy." My hands ran up through his hair, tangling in the longer pieces and pulling him into me. I wanted to pull every piece of him into me. I just couldn''t get close enough. I heard Halina laughing, and sensed her at the door, probably leaning against it, amused, waiting to see if her prediction would come true. Alanna and Imogen had gone into the kitchen to start making dinner, giving Teren and me some privacy in our "reunion".


    He growled again as his lips shifted to my uninjured neck, his hand running up my shirt. "I''ve never felt this...pull, towards anyone before. I need you so much..."


    I loved that this wasn''t just on my side, that he was overwhelmed by it too. It probably wasn''t the twins then. I groaned and felt my fingers sliding down to his pants. I knew Halina was about to be right and this was going to get really graphic. I also knew that she''d probably watch the whole thing, just to chide me on it later. I knew it, I just didn''t care. The sound of his leather belt sliding free of the buckle was loud to me, louder than our fast breaths or occasional sounds of pleasure. "What is this, Teren? What is this feeling?" I managed to get out.


    He broke apart from my skin, his cool breath heavy in my ear as he murmured, "I don''t know. It''s wonderful though, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, god, yes."


    Inhaling deeply after my words, the smell of the world danced across his skin and clothes, entering me. My hands on his slacks paused as I sensed the different flavors run from my nose, out through my mouth. It was almost like a roadmap of where he''d been today. While his body continued to attack mine furiously, my body started relaxing. I took in the underlying scent of him, tucking it away as I focused on the new smells - paper and ink from his work, the calla lilies in our entry way, Spike, the perfumed air of my mom''s house and then, underneath it all, something that smelled like...engine oil.


    His hands started pushing down the lounge pants I was wearing. I paused his hands, my body coming back to rationality, now that he was with me. His wasn''t there yet (or maybe he''d just shifted to a different sort of irrationality) and he groaned in a frustrated way. "Please, Emma. I need you."


    I put my hand on his cheek and made him stop kissing me, made him look at me. "Teren, calm down. Breathe me."


    He swallowed, his eyes unfocused as desire still led most of his actions. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His lips curled up into a smile as where I''d been and what I''d been doing leeched off my skin and clothes. He stayed that way for awhile, slowly pulling back from me, and I heard Halina sigh and felt her speed off to be with the other girls. As Teren relaxed, I heard her tell them that we, disappointingly, did nothing. Imogen and Alanna laughed and they all went into a conversation over what was going on between us.


    When Teren opened his eyes, he seemed more himself. He removed his hands from my body, letting me step away from the log my back was pressed against and looking down at himself, sheepishly re-buckled his belt. When he was finished, he peeked up at me straightening out my own clothes. "Hey," he said casually.


    I laughed and slung my arms around his neck, giving him a more moderate hug. "Hey," I said back. He laughed and squeezed me tight as the overwhelming urge to consume each other faded away. I sighed, wondering if it would be like that every time we were reunited, and then looked past Teren at his car in the driveway.


    I stiffened in his embrace and he pulled back to look at me. "What?" he asked, confused.


    I shifted my eyes from his car to him. "What happened to the Prius?"


    He looked over at the car and frowned. The entire back end of it was scrunched in, like someone had actually hit him. It was still drivable, but was going to cost him a pretty penny to fix it. He sighed as he looked back at me. "We were in an accident, remember?"


    I cocked my head at him, the ache in my neck starting back up since the energy in my body had dissipated. "No, we...I mean, not really, that was just a story."


    He shrugged, his hands loosely resting on my hips. "A story that would obviously be a fake one, if nothing was wrong with my car. I needed something to fix, so I created something to fix." He shrugged again while I shook my head. The never ending charade. How could I forget.


    "Are you okay?" I looked him over, but couldn''t see anything even remotely wrong with him. He looked delicious, even my overeager kissing earlier wasn''t apparent on him.


    He laughed, the sound coming out deep, husky and soothing. Just being in his presence was soothing. "Of course I''m okay, Emma." He kissed my head and started walking us into the house. "I''m fine." He sighed softly and I thought that maybe he was remembering that technically, I wasn''t. I sighed too.


    His arm around my waist, my head on his shoulder, we made our way into the dining room. Alanna and Imogen had finished up a steak dinner, the smell of cooked meat and fresh blood making my mouth water, even from the kitchen. My fangs dropped back down and I let out an irritable groan before sucking them back up. Halina was scouring over an ancient leather-bound book laid out on the table, but still managed to look up and laugh at me.


    Her eyes shifted to Teren, taking in his rumpled hair and clothes from our "greeting" and gave him a smirk. "Teren, glad you''re home. We''ve been eagerly awaiting your return." She laughed after she said that and I flushed and shut my mouth, again halting the desire to tell her to shut it. It was prudent to not piss off the vampire, being the bearer of miracle twins or not.


    Teren ignored her comment, walking around the table to hover over her shoulder, one hand coming down to rest on the table as he looked over the book she was reading. I suddenly realized they were looking over our abductor''s journals.


    "What did you find?" he asked her, intensity in his voice.


    She looked up over her shoulder at him and pointed to a section in the book. His hand darted over to shift the pages closer to him. He muttered something in Russian that I''m pretty sure was a nasty curse. Shaking his head, he lifted the book and read the passage over again. Then he started flipping pages. I could smell the grime and dust coming off the paper as he flipped them over.


    "What is it?" I asked as Imogen flitted into the room, coming over to me to examine the wound at my neck. I sighed and closed my eyes for a second as her cool touch soothed the dull ache. Teren looked up to answer me right as she did that. His eyes locked onto my un-bandaged wound and he froze. He hadn''t been paying too close attention to the spot in the parking lot, more focused on the unblemished side, but it certainly had his attention now.


    Never taking his eyes from the scar on my skin under Imogen''s fingers, he whispered, "He killed them all." His eyes came up to mine, moist and haunted. "Entire families. He didn''t leave a single member alive...not even the children."


    My eyes watered as my hand went to my stomach. I closed them and willed the sudden bile in my throat not to rise. I couldn''t even imagine such hatred. I felt Teren blur to my side as Imogen stepped back, her scent retreating with her as she went to sit by her daughter.


    Teren''s cool hands cupped my cheeks and I opened my eyes to gaze at him. "We''ll keep looking. We''ll find someone." I nodded, not knowing what to say.


    Teren brushed the hair away from my shoulder as he stood close beside me. He swallowed, biting his lip and then he slowly lowered his head. He gently placed his lips to the wound, his touch tentative, like he didn''t want to scare me by moving too quickly. Nothing Teren did frightened me, so I carefully tilted my head to the side, letting him know that I wasn''t scarred by the attack. Well, not emotionally anyway. Physically, I was, and probably always would be. But Teren''s mouth was welcome anywhere on me. He sighed and placed another kiss, gentle, but firm. I heard him mutter that he was sorry, but before I could tell him he had nothing to apologize for, Alanna swept into the room, ushering everyone to sit as she brought out dinner.


    Teren studied his glass all through dinner and I could practically see the gears turning in his head. As we sipped our blood, he spoke with Halina and Imogen about every detail of the notes they''d already read. While his eyes never left his blood, he listened raptly as they repeated detail after horrid detail. The man had sliced, staked, and burned a path of vampiric destruction across the Country. Teren started asking questions about the last few entries. The entries that had led the man to him.


    Finally looking up, Teren muttered, "Something''s not right about this."


    Halina scrunched her brows. "What do you mean? His last entry was a nest in California...us."


    Teren shook his head. "His notes make it seem like he''d learned about the nest awhile ago." He shook his head again. "He admitted to me that he''d stumbled across me. No one tipped him off, he got lucky." His voice came out sarcastically on the word "lucky".


    As meals were finished and dishes were swept away by Alanna, Imogen said, "Well, didn''t you say he tracked you for awhile? The notes could still be about you."


    Teren ran a hand through his hair. "I don''t know. It would be a hell of a lot easier if he''d just said, Teren Adams, vampire, living in San Francisco." He sighed. "The vague way he talks is driving me crazy."


    It was true. From what I''d heard them discuss, he rarely used names or locations. Everything was references and descriptions. The dark haired one. The blonde. The woman and child. Found a group in the place where the sun never sets. It was all gibberish that only meant anything to the man who''d written it. I suppose that was a precaution. I mean, the creatures he was stalking were, in the eyes of the law, people. He couldn''t exactly keep a hit list on him.


    Teren grunted as he stood from the table. "I want to look at the rest. I feel like we''re missing something."


    Halina nodded and standing as well, beckoned with her finger. Teren moved to follow her and I stopped him, grabbing his elbow. He looked back at me and I frowned up at him. I knew that once he got his nose in a book that might hold the key to saving me I''d never see him again. He ran his hands down my hair, leaning in to kiss me softly before resting his forehead against mine.


    "I''ll be up in a little bit." He kissed me again and then followed Imogen and Halina from the room. I sighed as I watched them leave. With the bond, I could sense him go into the living room and then down into Halina''s room. The three of them stopped down there and I stared at the floor, where they were underneath me. The sound of books shuffling and pages flipping met my ears. By the sound of it, there were a lot of journals. Diaries of a madman. That''s what we were relying on to save me. Splendid.


    Alanna slung her arm around my shoulders and twisted me. "Come on, dear. Jack and I were just about to watch a movie. Won''t you join us?"


    I looked between her youthful face and Jack''s weathered one. He smiled at me as he reached a hand out for his wife. I had a feeling they were on the "occupy Emma" duty tonight and sighing, I nodded and followed them.


    I only half watched the movie, more listening to Teren''s deep voice than anything else. By the look on Alanna''s face as she snuggled into her husband''s side, I thought that maybe she was more listening to them too. Her eyes flicked over to mine as I sat in a plush chair, rubbing my stomach and trying not to worry. I met her gaze and we both gave each other a small, reassuring smile. All we could do was hope for the best.


    When the World War II movie Jack had picked out wrapped up, Teren and the girls were still deep in discussion over a phrase in the book that Teren was convinced was the man''s next real target. He had it in his head that the man had come to California for someone else, and had been sidetracked by finding him, meaning that the original mixed he''d been stalking was still out there, somewhere. He just had to decipher where.


    Getting the feeling that he was going to decipher "where" all night long, I yawned and stood (with Jack''s help). "Teren, I''m exhausted," I said at a normal volume.


    He paused in speaking to one of the girls and I could tell he was debating what to do - he wanted to stay and keep going with his line of thought, he wanted to come to bed with me. When a few seconds of silence went by, I sighed and said, "Will you just come tuck me in?"


    "Of course."


    No sooner had he finished saying it, then he''d blazed into the room and was standing beside me. I''d felt him move though, so he didn''t surprise me. I slung my arms around his neck while he smiled down at me. Tired, my head went to his chest while he scooped me up. Even though I knew he was dying to return to his research, he walked me at normal pace up the stairs to the bedroom. My eyes felt heavier with every step he took. He opened the door to our room one-handed and swished us inside, closing it behind us. I pointed to the bathroom, wanting him to walk me in there too. He laughed, but obliged me.


    He set me down on the counter and I smiled at him as he backed away. With one hand I grabbed him, just clutching his dress shirt before he could speed away from me. His jaw tightened, but he smiled and stepped towards me. I knew he wanted to leave, but he''d been gone all day and I missed him. Ten minutes wouldn''t kill him...or me.


    My eyes drifted over him as I thought about our time apart, and more importantly, our time back together. I wondered if our reunions would always be that intense. They did say absence made the heart grow fonder, but I think we were pushing the limits of decency on that phrase. Meeting up like that could be really embarrassing in the wrong place, like a church or something.


    Replaying our hot little encounter, I smiled a little seductively at him. My teeth spoiled the moment by dropping down. Luckily I didn''t slice anything. Irritated, I grunted and focused on pulling them back up. Teren smiled at me while I shot him a glare. "Why can''t I get them to stay in place? You don''t seem to have as much of a problem with it as me?"


    He gave me a sly smile. "Don''t I?" He raised an eyebrow and I blushed, remembering how I''d found out about his little secret in the first place. They''d sort of slipped down when he''d gotten a little too...excited.


    I smiled and looked away, delighting in the memory of his embarrassment. His hand came out to my cheek, pulling my gaze back to his. "I''ve had a long time to get used to it. You will too." I sighed, wanting an instant answer, not an it-will-get-easier response. He tilted his head and added, "It may help, if you think of it in a different way."


    I scrunched my brow, lost. "Huh?"


    He laughed, his thumb stroking my cheek. "I think most people assume that vampires push their fangs down to use them." I scrunched my brow further; that''s how I''d always imagined it. He smiled and shook his head. "We don''t. We''re constantly holding them in."


    I tilted my head and tried to feel the pressure on my fangs. I could sort of sense the difference in what he was saying and I experimentally relaxed my mouth. They instantly popped down into place. I smiled up at him as he nodded at me.


    "It''s where they naturally want to be. You have to constantly hold them up, like you''re sucking in your gut around a cute guy." He smirked and laughed lightly at that. I sighed at the thought of always having to be in control of them.


    "What if I can''t? I mean, you have to relax sometime?"


    He nodded and shifted his hands down to my legs, rubbing his cool palms over my thighs. "It will get easier. After awhile, you won''t even think about it. I promise."


    I sighed and nodded again, thinking about the level of control he must always be using. It was a miracle he didn''t slip up more often. "Don''t you ever get a break? What about when you sleep?"


    He smiled, his hands running up to my hips. "Yes, they come out when you sleep, as the body relaxes. You''ll need to learn to sleep with your mouth closed." He raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Or mostly closed. You can still snore if you want to."


    I reached out to smack him, but he blurred away from me. From downstairs, I heard Halina laugh at me. "I do not," I whispered, mortified.


    He grinned and laughed, halfway across the room from me. "If you say so."


    I twisted my lips at his amusement and then carefully hopped off the counter. Knowing he didn''t really want to be in the bathroom with me, I pointed at the floor with a stern face. Stay. He gave me a wry grin and folded his arms across his chest. Not moving, but not necessarily liking being commanded. I grinned and twisted around to brush my teeth, wash my face and examine the wound at my neck again.


    His eyes watched me, watched the scar intensely, like he thought he could wish it away by staring at it. Fluffing my hair around my shoulders, hiding it as well as I could, I remembered his earlier apology. His eyes were still staring through my hair, at the wound his perfect vision could probably still see.


    I slowly walked over to him, cautious of my speed, so I didn''t bulldoze into him, and cautious of my mouth, testing out this ''suck in your gut'' feeling. His eyes never left my neck as I laced our fingers together.


    "Why did you apologize to me earlier?" I whispered.


    He pulled his gaze from my neck and looked up at me, before staring guiltily at the ground. "I failed," he whispered.


    I dropped one of his hands and grabbed his chin, turning the stubbly skin towards me. "What do you mean, you failed?"


    He glanced at my neck and sighed, returning his eyes to mine. "I swore I''d never let anything harm you, and..." He shrugged and glanced at my neck again. "I didn''t know who was watching me or why. He was so fast, always gone or fleeing before I could do anything about it, and other than a faint trace of his scent, I never really got a chance to..." He sighed, angry at himself. "I should have tried harder to figure out more. Maybe if I had tracked him, found out what he wanted with me, things would have turned out differently. I just never expected..." He stopped talking, his eyes glassing over. "When it mattered most, I couldn''t protect you. I failed."


    I sighed and leaned into him, as much as my belly would allow anyway. Still holding his face, I made him kiss me."You can''t protect me from everything, baby," I whispered between our lips. He let out a pained noise, but I pressed harder against him, to distract him. "No one''s perfect. I blame him, not you."


    I pulled away from his mouth and his sad, pale eyes washed over me. I ran a hand back through his hair and sighed at his remorse. "Please let this go, Teren. I don''t want you to feel guilty every time you look at me. I''m fine. We''re fine. Please?"


    He bit his lip and I knew he was thinking that I may not be fine, but he wasn''t going to say it, anymore than I was. Finally he nodded and smiled, wrapping his arms around me and leaning down for another kiss. Loving that he was still here with me, I grinned into his lips and playfully pushed him backwards. Well, I meant to playfully push him, but what I''d forgotten was the fact that my body was slightly more enhanced now, and I ended up shoving him a good three feet away from me. He took a couple of balancing steps and then cocked his head at me, looking surprised and intrigued over my strength.


    "Sorry," I muttered, embarrassed.


    He grinned and held out his hands for me. "Don''t be...it''s just who you are now." He raised an eyebrow. "You''ll have to be careful with me." He laughed a little after he said that, amused by the idea.


    I walked into his hands, amused at him. He helped me change into pajamas, his hands lingering in places that really had nothing to do with changing my clothes, and then slid me under the covers. My arms slung around his neck and I pulled him as he leaned over me, trying to get him under the covers with me. He went at first, his knee coming up to the sheets as he angled over my belly, our kiss heated now. His hand not supporting his weight, slid down my back, cupping my thigh as he pulled my hips towards his, to connect our more...sensitive areas. Just as I was shifting my body into a better position, and about to groan in anticipation, I heard Halina''s voice.


    "Teren, we found something that may be referencing a place in California. You should come down and take a look at it...if you''re finished tucking Emma in for the night, of course."


    He paused in kissing me and looked over my face and then down at the floor. In a tone I wouldn''t have heard before, he told her, "I''ll be right there." He looked back at me and I frowned.


    He looked sheepish for a minute, realizing that I''d heard him say that; he was used to being able to speak to them without me knowing. "I really should go see what she found. It could be relevant." He gave me an apologetic smile, his eyes sweeping down my body before returning to mine.


    "Fine," I muttered. My head knew that what he was doing was actually very important, but my hormonally-surging body, struggled to remember that. He leaned in to kiss me a final time and my body struggled even more.


    Not playing fair at all, I grabbed his jeans and used my new strength to pull his hips down to me, to finish the connection he''d started. His body pressed against mine, my strength taking him by surprise again. I let out a husky groan as his very ready body, instinctively rocked against mine. He tilted his head to the side and bit his lip as he did it again. As he couldn''t lay on top of me, not with my stomach barrier, he was partially sitting up on his knees. I wrapped my legs around him, tilting my hips up, giving him an even better angle. He closed his eyes, his breath faster as his hand not holding him up, trailed down my body, concentrating on my baby-enhanced chest.


    Halina''s voice, again, ruined our moment. "Not to interrupt the love fest, but you already knocked her up, you can stop trying. We do have work to do."


    "Mother, they missed each other. Give them two minutes."


    Teren''s eyes snapped open at Imogen''s words. He twisted his lips in displeasure, but didn''t say anything. I bit my lip to not laugh at the "two minute" comment. Not exactly the most flattering thing for a guy to hear, especially from his grandmother. He glanced down at my face and frowned deeper, shaking his head. That was too much and I started laughing, near uncontrollably.


    He sat back on his heels, his arms across his chest as he shook his head at me. "You''re just as bad as they are," he muttered, offended.


    Twisting around my belly, I sat up and slipped my arms around him. "Oh, I know you have more stamina than that." I laughed again and heard Halina laughing with me while Imogen started repeating apologies, just then realizing that she''d offended him.


    He ran a hand down his face, shaking his head. He peeked at me through his fingers. "I hope we find a solution to your problem soon." He removed his hand and leaned over me as I lay back on the bed again. A devilish smile lit his face and I bit my lip. "I need a more private place to be alone with you."


    My hands went to his chest and then snaked up to his cheeks and up to his hair while he smiled seductively at me. "Yes, yes you do." We kissed softly and then he sighed and pulled away.


    "I really should go." I nodded and he pulled back to tuck me into the bed, placing a pillow under my stomach as I shifted to my side. He sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand down my hair. "I love you. I''ll be back in a little bit."


    I nodded and kissed him when he leaned down to me. He shut the light off as he left the room and I closed my eyes, determined to wait up for him. But exhaustion took me first, and I was fast asleep before he ever made it back to the room.


    And I was pretty sure I slept soundlessly. I did not snore. Smartass.

 Page 15

    The rest of that week started the beginning of a new routine for us. Teren would leave me after dinner to do research with the family. Usually one or two of them would stay upstairs and occupy me, while the rest scoured over the books. I helped on occasion, but Teren liked me to stay away from it. He told me it was horrid stuff, and I shouldn''t have to deal with it in my condition, like somehow I''d stress myself to death if I poured over the journals with him. I told him not to be ridiculous, and he told me he could concentrate better if he wasn''t worrying about how I was handling the horrors. I sighed and left him to it.


    He was right anyway; I never found anything but multiple atrocities in the writings. And I hated reading about any crime he''d committed against the mixed children...and there were a lot of them. He''d used them as guinea pigs for the "drug" that he''d used to force Teren''s conversion. He was curious to see on how young of a child it would work. He''d practiced on a lot of children. He may have been vague with names and places, but he was quite descriptive on all the horrendous details. Just reading about it had made me throw up.Advertisement


    Teren would take a short break when I got tired, to lie me down in bed and try and reassure me that, while they still hadn''t found anything specific enough yet, he was sure they were on the path to something. Then he''d disappear back downstairs, burning the midnight oil with Halina. He either slipped back into bed when I was unconscious or stayed up all night, but in the early morning he''d always kiss me goodbye before heading off to the city for his job, where he most likely whipped out his articles lightening fast and spent the rest of his time surfing online for leads.


    I''d get up and trail Alanna, offering to help at every possible opportunity only to have her calmly tell me that she had everything under control and I should just rest or call my family.


    I usually ended up doing that. I missed my family. Even though they weren''t that far away, and even though if I were home I wouldn''t see them anymore than I did now, there was just something about being forced apart from them that was lonely. But I wasn''t apart from them for very long.


    My sister came by the day after I''d initially called her, blowing off school and spending the afternoon with me. She teared up when she saw my scar and laughed when my fangs distended without my permission, mid sentence. Once I told her that I had to concentrate on keeping them up twenty-four seven, she spent the next several hours helping me hone my fang-hiding ability. By the time she left for the evening, I''d managed to keep them hidden away for most of the day.


    That turned out to be helpful, since my mom came out the next night. While I loved seeing the plump, happy woman, having her there was stressful. For one, I had to wear a brace around my neck. A whiplash strain was a convenient way to hide my healing neck wound, but exceedingly annoying. But not as annoying as never getting out of bed and my mom took bed rest very seriously. If I hadn''t protested vehemently, she would have made me use a bed pan.


    But even with those annoyances, it was the fear that made her visit stressful. The fear that I''d slip up - that I''d move too fast, or my fangs would pop out, or I''d answer a question that Alanna asked me, forgetting my mom couldn''t hear her through the walls. By the time my mom left for the night, I was exhausted, and hoped she stayed away for a few days. I hated thinking that.


    Hot Ben ended up coming out nearly every night, which surprised the hell out of me. I sort of figured he was done with the whole lot of us, but after a couple of days sequestering himself with Tracey, he started showing up late in the evening, usually around the time I was headed off to bed, and then headed down with the others to pour over notes and journals.


    I couldn''t have been more shocked by his turn around. Not too long ago, he would have had a mini coronary over the very idea of going down into Halina''s rooms, deep under the earth. From what I could hear before I zonked out, Halina seemed to have shifted into a level of respect for him, and stopped the seductive, terrifying banter that she used to use on him. The conversations that flowed around that room were all business.


    And all about me. How to save me. How to save the children. And how to find more mixed like them, in the hopes that someone would have an answer.


    When the following week plotted out in much the same way, I began to think I might never see my husband again. I know he was trying to save me, but in the process, he was seeing less and less of me. Especially when he started getting home later and later, sometimes not making it back until the time I was ready for bed. He''d always call or text me, telling me specifically where he was, since our bond only gave me the general idea of his location, and that he was checking into a lead from the journals.


    They''d been able to pinpoint a few places in the State that were cryptically referenced in them. Nearly two weeks after the attack had Teren calling me from work, letting me know that the right questions, payouts, and from what I''d heard, some of Halina''s unique mind control talents, had finally successfully led them to a group of vampires, albeit pureblood vampires, just outside of Santa Rosa. He called around lunch, to let me know that he was checking it out after work, once the sun went down.


    "Teren, no, don''t go walking into a strange vampire''s home alone. Be smart about this, please?"


    I scratched my healed, but still itchy neck as he laughed in a way that was supposed to relax me. My sharper hearing heard the lie behind it though; he was nervous, even if he''d never admit it. "I''ll be fine, Emma. It''s no different than going to a human''s house. They won''t harm me without cause, and I don''t plan to give them one. I just need to know what they know, about vampires like me."


    I sighed and sat down on our bed, cradling the phone to my ear and wishing it were him. "Please? Come home first, make love to me, and then go with Halina." I was hoping the sex part might persuade him. I''d been having lonely nights for awhile now.


    And he did pause as that sunk in. "It will be quicker if I just go after work. Besides, I''m not going alone."


    I rubbed a hand over my expanding belly, feeling a twin wrestling for space with the other. "Huh?" I could hear Alanna and Imogen talking in Imogen''s room, and Halina was sleeping out the remnants of the sun downstairs. I didn''t know who he was talking about.


    "Ben is coming with me." I unintentionally laughed at that, part out of nerves, part disbelief. Hot Ben was his backup...seriously? I swear I could hear Teren frown into the phone. "Why is that funny? Between the two of us, he''s the one that has actually staked a vamp before."


    I sighed. Because, confident or not now, all I picture when I think of Hot Ben is the guy who begged me to not let Teren eat him. "He''s human, Teren. You''re walking in there with a meal? You know how that jerk-off reacted to Ben and me. He didn''t see people, he saw a buffet."


    He sighed too. "One bad seed doesn''t make them all bad. Look, I''ve met vampires before. On rare occasions, when some have been out traveling or hunting, they''ve come across our scent and have come out to the ranch to say hello. They are not all like him. He was...off." I wanted to protest, but honestly, the only vampires I knew were Adams vampires. He took my silence as acceptance. "We''ll be fine. I''ll see you before bed."


    "Fine, you better," I muttered sullenly.


    He laughed and I closed my eyes, memorizing the sound, sensing his location, so incredibly far from me that it felt like the other side of the Country. Tears started slipping down my cheeks and I sniffled, just once. "Hey, Emma, don''t cry. I''m doing this for you. I love you."


    "I know. I just miss my husband." I let myself sniffle again, since he''d already heard it.


    He paused and I heard him rustling around. I pictured him running a hand through his hair, torn. "I tell you what, when I get home, we''ll go upstairs and I''ll stay with you. I''ll give you me, for as long as you want. I''ll be your husband, over and over again."


    Desire shot right through me at hearing his words. Our "reunions" when he got home, had continued to be heated ones, but he always pulled himself away from me. Always let duty clear his mind and calm his body. I wanted, just once, to let that crazy passion just run away with us. "No stopping?" I asked slowly.


    He laughed, a smile creeping into his voice. "Definitely, no stopping."


    I smiled that he had understood my vague question. I wanted to feel that intensity. My body was already burning with the need for it, but first, he''d be doing something possibly really dangerous. "Be careful, be safe. Come home to me."


    "I will. I love you."


    I repeated his sentiment and then we hung up. I sighed and sank down to my bed, wishing he was home and not miles away from me, about to get even further. After a couple long sighs, Alanna asked if I was alright. I told her I was, not having to elaborate on my mood since she''d heard that entire conversation. I wasn''t as embarrassed about that as I would have been, probably because I could hear everything too, and in this house, someone was always having an intimate conversation or moment. After awhile, you just sort of got used to it.


    Later in the day I smelled the enticing aroma of fresh blood from a recent kill. It compelled me to walk downstairs to the kitchen, where the scent in the house was the strongest. Alanna smiled and gave me a swift hug as she cleaned herself up. She and Jack had been outside, making a new batch of fresh steaks. Blooding the cow was Alanna''s favorite part, for obvious reasons, and she was freezing containers of it for her family. By the number of freezer tight boxes, it had been a big cow.


    I momentarily felt bad that I used up so much of their blood, especially since I could eat regular food too, but Alanna brushed off my concerns, telling me that she and the girls ate less and less every year. Halina could even go a few days without even noticing it. She said they''d met older vamps who could go weeks. Teren could only go a few hours before he needed a quick fix.


    I sat and talked with her about some of the vampires that had visited the ranch, wanting to hear about the non-evil kind, so I would stop picturing bad things happening to Teren. She sat a small glass of plasma in front of me, and told me a story about a very nice female couple that had stopped by a few years ago. She laughingly told me that they''d been quite taken with Teren, when he''d come up to visit over the weekend while they were there. She started to explain how one of them had tried to bite him and my eyebrows shot up my forehead. I was concerned over that, but seeing my face, she quickly shook her head and said, "Oh, no she wasn''t attacking him, she was..." She stopped talking and bit her lip, maybe realizing that perhaps Teren''s wife wouldn''t want to hear about this.


    I flushed, realizing that she was talking about foreplay. I remembered Teren telling me that vamps did feed off each other, and I remembered his devilish smile when he''d said he would like it. I knew I was his first bite, but had he been bitten? Curious, I peeked up at Alanna. "Did she? Bite him?"


    Alanna busied herself with cleaning up the kitchen, her hands moving blurringly fast. "I don''t think so," she said lowly. "Anyway, they left soon after that. Nice couple." She started humming as I narrowed my eyes at her.


    Right, she didn''t think so. Teren and I were seriously going to have to have the exes talk. I could see that now. Taking my empty glass, she immediately switched over to tales of male guests. The sun went down while she was talking and Halina sauntered into the room, sitting up on a stool and delighting in the conversation she''d walked into. She went into graphic detail on a couple of the male vampires that had crossed paths with her. I blushed furiously and studied anything but Halina''s face as she told me every horrid thing that I was afraid Teren had done with that female. Yeah, we definitely needed the talk.


    I sighed as I felt his location. It had shifted a few hours ago, when he''d gotten off work and headed to the vampire''s home. And it unfortunately hadn''t shifted any closer to me; he''d headed miles north, towards Santa Rosa. I hadn''t felt the distance lengthen or shorten since it had stopped; he was still there. I hated it, knowing where he was but not "how" he was. I wondered if it would just stop if he died. Would the GPS binging in my head vanish the second he was staked, or would it continue to go off until his dead body was disposed of? I closed my eyes. God, I did not want to think about that.


    Imogen''s cool hand went to my shoulder, as she''d come in to join us. "He''ll be alright, dear."


    Halina stood up, adjusting her short skirt. "Yeah, it''s just a vamp nest, a small one even. He and Ben will be fine." She smiled crookedly as she mentioned Ben, and I wondered how she knew all the details. She''d been asleep when he''d called. That could only mean that they''d discussed this plan last night.


    Irritation at that flowed through me. I hated being left out of loops. "Why aren''t you with him? Aren''t you the protector? Isn''t that your role?" I snapped that at Halina and the entire room silenced. No one generally talked to Halina like that.


    She cocked her head as she stared at me. I couldn''t tell if she''d laugh, or knock me off my chair. She leaned into me, her hands going to her hips. Her ageless eyes burned with a sudden anger. "You know nothing, about what I am," she said coldly. Then, abruptly, she straightened and smiled. "Besides, he''d be done by the time I got all the way out there." Blinking at her sudden mood shift, I watched her turn to leave the room. "It would be a waste of my time," she said before she left.


    Still dazed by the display, I turned my eyes back to Alanna. She was watching her grandmother intently. When I felt Halina leave the house and then the property, going for a run apparently, Alanna''s eyes came down to mine. "Teren forbid her." She shrugged. "It''s sort of a sore point."


    I cocked my head. "He...? Why would he do that?"


    Alanna bit her lip and looked over at Imogen. Imogen shrugged, her grandmotherly appearance looking a little lost as to how to explain it. She tried anyway. "Mother...might know these vampires, and they may not...react well, if she showed up."


    I tilted my head at her, even more confused. "What? Does Teren know them?"


    Imogen shook her head, a dark lock of hair escaping from her loose bun. "No, this was before he was born." I raised my eyebrows, waiting for an explanation, and she eventually sighed and shrugged. "We think it''s this woman vampire, who may or may not have had this mate, who Mother may or may not have slept with, at some point, when she and her mate may or may not have still been together." She shrugged again. "It''s all very vague, and we''re not really sure. Teren just didn''t want to start out confrontationally, if it really was the woman we think it is."


    I dropped my jaw at the revelation. "He''s going to see the scorned woman of his great-grandmother''s lover?"


    Alanna and Imogen shared a look and then they both shrugged. "Possibly," Alanna answered.


    I shook my head, irritated at the little vampiric soap opera. "She''s going to stake him when she realizes who he is."


    Alanna quickly shook her head. "He won''t tell her."


    I groaned and ran my hands back through my hair. "You all look exactly alike! He''s a walking advertisement of Halina''s genes! All of you need to start keeping that in mind!" I knew I was ranting, but I really was not a fan of being left out of plans.


    Alanna looked at Imogen like she was seeing the resemblance for the first time. I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Hmmm," Alanna muttered. "You do have a point." Quickly she turned back to me and smiled a warm, reassuring smile. "It will be fine. The nest was only her and her new mate." She grinned and started making dinner for Jack and me. Looking over her shoulder, she added, "Rumor is, she staked the old one."


    I closed my eyes, not feeling any better.


    I didn''t feel any better during dinner either, as I felt each long minute that he was north of me, tick by. I didn''t start to feel better until Alanna was clearing away everyone''s dishes. Then I started to feel a lot better. It happened like it always happened. The minute that blip on my internal radar started moving in my direction, I started to feel it. It was faint as first, since he was so far from me, and I only closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.


    Halina across from me chuckled as I felt her eyes on me. She was still wildly amused by my reaction to Teren coming home. "He''s on his way," she muttered, laughing a little on the end.


    I stayed in my chair, stiff and straight, with my eyes closed. The pull was faint, but I knew it would get stronger and I was starting to prepare myself. This was just what I did when Teren came back to me every day. I found some place to stay very still and practiced my deep breathing. That usually worked for awhile.


    He was farther away from me than usual, and I sat in that chair for over an hour as the other vamps went about their evening routines, Alanna and Jack going downstairs with Imogen to look over the books, Halina staying seated across from me, watching.


    Eventually, as he got closer, my mouth dropped open and my breaths came in shorter pulls. My hands came up to the table, holding onto the edge so hard that I was probably marring it. He was within a mile of me, approaching fast. That''s when things really intensified. It was like we were two huge magnets, each fine, and fully functioning as long as we were kept apart, but start bringing us closer to each other, and you could practically feel the energy crackle between us. The thought that we weren''t going to do anything to stop that unbelievable energy, wasn''t making my waiting any easier.


    As I ran a hand through my hair and down my suddenly dry throat, I heard Halina''s curious voice across from me. "It''s so fascinating. Just him coming closer to you, drives you into a frenzy." I heard her plop her elbows on the table, but didn''t crack my eyes open to look. "And he feels it too, so it''s not the pregnancy." I heard her sit back in her chair as she continued to speculate. "It has to be the blood. It has to be because he spawned you."


    Near panting now, I finally opened my eyes and looked over at her. She had her head tilted to the side as she watched me struggle for control. "Why...would that...do this?" I got out between shallow breaths.


    She shrugged, her brow bunched. "I don''t know. I didn''t exactly keep my creator around long enough to ask." She grinned coldly and I shuddered, remembering that she had ended his life shortly upon him turning her. She''d never wanted this life. She''d let him know that.


    While I was wrestling with controlling the buildup in me, Halina spoke in an oddly serious voice. "I know that I may seem...standoffish to you at times, but I do care about your fate, about the children''s fate." My eyes widened at her rare sincerity, especially towards me. Her pale eyes took in my startled expression. She shook her head, her youthful eyes sad. "But...I''m not human anymore, Emma, and I haven''t been for a long time. And while the others may share some of my traits, none of them truly understand what being pureblood means. The constant desires I push back. The alieness I feel inside of me..."


    Her voice trailed off as she looked away from me. My body started shifting two different ways, desire and anxiousness over Teren approaching, sympathy and compassion for the reluctant vampire before me. As my breath increased even more with my struggle, her eyes slid back to me. "If you make it through this, I pray for your sake, that you end up more like Teren...and less like me."


    I thought to reply to that, but instead, my head snapped around to the hallway leading to the front door when I felt Teren hit the driveway. Before I knew it, I was standing, my chair knocked over from where I''d streaked upright. Halina laughed and walked over to fix it. I glanced at her, at all the traces of her previous comments gone and the return of her sultry self, but the fire in my body was taking over too quickly to worry about her anymore.


    Whimpering in frustration, I let my hands trail over my body, trying feebly to end the ache. It didn''t do anything, but it gave my restless body something else to concentrate on while I waited. This is when it got really bad, when he was super close. I got the feeling that if something or someone detained one of us right now, I would literally explode. It would not be pretty.


    Luckily, none of the vamps here were going to try and halt our connection. They knew better. I streaked to the parking lot when I felt him pull up, Halina darting ahead of me to open the damn door.


    I was at the side of the newly repaired Prius before he''d even shut it off. I yanked on the door, accidently pulling a hinge off with my revved up strength, and pulled him out of the car. He was on me in a flash - hands, lips, tongues - I was practically crawling over him as the magnets inside us completed the circuit, our bodies all the more energized for it.


    Knowing he''d promise to not stop this, I started tugging at clothing. I heard the buttons of his shirt pop off as I ripped it open. A low growl escaped his chest as his hands tangled in my wild-in-the-slight-breeze hair.


    A few feet away from where we were mauling each other, I heard Teren''s other car door open. I heard a foot crunch onto the gravel and the smell of aftershave and body wash hit me. As I pulled Teren''s ruined shirt off his shoulders, I heard a startled voice say, "Um...guys?"


    Wanting privacy, I jumped up, swinging my legs over so Teren would catch me in his arms. Luckily for me, he did. "Bed," I muttered, in the one second break between our kisses.


    He grunted some sort of response and then he was moving, streaking us upstairs, to finally relish this heat, instead of pushing it away.


    As the world rushed by, my super hearing heard Hot Ben mutter, "What the hell was that?"


    As Teren kicked in our door, breaking the frame, I heard Halina reply with, "That''s just how they say hello now."


    Teren set me down by the bed and we started ripping off clothes. Panting, I finished tearing off his outfit. Literally. I ruined everything he''d been wearing. Between our erotic noises, I whispered, "She''s right, we never say hello anymore."


    Finished peeling off my clothes, his lips attached to my neck. "Hello," he muttered into my skin, before he dragged his tongue up to my ear.


    Letting out a husky laugh, I heard Hot Ben enter the house and say to Halina beside him, "It was weird. You should have seen him in the car, it was like he wanted to tear the seat to pieces, he was so antsy. He wouldn''t even talk to me, wouldn''t even drive me home."


    Teren''s body, naked before me, pressed into me and I groaned loudly. Not loud enough for a still confused Ben, but loud enough for the others. Halina laughed as she responded to him. "Yes, she''s like that too. It''s very entertaining."


    Teren laid me down on the bed harshly, not hard enough to hurt our children, but rough enough that I bounced on it. He was laying beside me in a flash, his cool, hard body along the side of mine, igniting me. "You were gonna rip apart the seats?" I breathily asked him, turned on even more by the image.


    His hand slipped down between my thighs and I groaned again. "You have no idea. I couldn''t wait to get home to you. I couldn''t get here fast enough." His breath cool in my ear electrified me. His fingers running up and down my slick skin brought me right to the brink.


    "Me too," I moaned as his finger dipped inside me, taking me right over the brink. I cried out and clutched his hair tight.


    As my ecstatic groans died off, I heard Ben say, "So...what are they doing now?"


    As Teren''s cool mouth darted down to replace his fingers, and another loud cry echoed throughout the room as a second orgasm instantly hit me, I heard Halina laugh and tell him, "Guess."


    Ben laughed as well as I came down off my second high. Teren flipped me to my side, coming up behind me. As my stomach was generally in the way when we faced each other, this was how we could be the closest. His chest rested against my back and I felt the rumble of a growl through my skin. I turned my head to him, my fangs extending as I lost control on them, but he kissed me anyway. He lifted my leg up around his hip and swept a hand down to my core again, prepping me for him.


    He dropped his head to my shoulder, his fangs prickling my skin as he dragged them across me teasingly. I panted as he brought me right back to the edge again, it really didn''t take much at this point. The energy buzzing between us was intensifying everything we naturally felt for each other, and not really caring about anything but being with him, I let out a loud cry when he removed his fingers and entered me. Then he was plunging deep and hard, grunting with each thrust. He grabbed my hip as he rocked me back and forth, pulling me closer, deeper. I bent forward a bit, away from him, allowing him to go as deep as he could. He gasped and muttered my name.


    Careful not to hurt me, but plunging harder, faster, and even deeper, he let out more noises than he usually did. He was animalistic, ravaging me with the beast within, not reigning in his vampiric nature like he usually did. His unrestraint drove me to madness, and I blocked out Halina telling Ben that we were, "About to bring the house down."


    My hand clenched the sheets in front of me as he continued pounding into me. The passion between us only escalated, until he finally growled deep and slowed his hips, coming in me. Feeling that release, hearing him groan in the most erotic way, I came again too - a particularly hard and particularly long one. Third time''s a charm.


    We rode out the sensation in tiny hip movements and bursts of staggered breaths. Eventually, he stopped moving completely and sagged against my back. Heart racing, breath heavy, I sagged against him too. He removed himself and laced his arms around me, burying his head in my neck. "I love you," he muttered.


    I could only grunt a series of sounds that sort of sounded like I love you too. He chuckled and snuggled into me, reaching over me for the covers we''d shucked aside in our haste. I sighed as the thick warmth enveloped me, protected me from the chill of his extremities. His core, the part that had been actively rubbing up against me, that was quite warm.


    As our breaths returned to normal, the intense energy dissipating, I heard an ongoing conversation that I''d managed to block out as things had gotten a little...intense, at the end.


    "...so she started chucking things at him! It was hilarious." I heard Hot Ben sigh and Halina laugh.


    I twisted my head to Teren. "The vampire chucked things at you?"


    He sighed and kissed my shoulder. "Yeah, she took one look at me and knew exactly who I was." I twisted around to him and he shook his head. "See, Great-Gran knew the vampire''s boyfriend-"


    I cut him off, Alanna already having explained the dramatics to me. "They told me." I shook my head as I looked over his face, his hair rumpled, but perfect. "I told them she''d know who you were."


    He raised an eyebrow at that and I heard Halina mumble, "We can''t help it if we''re unforgettably attractive."


    Teren rolled his eyes and looked down at the floor. "Well, she definitely remembered you. You may want to stay out of Santa Rosa for awhile...or maybe even the State."


    Halina snorted. "She should get over it. I mean, if you think about it, I did the cow a favor."


    Teren sighed and snuggled back into my skin. "Right," he muttered, just as Ben asked, "What did you say, Halina?"


    I grinned and laughed at the fact that I was now privy to all these secret conversations. Well, the ones I was awake enough to hear anyway. Just as I was about to ask Teren what had happened, and maybe berate him for not telling me the entire situation before he went over there, I heard Hot Ben continue with, "Yeah, she went off on him for like twenty minutes...but then, this big vamp showed up. Things got a little hairy after that."


    Teren sighed and rolled onto his back. I twisted all the way around to face him. "What happened?" I asked, my hands running over his chest.


    He looked over at me, his brows bunched. "He defended his girl''s honor, knocked me around a little."


    I sat up on an elbow and gaped at him. From downstairs, I heard a deep growl coming from Halina and Ben asking her if she was okay. Teren sat up with me, a hand going around my neck. "I''m fine. He didn''t even leave a mark." He smirked at that and showed me his bare body. I frowned, knowing any "mark" would have healed by now anyway. That didn''t mean he hadn''t been hurt.


    He sighed and rested his head against mine. "I''m fine." He pulled back, his fingers running through my hair. "Eventually, I got them talking to me, explained what I was looking for." He sighed, his pale eyes flicking over my face, his own suddenly apologetic. He shook his head. "They didn''t know anything." He sighed again and looked down at the floor, at Halina. "Nothing about others like me anyway. They had another name." He looked back up at me. "Another nest of purebloods." He shrugged. "But that''s it."


    I exhaled a held breath and shaking my head, pulled him into me for a tight hug. My arms around his neck ran through his hair, pulling his head into me. I never wanted to let him go. I closed my eyes and bit back the tears, knowing that I had to let him go. I had to, or we''d lose everything.


    He sighed and held me tight. "I love you, Emma," he told me again.


    I sighed and nodded. "I love you too."


    I heard Halina start to grill Ben over the details of this new nest and heard his startled reply that she knew about that. She didn''t tell him that she''d just heard Teren mention it, and I was sure Hot Ben was now wondering if she was a mind reader too. I''d imagine that would freak him out, to think that.


    Teren and I exhaled softly and relaxed back to the pillows, content to stay with each other while Hot Ben explained the details to the others. He went downstairs and repeated it to Alanna and Imogen, who had probably heard it the first time, and then he asked for a ride home.


    I sighed and snuggled into Teren''s cool shoulder, glad that he was with me, if even for just one night. In fact, he only left my side to grab a glass of blood from the kitchen. Throwing some clothes on before he left our room, and looking a bit sheepish at our door that would no longer close properly, he ran into Ben as he was leaving with Imogen, who''d offered to give him a ride back to his house.


    I heard laughter and playful ribbing, as Ben chided him on our "reunion" in the parking lot, telling him that he''d have to get his car fixed again since I''d ruined the door, and then Ben left the house, muttering that he wanted some hot sex like that. I grinned, knowing that he probably had more adventurous sex on a day to day basis with Tracey, than most men got in their entire lifetime.


    As quick as he could, Teren was back in bed with me, sipping on a tall, steaming glass and handing me one of my own. Even though I''d gorged myself at dinner, I greedily took the glass and began chugging it down, once again feeling guilty over how much I drank. Teren laughed at my enthusiasm, his fangs red and extended, and sat by my side on the bed, throwing an arm around my shoulders. I relaxed into his side, loving how deeply we were connected, and hoping it lasted. Hoping I lasted.


    I felt Teren''s eyes on me as we drank and turned to see him smiling at me. Tentatively, he reached out and ran his finger down one of my fangs. It was like an instant jolt of electricity though me when he did that. I half closed my eyes and wondered if my sort of sore body could handle a round two.


    "These are beautiful," he whispered, removing his hand.


    I blushed, opening my eyes and looking away from him. "You''re just saying that to make me feel better about this. I know I look..." I couldn''t finish that and sighed softly, a hormonal sadness sweeping over me.


    His fingers came around to my jaw, turning me back to him. He opened his mouth wider, showing me his teeth, licked cleaned and once again pearly white. "You don''t find these attractive?" he asked, as he smiled at me with a self assuredness that took my breath.


    I sighed, smiling myself. "You know I do." I grinned and ran my finger down his. He shuddered. "These are very sexy."


    His smile turned devilish, his teeth only emphasizing it. "I feel the same about yours. I find them equally as attractive. " He tilted his head and ran some of his cool fingers back through my hair. "Now, you can take my word on that..." he bit his lip, his fangs still extended, "or I could show you, again, exactly what you do to me?" He raised an eyebrow suggestively at me and I felt my skin flush.


    I bit my lip carefully, so I didn''t actually bite my lip. His eyes tracked the movement. My eyes locked onto his teeth. "I believe you," I said softly, replaying our last encounter. Then I shook my head nestled in his shoulder. "But mine just don''t look natural to me yet, not like yours." I sighed as I looked over his smiling, attractive face, his eyes still focused on my mouth. "Yours are very beautiful too," I said quietly. His eyes flashed up to mine and he smiled warmly at me. I grinned and added, "Some vamps can have thin, reedy teeth, or wide, ugly teeth. Yours are very nicely proportioned."


    He laughed at my description and then said, "You''re checking out other vampires now?" He took a sip of his blood while I laughed.


    "Just on TV."


    He grinned and shook his head, setting his empty glass on the nightstand. With a playful twist of his lips, he leaned in to kiss my neck. "Well...my teeth aren''t the only beautiful and well proportioned things about me."


    I laughed huskily at that, but my breath quickened and my body let me know that, yeah, I could so handle a round two...or three, or four... Swallowing as he pulled my glass out of my hands, I muttered, "Beautiful? Really?"


    Laughing into my skin, he muttered, "Just going with the theme of the evening."


    I started to laugh, but then his mouth and hands were on me and I found I couldn''t focus. I heard him inhale me, inhale my desire for him, and a shaky breath escaped from the both of us. As his fingers brushed over my bare body, I heard Halina mutter, "God, I''m not listening to this again." After that, I felt her leave the house. Good riddance.


    My breath sped up as I looked over the desire building in his face. "I want you, fangs or no fangs." He looked over the desire building in my face and grinned crookedly. "And I think you want me too."


    Boy, did I ever.


    He carefully pulled my bare body over onto his lap and I straddled him, my knees on either side of his hips. Making love with my giant stomach between us wasn''t exactly the most romantic thing in the world, but the hormones in my body weren''t exactly shouting moonbeams and sonnets, if you know what I mean. I had an acute ache, an ache that was growing larger by the second, and I needed him to fill it. Luckily, he didn''t seem to mind the girth between us, and by his breath and his face, he was feeling the same ache I was. I found my confirmation of that when I lowered my bare hips to his lap. He had a very profound ache.


    He sat up with me, stringing his fingers through the hair at the back of my head as he pulled me in for a deep kiss. His tongue matched the pace of my hips as I rocked against him. He groaned in my mouth, his tongue very carefully stroking my still extended fangs. I moaned at the sensation and ground harder into his hips, needing him much deeper.


    Suddenly a rumble sounded loudly throughout the room, startling me. I was used to low feral noises from Teren when he got in that mood, but these noises had been different than the growls I associated with him. These were different, because I could still feel the lingering vibrations along my ribs, along my skin. These were different because they had come from my chest, not Teren''s. I sat back on his lap, breaking our intense make out session.


    "Oh my god, I growled at you!"


    He smirked and leaned in for my neck. "I know, it was hot."


    I pulled away and twisted my lips at him. "How is me growling at you hot?"


    He raised an eyebrow and I felt myself flushing. I knew what he was going to say - ''isn''t it hot when I do it?'' And it was. That always got some sort of response from my body; I just wasn''t used to being the one making the animal noises. He started to reply and I cut him off with my lips, leaning back into his body.


    "Don''t say it," I muttered and I could feel him chuckling beneath me.

 Page 16

    After that amazing night of reconnecting over and over again (a feat that eventually also drove Alanna and Imogen from the house), my husband became a ghost. Not literally, but for as much as he was around after that night, he may as well have been a vague spirit in the house - sensed but never seen.


    It started the very next night when he followed up on the lead that the scorned vampire had given him. I was worried when he called and told me he that he wouldn''t be home until tomorrow. That worried me for several reasons. One, was the fact that the nest was so far away that he had to stay overnight somewhere, promising he''d be back late Saturday afternoon.Advertisement


    Secondly, I was worried because Teren was anxious, too worried that he wouldn''t find the nest in time to wait the few hours until sundown when Halina could go with him. He assured me that she would catch up with him when she could, but he wasn''t going to wait for her. As it was still daylight when he left, he couldn''t take any of the mixed vampires with him either. Alanna maybe, but even she wouldn''t feel good, riding in a sun-filled car for hours. That meant he had to take Hot Ben again. Yeah, I still didn''t know what to feel about that, other than worried.


    But lastly, I was afraid of him facing more vampires. Maybe that one asshole vamp that had bitten me had put me off on the whole species, but I was filled with anxiety over him going out and knocking on the doors of potentially dangerous people. I mean, as strong as he was, he was a third generation mixed. Strength-wise, that was comparable to a teenager going up against a WWE wrestler. Well, maybe not that drastic, Teren was incredibly strong, but he would be outmatched if things turned violent before Halina got there, Hot Ben guardian or no Hot Ben guardian.


    And I couldn''t help the thought that this scorned vampire had sent him to some biker gang vampire nest or something, just to have him be ripped to pieces, to send a message to Halina. I was pretty sure that if that were the case, Halina would retaliate by frying the woman, but who knows, maybe she''d consider that a risk worth taking. All of it made me nauseous.


    So the twins and I muddled around the house, reading, helping Alanna with housework, when I begged her for something to do, making phone calls to my friends and family, and having conversations with the vampires, in-between their research project of saving my life, or more importantly, the twin''s lives.


    With Teren gone, I poured over the journals as well, my stomach battling itself over whether to feel revulsion over what I was reading, or fear over Teren''s overnight trip. Imogen stroked my arm as she read beside me, her pale, youthful eyes giving me concerned glances. Jack and Alanna talked in the corner over a particularly nasty section in the book that involved eradicating a group of "breeders" - humans, wives and husbands - and I put a hand on my stomach and sighed, looking at the stone wall of Halina''s room to where my Teren-sense told me he was, miles away from me.


    "He''ll be fine, dear."


    I looked back at Imogen after she said that. Noticing her tight smile, I thought maybe she was just as concerned as I was. "I know," I whispered, wanting to comfort her as much as she was trying to comfort me. At least we were all in our fear together.


    "He''d better be," I heard Halina growl from the other side of the room, pacing as she waited for the final rays of sunlight to fade. "I will hold that bitch personally responsible if she led Teren into a trap." Halina''s eyes flashed pure anger as a low growl rumbled from her throat. "And she knows better than to mess with me."


    Alanna put a hand on her arm and the teenage-looking vampire straightened and silenced. I nodded, oddly reassured by that, and continued pouring over the lunatic''s ramblings. Ten minutes later the sun apparently set, because Halina darted out of the house and zipped away at a brisk pace.


    My eyes closed a few hours before dawn as my head dropped down to the grimy paper.


    After hours of looking at horrid acts of cruelty, my sleeping mind replayed a night that I hadn''t visited for awhile in my dreams. I started having a nightmare of that man and his cruelties to both of us. And since it was a nightmare, my mind only increased the horrors. Instead of him ruthlessly kicking Teren''s shattered shins, I visualized him plunging stakes through them, pinning him to the ground as he screamed. And since being pregnant now felt more natural to me than not being pregnant, I imagined myself swollen with life, chained to that wall beside Teren. As Teren screamed, unable to help me, I watched the man come up to me with a cruel smile, and with a flick of his wrist, cut a deep slice along my abdomen, viciously ripping that life out of me. Slumping to the ground in a fog of pain, I saw their perfect, pink faces, their tiny fangs just visible on their newborn smiles as he coldly snapped their necks.


    I woke up screaming.


    Cool hands were on me in an instant, as a tall muscular body slid into a bed with me. I vaguely registered that one of the vampires must had carried me back to my room after I''d fallen asleep; good thing they were all strong. "Emma, it''s alright, I''m here." Teren''s cool breath hit my ear as sobs continued pouring from my mouth.


    He pulled me into his chest, his body lightly shaking as he struggled to contain the energy we usually felt when we were reunited. I''d been asleep during the build-up and wasn''t riled up like he was, but he was gentlemanly enough to try and not ravage me while I was so obviously grieved. He only stroked my back comfortingly and kissed my head. I knew from experience just how much restraint he was using, and loved him all the more for it.


    I clung to every part of him that I could, knowing I was making that restraint harder for him, but needing his comfort. Through sobs, I muttered, "I''m so glad you''re back. I had such a bad dream."


    He sighed in a way that sort of sounded like a groan. "It''s okay. No one hurt me, I''m fine."


    I shook my head against his chest. My nightmare hadn''t been about him meeting with vampires. "No, I dreamt that that man had taken us again...and our babies. He...he..." I couldn''t even speak the horror out loud and started sobbing again.


    Teren''s light shaking stopped as he stiffened in my arms. "Did you read the journals last night?" His voice, while not angry, was not pleased.


    I bit my lip and looked up at his face. The room was dark, the early morning rays blocked out by the heavy curtains closed over them, and his eyes glowed soothingly at me. I took a moment to absorb that comfort before I answered him. He waited patiently, knowing that he was soothing me, and then I noticed that he was staring at my eyes too, and that his face seemed to be relaxing. Then I noticed that his features were being lit in an odd way, not from his eyes, but from an outside source. There were no lights in the dark room and I was horribly confused, until I realized that...my eyes were glowing.


    I widened them in shock and held a hand in front of my face. Sure enough, I could clearly see my palm, highlighted in a way that had nothing to do with Teren''s glow. I''d never noticed this before. I hadn''t realized I''d gotten this vampiric side effect too. I don''t know why I''d never thought of that. I guess I''d just had too many other things on my plate to notice.


    "My eyes glow now, Teren," I said through hiccups, as my breath tried to stabilize.


    "I know, don''t change the subject." His voice was slightly amused, but serious.


    I looked back up at him, his brows bunched as he watched me. I struggled to remember his question. "Um...yes, sorry. I wanted to help," I said, a slight whine to my voice.


    He sighed and pulled my head to his. Resting his cheek on my hair, I heard him inhale me, inhale every trace of the world I''d encountered while he''d been gone. I found myself doing the same with him, cringing a bit at the scent of cheap, imitation perfume; the vampire had been a girl again.


    "Do you think giving yourself nightmares is helping, Emma," he said softly into my hair. I started to object but he pulled back, eyeing me seriously. "I want you mellow, relaxed." His hand came up to lightly stroke my cheek. "Let me worry about finding the mixed. You..." his hand came down to rest on my belly, a child kicking him in response, "take care of our children." He smiled as he rubbed my stomach. "And stop stressing, please?"


    I gave him a half grin and then finally nodded, relaxing into his side. We were silent for a few moments and then I asked him about the nest. He sighed and rested his head against mine. "They weren''t happy about me barging in on them, asking questions, but they did have an answer for me." I lifted my head to look at him and he shrugged, the glow of his eyes shaking with the movement. "It wasn''t violent, Emma, I promise."


    I nodded and asked, "And?" I hoped he''d tell me that they''d said something like, "Mixed? Oh, yeah, there''s a group of them that meet for hot fudge sundaes every Saturday morning at the Ghirardelli Ice Cream shop in the Square."


    Teren sighed. "They didn''t know anything about me, but they gave me more names, a few this time."


    I sighed and slumped down to his chest. I guess my scenario had been a little farfetched. Mixed were rare. We''d be lucky to find one, let alone a group of them. Teren sighed with me and kissed my head. I peeked up at him. "I thought you''d be gone longer. How come you''re home? Not that I mind."


    I smiled and he smiled down at me. "The pull. I found them much faster than I thought I would, and Ben and I were done by the time Great-Gran caught up with us." He chuckled. "She was not happy about immediately having to turn around and run home to beat the sun, but she didn''t want to stay holed up in a strange place for a full day. Ben wanted to go to find a motel, since it was so late, but when I turned the car back towards your direction, I couldn''t make myself pull away from the highway. Not when you were calling to me. Not when I had no reason to stay in the city anymore." He grinned at me seductively. "It''s a good thing I took Great-Gran''s car today. It''s much faster than mine."


    I laughed at that and ran my hands down his back to his jeans, pulling him into me. He smiled, leaning in to kiss me. "Ben?" I asked, between kisses.


    Listening to the sounds of the house, I could hear Jack lightly snoring, Alanna and Imogen talking about my nightmare, since my screaming had woken them both up, and one person downstairs sighing irritably, muttering about how next time he was taking his own car. I laughed as Teren confirmed that Ben was hanging out in the living room.


    Just as I started reveling in the miraculous man''s mouth, he pulled back and gave me a sheepish look. "Don''t take this the wrong way..." I frowned as his sheepish look increased. "They gave me a lead that I think may have something to do with a nest talked about in the journals. I think they may be connected to a group of mixed that the man already..." He sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "I really want to go check it out..."


    I sighed, realizing that he was asking to leave. "Oh...can''t it wait?" I squeezed his body tighter to me. "At least until morning?"


    He sighed and leaned down to kiss me. "It is morning, Emma."


    I peeked at the clock over his shoulder. It was morning in only the vaguest sense of the term; even the sun was probably begrudging the hour. "Barely," I muttered sullenly.


    "I need to get on top of this, Em. If they have anything to do with mixed...? If they may know about us...? I thought I could get it researched enough this afternoon, that Ben, Great-Gran and I could find them tonight." I could hear the turmoil in his voice. He wanted to stay, he wanted to go. I decided to make it easy on him, since he was doing all this for me anyway, me and the kids.


    I pushed away from him, cuddling up into my sheets instead. "Fine. I''m still tired anyway, I guess I''ll go back to sleep."


    He pulled the blankets around me, tucking me in. With a sexy smile, he leaned in to kiss me. "I''ll miss you. I love you."


    I bit my lip to not tell him that he didn''t have to miss me, that his entire body could be wrapped around me as we speak. I didn''t place that guilt trip on him though. This was just something he needed to do. "I love you too."


    We both heard Ben sigh irritably again, complaining that he''d rather by snuggling up with Tracey than a throw pillow, and we both laughed. Teren sighed and ran a hand down my hair. "I probably should run Ben home."


    I bit my lip and nodded, hating that he was leaving the house again. The reverse of the pull, while not as drastic as the reuniting, wasn''t pleasant. It was a tearing feeling, like a part of you was being stretched away. Never detached though, just stretched. I think it made the reunion part that much sweeter. I yawned as he watched me. "I''ll probably be asleep when you get back," I sighed remorsefully, knowing that there was no way I''d be able to stay awake this early after a night of restless sleeping.


    He bit his lip and nodded. "I''ll leave you alone." I knew how difficult that would be for him and a part of me wanted to use that to my advantage, wanted to tell him that he should at least say hello, knowing that I could twist that kinetic energy between us into a break-the-bed love fest, but another part of me didn''t want to abuse our connection like that. I didn''t want to use sex as a weapon to keep him near me. Not when what he was doing was so vastly important.


    I put my hand on my stomach and nodded, reminding myself what really mattered. "Okay."


    As Hot Ben started muttering that Teren should learn to handle his hard-ons the way every other guy did, I started laughing. "Does he remember that we can all hear him?" I chuckled.


    Teren frowned at the floor and then looked back at me. "No, I think that''s slipped his mind." He sighed. "I should get him home."


    He pulled away from me and I sighed, watching his lean body stand, highlighted by our glowing eyes. "I still can''t believe he willingly goes with you."


    Teren smiled as he looked down on me. "He''s actually pretty helpful." He shook his head, delight clear in his face that he had been able to keep that friendship tight. "He surprises me constantly." He gave me a wry grin. "You''d be very proud of him. Tracey too...if the whole thing wouldn''t have her screaming in terror." He shrugged his shoulders and laughed at that, then leaned down to kiss me a final time.


    Once back downstairs, I heard him surprise Hot Ben in the living room. "I''m done. I''ll take you home now."


    I heard Ben sigh gratefully. "Oh, thank god, you''re fast in the bedroom too." I heard what sounded like Teren smacking him in arm. "Ow! What? Just saying..." Teren sighed and they both started heading for the door, Ben muttering, "Sorry, no offense or anything. I''m just tired. I want to go home...and be super speedy with my girl too."


    Both of the guys laughed at that and I blinked, surprised. I hadn''t realized in all the chaos, that Ben and Tracey had moved in together. I sighed that I was missing out on so much, being quarantined here, and smiled that Tracey and Hot Ben were moving in the right direction. Teren was right, Ben was turning out to be very surprising.


    And that began the pattern of Teren getting farther and farther away from me. He''d search out every lead a vamp gave him, but he never found anything more than more names, more nests, more leads. No pureblood vampire seemed to know anything about mixed. Most of them were startled that such a thing was even possible. The one group he''d found that he''d thought was somehow connected to mixed, turned out to be a dead-end. Teren had thought they were connected because of a vague reference in the book that sounded like one of the vampire''s last name, but it turned out to just be a coincidence. The purebloods had nothing to do with the long-dead mixed vampires in the journals.


    So far, no vampire he met knew anything about his kind. But every vamp gave him the name of another vamp, usually to get his annoying ass off their property. But Teren didn''t care how he got a name, just so long as he got one. As he was gone more and more, taking some of his family with him if the trip was close enough, I started hearing more and more about fights and scuffles.


    As the weeks went by, and my lifespan dwindled, I started hearing about genuine knockouts, and started seeing the result of fighting in Teren''s clothes, if not his fast healing body. And of course, he couldn''t hide Hot Ben''s wounds. When I saw Ben with a black eye one night, I nearly went ballistic. They both assured me that it was nothing, merely a misunderstanding, but it riled me right up, and I practically demanded that Teren stopped this craziness. Obviously, the vampire community knew nothing, and obviously his continual prodding of their nests, was starting to piss them off. He was stirring the beehives, so to speak, and as a general rule of thumb, it was a good idea to leave something as dangerous as hornets, alone.


    But Teren didn''t. He couldn''t. As we rolled into the beginning of April, and my 28th week, Teren started panicking. He didn''t take my upcoming due date as a good sign - that I''d make it, or at least make it close enough so that the babies would be able to live on their own, and everything would be fine. No, he started freaking out because my twenty-sixth birthday was in two weeks. To him, that was it. That was the end of my life, and subsequently, the end of theirs.


    I felt sort of stuck. As trapped emotionally as I was physically. I knew that physically, I needed to stay at the ranch, and not join Teren on these little outings, for the safety of mankind. In case I died and reanimated. If that happened, and Teren''s blood was enough to bring me back as a vampire, I''d go into a bloodbath-frenzy and chow down anything with a pulse. And as much as it pained me to think about it, I wasn''t sure if I had the same level of self-control that Teren had shown he had. I had the horrid feeling in the pit of my stomach, that got exceptionally strong when I was tipping back a bovine cold one, well, warm one, that I wouldn''t stop, even if the human in question were family. That thought terrified me into staying put.


    I also knew why Teren needed to go. Emotionally, I knew I needed to let him do whatever was necessary to try and save the lives inside of me, but I couldn''t help the feeling that all he was doing was wasting our precious time. If nothing could be done, and I was going to die anyway, then we''d wasted weeks that we could have spent in each other''s arms. Assuming Teren didn''t get himself killed first.


    A phone call from Tracey a couple of nights later, only emphasized the unease I felt about Teren''s increasingly volatile meetings. She''d called me right after I''d hung up the phone on my mother, Mom both worrying about how bored I probably was (which I wasn''t, since I could get up and move around just fine, better than ever actually), and delighted in all the time she was getting to spend with her four-legged grandchild.


    Hearing Alanna humming outside the front door, I answered the home phone, hoping it was Teren. It wasn''t. "Hi, can I talk to Emma?"


    Recognizing Tracey''s voice, I merrily exclaimed, "Hey, Trace, it''s me."


    She didn''t respond to that right away and I felt the tension curl into the line. I also heard her heartbeat surge, even through the phone. When she spoke, her voice was tight. "Is Teren trying to get Ben killed?"


    Panic flooded my body, my heartbeat accelerating so fast and so suddenly, that I knew my revved up vamp blood was taking over. Not wanting shock to start my conversion, I exhaled in a long, slow breath, trying to ease my body back to normalcy. From outside, Alanna stopped humming and asked if I was okay. I whispered that I was, just before I finally answered Tracey.


    "Uh, what do you mean?" I crossed my fingers, hoping Tracey was still oblivious to what her boyfriend''s true extracurricular activities were. I didn''t relish sending Halina to her doorstep.


    She exhaled with clear irritation. "The fighting, Emma. You know, the training stuff." I heard clicking and pictured Tracey''s long, high heeled legs pacing back and forth in her kitchen. Before I could ask her what she was talking about, she sighed and continued. "You should see his body, Emma. Yeah, he''s even more ripped than before, but the black and blue patches are not attractive...and can''t be good for him." Her voice trembled a bit, as her true concern showed.


    "Oh, well, Teren..." I trailed off, since I really wasn''t sure what Ben and Teren''s cover story to her was. I kicked myself for not listening to those conversations better, not that Teren had been around much to share them with me.


    Tracey sighed again, her voice quavering. "And his face...did you see his black eye?"


    I sighed. Yeah, I had seen that. "Sorry, Trace. I''ll talk to Teren." I wasn''t sure what I was talking to him about, but I''d definitely try talking to him again.


    She plopped down heavily somewhere, her clothes rustling. I heard the sounds of shoes being slipped off and thought maybe she''d gone to her room. Her voice relaxed as well as her heart. "Yeah, okay, thanks." She exhaled again and I heard a mattress compressing as she lied down. "I don''t know how he ever talked me into this, Emma. I mean, really, it''s sort of ridiculous."


    I leaned back in my favorite plush chair in the library, one hand going to stroke my belly as I pulled my feet up. Outside, I heard Alanna continue her humming. Upstairs, Imogen clacked away, knitting. "I know, Trace. Men," I harrumphed. I still didn''t know what they''d told her, but condemning the male species was usually a proper response to any female conversation.


    Apparently it was. She laughed and I heard her roll over on the bed. I could even hear her feet bang together. "Right. I mean, UFC fighting? Seriously?" She laughed again, a little condescendingly. "I know he teaches kickboxing at the gym sometimes and works pretty regularly at that dojo in Chinatown, but Ultimate Fighting?" She laughed again, heartier. "What is he now, Bruce Lee?"


    I closed my eyes and cursed my husband. Not for their ridiculous cover story, but for the fact that they knew Hot Ben might get tossed around enough that he''d need such a violent cover story. This was really getting out of control. "Yeah, Trace...kind of absurd." I wondered how far they''d take the cover story. Was Hot Ben actually going to try out?


    She snorted. "Yeah, and Teren sparring with him. Who knew the metro sexual was so aggressive in the ring?" She paused for a second after she said that. "Uh, no offense or anything."


    I laughed at her analysis of Teren. I''d sort of accused him of the same thing once - he was just very...put together, for a guy. But that wasn''t what made me laugh. No, it was Tracey, the girl whose boyfriend could shoot Calvin Klein ads, calling my boyfriend metro sexual. She laughed with me when she realized I wasn''t mad at her comment, then my laughter died as what they''d told her sunk in.


    I sighed and then she did too. I heard her sit up on her bed. "I know they''re both really into this, Em, but maybe you could ask Teren to ease up?" She sighed again, concern filling her again. "You know, I just don''t like to see him hurt. And I''m sure you don''t like seeing Teren hurt either."


    I sighed, remembering Teren''s ripped clothing, the dried blood that I knew had come from his already healed body. "No, I don''t. I''ll talk to him again, Trace. I promise."


    Her tone brightened and she stood up, her feet padding across her carpet. "Good! Maybe if they do, I can see a bit more of my boyfriend." I heard her walk into the bathroom as I mentally agreed with her - I''d love to see more of my guy too. She started running water and I heard her lightly giggle. "Did I mention we moved in together?"


    Giggling a little myself, I let my tension disappear, if just for a moment. "No, I had to hear it from Ben." I relaxed back into my chair, wishing I had some blood to sip, and smiled at Tracey through the phone. "Spill."


    Tracey giggled as she got ready for her bath and proceeded to tell me all about it. As she went into the details of him asking her to live with him in the middle of one of their adventurous sex acts, I felt the stress slide off of me, and let myself just be a girlfriend. I laughed along with her story and commented in all the right places, and silently thanked Tracey for unknowingly easing my mind. Sometimes, I wished I could tell her how often she did that.


    I could have used Tracey''s easing powers that Saturday afternoon, when Teren, after being gone for most of the week and all of that morning, rushed home with Ben following as close on his heels as a human could. Having felt him approach, I was waiting in the entryway, clutching the naked woman statue to stop myself from blurring to the parking lot and destroying his car again. He haltingly walked into the room, restraint clear in his features as he took jerky steps towards me.


    We were trying to learn to control the strong pull we felt towards each other when we were reunited. It was a constant struggle, something we had to contain, much like I always had to contain my teeth from popping down.


    At human speed he walked over to me, his movements not looking natural and breezy, but like a bad stop-motion movie, halting and restarting. I smelled the outside world on his clothes as he got near me. Using that to control myself (and also using the lingering fire in my belly, from the fact that he was gone so often), I closed my eyes and took in long pulls. The smell of the bay danced on his flesh, along with the unmistakable smell of fish. He''d been on the wharf today.


    I heard Ben enter the house and sigh softly, muttering something about how weird that was, before turning to walk down a hallway that led to one of the side buildings. I tried to listen to him for as long as I could, trying to ground myself, but eventually the pull of Teren was too strong and I ignored Ben. I ignored everyone - Imogen and Alanna talking upstairs, Jack working on one of the cars in the driveway, and Halina''s stone-silent sleeping presence - everyone.


    No one existed but Teren. My anger faded as my breaths increased. I could hear his increase as well as the draw pulled him closer to me. When he was a few inches from me, we both lost control. Then it was much like it always was when we got together; our restraint dissolved as the tension became unbearable. Then it was searching hands and probing tongues, small gasps and heavy groans. Then he was pressing his hard body against mine as my fingers tangled into his dark hair. Then it was a rush of desire and my mind begging him to take me. And it could be anywhere, right here on the rim of the fountain would be fine, just...take me.


    Then duty and obligation calmed his breath and he gently, but firmly, pushed me away. Panting, I opened my eyes and stared up at him, disappointed and grateful for his level of control. His lips inches from mine, minutely coming forward, before pulling back again, his eyes struggled with easing the rush in his body.


    I did what I could to help, still not wanting to abuse this amazing draw. I stepped back from him, removing my hands from his body and holding them at my sides. Every fiber of my body screamed at me to touch him. I ignored it and bit my lip, containing a whimper in my frustration. I knew this would soon pass, but it was torture to not give in. Especially when the memory of the few times we had caved, started filling my head. In this state, climax was effortless and easily repeatable. My body was yearning for it.


    He closed his eyes, inhaling deep. I knew he was trying to ground himself too, but I also knew he''d smell my desire in the air, and I knew that wasn''t helping anything. He bit his lip and started shaking. "Emma," he said, his voice shaky as well. "I have to...help Ben. We have a lead with a very short window." He opened his eyes, they were pained. "There''s a chance that they''re leaving their nest at nightfall, and it will take hours to get to them. I''m sorry, but I need to reach them before they leave. I don''t have time for this."


    My eyes flared, my anger cooling my desire. "You never have time."


    He straightened in front of me, his body coming under control as my tone eased his desire. "You know why I have to do this." His eyes flashed down to my stomach and I felt myself flush.


    Yes, I knew why. I was reminded with every kick, every squirm, every thumping heartbeat, why. I couldn''t escape the reasons - they were with me constantly. But I missed him...and I worried for him. He took a step back from me as I struggled for something to say to that. Not having anything, I watched him turn away from me and follow where Hot Ben had gone.


    I turned away from the sight of his muscular back leaving me. I felt him exit the main building and enter a side wing. I knew exactly which room he''d gone to, at the far end of the ranch. I stared at the crying woman fountain, feeling tears spring into my own eyes. It wasn''t fair. He''d promised me when he''d proposed to me that he''d never take a single second together for granted, and here we were, just a few months later, and possibly the last few months I had, and he couldn''t spare twenty minutes to ravage me to oblivion.


    A part of me knew it was petty. A part of me knew it wasn''t as important as what he was doing. But the majority of me was pregnant, and hormonal, and sexually frustrated.


    Feeling a low growl building in my chest, I twisted my head to where I could sense him through the structure of the home. "Screw this," I muttered.


    I blurred to the room and busted open the door, cracking the frame. Hot Ben jumped about a foot in the air and squeaked in startlement. Teren had already been looking at the door, sensing me coming. His brows furrowed at me, his face not happy. Mine wasn''t either.


    "I''m coming with you," I stated matter-of-factly.


    He straightened, shaking his head and walking across the room to me. "No, you''re not, Emma."


    He walked up to me as I put my hands on my hips. "Yes, I am. We were supposed to do this together, Teren. That was the deal, remember? That we''d look for the mixed together." I looked up and down his lean body, my own responding in conflicting ways - angry and aroused. "It''s the only way to spend time with you, anyway."


    He sighed, sensing my two moods and not knowing what to do with either of them. He put his hands on my upper arms, squatting to search my eyes. His pale ones looked tired. "Well, things changed, Emma, and now you can''t. I can''t risk you coming with me. You have to stay here, where you''re safe."


    I raised my chin, feeling childish and empowered. "You''re not the boss of me, Teren. It''s my decision to make and if I want to go, I''ll go."


    He gave me a look parents give insolent children, and I narrowed my eyes at seeing it. His tone matched his look as he used logic against me. "I am the boss of you when it comes to this, when it comes to your safety, and the safety of every human you may come across, if you convert in the field."


    Internally, I cringed, knowing he was right. Irritated, I jerked away from his body and snapped, "That''s not fair." Damn male logic.


    He shrugged, straightening. "No, it isn''t, but it''s true and you know it. And that''s why you''ll stay here."


    My hormonally revved up body heated to a boiling point, and again, I said something that sounded rather childish. "Sometimes I hate you."


    He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, seemingly exasperated with me. After a supercharged second he looked back down, crossing his arms over his chest. "I''m going to believe that that''s the hormones talking, and not you."


    I crossed my arms as well. "Believe whatever the hell you want." Oh yeah, I was definitely crossing into pre-teen territory. In fact, I think I''d had a much similar argument with my mother over going to a boy/girl slumber party in the eighth grade.


    Really not liking my tone, he dropped his arms and twisted to run a hand through his hair. "I can''t have you around me, Emma." His hand flung out to indicate my body. "You''re too distracting."


    My mouth dropped at that. "Well, get a grip on it, Teren. I''m coming."


    Hot Ben cleared his throat and resumed shoving things into a green army duffel bag. I tuned him out, concentrating on my suddenly chauvinistic husband. He ran his hands down his face, looking like he just wanted to order me to stay, and have that be the end of it. He knew me well enough to know that it wouldn''t be that simple - not this time. I was done waiting around.


    "Emma." His voice was strained. "I can''t protect you out there. It''s too dangerous."


    I stepped up to him, grabbing his face with my hands. His stubbled skin was course against my sensitive fingers. It sort of matched my mood. "That''s exactly why you shouldn''t be going. What you''re doing, provoking vampires - It''s too dangerous!" My eyes shifted over to Hot Ben, his eye a horrid mix of black and yellow. "Look what you''re doing to Ben!"


    Recalling my phone conversation with Tracey, I leaned around Teren to snap at him, "UFC, Ben? Really?"


    Ben straightened from shoving objects in his bag and then shrugged at me, his model face looking sort of sheepish. "What? It seemed like a good excuse. I''ve always wanted to..." He didn''t finish that and ran a hand through his highlighted hair. That was when I noticed what was in his hands, what he''d been shoving into the bag.


    Stakes. Handfuls of sharp, six-inch long stakes - some wood, some silver and some, a hard looking plastic.


    My mouth dropped as I looked back to Teren. He stiffened as he noticed that I''d finally noticed. "What the hell are you doing?" I backed away from him, a hand automatically going to my stomach, my horrid dream of that man staking Teren''s shins suddenly fresh again in my mind. Incredulous, I gaped at him. "What...are you guys some sort of...vampire hunters now?" I looked between the both of them, noticing other objects that Ben was packing - silver knives, one of the journals, a short sword, and a gun, most likely containing silver bullets. They looked like they were going to war. I looked back up at Teren. "Have you gone mad?"


    Teren lifted his jaw and clenched it. His eyes looked both worried and infuriated. He obviously didn''t want me to see this part of his "meetings". He slightly raised his hands, his head shaking. "Vampires are starting to hear about us. They''ve been...resistant to talk." He shrugged nonchalantly, like it was all no big deal. "We make them talk, that''s all."


    I gaped at him. "You make them..." I didn''t even want to think about what that meant. I didn''t want to think about him turning into a crazed torturer, just like our abductor. Panic clenched me at the thought of the two of them walking into a potentially deadly nest of vampires that we didn''t know, but who may be expecting him, who may have heard of him. I clutched his upper arms tight, my new strength making my grip hard enough that he actually flinched. "Don''t do this. Are you crazy? They could kill you, both of you."


    He jerked out of my grip and pushed my hands away. "We''ll be fine, Emma. Please don''t str-"


    I cut him off. "Do not tell me to not be stressed about this. This is dangerous and stupid, and I''m going to stress as much as I damn well want to stress!"


    Hot Ben behind Teren sighed and I glanced over at him running a hand through his hair. "He''s right, Em. We''ll be fine."


    I gaped at him. "Well, aren''t you a far cry from the man who sobbingly begged me to not let my fiance eat him!"


    Ben flushed and turned away. I turned back to Teren, my panic increasing my irritation. "I never see you anymore. You''re always out tracking down some farfetched lead that some random vamp gave you. You''re becoming this other person I don''t even know. This isn''t like you. You''re obsessed!" I hissed.


    His face got furious and he leaned down, right into mine. "Of course I''m obsessed!" His hands flashed down to me and I actually took a half-step back from him. His fingers rested on my stomach and a twin jostled under his touch. "They are my children! My life! And I will do anything to protect them - to protect you!" His eyes searched mine, heated and impassioned. I barely recognized him. "I will do anything to keep you alive! Anything!"


    Backing away from him, fear and anger took over my mouth. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you pissed off a hungry vampire!"


    He stepped back like I''d slapped him in the face. His expression was beyond hurt, tortured almost, and his eyes started to water. I saw my Teren again in that betrayed expression and I felt my own tears stinging. "Teren...I..."


    He took a step back from me, lightly shaking his head, and then he blurred from the room. I felt him leave the house, then felt him leave the property. I thought he may have just decided to run all the way back to the city, or wherever they were going.


    I dropped my head to my hands, not even believing I''d just said that to him. Of all the horrid, hurtful comments I could have made - that was the worst. I knew he felt guilty. Knew he hated to even look at the scar still visible on my neck. And I knew, he thought all of this was his fault. I''d just sliced him open and dumped a trailer load of salt in his wounds. I sort of hated myself.


    Hot Ben walked up to me, slinging his bulging duffle bag over his shoulder. More calmly than I ever would have thought possible, he placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "I''ll watch over him, Emma. We''ll be alright. I''ll bring him home."


    I looked up at him, his blue eyes confident. He was so different from the man who''d clutched my hand in terror in that fateful parking lot. I wished I had his assurance, but in my head, I imagined that Teren would be the one most likely keeping Ben alive today, and maybe not even succeeding in that. I numbly nodded at him, appreciating his sentiment, since I couldn''t quite believe his promise, and he patted me on the shoulder and headed out after Teren.

 Page 17

    Almost immediately upon feeling Teren leave the property, I felt Alanna dart after him. I suppose she had heard our entire argument and had some thoughts on the matter. Imogen confirmed that for me, by repeating over and over that she had no idea he''d resort to such extremes to get what he wanted. That she couldn''t believe he was being so reckless and foolish. Like me, she was convinced that he''d only get himself killed. And also like me, she seemed to know nothing about Teren and Ben''s method of "interviewing".


    Feeling Teren and Alanna''s lives zipping away from me, I sank to the floor of that room. It looked like an old office and smelled musty, like it hadn''t been used in years. As I crouched onto my knees and started to sob, I oddly noticed that there were tons of maps in this room. Some were scrolled and tucked up in bookshelves. Others were tacked up on the walls, a large one of North America taking a place of prominence next to a wide, sunny window. That map had several pinpricks in it - the little pins, with red balls on the end. Tracker pins. As tears slid down my face, I absentmindedly thought that it was probably a map of everywhere the Adams vamps had lived or visited over the years. If Teren and I made it out of this mess in one piece, I wondered if I''d visit any of those pinpricks.Advertisement


    I sensed when Teren shifted his direction away from his mother, obviously not in the mood to talk. But I had to give it to the determined woman, she wasn''t about to let him go, and she was fast, just a smidge quicker than he was. She gained on him inch by inch and finally, after what felt like an eternity to me, both of their presences stopped.


    I held my breath, my hand covering my mouth and holding in my grief. I felt like I was going into shock. I couldn''t move off the floor, couldn''t run to my husband, couldn''t beg for his forgiveness, or plead with him to stay. I couldn''t even comfort Imogen, who was actively cursing the sun that was keeping her a prisoner in the house. I was immobile with pain. All I could do was wait on my knees on the floor, and pray that Alanna could do what I had failed so miserably at - talk some reason back into Teren.


    My knees started to ache as I waited. My breathing came back in stuttered pulls and my body started to shake with tension. I wanted to know what was going on. I wanted to be able to hear Alanna''s heartfelt pleading and I wanted to hear Teren agree with her. I wanted to feel the pull in my body of him returning. The desire to feel it ached worse than my stiff knees. But after what felt like an eternity to me, I eventually felt Alanna''s presence returning to the house.


    That was when I broke down in sobs. Because Teren did not return with her. He never even came back towards my direction. As Alanna shifted to me, he shifted away, off to madly chase after vampires with his human companion, who was probably picking him up at the very moment and driving him away from me.


    Imogen lightly began to cry in her room too, as Teren got farther and farther away. As my head dropped to my hands and I felt each individual tear coolly splash onto my skin, I wondered if they''d still let me stay with them, if Teren got himself killed today because of me. That thought only made my sobs come out in a tortured wail.


    Then Alanna''s soothing arms were around me and she was picking me up. The woman was no bigger than me, and what with my pregnant girth, she was actually much smaller, size-wise, but she lifted me easily. She cradled me in her arms and I cried mercilessly on her shoulder.


    My breath hitching through my words, I managed to get out, "You couldn''t get him back?"


    She swallowed, her eyes heavy with pink tears. Kissing my forehead, she muttered into my hair, "I needed to get out of the sun. I kept him from leaving, but I couldn''t block him forever. He kept an arm''s length from me and waited me out. He knew I only had so long to get him back." She rested her cheek on my hair and sighed brokenly. "The entire time we were talking, he kept telling me that he had to go, that he was running out of time. He just kept repeating it over and over again." She lifted her head and stared straight ahead, a pink tear dropping to her cheek. "I''ve never seen him look like that, Emma. He was almost...unhinged."


    I clutched her as we walked through a covered breezeway, the difference in the air temperature blazingly apparent on my sensitive skin. Hiccupping as I sobbed, she walked me upstairs to Imogen''s room. A second set of hands were on me then, and I was carefully laid out on Imogen''s bed and tucked in like a child. With neither woman saying anything, they silently comforted me with tender arms strokes.


    Eventually my grief ended enough that I was able to take in the young faces watching me. My enhanced eyes could more easily see the differences between them than my regular eyes did - Alanna''s hair was a shade lighter, Imogen''s eyes were a touch bluer. In the dark, candlelit room, all of our eyes glowed softly, and I noticed that even that phosphorescence was in slightly different shades. We were each our own persons, but we shared a common heartache - Teren.


    I eyed his mother. She tried hard to keep serenity on her face, but her jaw was tight and her free hand clenched the edge of her jeans, twisting them in her tension. I shifted my gaze to her mother. She was turned away from me, staring through the walls of the home, towards the direction where I could feel Teren getting farther and farther away from us.


    "Will he be okay?" I whispered.


    Imogen looked back to me, her eyes red with unshed tears of almost pure blood, her cheeks stained with ones that had already fallen. She didn''t say anything, only shrugged. A thick tear dropped to her cheek.


    Alanna, on my other side, watched her mother and then started to cry. It only took a half-second for Imogen to switch positions, her body flashing to the other side of the bed as her arms went around her child comfortingly. I watched them, my tears resurfacing. I''d done this. This pain was all because of me. This was supposed to be the most joyous time of our lives, the impending birth of Teren''s children, but instead, it had gotten twisted into something painful and dangerous and just plain...awful.


    My sobs resurfacing, I managed to choke out, "I''m so sorry."


    They both twisted back to me, shaking their heads and trying to convince me that it wasn''t my fault. Looking desolate, Alanna muttered, "If anything, this is my fault. He''s my child. I should have seen this coming." She looked back at me, tears dripping down her cheeks. "I just didn''t realize the extent of what he and Ben have been up to. And lately, he''s been asking mother and me to stay away, to help out here with researching all of the new leads, and with helping you. He asked to let him handle the meetings."


    She shook her head, her long, black hair settling around her shoulders. Her face was a picture of frustration and regret. "I didn''t think he was in a lot of danger. I mean, vampires aren''t necessarily evil. Just like humans, they come with all kinds of personalities. He was only supposed to be politely asking them if they knew anything, and then leave if they didn''t. That was our agreement when we started this."


    Alanna sighed, looking back at her mother for a moment before twisting back to me. "I knew he was getting into some scuffles, but he always assured me that he was being careful, that the fights were nothing serious, just a couple of misinterpreted actions, he''d say. I had no idea he was starting to...go this far." She shrugged her shoulders, fresh tears falling to her cheeks. "I didn''t think he''d ever start purposefully provoking them. And forcing information from them? Making them talk? I don''t even know what that means." She hung her head and Imogen brought her hand to her shoulder.


    Uselessly wiping my cheeks, I shook my head. "What about Halina? She''d never let him get away with this?"


    Imogen sighed and looked down at the floor, to where I could feel Halina obliviously sleeping. "Mother told me that he''s recently started conducting these meetings before full sunset, bursting in on still sluggish, quarantined-by-the-sun vampires. By the time she gets there, he''s already...interviewing them, sometimes heatedly. She told me she broke up a pretty decent fight a couple of nights ago, one that left poor Ben black and blue. She assumed the vampires were angry at being intruded upon." She looked up at me, her eyes bloody. "I''m sure she didn''t realize what he has really been up to."


    Blinking back her tears, she sighed and rubbed her daughter''s back. "I tried to talk to him about it, to convince him that running in uninvited on drowsy vampires was a dangerous game, and that he should always wait for mother." She shrugged. "But he said it was fine and the scuffles were blown out of proportion. When I told him I was coming next time, he sighed and said he''d wait for mother." She raised an eyebrow at me. "I should have taken that as a warning." She sighed and shook her head. "I knew he was getting desperate, but I never thought he''d do this..."


    The room was silent for a moment as we all felt him drift even farther. "What did he say outside to you?" I asked Alanna weakly, still suffering from shock and sniffles.


    She shook her head. "He was upset, angry, but he looked like he''d been crying too, after...your argument." I wanted to apologize again, but she spoke over my words. "He was rambling, Emma. I don''t think he even knew what he was saying. He kept repeating that he didn''t have a choice, that they were leaving, and he had to get to them before they did. Over and over he told me that they could be the ones, they could be the nest that knew about mixed vampires, and he couldn''t risk them disappearing. The last thing he said to me, before I had to leave him, was that he wouldn''t start a fight...but they would tell him what he wanted to know. As long as he got a name, nothing else mattered."


    An ominous silence hung in the air after she said that. None of us really knew what that meant. None of us were sure how far a terrified-to-lose-me Teren would go, if he had to.


    Alanna sighed drearily. "He''s been getting so manic about this in the past week or so. We really should have gone with him anyway, to make sure he was okay." She looked back to me. "But...we had a reason to stay too..." She swallowed and looked over me in such a way that I knew she meant me. I suddenly understood the real reason why Alanna and Imogen rarely left my side. They were afraid I''d convert any day, any moment. And if I did, someone had to be here to help me when I woke up, assuming I did wake up. Conversions were the deadliest part of an undead vampire''s life. I knew that from experience with Teren''s. As Alanna''s eyes drifted down to my stomach, I remembered asking Teren to take the twins from me. From the look in Alanna''s eye, she was also sticking close by to honor that promise. If and when I keeled over, she was ready to take them, if Teren wasn''t around to.


    I felt horrid. In a way, I''d made them choose between their son and grandson, and me and the twins. But none of us could have anticipated just how far Teren would take this. But time was running out and Imogen was right, he was getting desperate. And knowing that his family would never approve of his methods, he''d found ways around them. Secretive and stubborn as always, if it meant protecting someone he loved. And ultimately, that is what he was trying to do...protect me, save me.


    We all three stayed in that bed for most of the afternoon, alternating between bouts of crying and worrying. At times Imogen and Alanna both got up to run to him. Then one would convince the other that making the attempt in daylight was futile. It would be better to let Halina get him at nightfall. She was faster and stronger than both of them. Imogen accepted it more readily than Alanna, not having as much of a threshold from the pain as her diluted daughter. Alanna looked ready to charge out into the sun anyway, to bring her child back to the ranch. But she stayed, knowing that, just like before, she''d only make it so far before she''d have to find an enclosed place to hide.


    And me? There was more than one occasion when they both had to hold me down from flying unimpeded by the sun to his side. But I''d already hurt him once today, and I was scared of what another showdown between us might bring. Especially if it happened in the middle of an agitated vampire nest. I was already scared that he was going to make a stupid, fatal mistake because of our argument. I didn''t want to show up and have him be so thrown off by it, that someone got the drop on him. Especially with how distracting our bond would be to him. Especially if he was...unhinged.


    Maybe sensing the heavy quiet in the house, Jack came in and found us all lying in bed. Alanna and Imogen solemnly told him what had happened. He closed his eyes and reopened them slowly to gaze at his wife. They shared a brief pain-filled hug, and then, discretely wiping his eyes, he walked back outside. I suppose, like us, Jack wanted to rush to him too, but it would do no good if he did. Teren was still moving, still on his way to the nest. By the time Jack drove to him, it would be too late; he''d be among the vampires. And if Alanna couldn''t get her stressed son to stay, I didn''t see how the comparatively weak Jack would, especially if Teren was in sight of what he wanted - possible answers.


    We listened to the sounds of Jack puttering around outside, keeping his mind occupied with manual labor, probably so he didn''t have to think about the possibility of losing his son. As my eyes were so dry I couldn''t even blink them, my head throbbed in repeated patterns, and my stomach rumbled from lack of food, I thought maybe Jack''s way of handling the stress was healthier, or at least, more productive. By early evening, when I figured Teren was just approaching the nest that he had traveled to, Halina woke up.


    I heard her moving around downstairs, sighing and stirring, possibly dressing, and I looked at Alanna and Imogen. "When do we tell her?"


    "Tell me what?" Halina automatically responded. I sighed, forgetting just how good their ears were.


    I replayed the fight, and what I''d caught Teren doing, essentially packing for a battle. Imogen sighed and Alanna sniffled. Halina cursed and responded with what sounded like stone crashing through stone. I thought that she may have just punched a hole in the wall.


    "Stupid child," she muttered, pacing her room, waiting for the last of the sun''s rays to die. "I will skin him alive, if they don''t," she muttered.


    I sat up in bed, my head woozy from nearly nothing in my stomach. "What are you going to do Halina? He''s too far away..." Wherever he''d gone, it had taken him a good chunk of the afternoon to get there before nightfall. She couldn''t run that far, and return before sunup.


    She growled and when she spoke, her voice warbled, like she was holding back her own tears. "I will dig a hole in the desert if I have to, but I''m not letting him continue this foolishness without me." I heard her resume pacing, all the whole muttering, "Supposed to wait...stupid...foolish...idiot...did I teach him nothing...men..."


    I sighed and fell back to the pillows, exhausted. My stomach grumbled loudly and Alanna blurred to standing. "Oh, Emma. I''m so sorry," Her face couldn''t have looked any more apologetic. "I forgot to make you and Jack something to eat. I''m so sorry."


    She blurred from the room but I called after her. "It''s okay, Alanna, you don''t need to wait on me. Besides, I really couldn''t have handled food today anyway."


    I knew the second the sun set, and not because Imogen grabbed my hand and walked with me down the stairs to the kitchen. No, I knew because Halina hauled ass out of the house. She was gone so fast, I stumbled with my step. The sense of her blurring away that quickly was disorienting. She streaked towards where our senses pointed out Teren. And she was letting it out, running faster than I''d ever felt her move.


    Feeling somewhat better, now that he had a more substantial backup on the way than Hot Ben, someone who could stop him from doing anything too stupid, and hopefully get there before anyone did anything to him, I relaxed my fear as I sat down to a huge, refreshing cup of plasma beside a huge plate of pasta. Well, I slightly relaxed. I didn''t completely relax until the next morning.


    I wasn''t sure what time it was, but I knew it was early in the morning, a few hours after dawn maybe. I''d had trouble falling asleep last night and had stared at the ceiling, watching my eyes highlight strange shapes in the textures, and considering studying my glow in a mirror, to see if I could hypnotize myself into a mellow state. I''d passed out some time later, well after the witching hour.


    I woke up with a start when I smelled him. It hit me so hard, that it shocked me instantly into awareness. I turned my head and sat up, looking at the door. He was standing in the open doorframe, gripping the sides of it, to stop himself from hurling himself on me. I''d slept through the buildup again and wasn''t feeling the pull he was. But he was resisting, shaking with restraint as he gripped the wood.


    I twisted around to face him, putting my feet on the floor and wanting to hurl myself on him. Not because of the pull, but because I''d missed him, because I''d been terrified, and now relief was washing through me, cleansing away every bad thought I''d had in the past several hours.


    But he only continued to shake and stare at me from the doorway. I wondered if maybe he was still angry at me. I''d said some pretty nasty things before he left. I stood up slowly, not sure what to do. His eyes tracked my movement, his shaking increasing the closer I got to him. I tilted my head, holding a hand out for him. He looked down at it, biting his lip but still not moving or speaking.


    Fighting tears, I took a deep breath, savoring the smell that was purely him, but registering the smell of other people on him, and the chalky smell of drywall dust mixed with the tangy smell of blood. There had been violence.


    My eyes widened, my heartbeat increasing as I took another step towards him. I searched his clothes, but I didn''t see anything that even remotely looked like fresh blood. There were some holes in his shirt and a snag in his jeans, but those could have been from a previous fight or from natural wear and tear. Teren had been letting things like new clothes, slip by the wayside lately.


    Just as I was about to rush into his arms and beg him to forgive me, beg him to talk to me, he bit his lip, his shaking increasing. And when I say "bit his lip", I mean, he literally bit his lip. He clenched down so hard, he sliced right through the skin. A deep, dark trail of blood oozed from the wound and dripped off his chin.


    He did nothing to wipe it away or stop it from falling, and it dripped right onto his shirt. The stain it caused was ominous and startling, and sent me right back into terror. I froze, my eyes wide, my heart pounding. I knew this wasn''t good for me, my heart being so stressed, but I couldn''t calm down, not when he was being so odd and still, his shaking his only real movement.


    "Teren?" I said quietly, my voice trembling and echoing around the empty space between us.


    My voice seemed to wreck him. His shaking increased and he released the doorframe, dropping to his knees right in front of me. The shaking, that I''d assumed was from his attempt to resist the pull, shifted to sobs as he dropped his head into his hands. Confused and alarmed, I carefully dropped to my knees in front of him. My hands slid over his cool shoulders, shaking from slight sobs now, as I pulled his head into my chest. "Teren, you''re scaring me," I whispered.


    I felt Alanna approaching, also woken from sleep by the return of her son. She stopped a few steps behind him in the hallway, watching us kneel together, just on the other side of the door. I held my hand up to her, wanting a minute with my distraught husband. She paused, waiting, her body tense with the desire to comfort her child, but her face resolved to give that responsibility over to another woman. I imagined that was a pretty hard thing for her to do.


    Teren let a stuttered cry escape him and finally spoke to me. "Emma..." His arms slipped around my waist. "Oh, god..."


    Terrified, I ran my fingers back through his hair. "What, baby? What happened? Please...talk to me."


    His body shifted, so that he was still kneeling before me, but his head was resting on my stomach. His hands come up to cup my belly and he began placing tender kisses along my stretched skin, the sleeping children inside only gently stirring at his caress. "I''m sorry, I''m so sorry..." he repeated over and over.


    The blood on his chin transferred to the white t-shirt I''d slept in, the contrast startling, even in the pale light of our glowing eyes.


    I clutched his head to my stomach, not sure if he was apologizing for our fight or if something had happened. I reached out my senses, but Halina wasn''t in the house. I could sense her, miles away, but she was nowhere near the property. A streak of terror flashed through me; maybe she hadn''t made it, and I was sensing her corpse. Or maybe Ben...


    "Teren...please, what happened? Are you okay? Is...everyone okay?"


    He raised his head, his eyes wet and pained, his body still lightly shaking. His fingers cradled our children as he gazed at me, finally nodding. "Yes, we''re fine."


    I exhaled with relief and crawled into his lap. He laid his head in my shoulder as he pulled me as tight to his body as he could. Alanna behind him, exhaled softly, and nodding once at me, turned and left us alone. I had to imagine that her level of control right there, walking away from her stricken son, rivaled Teren''s, when he''d been thirsting for blood and restrained himself from taking mine.


    He started lightly crying as he held me and I stroked my fingers down his back, wanting to help him in some way, I just didn''t know what was wrong. "Baby, is this because of what I said?" I pulled back to search his eyes, tears dripping off my own cheeks now. "Because, I didn''t mean it. I was just mad...I''m so sorry." I sobbed a little after I said that, and he immediately began shaking his head and lightly kissing me.


    "No, oh, no, baby. I know you were mad. I''m not...I''m okay." He sniffled, more tears falling as he struggled for control. My hands ran over his face, brushing the cool tears aside as I tried to understand.


    "Then...?" I shrugged, emotion closing my throat.


    He pulled back, exhaling a steadying breath. With renewed moisture in his eyes, he whispered, "You were right." He choked and swallowed roughly. "You were so right." He shook his head. "This isn''t the way." He broke down, leaning his head against my shoulder again.


    I rubbed his back, closing my eyes as the despair washing from him, washed into me. "Teren...talk to me."


    He sniffled, controlling his emotions, but not lifting his head to look at me again. "I got...nothing. They told me...nothing."


    I pulled back, grabbing his face in my hands. "It''s okay, baby. You have other leads, right?" I kissed his cheeks, a little surprised that I wanted him to keep looking, keep digging. I guess I just didn''t want to ever see this level of pain again.


    He grabbed my wrists and pulled them away from his face. "No, I can''t..." He shook his head, his eyes older than I''d ever seen them. "You were right. I''m turning into something...I don''t even recognize. I''m obsessed," he whispered.


    I shook my head, fighting against his grip to hold his face again. He held me tight though. "No, I was wrong, petty..."


    He cut me off, his gaze and voice hollow. "I almost staked a woman tonight." I froze in his lap, my legs straddling his, stiffening with tension. He looked over my reaction, his voice so overflowing with emotion that it came out numb. "I almost plunged a rod of pure silver through her heart, because she wouldn''t tell me what I wanted to know."


    His grip on me hardened as he angrily shook his head, tears springing back to his eyes. "I can''t even say it was self-defense." He shrugged. "It wasn''t, she never even tried to touch me." His eyes searched my face. I couldn''t even imagine what he saw there. "But...I knew she knew something - a name, a nest - something."


    He sighed and looked away from me, his face looking disgusted with himself and his grip on me getting even harder. "She was the only one left in the nest when we found it. Ben and I kept her cornered for hours, but she still wouldn''t tell me anything. Then I took a silver stake and drug it over her skin. She screamed..." He closed his eyes and bit his lip again, again piercing the flesh and causing a trail of blood to roll off him. His lip healed immediately, right before my eyes.


    He opened his eyes, shaking his head. "I can still hear the screams..." He swallowed, a tear rolling off his cheek and dropping down his chin to follow the trail of blood. "I pierced her skin and told her I would shove it through her chest if she didn''t tell me what I wanted to hear."


    He dropped his tight grasp on my wrists and I inhaled a quick breath at the feeling of blood returning to my hands. He dropped his head into his. Between his fingers, he mumbled, "She still wouldn''t tell me. She said she''d rather die, than give up...her mate."


    He sobbed and I relaxed on his lap, my hands again going around his body, drawing him into me. I tried to shush him, but he shook his head and peeked up at me. "God, I almost killed her, Emma, and she was only trying to protect..." his eyes searched mine again, "well...her version of you." His hands came out to my face, cupping my cheeks as another sob broke him down. "She was protecting him...from another madman." He raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "Only this time, it was me."


    I rested my head against his. "Baby..."


    He shook his forehead against mine. "I don''t know who I am anymore, Emma." He crumpled in my arms, his head going down to rest on my stomach as he cried. "I don''t know what I''m capable of anymore...what lengths I''d go to, to protect you." He peered up at me. "If Great-Gran hadn''t..." He swallowed and brought his hands around me, nestling his head into my abdomen. "Oh, god, Emma, I can''t do this anymore. This isn''t me. I''m not being me..."


    He sobbed more, and I exhaled brokenly as tears coursed down my cheeks. I whispered his name and laid my head on his back, trying to be as comforting as I could.


    He shifted and looked up at me, his face panicked. "I''m so scared, Emma. I don''t know what to do. You''re dying, they''re dying, and I don''t know what to do." His voice tore me and I swallowed back the grief welling in me. His hands came up to grasp my face again. "What do I do? Tell me what to do." His eyes searched mine, pleading.


    Absorbing the smell of him, absorbing the sense of him, absorbing the undeniable love between us, I closed my eyes. Knowing this was no way to live, for either of us, I made a choice. It was the hardest choice of my life, but it was the only choice left to us. He couldn''t continue on this path he''d started. He was right, that path would lead him to be the same sort of madman that had kidnapped and tortured us. I could see it - I could see pain and fear, leading him that way. He had to stop this madness. He had to accept that there was nothing we could do...but have faith.


    I opened my eyes, placing my palms against his cheeks. "You stop, Teren. You stay here with me...and you stop."


    He cocked his head, looking about to protest and I shook mine. "No, I know. I may die. They may die, but..." I bit my lip and shook my head. "I can''t let you become...this, to try and save me." I lightly kissed him and whispered, "It''s not worth it. I''m not worth it." He pulled back and sputtered and I shook my head again. "If this is all we get, Teren, then don''t waste a second with me." I rested my head against his. "You promised me that you would spend every second we had, trying to make me happy." I indicated the emotional wreckage that was him. "This isn''t making me happy. Spend every moment you can with me, with us, and then, if the fates decide my time is done...then you love me, and remember me with good memories, for the rest of your eternal life."


    I pulled back, tears dropping to my cheeks. "That - that is what you can do."


    He opened and closed his mouth several times. Then he closed it and stared at me. I felt his body calming as he did. I felt my body calming, my heart returning to its normal, steady beat. His eyes never leaving mine, he quietly whispered, "I love you. I''ll always love you."


    I nodded and hugged him tight.


    We shucked off our clothes, me uselessly examining every square inch of him for injuries. I knew I wouldn''t find any, and he knew I wouldn''t find any, but I had to see for myself and he let me, standing still with his head down. His face was...glum, but once I had him slipped under the covers with me, I did my best to make him feel better, if only for a moment.


    He fell asleep afterwards, his breath stopping, his face stilling, all emotion momentarily sliding away from him. I kissed his forehead, grateful that he could find peace somewhere, even if it was just in slumber. I watched him for hours, not wanting to fall into sleep or leave his side. Just wanting to be near him, to cherish every second we had.


    My hand was gently rubbing his still back when I felt Alanna approaching. I knew from the strong rays seeping through the cracks in our heavy curtains, that it was well into morning and she was headed downstairs for her ritual of making human food for those who could eat it. I wasn''t sure if I could today.


    She paused at our door and I whispered that it was okay, that he was sleeping. I watched the brass knob on the recently repaired door twist, and then her dark head peeked into the room. Her eyes immediately went to her son''s bare back. I rested my head on his arm, where he was stretched out to me, facing me.


    Alanna''s eyes searched his still face. "How is he?" she asked quietly.


    I made myself not blush as I watched the concern flit over her face. She didn''t care about the intimate moment we''d had, she cared about how upset he''d been when he first came home. Feeling tears in my eyes as I watched her step into the room and put a few fingers on his shoulder, I lightly shrugged and whispered, "I don''t know." My eyes went back to his stone face. His mouth was just slightly parted and because I was looking for it, I saw the tip of a fang. He was right, they extended while we slept.


    Brushing a knuckle over his cheek I said, "It''s so hard for him, not knowing what to do. He tries so hard..."


    I felt Alanna''s fingers on my arm and looked up at her. "It''s hard for all of us, dear." She smiled warmly and I returned it.


    Putting my hand over his back and nestling into him, I whispered, "I think he''ll be okay. If he stops...I think he''ll be okay."


    She stroked my hand on his back and nodded. Pulling back she asked, "Are you hungry, dear? I was just about to make breakfast."


    I paused and my stomach rumbled. Looking torn, I didn''t answer her. I didn''t want to eat, I wanted to stay by his side, but my stomach had other plans. Seeing my indecision, she smiled and answered for me. "Stay with him. I''ll bring you something."


    I exhaled gratefully and nodded. It wasn''t a hard decision, but I was tired of thinking, and having someone else do it for a moment, was a welcome relief. Alanna looked over the two of us, smiled, and then twisted to leave. Before she streaked away, I sat up on my elbow.


    "Halina?" I asked hesitantly.


    She turned back with her hand on the doorframe. "She''s alright. Probably just holed up somewhere, until nightfall." She grinned and I could tell she was just humoring me, she didn''t really know. "She''s going to be very angry. She hates sleeping in the ground."


    Before I could respond, she streaked away. "Thank you," I muttered, settling back down to Teren''s cool skin. He didn''t shift in his sleep like a human would. He was laid in the exact same position that he''d fallen asleep in and I knew from experience that he''d stay that way until he woke up. His rapidly self-flowing vampire blood didn''t have the same circulatory problems human blood did. Teren''s limbs didn''t ever go numb.


    "No, thank you, Emma," Alanna responded from downstairs.


    I smiled and went back to Teren-watching.


    He woke up at the same time that I heard a car pulling up the drive. I was listening to the crunch of tire on gravel and wasn''t paying attention to him. We were still naked in bed, draped around each other under the covers. He was in the same position he''d fallen asleep in, but I''d twisted and turned, trying to get comfortable with the massive stomach that impeded me from resting in my favorite position - on my stomach. I was also getting an ache from where a child was repeatedly kicking my rib.


    I was staring at the ceiling, listening and rubbing my side, when Teren''s cool fingers pushed mine aside and rested where I was sore. I smiled and looked over at him. Alanna had opened the curtains for me and he was bathed in a warm, cheery light. His face was haggard, tired, but he smiled softly at me.


    "Hey," he whispered.


    I twisted to face him. "Hey," I whispered back, running a hand through his hair. He closed his eyes and inhaled, drinking me in. I smiled wider as he opened his eyes. His brow furrowed. "Who''s here?"


    I listened to a door opening, my head cocked. Then I stood up, blurringly fast, and stumbled a little. Teren shot up right after me, steadying me as I adjusted to the odd feeling of moving faster than your mind can follow. I started to say thanks, but I stared at his bare body and then my own. Looking back up at him, I cringed. "My mom''s here."


    He cocked his head, listening, and then hearing what I''d heard, my mom chatting merrily with Ashley as they walked to the front door, he nodded and swept me into his arms.


    Confused, I actually struggled for a little bit, thinking he was going to try and fit in a super quickie before they walked in the house. But I stopped when I felt him walk me over to a wide walk-in closet, holding enough maternity clothing for about three pregnant women; Teren had emptied our closet at home, and Alanna and Imogen were always bringing me something new to wear. A little retail therapy.


    I smiled at him and held him close when he set me down. Looking down at me adoringly, he ran a thumb over my cheek. His eyes watered as he looked at me, and I knew he was replaying our conversation from last night. I shook my head and grabbed his face. "Don''t stress," I whispered, as the rarely used doorbell chimed throughout the house.


    He smiled at hearing his oft-repeated phrase said back to him, then he sighed and gave me a soft kiss. While Alanna greeted my mom at the door, feigning surprise and apologies at taking a few moments to get to them, saying she''d been in the back and hadn''t heard them (uh, huh), Teren and I quickly got dressed.


    Alanna kept them busy for a few minutes downstairs while Teren and I "prepped" our room. He tucked me in bed and then zipped around upstairs, finding magazines, books, water, movies and candy. Everything a pregnant woman confined to a bed would need to entertain herself. As he left to go greet my mom, I started popping gummy bears. Might as well play the part.


    As my group of visitor''s started trudging up the staircase, I started to worry about the one vamp who wasn''t safely tucked into the house with us. A little surprised that I was actually concerned for the vixen, I paused in my sugary treat and asked Teren, "Is Halina okay? Where is she?"


    He was currently walking up the steps with my mother, her thanking him for offering his arm as her leg was starting to go out on her every once and while. To her, he said, "It''s the least I can do for a beautiful woman." My mom tittered at that and told him he was a very sweet and I was a lucky girl. That I was.


    To me, he imperceptibly whispered, "She''s fine. The nest was empty when I left...she was going to stay there." He chuckled after he said that, laughing at Mom''s comment, but his voice was tight to me. I wanted to ask him more, but Ashley asked him how I was doing, and he started filling her in. I decided to not interrupt his conversation. Besides, just knowing she was fine, relaxed me in such a way that the smile on my face was a genuine one when Mom finally came through the door.


    Mom immediately smiled wide and flew around the bed to my side. She was holding a box of chocolates and a small bouquet of flowers. The combination of those smells and the scent of Spike on her, made me a little nauseous. I hadn''t felt that way in while. For a moment, I actually would have preferred that she''d had a baggy of blood on her. Knowing that the twins were largely responsible for my hemoglobin cravings, I laughed and hugged my mom tight.


    She sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing my arms before switching to rub my stomach. A twin kicked her and she giggled. Ashley sat on the other side, kicking off her shoes and coming under the covers to snuggle into my side. I threw an arm around the scarred woman, knowing that the two of them were probably planning on spending the afternoon with me.


    Teren stared at the three of us on the bed, that realization on his face too. He bit his lip, carefully this time, and stared at the ground. He shifted back and forth, somewhat antsy, and I could tell he didn''t want to be in the room. My mom was oblivious to his odd behavior, regaling me on the adventures of her grand-pup.


    I smiled and nodded at her, watching Teren from the corner of my eye. He sighed and looked out the window, maybe mentally counting down the remaining hours of daylight. I knew what he wanted. He wanted to leave here and find vampires. He wanted to question them on what they knew of mixed breeds, and beat them into submission if they refused to answer his questions. He desperately wanted someone to have a clue where he could find somewhere like himself, all in the hopes that that rare person would have an answer for him on the huge question mark that was my fate. Was I set to die in a couple weeks? Would the twins die with me? I would just be hitting my thirtieth week. Would they be far enough along to survive without me?


    His eyes flashed back to me and he sighed again. His eyes were moist. I knew this was killing him, I knew he, at the very least, wanted to be doing research, but I also knew he needed to stay. Nothing out there would help me, and he was turning into something...well, monstrous.


    Turning my full attention to him, I held out my hand. He stared at it, torn between staying and leaving. "Teren, that''s not the way," I mumbled under my breath.


    He looked down and nodded while my mom asked me if I''d said something. Still focused on Teren, I said nothing to her. She eventually silenced, noticing the tension in the room. My sister straightened and I felt her staring at Teren too.


    He looked up at me, his eyes dangerously close to shedding a tear. I didn''t know how we''d explain that if he did. As it was, I could feel my mom''s curiosity pouring out of her.


    Finally, Teren smiled widely and strode over to the bed, sitting on the corner and taking my hand. The tension broke with his move and my mom shrugged and continued on with tales of her life. Ashley, more clued into our situation, looked between the two of us. She squeezed my leg under the covers and I knew that she was aware something was going on that she didn''t know about, and she wanted to know about it.


    But I couldn''t tell her with mom in the room, so I smiled warmly at her and then focused back on Teren. He smiled at me, his jaw tight, his gaze unwavering. He was forcing himself to stay, forcing himself to not run out and try and save me, me and them. I loved him so much, for both staying, and wanting to leave.


    I whispered that to him and he sighed and nodded. "You''re right, that''s not the way." He tilted his head at me, speaking under his breath while my mom continued jabbering. "We''ll find another."


    This time, I smiled warmly and nodded.

 Page 18

    The basis of our new plan was to try and save the children. Teren was coming to terms with the fact that I may or may not survive the shift, but with every day that passed by, there was a greater chance that we could save them. He stopped doing research from a madman and started doing research in medical journals. He spent every second he could pouring over premature deliveries, how to incubate and preserve children that were only the size of small heads of cabbage.


    The lungs were the biggest issue. If I made it to thirty weeks, it was keeping them breathing that would be the hardest part. I eagerly poured over this research with him, finding it fascinating and hopeful, instead of terrifying and nightmare-inducing, like his previous research had been.Advertisement


    His manic need to save me, shifted to this as well, and it didn''t take long before he was "interviewing" doctors and specialists, although in a much nicer fashion. All in the guise that he was writing an article on preemies for the magazine he worked for. It was the first time his career had proved a useful cover story and he gloated a bit about that. Hot Ben helped him with this too and I smiled that at least he wasn''t coming home with black eyes anymore.


    The rest of his family helped out eagerly too, ordering (and in some cases, I''m pretty sure, stealing) supplies that they''d need. Pretty soon, a room right next to ours was set up as a sort of nursery. Sort of, because it mainly resembled a hospital room - two incubators, a couple heart rate monitors, and vials and vials of some sort of medicines. I wasn''t sure if any of the vampires knew what any of the stuff really did, but, they were going to try. It was the only option left to us.


    Teren told me late one night, a week before my birthday, that he''d bring in a doctor. Worst case scenario, if nothing he did was going to save them, then he''d rush to a clinic, kidnap someone, and bring them to the ranch. Then he''d have Halina wipe them, once the children were out of the woods. He''d do it as many times as was necessary to keep them alive.


    I smiled and kissed him, telling him to ask the doctor nicely first, before just confiscating with him. He gave me a sheepish smile and promised that he would. A part of me relaxed, grateful that it seemed my children may actually survive this. Now, the only real question was, would I?


    Halina shocked me by saying that she''d give me her blood. I stared at her after she said that - she didn''t do that, ever, she was actually firmly against the idea. She had certain resentments over her life, and wouldn''t restrict someone else with her affliction. She''d even admitted that she hoped I didn''t end up like her. And if I had her blood in me, I''d be resumed to a life of never-ending night, digging a hole in the ground if I had to, to escape the day. But, it was better than being dead, I suppose.


    Although, I already had v-juice in me. I wasn''t sure if I could be turned twice. Here''s where knowing another mixed would come in handy. Especially one that had tried to turn someone. But, she promised she''d try. If I didn''t come around, she''d try. Besides, I was already a vampire anyway, she reasoned, and either way, I was dying. She said that in the end, my being like her would be preferable to my not being around anymore. She followed that with, "You''re far too entertaining to just let die."


    But, like I said, we weren''t sure what would happen to me, and finding mixed hadn''t been going well. And now, I was pretty sure we were done with rustling up vampire nests. Teren was done anyway. Even if he hadn''t admitted that he couldn''t handle it anymore, Halina made it quite clear that his method of "interviewing" was over. She''d ripped him a new one when she came home after her overnight trip.


    It had been very late the following evening when she''d rushed back to the ranch. She''d woken us both up and berated him for a good hour and a half on his foolish behavior, the rest of his family waking and occasionally interjecting their concerns as well. Teren sheepishly looked at my lap, while I sat beside him on our bed, absorbing their chastisement. Halina had arrived at that nest just as he''d been about to end that poor woman''s undead life. Ben had been trying to get him to back down, but he''d been set on his course of action and had simply ignored Hot Ben pulling on his arm. But he couldn''t ignore Halina.


    She''d torn in there, called his name, and then pushed him into a wall when he hadn''t responded to her. From the way she told the story, he''d gone straight through the wall into another room. The terrified vampire had blurred out of there after that, probably to go join up with the love she''d been protecting.


    From there, things had gotten a little hairy. Teren had been furious that Halina let her get away and had actually charged his great-grandmother. Halina had tossed him through another wall. At this point, Teren said Ben disappeared on him, muttering that he hadn''t signed up for torture. Halina towering over him and Ben''s comments had snapped Teren right out of it. He hadn''t seen it that way, until that very moment.


    He sighed and buried his head in my neck when he admitted that to me, still avoiding looking directly at Halina. She went on to tell me that after she''d finally gotten Teren to leave, she''d stayed, looking around the countryside for the female, since she didn''t have time to run home. Teren looked up at her then, curious and hopeful. She glared at him. "No, I didn''t find her, but you can bet that her boyfriend now has a huge score to settle with you."


    He hung his head again, his arms around me tightening. I clutched him back and looked up at Halina, her slight body still in a scolding position. Then her expression changed and a sly smile lit her lips. "A different male came to the nest shortly before dawn. He looked around the remains of his house and was naturally curious, so I filled him in." She grinned in such a way after that, that I had no doubt that he''d done a little "filling in" as well.


    I shook my head and looked away from her. Teren lifted his head again, his eyes hopeful. "Did he...?"


    He didn''t finish that, but Halina shot him a look. "No, Teren. No more questions. You are done." Lifting her head, an air of authority seemed to shimmer around her and I was reminded then, that this woman was the true head of the Adams clan, regardless of impressions. Teren knew this too and dropped his head again. "I will check out the name he gave me...and any other name I get from that."


    He sighed and then nodded, his head still down. She sighed and walked over to him. She put a hand under his jaw, lifting it. He avoided eye contact for a moment, but then looked back at her. Her face softened and she murmured low, fast Russian phrases. He swallowed, his eyes misting, and then nodded. She finished with the phrase for "I love you", and then left us in the room, heading to soak in a bath before she had to hide away for the day.


    Teren had been subdued after that, embarrassed by his actions, mortified by his commitment to killing someone. We spent a lot of time talking about it. He spent a lot of time feeling guilty about it. His need to protect me, already ramped up after our abduction months ago, had driven him nearly over the edge. It can be such a fine line between right and wrong. That gray realm gets a little larger with every hard decision we make over the years. I knew from experience what being in that realm felt like, and knew the torment Teren felt. But falling into the black side wasn''t an option for him, I wouldn''t let it be, and if that meant pulling back a bit, letting someone a little less emotionally attached (and just slightly less) take over, then so be it. If it would save his soul, then so be it.


    And so we stopped focusing on me and started focusing on the children.


    It was a brilliantly beautiful spring day, just a couple before my birthday, and Ashley and I were distracting ourselves from that fact by painting the nursery. Well, nursery/hospital. We had a can of pale yellow and a can of pale green, since we still didn''t know if I was having boys or girls, or one of each, I suppose. The fumes from the open cans burned my sensitive nostrils, but I ignored it. And even though I detested painting, I cherished the moment, cherished the connection I felt with my children as I did it.


    Ash painstakingly slid her green roller over a section of one of the walls while I laughingly blurred over my section. "That''s not fair, Em," she chuckled, going back to her humanly slow method of painting. Even slower than most since her joints were a little stiff where the scars on her body were thick.


    I laughed at her and continued painting at a regular speed, wanting to savor this bonding moment with my sister. Teren was at work, but Alanna looked in on us periodically to check our progress and offer us snacks. Even Jack poked his head in, slinging an arm around each of us, a fatherly pride on his face as he examined our work. "It''s beautiful, Emma," he said, squeezing me tight as he looked over one of the two-toned walls we''d completed.


    "Thank you," I said back, leaning into his side, taking in the scent on him that was so similar to Teren''s. Teren was so much like Alanna and the girls looks-wise, that sometimes it slipped my mind that this burly ranch man was a part of him too.


    When I slung my arm around his waist and laid my head on his shoulder, he flushed and looked a little embarrassed by the display. Then he quickly kissed my head and darted out of the room. I heard him sniffle once he was in the hallway and I felt my eyes water. He may try to hide it, but he was worried about me too.


    As Ashley was going over what details she knew of premature babies, having studied more about human anatomy during her nursing classes, than anyone else in the house, I heard the sound of tires crunching up gravel. I paused in painting, a growl burrowing up from my chest. Ashley paused mid-sentence, her eyes wide. She''d never hear me growl before; that was generally something I reserved for Teren.


    I stared through her, cocking my head as I listened. I wasn''t sure why, but I was having a reaction to whoever was approaching. It wasn''t Teren, he was still miles away in San Francisco, and it wasn''t my mom or Tracey, they were both at their jobs. I suppose it could be Hot Ben, but something inside of me, knew that it wasn''t.


    I closed my eyes, listening harder, but other than Jack asking Alanna what was wrong, Ashley breathing heavily, and the two fast and fluttery heartbeats inside me, blending with my own, the house was deadly quiet; all of the awake vampires were listening just as hard as I was.


    As the tires stopped and the car shut off, I set down my roller, the harsh smell mixing unpleasantly with Ashley''s fear. "What is it, Emma?" She looked around the room, like something creepy was going to come through the walls. For a second, I wondered if that had been how I''d looked to Teren, when I hadn''t been in the know and he''d heard strange noises.


    I tried to throw on a casual smile, to ease her quickly panicking face. "Someone''s here. I''m sure it''s just Peter or a friend of Jack''s." Ashley nodded and set down her roller. She knew that the ranch had help come in sometimes, and she''d met the man who led them, Peter, at my wedding. The family had been holding off on bringing anyone here, until my situation was resolved, but Ashley didn''t need to know that.


    Look at me, being the secretive one for a change.


    Swallowing, I tried to push away my discomfort at not being completely honest with my sister. True, I wasn''t sure who was here, but my body knew it was a potential threat, and that sort of ruled out any ranch hand.


    As calmly as I could, I walked to the door, Ash close behind me. I paused in the doorway and looked down to the other end of the hall, where Alanna was similarly paused in Imogen''s door. Imogen behind her was blinking in the faded, hazy light in the hallway, even those weak rays causing her pain. Jack stepped past the two of them and held his hand out for his wife. As Alanna took it, Imogen whispered that she wanted to see who was here, but Alanna told her to stay in her room, that we would check it out. I nodded at Alanna after she said that and then started down the hallway towards her and Jack.


    Ashley behind me, not having heard any of that, grabbed my arm, slinging hers around mine as we walked together. Hearing one set of light footsteps outside, casually strolling up to the door at an unhurried pace, I looked down at Ashley attached to my arm. "You should stay up here with Imogen," I told her.


    Ashley looked at me blankly. "I thought it was just a friend." I bit my lip, too late catching my error. Ashley noted my reaction and stiffened her stance as we reached the stairs. "I''m with you, Emma." She shook her head, the half with hair dangling around her shoulders. "I''m not leaving your side."


    I sighed and then stopped as Alanna caught up to us. Locking eyes with my sister, I realized it was pointless to argue with her. She was a Taylor after all, and we had a tendency to be...stubborn. Sighing again, I nodded over at Alanna and Jack beside us. "Stay behind us, then."


    Ashley nodded as we all started walking down the stairs. Outside, I could hear the person calmly standing in front of the door, waiting. I could even hear their smooth, steady heartbeat. I knew, it being broad daylight and all, that they would be human, but still, the thumping rhythm was reassuring.


    Shifting her stance so she was holding my hand, Ashley and I stepped down to the front door, right behind Jack and Alanna. Not sure who was here, my tension got the better of me and my fangs dropped down. Ashley''s eyes widened at seeing them, the image still a little shocking to her, and I breathed out slowly, gaining control again and retracting them. The human outside, may or may not know about us. I didn''t want to accidently tip off a could-be hunter.


    That person silently waited, still not even knocking, and Alanna closed her eyes for a brief moment. Slapping on a farm boy smile, Jack stepped forward to open the door. I held my breath as the warmer outside air hit my skin, the scent of the ranch coming with it. Even with all that was going on, my body could sense the blood in the air. Somewhere out there, a cow was bleeding. Sickeningly, my hormonally revved up body desired it. Desired it so strongly, that I had to clench Ashley''s hand to stop myself from blazing across the fields to find the wounded beast. I clenched my mouth shut, fearing that I''d lose control on my teeth while I fought off the urge.


    Seeing the person who''d managed to rile up a house of vamps, helped quench that desire. It was a short, tan, blonde, Valley girl, or so I''d imagine. She had a shaggy crop of ridiculously over styled hair, and sunglasses so dark and round that they sort of resembled bug eyes. She started smacking on a piece of gum, the smell nearly pushing me back a step, and smiled brightly at us. Dressed in high heels and a designer dress, she looked very out of place here. Clutching her Prada bag to her side, she extended a hand out to Jack before he could even say hello.


    "Hi-ya, I hear you''re looking for me." She said that brightly as well, her voice saccharinely sweet.


    Jack opened and closed his mouth, not sure what this head-to-toe manicured woman, who had clearly never shoveled cow poop in her life, wanted with him. As he mumbled an, "excuse me?" Alanna stepped around him to stand beside the girl outside.


    She turned her head to Alanna, still smacking her gum like one of the cows smacked on grass blades; the sound was loud to my sensitive ears, and annoying. She calmly took her glasses off, shoving them in her pricey bag. Shifting back on one hip, her gaze locked on Alanna''s, and it then became perfectly clear that she wasn''t here for Jack.


    Still bright and cheery, she said to her, "You''ve been causing quite a stir, looking for me, so I thought I''d come find out why."


    Her face turned to me as Ashley and I stepped down to stand on her other side. Her eyes were a blue-green, and seemed older than the twenty something she appeared to be. As I scrunched my face, confused, and Ashley whispered, "Who is she, Emma?" the woman dropped her smile and stopped smacking on her gum.


    Her entire demeanor changing as she stared at me. She tilted her head and narrowed those blue -green eyes. "What do you want with me?"


    Taking a step back at the sudden viciousness in her tone, I sputtered, "I don''t know, I don''t even know who you are."


    The woman sighed and looked exasperated. "Well, god, with the stories I''ve heard, you''ve knocked on every nest, in every state in the southwest, looking for me." Putting her hands on her hips as my eyes widened, she gave me a crooked smile. "I was expecting to be expected."


    My already wide eyes opened comically wider and Ashley beside me gasped. I vaguely registered Alanna muttering something to her mother and Jack saying, "I don''t believe it," but I could only gape. The tiny debutante in front of me had a pair of perfectly white, and on her, perfectly dainty, fangs, just visible inside her wry smile.


    I stupidly looked up at the sky, at the sun. She laughed at my maneuver, finding great humor in my surprise. "Yes, I''m mixed...just like you," she looked back to Alanna when she said that.


    My eyes watered and I nearly wanted to hug the girl. We''d been looking so long, Teren had risked so much, and now, here was one just showing up on our doorstep. A hand flew to my mouth as I held in a cry. Ashley beside me slung her arms around me and I heard her sniffle.


    The woman seemed confused as to why we were so emotional over her arrival. I wasn''t sure what Teren had been telling the vamps he''d run into, but this woman didn''t seem to realize who I was, and what we needed from her. She only seemed to sense that the heartbeatless Alanna was a mixed. She didn''t know I was too...for now.


    Cocking a pale eyebrow at me, she repeated, "What do you want with me?"


    I reached out for her arm and she hissed at me and backed away. I paused; she may be playing at casualness, but she was wary of this group of mixed, knocking on vampires'' doors to find her. I didn''t blame her, I would be too. I held my hands up, in a gesture of peace. "We just want to talk to you. To know...if you know, how to help me. I''ve been changed, a few weeks ago."


    As I said that, I rested my hands on my stomach, clearly outlining my pregnancy, and relaxed the hold on my teeth. They dropped into place and this time, her eyes widened. "Holy hell," she exclaimed. Turning to Alanna, her tan face flushed, she bit out, "What did you do? Why would you try and turn a pregnant woman." She stepped up to a startled Alanna, putting a hand on her cool arm. "Don''t you know how dangerous that is? Were you trying to kill them all?"


    I stepped up to the woman, relief that she seemed to know something about this, winning out over caution. I released myself from Ashley and grabbed the girl''s shoulders, twisting her to face me. Her eyes widened at me being so close, but mainly, she just looked pissed off. "She didn''t do this. I was attacked." I shifted my head so my dark hair fell away from the scar on my neck. "My husband tried to save me...by doing this."


    Her eyes locked on my scar, her face softening in sympathy. She looked back up at me as I relaxed the grip on her arms. Tears in my eyes again, I whispered, "I''m going to die soon...and if I do, they do. Can you help us?" My voice warbled as the tears finally fell down my cheeks.


    She sighed again as she looked over my face. Finally pulling back from my grasp, she extended a hand out to me. "My name is Starla." She cocked an eyebrow at me. "I think I should meet your husband."


    I bobbed my head, excited that she hadn''t just flat-out told us no. "Of course, yes. He''s in town, working, but I can take you to him." I shook my head, my smile so wide I was sure I looked slightly medicated; I hadn''t even retracted my fangs yet. "He''s so eager to meet you."


    Her face fell into a disgruntled expression. "Yes, I know."


    My sister came up to grab my hand again, watching Starla curiously, as Jack moved to stand beside Alanna, not looking as if he was convinced this was a welcome development or not. At Starla''s words and tone, I dropped my head, remembering everything Teren had been doing lately. My sweet, generally gentlemanly husband, had been acting anything but gentlemanly lately. All to protect me of course, but to an outsider, that was of small significance.


    When I was about to apologize for his behavior, she continued, "The last nest I heard about, happened to be an acquaintance of mine." She tilted her head as I peeked up at her. The last nest Teren had gone to, had involved him almost shoving a stake through a woman''s heart. "If my friend hadn''t had nice things to say about the pure vampire in your midst, our meeting today would be a much different one."


    Her blue-green eyes turned to ice and, for a moment, the Valley girl looked quite menacing. I felt a growl rumbling up in my throat, but forcefully shut it off. She did have a point. I exhaled softly and nodded to her, pulling my teeth back up. "He''s been under a lot of stress lately. He''s very sorry for hurting your friend."


    She started smacking on her gum again, looking casually perfect, and flicked her hand dismissively. "One of the guys was my friend." She spun on her high heel, turning to head back to her car. Over her shoulder she added, "The girl was a snotty little bitch. He should have staked her."


    As she sauntered back to her car, I clenched my jaw to not speed off after her. She may be mixed, like most of the Adams, but I still didn''t know her. Looking over at Alanna and Jack, I watched as Alanna shifted in the sun uncomfortably; she was already needing a break from it. She looked at me with heartbroken eyes, "Emma, I can''t go with you." Jack squeezed her waist, urging her to go back in the house.


    She walked up to me instead, her cool fingers sliding over my cheek. "Be careful." I nodded as her hand came down to rest on my stomach. A brief second of hope passed her face as she glanced up at Starla, checking her watch as she stood leaning against her BMW. She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and then Jack ushered her back in the house.


    Once he''d closed the door on her, he walked up to me. Looking unsure about the whole situation he told me, "I can come with, if you like?"


    As I watched him glance at the door behind him, I knew he really wanted to stay with Alanna. They didn''t like to have to be apart and I knew he''d worry about her, if he left her behind. Understanding that, I grabbed his arm. "Teren will be with us soon. It''s okay, if you want to stay here."


    He relaxed, his face looking a little sheepish that he wasn''t going to come with. Giving both Ashley and I a warm hug, he stepped into the house with Alanna. Imogen and her daughter both counseled me to be cautious and apologized for not being able to go.


    I shook my head at the closed door. "It''s okay. Tell Halina about this when she wakes up...if we''re not back yet. Then...have her come find us." I heard then agreeing, and promising that they would. I suddenly felt tremendous relief over being low jacked. Even if Teren and I got separated, someone could find me.


    Ashley was staring at me with an eyebrow cocked as I turned back around to her; she''d only caught my half of that conversation. I heard the blonde mixed girl sigh and ask if I was coming, but I focused my attention on Ashley. Her curious expression eased as I put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay here, Ash."


    She immediately shook her head, her hand clenching over mine. "No, I''m by your side until the end, Emma. We''re blood." Starla snorted at that, but my eyes watered and I nodded my head. She was right. My blood may be all wonky now, but before all this craziness, Ashley and I were blood. If the situation had been reversed, you''d have to physically separate me from her.


    I grabbed her arm and pulled her tight to me, the faint smell of paint that was lingering to our skin and clothes briefly overwhelming my acute senses and I let myself feel just a sliver of hope that maybe that beautiful nursery would indeed get to be filled.


    The mixed was examining her manicure as we approached her car, her mouth still chomping away on that sickeningly sweet bubble gum. With a bored expression, she muttered, "Finally," and then opened her door and got inside. Ash and I walked around to the other side, and I helped Ash get in the back seat, wanting her as far away from the stranger as possible. Hoping I was doing the right thing, I shut my door. Then Starla started the car and we pulled away from the Adams ranch.


    Alanna and Jack reappeared at the door as I watched in the rearview mirror. They both looked hopeful, regretful, and very, very worried. I stuck my hand out the window and waved, wanting to ease their minds, and maybe my own as well.


    As we approached the end of the drive, an idling car pulled in behind us. It was pitch black with black tinted windows. The girl didn''t react to the person following us, so I figured they were together. "Friend of yours," I asked casually.


    Starla looked over at me, a wry smile on her lips. "Did you really think I''d come out to a strange nest alone?" Her eyes scanned the road as she pulled out onto the highway. "I''m not an idiot," she muttered.


    I wanted to ask more about the car trailing close behind us, but as her car sped down the road, on its way back to the city, my Teren-pull kicked in. It started faintly at first, but I knew it would increase exponentially, the closer we got to him. I''d never been on the "moving" end of the pull. I was usually the one waiting around for Teren to come to me. There was a slightly different edge, being the one heading towards the other. It gave me a rush.


    Practicing my breathing technique, I settled into her bucket seats, closed my eyes and inhaled and exhaled slowly and deeply. Her gum smacking stopped and I heard her shift to look at me. "Huh, I guess you were telling the truth. You are bonded to your husband."


    I peeked my eyes opened and looked over at the seemingly high-maintenance woman. She rolled her eyes and stepped on the gas, the car surging forward. I inhaled a quick breath and dropped my head onto the seat as the draw to him spiked in me. My breathing heavier, I asked, "You know what this is?"


    She resumed her gum smacking and I resisted the urge to snap at her to stop that annoying habit. With a short laugh she shrugged. "I''ve seen it before. It''s the blood bond between a creator and his or her createe." She looked over at me, tilting her shaggy-haired head, the pieces so spritzed with an overpowering, floral hairspray, that I was sure even a hurricane wouldn''t move a strand. The scent was nauseating and I started to worry that my morning sickness might come back. "It''s designed to keep them close to each other. Being new is the most critical time for a vampire. The bond helps to ensure that the Sire won''t stray far from his child." She grinned widely at me after she said that.


    I groaned, partly because of how fast we were getting closer to Teren, partly because of what she''d said."Please don''t call me his child...it''s creepy." She laughed, her tone amused at my comment and my discomfort. Sighing as my agitation grew, I said, "So, it all comes down to blood, doesn''t it?"


    She laughed and blew a quick bubble, popping it noisily, "We''re vampires, honey...everything comes down to blood."


    I tried to relax back into my seat, to force the draw to Teren from my mind, but that was pointless and impossible. Gripping the seat as the pull increased, I asked, "Does it go away?"


    She glanced at my white-with-strain fingers. "Well, it''s different for everyone. For some, it''s only a mild recognition of each other, but the bond can be much stronger, especially if there was a connection pre-turning."


    I laughed, in a tittering, agitated sort of way, and started squirming in my seat. My entire body wanted to be miles ahead of where we were. The waiting was torturous. "As I said, we were married." I groaned after I said that, and not because of any comment she''d made.


    As I bit my lip and closed my eyes, she sighed. "This should be fun. Do you two have any level of control, or is he going to rip your clothes off in the middle of his coworkers?" Her tone was quite sarcastic.


    I opened my eyes and glared at her. "We can handle this. He''ll be fine." My words came out between pants, and even I didn''t believe them. I pictured him in his office, gripping his desk to restrain himself from blurring towards me. I knew that sensation, feeling him approaching and not able to do anything about it. That was torturous too.


    She shook her head and turned back to the road. "Yeah, I can see that. Well, regardless, in most of the cases I''ve heard of, it usually eases up after the first year...or so."


    Almost immediately after she said that, my sister started ringing. Okay, it wasn''t her, it was the cell phone in her pocket, but my revved up hormones only registered the loud sound coming from her body. I glanced back at her, eager for a distraction, any distraction. Furrowing her brow, she dug in her pocket and pulled out the tiny flip-phone.


    "Hello," she said quietly, the caller ID not registering with her. Her eyes widened and then she looked up at me. Without saying anything, she handed me the phone.


    My breath fast, I clenched the thing and put it to my ear. Before I could speak, words filled my head. "Why did you leave the ranch? Why are you coming to the city? Where is your phone?" Teren''s voice in my ear was fast and breathy. He was definitely feeling this.


    "Oh," I sighed, squirming in my seat again. "Well, I left so fast, I guess I forgot it." My body was reacting to just his voice, so I ended up answering his most inconsequential question first.


    "Emma," he groaned. "Why are you coming to me? Is everything okay?" I heard what sounded like him biting his lip and then something that sort of sounded like wood splintering.


    "Yes," I sighed again, my voice husky and strained, and not really sounding like I was answering a question, if you know what I mean.


    Starla beside me groaned loudly and snatched the phone away. "Good god, you two have no control whatsoever. I''m not just gonna sit here and listen to you have phone sex." Putting the cell to her ear, she chipperly said. "Hey there, vamp boy." I could hear Teren''s low growl and gripped the seat tighter, a growl of my own escaping my chest.


    Starla rolled her eyes at me and spoke to Teren before he could start questioning her. "Your girl and I are coming to get you. Clear your schedule for the day. There is someone who I think you should meet, someone who will be very interested in speaking with the both of you. Someone I think you''ll be interested in speaking with too."


    I straightened and tilted my head at her; she hadn''t mentioned this before. "Who?" I could hear Teren ask. His voice seemed slightly calmer.


    Starla smirked into the phone. "Now, I wouldn''t want to spoil the surprise. We''ll be to you soon...which, I''m sure you''re perfectly aware of."


    Silence on Teren''s end and then, "Who are you?"


    She smiled brightly. "Name''s Starla. See you soon." With that, she snapped shut the phone and handed it back to my sister. She grinned over at me, smacking her gum noisily as her blue-green eyes sparkled in the sunshine. "Curious now, aren''t ya?"


    I could only gape at her and shake my head.

 Page 19

    As we entered the city and the pull got deliciously stronger, I couldn''t think anymore about my odd traveling companion. I could only squirm in my seat, my breath embarrassing strained, and point her to the direction where I felt him. She sighed and rolled her eyes, generally looking annoyed that I had no apparent self control. I wanted to snap at her, "Back off! Have you ever felt this? Didn''t think so! I''m doing the best I can!" But, I couldn''t focus long enough to put that many words together.


    As the office building housing Gate Magazine came into view, I bit my lip and clutched the console, anything to keep me in the car. The building had an underground parking lot, and with vague grunts and directives, I got Starla to go into it. As she put the car in park, I felt Teren coming towards me. That''s when I lost it.Advertisement


    I hopped out of the car before she even got the chance to shut it off. I only took three steps in the dimly lit underground before I was engulfed in cool arms and was being devoured by cool lips. My fingers locked in his dark hair, holding him securely to me, even though he was making no effort to get away. His hand clenched and unclenched my body, like he really wanted to be tearing off the loose painting sweats I was wearing. We panted in each other''s mouths as the draw completed its connection. We were, once again, how our nature wanted us to be - together.


    As a low growl rumbled up my throat and Teren''s cool hands slid over my backside, I heard an irritated throat clearing from behind me. With a concentrated effort, Teren pulled his mouth from mine. Breathing heavy, and resisting the desire to return to my lips, he looked over my shoulder. Then I saw his control nearly instantly snap back into place. Mine wasn''t quite there yet. As he straightened and stared at Starla, my lips attached to his collarbone and my hand traveled down the front of his slacks. Hey, I wasn''t just fighting the pull. I was a seven month pregnant chick, with a hot husband and an acute desire.


    But Teren had lost his, looking over my shoulder. While I heard my sister nervously giggle and Starla mutter, "God," Teren stopped my fingers from slipping inside his slacks. He looked down at me quickly while he gently pushed me back from him. "Emma," he whispered, his hands cupping my cheeks, trying to bring me down.


    My breath eventually evened as his slightly glowing eyes enveloped me. Swallowing, I nodded in his hands that I was better. From behind me, I could hear Starla resume her cow-like gum smacking. Saucily she said, "Yeah, I can tell you guys have the bond well under control."


    I turned to face her, about to tell her where to go, when suddenly the door leading to the stairs burst open. Hot Ben came striding out, breathing heavy and holding his stomach. Hurriedly walking up to us, he ran a hand through his highlighted hair and shook his head. "God you''re fast, Teren."


    I blinked at seeing him and Teren answered my unasked question. "I called him. I wasn''t sure what was going on." His brow furrowed as he looked back at Starla and then over to my sister, she waved as she stood at the back of Starla''s car.


    Teren shifted his attention back to Starla as I heard Hot Ben sidle around to his other side and ask him what was going on. Not answering Ben, Teren narrowed his eyes at the mixed creature in front of him. Her blue-green ones were faintly glowing in the dim lights. As a human, the glow would have been hardly noticeable, easily dismissible, if you didn''t know what you were looking for. To a partial vampire, the glow was unmistakable. Teren''s mouth dropped open.


    "You''re..."


    She extended a hand to him. "Mixed...and I hear you''ve been looking for me."


    Hot Ben gasped beside Teren and stared at Starla with a look of complete wonder on his face. Teren''s face sort-of matched Ben''s as he stared at her, for a moment too stunned to even take her hand. She waggled it in front of his face, her lips twisting in annoyance at being ignored, and he finally woke up from his daze and grasped it.


    Both of his hands enclosed over hers and his eyes moistened. I bit my lip to not start hormonally crying at the sight. Teren had waited so long for this moment. "It''s...amazing to meet you. Thank you for finding me." His voice was nearly reverent as he said that, and I momentarily hoped that this tiny blonde thing wouldn''t let Teren down. He''d built up meeting more of his kind in his head, and so far, she hadn''t been what I''d been expecting.


    A little taken back by his reaction, she pulled her hand away. "Yeah, well, you''ve been causing quite a stir, poking your finger in every vamp nest you can find." She raised an eyebrow. "That sort of thing doesn''t go unnoticed."


    Teren straightened his stance, shaking his head lightly. "I had good reason."


    Starla''s eyes flicked to my stomach. "Yes, I''ve been brought up to speed on that."


    Teren stepped towards her, arms outstretched like he was going to grab her. His fingers barely brushed her arms. That was all the closer Teren got to her. Suddenly, he was shoved back. And by shoved back, I mean he was pushed thirty feet and landed harshly on his back. As he smacked his head to the pavement, Hot Ben pulled a stake from his pocket and moved into a defensive crouch. My sister screamed and backed up a step. I teetered on my feet, not sure if I should run to Teren''s side, or run to my sister''s. Indecision held me in place.


    A part of me also wanted to smack Starla for pushing Teren. Only, it wasn''t Starla who''d tossed him back. With the draw of the pull, I''d completely forgotten that Starla wasn''t alone. Teren''s seemingly aggressive move had drawn the attention of her bodyguard. Ben and I eyed the imposing man warily. He was standing in the space Teren had been, having blurred into a battering ram, the moment Teren had stepped up to Starla. He was taller than Teren and wider too. His hair was a light brown that matched his slightly glowing brown eyes, and he was dressed in head-to-toe black, like he thought that was an inconspicuous outfit. Crouching down in a protective stance in front of Starla, his fangs were dropped, as a low growl broke the sudden silence of the room.


    Starla''s "muscle" was a mixed too, albeit it, an undead one. There was no thumping heart to be heard in his barrel-sized chest. But he had to be only partially vampiric, if he''d been assigned to protect her during daylight hours.


    Teren popped up from where he''d been tossed aside and zipped back to the man. I speedily moved to block him at the last moment, holding him back from leaping on the vampire. It took quite a bit of effort on my part, since Teren was a little revved up. Hot Ben came over and helped me, holding back Teren''s other arm. He eventually calmed down as Starla sighed and walked around her protection, thumping his chest with her hand.


    "Down, boy," she muttered. Coming up to Teren, she cocked her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, he doesn''t like me being touched." Her turquoise eyes flicked to me, then back to Teren. "You can understand?"


    Teren shot the man a hard look and then focused again on Starla. Ashley came up beside me and clutched my arm. I clutched hers back, both glad she was here, and wishing she was far away. His voice irritated, but a forced patience in it, Teren bit out, "I was just going to ask, if you can help us?" His voice and face softened as he looked over at me and then back to Starla. "Can you help her?"


    Starla looked between the two of us as her bodyguard behind her crossed his arms over his chest. She sighed and shook her head. "Not me, but you should speak with Father. He sent me here, curious what you wanted with us. But seeing what you''ve done," she shook her perfect head of hair disdainfully, "he will definitely be interested in your...situation."


    Teren nodded eagerly, the thought of maybe getting some answers, outweighing his irritation at being thrown across the room. As Starla chomped on her gum and indicated the car with her head, I looked over Teren''s body. He seemed fine, but that had looked like it had hurt. "You alright?" I asked, as Starla got back in her bimmer.


    He eyed the big man, zipping back to his black car on the other side of the lot. "Yeah, I''m fine." He brought his eyes back to mine; they sparkled with hope. "I''m great, Emma."


    Over Teren''s shoulder, I watched Hot Ben causally put his stake back in his pocket. I had the feeling he was always armed with one now. Twisting, I watched my sister eyeing where the big vampire had gone. She was fine with Teren, and fine with the tiny, unassuming blonde vampire, but that big guy had freaked her out. I could smell the fear on her.


    As Ben moved to walk to his car, presumably to follow us, I blurred over to him, stopping him. He paused and blinked at me suddenly standing in front of him. I rarely moved blindingly fast in front of him. I was just glad I hadn''t tripped along the way. Putting my hands on his chest, I searched his blue eyes. "Teren and I can handle this." He immediately began shaking his head and objecting. I shook mine more forcefully and dug my fingers into his skin. "No, please...take Ashley home."


    I said that quietly, and glanced over his shoulder at my brave, scarred sister. She was determined to see this through with me, no matter how much the whole thing terrified her. Ben looked over at her too, his body slumping as he did. Ben had always been very gracious around my sister, never looking down on her deformity; never treating her any differently than he did any other friend. His eyes took in her slight frame, shaking slightly as she stood with her hands clutching her elbows, locking her arms around her body. Her eyes flicked over to mine then, and she smiled slightly - it was a forced one.


    Hot Ben glanced over at Teren, who nodded, having heard that entire conversation, and then turned back to me. "Alright, Em." Surprisingly, his arms came around my girth to wrap me in a swift hug. In my ear he whispered, "Be careful...both of you."


    We stepped apart and I nodded at him, tears in my eyes again. He stepped back from me and nodded, his chiseled face determined. I had the feeling he would take his assignment with ferocious seriousness, protecting Ashley from every bad thing in the city, maybe even staying by her side all night, just in case. For the millionth time, I could have kissed Hot Ben.


    Teren held out his hand for me as I heard Starla sigh in exasperation, and mutter that we were all worse than her pampered, Princess of a sister. Ignoring her, I took Teren''s hand. His cool fingers giving me strength, I walked up to the car. Ashley walked up as well, as she noted that it was time to go again. I gently put my hand on her shoulder as she moved to open the door.


    "No, Ash. Not this time."


    She sputtered and shook her head at me and I dropped Teren''s hand to grab her shoulders. "I love you, Ashley, and I know you love me. You don''t need to do this to prove it to me." She shook her head and started to say she wasn''t, when I interrupted her. "I know, and if I were in your shoes, you''d have to pry me away." I pulled back, my fingers going to her wet cheeks. I stroked the roughness of her scars, ignoring the odd feeling skin.


    "This is something Teren and I need to do together, alone." I leaned in close, resting my head on hers. "I love you, but I can''t have you there with me. I need to know you''re safe..." My voice trailed away as emotion cut it off. I felt Teren''s hand come up to my shoulder and I suddenly had a greater respect for him always wanting to keep me away, to keep me safe. Having someone you love in danger was harder than having yourself in danger.


    Ashley started to cry in earnest, but eventually nodded. I pulled away from her, wiping my own cheeks. Telling her I loved her, I kissed her forehead. As Teren and I got into the car, I watched Hot Ben come up to her and put his arms around her comfortingly. She twisted and held him tight. He stroked her back and watched us through the window, his jaw clenched as he nodded at Teren again.


    Starla started the car and snorted as she pulled away. "God," she muttered. "Overdramatic lot, aren''t you? You''d think I was driving the two of you to certain death." She started to laugh as she pulled out into the street and Teren and I gave each other uneasy glances in the backseat.


    Once it was clear we weren''t staying in the city, Teren leaned forward in his seat to talk to Starla. Clutching my hand tight, he said, "Where are you taking us?"


    Starla popped a bubble and looked at him in the rearview mirror. "L.A.," she said casually.


    Teren nodded and sat back in his seat, his cool side edging right up to mine. Starla reached in her purse on the passenger''s seat, dug out her bug-like sunglasses, and turned the radio up. Some pop hit boomed through her speakers and I figured she was discouraging us from asking any farther questions.


    I sighed and leaned into Teren, happy that at least, for once, we were doing this little adventure together. Teren sighed as well and kissed my head before leaning his cheek on it. A twin nudged against a sore spot and I adjusted in my seat to get comfortable. Los Angeles? That was several hours from San Francisco. I settled in for a long drive, grateful that once the sun set, Halina would blaze her way to us. She wouldn''t have time to run back to the ranch, but Teren and I could find somewhere for her to hide. It would just be nice to have our "muscle" with us.


    After a few silent miles, Teren shifted to look at me. I pulled away from his side and looked up at him. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows and highlighted his eyes that matched this sunny Californian spring day. "You smell like paint." A corner of his lip lifted after he said that.


    I smiled and subconsciously rubbed my belly. "Ashley and I were working on the nursery. You should see it...it''s beautiful." My eyes watered at that. I wasn''t sure why. Maybe the thrill of preparing to see my babies, or maybe the fear that I may never meet them.


    His hand came up to cup my cheek and his thumb grazed over the surface. I could hear his skin sliding across mine, even over the music, and I could smell some sort of grease, lingering on his fingers. "You smell like...the underside of a car."


    Starla snorted at that and popped another bubble. Teren ignored her, smiling down at me. "It''s chain grease. I went home and got my bike this morning." He dropped his hand from my face and looked down. "I just needed to work off some energy."


    I grabbed his hand, lacing our fingers. "Did it help?" I asked quietly, knowing his workout was more to relieve stress than exercise, much like my art project today.


    He looked up at me, smiling crookedly. "Not really." I sighed and leaned in to kiss him. Ignoring an annoyed sigh from Starla, who turned the music up even louder, we kissed for a few moments in the backseat. During a break, Teren pulled back and whispered, "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you about Carrie."


    I pulled back, surprised at the road he''d decided to take our conversation down. I noticed Starla stop smacking her mouth and turn the music down slightly, but mainly I focused on Teren. His eyes were wide and remorseful. I shook my head. "That? Of all the things to be sorry for lately...you pick that?" My lips lifted at the corners as I looked over his face.


    He smiled slightly at seeing the humor in my mouth and shook his head too. "I just felt like that one was still lingering between us." He shrugged. "I don''t want to walk into this with anything...between us." His face turned serious when he said that.


    I cocked my head and then nodded. He continued when he saw that I understood his reason for bringing this up again. He sighed and ran a finger through my hair, pulling a fleck of paint out of it. "I should have told you, but everything with us just happened so fast. We never really had the ''exes'' speech, and it was such a long time ago."


    I smiled, having had that same thought myself. "I know." I mentally added that we still needed to have that talk - I had a few questions, especially about him and "visiting" female vampires - but I didn''t want to have that conversation with Starla listening. And I was more confident than Teren apparently was, about us getting out of this unharmed.


    I stroked his arm as he gazed at my stomach, perhaps thinking of the woman who had briefly carried his child before me. Trying to push back my jealousy, I asked, "Why did you let her remember? Why didn''t you tell your family what happened?" My hand went up to stroke his cool cheek and his eyes lifted to mine. "I''m sure they would have understood."


    He sighed as his eyes flicked between mine. "I...I just..." His voice trailed off as he shifted his vision over my shoulder, to the window. We were out of the city, speeding down the interstate on our way to the largest city in the State, where the elusive group of mixed were apparently hiding out. Blocking his view with my head, I raised my eyebrows, waiting for a response.


    His eyes came back to mine and he shrugged. "I knew Great-Gran would take everything...and she was the first girl who loved me, the first girl I loved." He swallowed, like he hated telling me this. I smiled reassuringly and he continued. "If it were up to me...they''d all have their memories. That was Gran and Great-Gran - protect the family. Of course, now, I can see the logic in that, but back then, I''d have preferred if they all remembered me...like, I actually did exist." He swallowed again, his eyes watering. "With Carrie...I just wanted someone out there to remember that they loved me once. I just wanted one person to remember me."


    I swallowed at the look on his face, my own eyes watering. "I remember you. I''ll always remember you," I whispered.


    "I love you so much, Emma," he said, his lips immediately lowering to mine.


    After a brief kiss, I pulled back. "I know why your family wanted Carrie wiped, and why some of the girls had to be...altered, but why does Halina take it all? Can''t she leave some of the good parts? The beginning at least?"


    He looked down, a small smile on his lips. "You know how they feel about loose ends." He looked up and shrugged. "They don''t want us running into people who will notice that we don''t change." He looked down again. "Plus..." His voice trailed off and I lowered my head to meet his gaze again.


    With a sheepish smile, he shrugged. "It was easier. If they didn''t know me, then they wouldn''t try and rekindle the romance." He shook his head as he relaxed back into the seat. Starla in the front seat snorted again, resuming her gum smacking. He glanced at her and frowned. "And they had all proven that they couldn''t handle the truth, in one way or another..." He looked back at me and shrugged. "There was no future with any of them."


    I cocked my head and leaned back. "All of them?" Overlooking his condition had been pretty simple for me, in the beginning, before I''d learned how serious it was. That had taken a bit longer to accept, but I''d done it. It was a little surprising that other women hadn''t been able to see past the species, to the amazing man underneath.


    He smiled and leaned into my shoulder. "Until you." He tilted his head as he regarded me. "You truly don''t understand how rare you are."


    I bit my lip before kissing him again. Their loss...my gain. Sighing, I pulled away. "I suppose I could see why that would make you reluctant to share things about your life. I suppose you''ve just been conditioned to be secretive."


    I reached up to stoke his cheek and he smiled. "Do you forgive me then, for not telling you about her?"


    I grinned crookedly, the last lingering remnants of jealousy fading from me completely. His past didn''t matter. My past didn''t matter. Even our futures were vague, grayish blobs of uncertainties. What mattered was today. What mattered was riding in this car with him, and a strange eavesdropping woman, and feeling the love that flowed so easily between us. I still had questions, as he probably did about me, but all of the questions in my head were just to learn more about this unbelievable man who''d married me. There would be no anger, jealousy, or resentments in my questioning. Not when he was so completely mine, and I was so completely his.


    That coy smile still on my face, I murmured. "Maybe in a few years."


    Starla in the front seat groaned dramatically and turned the radio back up an earsplitting level. Over the music she loudly said, "You guys are worse than a Hallmark movie. Good god." Shaking her head, she started singing along to top forty hit and strumming her fingers on the steering wheel, tuning out our love fest. I laughed at her and rested my head on Teren''s shoulder again.


    Into my shoulder Teren muttered, "I don''t know where Carrie is, but once we get past this...speed bump, we''ll track her down and I''ll have Great-Gran erase her memories."


    I pulled back to look at him, surprised that he''d concede to her memory being taken. I found myself nodding as I looked him over. He smiled in return and whispered, "You''re the only one I need to remember me, anyway."


    Starla groaned again as Teren and I kissed again.


    The drive to L.A. was not a short one, especially when you''ve got two tiny people pressing on your bladder. After the fifth pit stop so I could pee, Starla finally got snippy about my condition, her earlier compassion all but gone. I very politely informed her that I could just relieve myself on her hand stitched leather seats instead? She stopped complaining after that.


    Teren made the nearly eight hour drive as comfortable for me as possible, rubbing my shoulders, encouraging me to take a nap on his lap, making me drink a couple packets of blood that Starla had in her car. Quite ingeniously, her group of mixed had designed portable blood packets. They were in silver pouches that you poked a straw through, reminding me of kids'' Capri Suns. They were cold though, and didn''t have the same bite as the warm stuff. But I drank it anyway, not even daring to ask what sort of animal it was from. My stomach just couldn''t handle it, if the answer was one I wouldn''t want to hear.


    Just when I was about to forcibly rip the gum out of Starla''s mouth, my very last sore-from-traveling nerve used up, we started entering the outskirts of Los Angeles.


    I''d taken family trips down here as a kid, back when my dad was alive. We''d done all the touristy stuff people do in L.A. - Disneyland, Knott''s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, La Brea Tar Pits, counted the stars of the Walk of Fame. You name it, we''d probably done it over the multiple summers we''d vacationed here. But I hadn''t been down in years, not since Dad had died, not since Ashley''s disfigurement.


    I found myself taking in the prepackaged beauty of the city. The sun had set on the long drive over and the lights of the miles wide metropolis lit the sky with an orange glow. We wouldn''t need to worry about our eyes in this place. Feeling Halina already racing towards us, I started spacing out, letting memories of happier times with my family flood into me. Then Teren beside me popped up. "What part of Los Angeles do you live in?"


    Starla brightened in clear adoration for her favorite city. "The only part of L.A. that matters - Hollywood." Her face turned a little smug as she bragged about her zip code. I resisted rolling my eyes.


    Teren didn''t bother. He even laughed at her a little. "Hollywood...seriously?"


    She sniffed, offended by his reaction. "You know a better place to look eternally youthful?" Teren twisted his lips at that and sank back into the seat. Looking over at me, he shrugged. She did have a point.


    We started weaving our way through palm tree lined streets, heading towards the nicer and nicer neighborhoods. As the houses started getting larger, security started tightening. Every house we started passing had walls and gates with intercoms and security cameras, watching our every movement. I started missing our place in San Francisco. It was cozy and warm and inviting. I couldn''t wait until I could go back there.


    I sighed and Teren squeezed my hand, running a finger through my hair as he searched my face. I smiled at him and rested my head on his shoulder.


    After another ten or fifteen minutes, we stopped before a gate at the crest of a steep sided hill. Shrubbery lined either side of the fence around the gate and the house contained within wasn''t visible. Nerves started attacking me as Starla drove up to a box, pushed the button on the intercom and said, "I''m back, brought a pair of mixed with me." The gate started rolling open, the metal scream loud to my sensitive ears. She pulled inside, the black car of her bodyguard following close behind.


    She pulled up to what looked like a seven car garage and parked the BMW, immediately stepping out if it. I noted that she left the keys in the ignition and figured that she''d never had to put her car away in her life. As Teren helped me out of the back seat, a couple twenty-something vampires approached us. I couldn''t tell if they were mixed or pure, not with it being night now, and them clearly not having any heartbeats. Although they had a certain scent to them, something that was familiar and...comforting.


    They looked over Starla, eyeing her for injuries, before sweeping over me. Their eyes widened at seeing my stomach, but then returned to normalcy. Ignoring me, they shifted their attentions to Teren, clearly the threat.


    Starla adjusted her dress and tossed her hand out to one of the guys. "This is Jacen," she flicked her hand at the other one, "...and Jordan. They''re mixed too."


    Jacen nodded stiffly at us. He was sort of short for a guy, but had the same shade of blonde hair as Starla, and also had it meticulously over styled. I couldn''t help but think that these were not vamps who went camping. His eyes were the same blue-green mix as Starla and I thought that maybe they were related in some way.


    The man beside him, Jordan, didn''t nod at us, only eyed Teren warily. He was the opposite of Jacen, tall, lean, and dark everything - hair, eyes, skin. He blended into the background of night around him and the whites of his eyes seem to glow at me more than the others.


    Teren nodded politely to both of them, a small, excited smile on his lips. "I''m Teren Adams. This is my wife, Emma." His smile broke out into a wide one. "We''re very happy to meet you."


    The men glanced at each other and then back to Teren. Jordan finally spoke. "We know who you are." He glanced at Starla again, still looking like he was making sure she was okay, and then back to Teren. "We also know what you''ve been doing, and we''re more...cautious...than happy, to meet you."


    Teren nodded, his smile fading. I grabbed his hand, stretching out my aching joints as Starla''s bodyguard parked his car and got out to stand behind us. That nervous energy tripled in me. I could hear my heart rate spike; I could even smell my fear in the air. I couldn''t help my reaction though. We were in a strange, sealed off location, surrounded.


    Teren whispered in my ear that everything would be okay and I nodded, clenching his hand harder. Jordan nodded towards the house and our group started moving that way. Starla sighed, looking bored already as she clutched her Prada bag and examined her nails, maybe thinking she''d scratched one on the long drive back. As we followed the tall, dark mixed walking beside the short, blonde mixed, Starla eyed us and muttered, "I suppose your vamp is flying down to you as we speak?"


    Teren glanced at her, looking like he didn''t want to tip her off to that fact, but then, looking at where we were, and the sort of precarious situation we were in, he nodded at her. Surprising them with an unannounced arrival may not be the best idea. She nodded, like she was well aware of that. Resuming that damn gum smacking, she calmly said, "We have full vampires too."


    I had no idea if she was merely stating a fact, or if she was implying a threat. My heart sped up even more. Hearing it, Jacen turned his blonde head back to me. "Calm down, no one here is going to hurt you." Not letting me respond to that, he shifted his head to Starla. "Will you spit that damn stuff out? Do you have any idea how loud that is?"


    She twisted her lips and put a hand on her hip. "Shut it, Jace."


    He rolled his eyes and twisted to the front door we were approaching. As he grumbled that she resembled a cow, I felt myself relaxing. As scary as these strangers seemed, underneath it all, they were a family, much like the one I''d left behind at the ranch. That made me feel slightly better, as we walked through the front door of the compound.


    I say compound because of its size. Much like the Adams vamps, this group liked space. There were one or two smaller, side buildings in a basic one level design, but the main building was an impressive one to three story dwelling. It varied in height, shape and dimension, so that the building almost seemed alive. Everything was all curves and arches and roundness, as if Dr. Seuss had designed the house. But overlaying that odd architecture was a layer of opulence that made Teren''s family seem thrifty.


    Waterford Crystal vases held flowers that smelled completely fresh and new. I was pretty sure they were rotated daily. The foyer had an actual Oriental rug. My eyes could see the intricately weaved together patterns. I thought it was a little gaudy, but it definitely screamed money. The ground not covered by the expensive rugs, was cool, polished granite and the ivory walls were filled with original works of art.


    As I stared at the crystal chandelier hanging over my head, I wondered if there was such a thing a poor vampire.


    Starla harshly tossed her designer bag on an intricately carved purpleheart wood entryway table. Sighing irritably, she smacked Jacen''s shoulder. He glowered as he looked back at her. Purposely smacking her gum, she gave Teren and me a wry glance as the bodyguard shut the door behind us all. With her thumb, she indicated Jacen. "Did you know that before he died, Jacen here attempted to be a stage actor?"


    Jacen tilted his blonde head at her, his face not amused. He crossed his arms over his chest as she continued. "Yeah, he even got a small part in a play. Wanna guess what his role was?"


    She raised her eyebrows gleefully as Jacen growled low in his chest. Teren and I looked at each other and shook our heads. Teren started tuning them out, looking around the room, like he could somehow find an answer to our all questions in one of the many paintings hanging on the walls. I could tell he was getting antsy, being so close to what he''d wanted for so long.


    Starla laughed, smacking Jacen''s shoulder again. "A vampire. The dork actually got a role as a vampire." Jacen told her to shut up, but she started laughing near uncontrollably. As Jordan rolled his eyes and disappeared into the house, she managed to spit out around fits of laughter, "The director fired him...because he wasn''t convincing enough."


    She bent over, clearly delighted by this fact. Jacen straightened and glared at her. He could be imposing in a way, but he was still barely bigger than her. "Bite me, Starla."


    She smirked, popping a bubble in his face. "Anytime, Jace." She smiled and flashed a fang at him.


    My eyes flicked between the both of them, not sure what to do with any of that exchange. Teren beside me had finally had enough though. He dropped my hand and stepped forward. That got everyone''s attention. The seemingly relaxed mood in the room stopped, as Jacen and the bodyguard bared their fangs at him. Starla had spent quite a bit of time with us, and wasn''t nearly as wary as she had been upon our first introduction.


    She put a calming hand on Jacen''s shoulder as Teren shook his head and raised his hands in the air. Taking a step back to stand by me again, he irritably tossed out, "Why did you bring us here? For stories?" He sighed in frustration and ran a hand back through his dark hair. "You said we should talk to your father...can we see him now, please?"


    Just then, Jordan came back to the room with another vampire, also appearing to be in his twenties. I figured he was a mixed then too. Jordan looked between Jacen and Starla, his dark eyes disapproving. "Do you two ever stop acting like children?"


    As one, they both turned to him and stuck their tongues out. The new vampire cleared his throat authoritatively and they both immediately stopped goofing off. As Teren grabbed my hand again, Starla skipped over to the new arrival.


    "Hello, Father," she said, throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "I brought back the vampire causing all the problems. Seems he tried to turn his human."


    Her father smiled down at her. His face was smooth and lineless and intrinsically beautiful. He had completely green eyes and sandy brown hair, but looking at him gazing at his daughter, I thought I could see the resemblance. "I''m glad you''ve returned safely, Starla." He glanced up at her bodyguard and briefly nodded. The big, silent man nodded back and left the room. I exhaled with relief when he did.


    Looking over at the two of us, the man slung his arm around his daughter, kissing her head. While never removing his eyes from us, he said, "It''s Teren, isn''t it?"


    Still holding my hand, Teren extended his other to the man. "Yes, sir."


    The man smiled with one side of his mouth. "Please, call me Gabriel. And this one here is your mate?" Gabriel smiled warmly at me, extending his hand in my direction.


    I took it, noting the coolness of undead skin, and gave him my greeting. At the same time, Teren answered with, "She''s my wife, Emma." He emphasized the word wife. To Teren, that word carried greater weight.


    Gabriel took in my achingly obvious condition and frowned slightly. None of them seemed to realize what Teren wanted with the mixed. None of them seemed to have expected a pregnant girl in their midst. Turning his head to Teren, he raised his eyebrows at him. "You tried to turn her? While pregnant? I can see your dilemma now. That was very foolish and quite a risk. Why would you do that, to someone you obviously care about?"


    Teren took that as his opening. "She was dying, another vampire bit her. I tried to save her. Can you help her? Do you know what I''ve done to her? Do you know if she''ll convert? Can you save the children before she does?"


    Gabriel laughed, releasing Starla and gripping Teren''s shoulder. "Are you always this anxious?" Extending an arm down a hallway, he calmly said. "You and I have some things to discuss, don''t we? Come, first I have something to show you."


    Teren sighed at that, frustrated to not have his questions immediately answered, then nodded, and stepped where Gabriel indicated.

 Page 20

    We walked down hallways lined with gold fringed tapestries. A lot of the pictures were scenic, but some were actually of vampires. It was discreet of course, one merely being a man kissing a woman''s neck, but my enhanced eyes could see the slight shadow of a fang on the woman''s neck as the vampire leaned in to drink from his meal. Sadly, the picture made me hungry.


    Teren clutched my hand hard as we walked behind Gabriel and Starla. Glancing at him, I could see that his jaw was tight. He was nervous and excited and most of all, struggling with impatience. My upcoming birthday was like a death toll, gonging in his head. Rubbing my stomach with my free hand, I checked my physical state. Aside from slightly swollen feet and a mild case of heartburn, I felt fine. Not about to have a heart attack or anything.Advertisement


    I leaned into Teren''s side and he looked down on me, concern replacing anxiousness in his pale eyes. I smiled encouragingly and he gave me a nervous smile in return.


    Jacen from behind us, snorted. "You two act like we''re marching you to the gallows. Stop being so dramatic."


    Teren frowned at the man, but Gabriel in the lead, stopped and looked back at him, clear displeasure in his striking face. Starla beside him laughed and smacked her gum. I heard Jacen swallow, but my attention was all on Gabriel.


    Narrowing his eyes, he calmly said, "I expect immaturity from Starla, she is only twenty-two, after all." Starla beside him harrumphed at that. I nearly expected her to stomp her pricey high heels too, but she refrained. Gabriel continued, ignoring her. "You, Jacen, are over one hundred twenty." He raised his eyebrows. "Start acting like it."


    From behind us, I heard Jacen sigh and slump. "Sorry, Father."


    My head swung around to stare at Jacen after he said that. Father? Jacen was staring at his shoes, admonished under his father''s stern gaze. Confused, I looked back at Starla. She''d called him father as well, but he''d also just said she was twenty-two. I didn''t understand how he''d had children one hundred years apart? I was under the impression that that wasn''t possible.


    "Teren, how did he...?" I didn''t know how to finish that sentence, so I didn''t try. I didn''t need to either. Gabriel swung his green eyes back to me and smiled warmly.


    Understanding my vague question, he answered with, "They are not my blood children." His eyes glanced at Starla, attached to his arm, and Jacen and Jordan behind us. "The title is honorific, I suppose." He shrugged and indicated us to keep walking. As we approached a set of marble staircases, leading down into even more levels, he continued with his speech. I was grateful for it. His deep voice was a soothing distraction from the feeling that we were headed towards the dungeons.


    "All of my actual children have converted and moved on, to start their own nests around the world. I miss them, but I can sense them through the bloodline, and take comfort in that." He looked down at Starla, fatherly pride on his face. "As for my new family, well, I take in what mixed I can, giving them a home and a safe place to changeover, if they still need to. They are free to come and go as they like, but many have decided to stay here with me. Safety in numbers." He looked back at Teren and me. "They gave me the appellation, out of respect."


    Starla grinned back at us, blowing a big bubble. With a slight clearing of his throat, Gabriel held his hand out to her. Pouting like a child being reprimanded unfairly by a parent, she spit her gum in his hand. Jacen behind us laughed softly and Starla shot him a glare. While not technically related, the two sure acted like squabbling siblings.


    As we descended to a hallway, deep under the main level we''d started out on, I noticed that the luxuries continued on even down here. Plush carpet replaced the granite flooring from upstairs and I nearly wanted to shuck off my shoes and let my aching toes sink into the fibers. The hallway we were walking down had several closed doors in it, almost like a dorm. I wondered if we''d traveled down into the living area of the mixed. I wondered if the full vampires stayed down her too, but while dark and underground, it wasn''t as lightproof as Halina''s rooms. Maybe they were the next floor down. As we padded along, Starla still pouting, Teren stepped up to walk beside Gabriel. There was enough room in that hallway that I was able to stay beside him, and the four of us walked along.


    With a mixture of wonder and respect in his tone, Teren asked, "If I may, sir, how old are you?" I widened my eyes curiously at that. If Jacen was over one-twenty, and deferred to this man, he must be even older.


    Gabriel smiled, a calm wisdom in his emerald eyes that only decades of experience can give you. It was still odd to me to see so much life experience in the eyes of people who looked younger than me. With a shrug he stated, "Six hundred eleven."


    Teren''s jaw fell open, as did mine. A low whistle escaped my lips before I could stop it. Wow. He''d been around for the actual medieval times. I couldn''t even begin to comprehend everything he''d seen.


    He smiled softly, and for just a moment, I saw the weariness behind his eyes. Wisdom did come with a price. As Alanna had told me once, immortality wasn''t all it was cracked up to be.


    "Oh," Teren said softly, looking like was trying to process that as well. Nearly in a whisper he added, "I wasn''t even sure if we would live that long." He looked down when he said that, his ignorance on his own kind seemingly embarrassing him.


    Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder. "There is much that you don''t know." Teren looked up at him as Gabriel sighed, almost regretfully. "I sort of blame myself for that." Teren scrunched his face, confused by that statement. Gabriel sighed again. "Your nest came to my attention a few years ago." My jaw dropped way open at that. My teeth popped out too, before I embarrassingly pulled them back in. Only Starla noticed, giggling at me.


    Gabriel continued, looking chagrined at Teren''s surprise. "You all looked so peacefully content at your little ranch. A blissfully ignorant little family." He smiled with a corner of his mouth and shook his head. "I didn''t want to interfere."


    Teren started sputtering and ran a hand through his hair. "We didn''t know...we thought we were alone. Why...? How...?" Calming himself, he took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as well. "We would have been honored to meet you. You should have come by."


    Gabriel sighed again and looked forward. We approached a ''T'' in the hallway and he turned the group to the right. Behind us, I could hear Jacen and Jordan silently following. They listened, but didn''t interrupt their master. I had no idea what they felt about the matter. Starla seemed...bored. She had released herself from Gabriel''s side and was examining her nails again buffing out a spot with her thumb while we continued down yet another long hallway.


    Gabriel glanced over at Teren with the corner of his eye. "Well, you all seemed to have everything under control." His eyes flicked over to me, and then my stomach. "Until you started knocking over every vampire nest you could find." His eyes went back to Teren''s, his eyebrows raised. "Annoying our brethren, is not a good way to remain unnoticed, or alive."


    Teren looked down at the floor for a second before raising his eyes back to Gabriel, an almost defiant look on his face. "I had no choice. I didn''t know how else to find you."


    Gabriel smirked at the look on his face and then nodded. We finally approached the end of the hall. Looking behind us, behind Jacen and Jordan, I could see that the hallway we''d been walking down wasn''t a straight one, it had angled some, and I could no longer see much of where we''d been. That thought didn''t exactly please me.


    Twisting back to the front, I took in the set of double doors before us. The handles were gold, with a gold inlay around the trim, highlighting a red octagonal pattern set into each panel. Teren swallowed as Gabriel smiled and pulled down the handle. I wasn''t sure what we were walking into, but I was sure it held the answers we were looking for. I clutched Teren''s arm, attaching to his side.


    Gabriel swung open the door and we looked into a room that was set up like...well, a laboratory. Confused, Teren and I entered the odd-for-a-mansion room. It was straight out of a horror movie and I even found myself looking around for the mad scientist. All I found was Gabriel, walking up to some steaming beakers and sniffing them. Smiling, he turned down a burner under one. Jordan walked into the room and joined Gabriel''s side, examining a batch of some pinkish fluid resting in vials under a heat lamp. He seemed to eye the room with the casual air of someone who came down here a lot. Jordan probably assisted the ancient mixed...in whatever they were doing down here.


    Jacen stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Instantly, I felt the difference. Teren and I glanced at each other and I could tell he sensed it to - this room was soundproof. And not just any sort of soundproof, this room was vampire-soundproof. That was saying something. As the background noise of people rustling, low conversations, objects moving, and keyboards clacking, instantly silenced, my nerves spiked a bit. The smell of chemicals, steam, propane, and the faint sweetness of blood in the air, suddenly seemed cloying.


    Gabriel looked up from a pot of liquid to look at me, hearing my reaction. "Don''t fret, child. I find that the silence helps me think." He smiled, looking tired again. "Sometimes, a little quiet is nice."


    I nodded and tried to relax my body, exhaling slowly. Jacen looked around the room after closing the door. He did not look like he came down here very often, and his eyes were interested, but obviously confused. He didn''t know what this stuff was, anymore than I did. Starla seemed to have a better idea.


    She walked up to Gabriel and sat on a stool in front of him. Lifting her arm, she exposed the inside of her elbow to him. Teren and I walked up to them, still confused. Gabriel held his hand out to Jordan, who handed him a pink vial. The stuff vaguely looked familiar to me, but I wasn''t sure why. We watched in silent awe as Gabriel stuck a syringe in the vial, extracted a small amount, and then injected it into Starla''s arm. She flinched a little, but didn''t seem overly concerned about the matter.


    My mouth dropped open again, but it was Teren who spoke. "What was that?" There was a strange edge of apprehension to his voice.


    Gabriel handed the empty syringe to Jordan, patting Starla''s arm as she hopped off the stool. Not directly answering Teren, he said, "When my heart was still beating, my human wife and I had three children." He smiled, looking at the floor for a moment. "The two girls grew up, had children of their own, converted, and then left my care." His reminiscent smile evaporated and he raised his eyes to Teren''s. "My son..." He swallowed and I could clearly see the ancient sadness bubbling in him. "He didn''t survive the conversion. The hunger consumed him..."


    He sighed and looked down. I swallowed and clutched Teren''s arm tighter. I peeked up as Teren looked back at me, his jaw tight. He''d nearly been consumed by that hunger too. Picking up a full vial, Gabriel began shifting it back and forth in his hand, the liquid inside sloshing from one side to the other. "After my wife passed, I spent the next five hundred years, trying to find a way to stop the conversion."


    His eyes left the liquid to look back to Teren. "To stop the human side of our kind from prematurely dying. To let the vampire have a choice in when and where, they go through their conversion. I want them to have children when they want to, to have a heartbeat as long as they want to, to enjoy humanity as long as they want to. I want to give our kind a choice - to be reborn as an undead creature, or live and die a purely human life. A choice my son...never had."


    Teren took an excited step forward, and I could tell he was itching with the restraint to not scream questions at this man. Gabriel held the vial up to him as he took another step forward. Teren released my hand and grabbed the vial, holding it like it was somehow sacred. Gabriel continued, while Teren and I looked confused. "I concocted this. It''s a derivative of our mixed blood." In a whisper, he said, "Among other things, it slows the vampiric blood inside us, eases the strain placed on the human heart, allowing it to beat for much longer than normal."


    Teren''s eyes snapped up. "Does it work?"


    Gabriel glanced over at Starla, now standing beside him. "I haven''t been able to test it on as many living-mixed as I''d like, but Starla here has been taking it for the past six months or so." She grinned at Gabriel''s affectionate look and leaned back on her hip.


    I frowned. "But she''s only twenty two. You won''t really know if it works on her for years." Starla frowned at me bursting her prideful bubble.


    Gabriel smiled, but didn''t answer me. He turned to Jordan and in a not audible for human level, said, "Bring Samuel here."


    Jordan nodded and blurred from the room. Teren and I watched him leave, our brows still scrunched. Finally Teren shook his head. "This...may save her?" His eyes were watering; there was so much hope in them.


    Gabriel sighed. "To be honest, I don''t know. The treatment doesn''t take for everyone." He raised an eyebrow at me as my shoulders slumped. "But, then again, you lived through a vampire attack." He smiled widely, pointing at the telltale scar on my neck. "The fact that you are not dead and gone is quite astounding, my dear."


    I smiled wryly as Teren and I exchanged a brief glance. Teren smiled softly just as the door to the lab opened again. Amid the rush of noises reentering the room, I heard a definite heartbeat adding to mine and Starla''s. Curious, I looked over. My jaw dropped straight down to the floor. Tall and dark Jordan was walking into the room with a man who was clearly older, approaching his forties, if not already there. The smell of the man, foreign, yet with a familiar note that I was coming to associate with partial vampires, filled me, and I stared at him in awe.


    Teren gaped at him as well, walking over to see him more closely, his head cocked, like the sound of his still beating heart was mystifying. And it sort of was. I''d been so used to twenty-something mixed, that the sight of a graying haired man, his fangs extended to show us what he was, was stunning.


    Teren twisted back to Gabriel, his smile glorious. "It works," he breathed.


    Gabriel smiled and nodded at Samuel, indicating the stool. Samuel obediently walked over, lifting his arm in the same way Starla did. As Jordan prepared a second vial, Gabriel nodded at Teren. "In the ones that take to it, it has worked exceedingly well."


    He frowned, his lips twisting in displeasure as he injected the fluid into Samuel''s arm. "The first batch I created...did not." He was silent for a second and then he fixed his face into a more clinical expression, as he explained. "Conversions are an interesting process in mixed. In pure vampires, it happens when they are created. When a mixed is born, the element that completes the transformation from living to undead, stays dormant. But eventually, the strain of our free-flowing blood is too much, and somewhere between twenty-one and twenty-six, depending on the family history of the vampire, an event is triggered, and that element activates. The blood then accelerates to a point where the vampire''s human body can no longer handle it. The heart burns out, the human side dies and the vampiric blood takes over, reanimating the creature."


    I watched, fascinated, as he finished injecting Samuel and handed the empty syringe to Jordan. He glanced at our curious faces. "You see, the process of conversion isn''t just the human side dying, it''s also the vampiric side awakening. Kill a mixed vampire before that trait has a chance to awaken, and you kill the vampire as surely as you would kill a human. That genetic marker in the blood is the key to vampirism." He sighed and shook his head. "The first batch I created accidentally triggered that dormant element in the blood - revved it up and burnt out the heart within hours, jump-starting the process, regardless of the vampire''s age." He shrugged and looked very sad as Samuel rubbed the injection site on his arm. "I accidentally converted quite a few vampires, much too soon." He shook his head sadly and I gasped audibly.


    He flicked his eyes up to mine, seemingly concerned at my alarmed reaction. "I stopped. Once I realized what it was doing, that it was never going to work, I destroyed all of the samples, locked up my research. Don''t worry, I adjusted the formula considerably." His eyes took on a look of a scientist as he said that, emotionally detached from what he''d done. Of course, he probably didn''t understand the extent of what he''d actually done.


    Teren gasped as well as he looked back at me. Locking eyes, we understood each other. Teren looked back at Gabriel. "I think you may have missed some." His voice was rough, hard with anger.


    Gabriel blinked at hearing it. My eyes watered as I found Teren''s hand. That man who''d kidnapped us had injected Teren with something that had killed him. It had revved up his blood and given him a heart attack. He''d claimed it as his own creation at the time, but it hadn''t been. Somehow, he''d gotten a hold of Gabriel''s samples and had tried to pawn it off as his own. I always suspected that the bastard hadn''t been smart enough to come up with something like that. But I couldn''t believe a mixed had come up with it. I wondered if Gabriel knew that a hunter had been out there, killing other mixed with his creation. By the startlement on his face as Teren described what had happened to him, I didn''t think he knew. As Samuel stood from the stool, he heavily sat down into it.


    "That''s not possible...the only person who could have..." His voice trailed off as he left that thought unfinished.


    Slight anger still in his voice, Teren cocked his head. "Who?"


    Gabriel, still looking stunned, shook his head and looked back up at Teren. His face regaining his ancient composer, he smiled. "A family matter. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, but I will take it from here." Standing up, he cast a significant look back at Jordan, who nodded once and left the room. I had the feeling that someone was in a world of trouble.


    Bringing his eyes back to Teren, he calmly asked. "Has the hunter been dealt with?"


    Teren smiled with an edge of his mouth. He nodded slightly. "He didn''t survive...my conversion." I knew for a fact that that knowledge actually greatly bothered Teren, but he wasn''t about to show a hint of weakness amongst this house of supernaturally strong creatures.


    Gabriel raised an eyebrow and smiled at Teren. "Well, I can''t say I''m sorry about that."


    Teren raised his eyebrows, looking like he''d just mentally assembled some puzzle pieces together in his head. "He must have come to California for you." Gabriel gave him a curious expression and Teren shook his head. "The hunter left journals. They actually helped lead us to vampires. I think your nest was referenced in them. I think he was here for you, but he made a pit stop, when he stumbled across me."


    Gabriel stared at Teren for long moments. "Interesting. It would seem that our lives started entwining before today." He frowned and shook his head. "I am terribly sorry for what happened to the both of you." He nodded at Teren, solemnly. "Because of you, he can no longer use my creation to harm anyone else. You have my gratitude for that."


    He looked down, regret filling his ancient eyes. "As you were a mixed that had not converted yet, I was going to come out to your ranch, to offer you the shot, if you were interested." He peeked up at a shocked Teren. "I was obviously...too late." He shrugged. "When I had the time to come visit with you, word got back to me that you''d already converted. I didn''t think anything of the circumstances surrounding your conversion. I regretted that I''d lost the chance to study you, but I moved on to other prospects." He stood and extended a hand to Teren. "You have my deepest apologies that I was in any way involved in your...unfortunate situation."


    Teren and I looked at each other. If Gabriel had offered Teren the shot, and it had worked on him, we would have had all the time in the world to conceive our children. Even now, Teren''s heart could have been beating. I let that thought tumble through me, then tumble out of me. What-ifs were all well and good, but it hadn''t happened like that, and Teren was what he was now, and we were fine with it. My hand idly rubbed my stomach. We''d even managed the conception part just fine. Now, we just needed to make it to the birthing part.


    Gabriel turned and then started packing several vials into a leather briefcase. He filled another one and then handed them both to Jacen, who looked happy at finally having an important task to do. Starla sighed and started twirling empty vials on the counter. Gabriel grinned at his "daughter" and then indicated the vial still in Teren''s hand. "I''ve provided enough to get her through the pregnancy. Give her 4cc a day, every day. Don''t give her more than that, don''t give her less, and don''t miss a day. It has to be exact, for it to work."


    Teren stared at the vial, then his hand clenched around it. "How will we know if it''s going to work on her?"


    Gabriel stared at the ground, before looking back up. "Unfortunately, some things from the first batch still carried over." Teren and I looked at each other confused. Gabriel sighed, then explained. "If it is not going to work on her, it will almost immediately awaken the dormant trait within the vampiric blood, and her heart will stop, much like yours did. But while your body took hours to die after your shot, on her newly-exposed-to-the-blood body, it will happen fast. If her heart does not give out within several minutes of the first dose...you''ll know it works."


    Teren''s mouth dropped and he stared over at me. I felt my chest stop breathing as my face paled. So that was it, all or nothing.


    Gabriel''s voice snapped us out of our stupor. "I''m sorry there is not a gentler way. I''m assuming she''s close to conversion? You seemed desperate to find me."


    Teren nodded, still numbly staring at me. "We have no choice, I guess." His eyes watered and I nodded at him. Yes, we had no choice. My heart would give out if we did nothing. If there was a chance to prolong that until after the birth, to save the children, we had to take it.


    Looking back at Gabriel, Teren whispered, "If it doesn''t work, and she starts the conversion...will she finish it. Will she survive? Is my mixed blood enough to fully change her?"


    Gabriel looked at Teren for long seconds. I thought I could see the debate in his eyes, maybe judging whether being honest with Teren, would drive him over the edge. Finally, and without ever removing his eyes from Teren, he spoke to Starla, spinning on the stool in her boredom. "Starla, please help Jacen load the vials into your car."


    Starla straightened and pouted, her perfectly painted lips disgruntled. "My car? Do I have to drive them back, Father? They live so far away...and do have any idea how annoyingly lovey-dovey they are?"


    Gabriel looked at her from the corner of his eye and I heard Jacen suppressing a laugh. Starla immediately looked down and replied with, "Yes, Father."


    She and Jacen twisted to leave the room, Starla smacking him across the back as Jacen snorted once. "Shut it, Jace," she muttered as she opened the door to leave. The sounds of the house rushed back in on me, and I swear, somewhere in the house, I heard what sounded like a muffled cry.


    Samuel also seemed to hear that. "Father, I should get back to...that other situation."


    Gabriel looked over at Samuel, who was eyeing us cautiously. I wasn''t quite sure what situation he was referring to. Maybe Jordan had found the culprit already. Gabriel nodded at Samuel. "Please, make sure the vampires stay back. Zane needs it, not them. He is the one completing his conversion tonight." Samuel nodded, and then left through the open door, closing it behind him.


    Once again encased in silence, I forgot our original conversation, and curiously asked, "You have someone here, converting?" I turned back to Gabriel, stepping forward to grab Teren''s hand.


    Gabriel gave me a sideways glance, also looking cautious. He straightened, his eyes emotionally detached again. "Yes. He chose to let his human side die. He should be awakening at any moment actually." Gabriel looked through the walls of the home, to where the seemingly dead person was changing. "I should be there for that." When he looked back at us, his face switched back to concern for his "family". "I always try to be there, to help the new ones." His eyes shifted over to Teren, and I clenched Teren''s hand tighter. "That first moment can be quite...terrifying."


    "What will he eat," Teren asked smoothly.


    My eyes widened as pieces of the conversation fell into place. Gabriel cocked his head at Teren, twisting his lips. "You are not the only one that has come across hunters." Gabriel sighed, coming over to stand in front of us. Sitting on the edge of a table, he crossed his arms over his chest. "We found one a few nights ago, trying to...remove, one of my children." A hard edge was in his voice and my face paled.


    "He''s here, alive?" A shiver went through me, remembering the muffled cry I''d heard.


    Gabriel shifted his cool, green eyes to me and nodded. "For a little while longer."


    Knowing I sounded hypocritical, I sputtered, "You can''t just feed him to a vampire. That''s murder."


    Gabriel stood and walked over to me. Tilting his head, his ageless, attractive face said, "If you found a predator at your ranch, picking off your cattle, what would you do with it?"


    I shook my head. "It''s not the same..." My voice was small and weak, knowing I was sort of condemning him for something I''d actually done myself, at one point in my life.


    Gabriel, not knowing that part of our story, shook his head. "To us, it is. The people here rely on me to protect them. I can''t do that, if I let him live. He could spread the word, tell others where we are." Walking up to me, he ran a finger through my hair. Teren stiffened, but did nothing to stop this powerful man who had agreed to try to help us. "I''m sorry if you don''t approve of our methods, but our survival depends on secrecy."


    "You have full vampires. You could wipe him? Take everything?" I tried again. I wasn''t sure why I was fighting for the human. Maybe to atone for my own sins, or maybe because I still saw myself as completely human and I was campaigning for my species. But honestly, the man had chosen his own fate, when he''d started a fight with these people.


    Gabriel shook his head. "I have hungry mouths to feed." He shrugged his shoulders, dropping his hand from my hair. His eyes rested on my stomach. "I''m...killing two birds with one stone." He looked up at me, a slight grin on his face.


    I swallowed at seeing it, not entirely comfortable with this situation. Teren finally took back the conversation. Pulling me slightly behind him, he quietly said, "What you do with hunters...is your own business. We won''t interfere." He squeezed my hand after he said that, non-verbally telling me to drop this. I bit my lip, not wanting to drop it, but not wanting to upset the man who may have potentially saved the lives of my children.


    I squeezed his hand back to let him know I''d be good, and he continued, "What will happen to Emma? Have you ever tried to change someone?"


    Gabriel shook his head, walking over to another table, where closed vials of pure red blood waited. He lifted one and my eyes tracked the movement of the sloshing liquid inside. Even though I''d had a pick-me-up in Starla''s car, staring at a clear vial of the stuff, amped up the vampire reaction in me.


    Not able to help myself, I dropped Teren''s hand and stepped forward, a low growl leaving my chest.


    Gabriel paused from examining the container and peeked up at me. With a tiny smile he said, "She is close, isn''t she?" His smile dropped as he looked over at Teren. "I wouldn''t wait too long to give her that first dose." He cocked his head as I stopped moving, stopped breathing. "We could do it now, here?"


    My breathing started again, faster, and my heart matched pace. I wasn''t ready. I wasn''t ready to possibly die. I twisted to look at Teren, pleading in my eyes. He swallowed, torn between wanting to help, and not wanting to accidentally kill me. His eyes not leaving mine, he whispered. "We''ll wait." In a calmer voice, he narrowed his eyes at me and added, "We''ll do it at home...with our family."


    My heart and breath relaxed, and I nodded. Teren''s head turned back to Gabriel, still thoughtfully holding a container of blood. "You still haven''t answered my question." I could hear some of that impatience creep back into his voice, and I held my hand out to him, silently encouraging him to relax. He exhaled as his cool hand clenched mine. I nearly sighed with relief; his impatience had gotten us into enough trouble lately.


    Gabriel smirked at Teren''s restraint and then finally answered him. "I have not done it myself, but I have seen it done." He sighed and raised the vial of blood to his eye. "Some mixed try and turn their spouses, try to keep their loved ones for eternity."


    "And?" Teren whispered, taking a step towards the man who had all our answers.


    Gabriel lowered the vial and sighed again. "It almost always leads to their loved one''s death." His ancient eyes lost their detachment and seemed genuinely sad. "I have held many a vampire, who inadvertently destroyed their mate." He held the vial up to Teren, holding the top and bottom with his fingers. Controlling myself, I fought back another growl trying to rise up in me. My body really wanted that stuff he was holding.


    With a cocked eyebrow, he said, "It is so rare for a human to be able to accept our blood." He lowered the vial and smiled at me. "As I said before, it is a miracle that you are even alive, my dear. A mixed successfully turning someone is not common." His focus shifted from me to Teren. "Especially from your blood." Gabriel raised an eyebrow at him. "What generation are you? Third at least, correct?" Teren feebly nodded, looking stunned and still a little confused. Gabriel''s eyes came back to mine, his beautiful face still shining. "You are very rare, indeed."


    "So I keep hearing," I muttered, still not sure what my fate was.


    Gabriel cocked his head at me, the scientific detachment coming back to his expression. Completely serious, he said, "I''d love to study you."


    My eyes widened at that and Teren shifted his stance to slightly stand in front of me. With his brow furrowed, he ignored Gabriel''s comment. "So, what happened to her doesn''t happen to most. But...what did happen to her?"


    Gabriel set the blood filled vial back down into a tray containing other, similar vials. He tilted his head at Teren. "Fascinating creatures, mixed vampires. Not quite human, not quite vampire, we exist almost as a species all our own." He raised an eyebrow at Teren. "If you are interested, I could explain to you the difference between what happens when a pureblood vampire changes someone - how their blood completely eradicates every human cell and takes over." Gabriel smiled warmly and extended his hand to indicate Teren''s body. "I could explain to you how a mixed vampire''s blood works in a completely different way - bonding with any human cells left in the body, working in conjunction with whatever trace amounts of human genes are left."


    He continued smiling, as I stared at him with what had to be a blank expression, my hormonal brain busy absorbing the distinction between the two seemingly similar species. Teren nodded, looking interested, but also impatient; more than a vampire biology lesson, he wanted to know my fate.


    Gabriel''s emerald eyes still on mine, he said in that scientific voice, "I could go into an intricate amount of detail on how mixed blood needs the perfect balance of human blood left behind to work properly." He raised his hand and indicated a small amount with his finger and thumb. "Too little left leaves it with nothing to attach to, and too much," he opened his fingers and splayed his hands wide, "dilutes it to a point where the vampirism is ineffectual, and does nothing." He swished his fingers, miming nothingness.


    While Teren looked like he was replaying the night of my attack, mentally recalling how much blood had been left in me, Gabriel shifted his stance, crossing his arms over his chest. Looking like a teacher tutoring a couple of students after class, he continued, since we hadn''t interrupted. "I could explain all of this and so much more. How intricate and fascinating the fine line is for mixed turnings. As I already mentioned, how rare it is that a human has the genetic disposition to even accept the foreign blood entering it." He nodded his head at me, indicating my body, "It''s like having to be the ultimate universal receiver." His hand flashed out from his chest to indicate Teren again. "How the chances are better, the closer to pure the mixed is, with the third generations being about the last that can do it, and even then, rarely."


    His voice took on a look of wonder as he gestured in the air with that hand. "Like a masterful, complicated surgery, the act of a mixed vampire successfully changing over a human...is full of the potential for disaster. And usually is." He shrugged.


    I tilted my head, feeling like I was back in human anatomy, only now all the rules were suddenly changed. Gabriel smiled at Teren and me, his captivated students, and continued. "I could explain all of that in excruciating detail...but..." He glanced at me. I could tell my brows were drawn into sharp points. This was a lot for my already strained pregnancy brain to try and take in all at once. He smiled wider. "I wouldn''t want to confuse you anymore today, than you probably already are."


    He crossed both arms over his chest again, looking elegant and undeniably intelligent. "Just know that a mixed turning creates what could easily be classified as another mixed. When a list of specific conditions are met, the new, nearly symbiotic blood, keeps the human body alive. That human then, for as much as you need to concern yourself with, becomes a near carbon copy of the mixed that created it."


    I nodded, finally feeling like I was understanding some of it. It usually doesn''t work...got it. When it does, a mixed creates another mixed...got it. Gabriel smiled at my comprehension, then frowned. "But, exactly like a mixed born into the world, the human side will wear down from the strain." He frowned further as his eyes turned sympathetic. "However, unlike born mixed, this will happen much, much faster for you. A pure human just hasn''t had a lifetime to be conditioned to the strain, like a vampire born into it. As a result, their body wears out, and that dormant trait awakens, within a few months."


    He sighed and shook his head, his gaze redirecting to Teren. "To my knowledge, most convert within a month or two of the initial blood transfer. I''ve yet to hear of one making it to three."


    I paled at that, mentally calculating how much time had gone by since Teren had given me his blood. It had been awhile. I''d been secretly hoping that my stopwatch had started that night, and that my body could handle the strain for a full twenty-six years. But it would seem that Teren was closer to the truth, and my birthday was really my end game, since it was pretty close to two months after the attack. And he''d said "maybe". I guess I was pretty lucky that my heart was even still beating. Hoping that I''d make it to three months was probably pushing the limits of my "rareness".


    Gabriel looked over my pallor and smiled warmly. Twisting back to Teren, he shrugged and said, "But, to answer your original question, if she has made it this far, I see no problems with your blood being enough to complete her conversion process."


    Teren slumped down as relief washed over him. I could smell the fear evaporate as he covered his face with his hands. I watched his body vibrate and knew he was struggling to not break out in sobs. I smiled, my own relief filling me. It was like a shot of cold water to the face, suddenly believing that I may actually make it through this. I placed a hand on Teren''s back and he instantly turned to sweep me into his arms. He grabbed my face and rested our heads together. Tears dripped off my cheeks as I watched his fill to the brim. "You''re going to live, Emma."


    The anxiety leaving my body came out in a nervous laugh. "Once I die," I added to his comment.


    His anxiety left his body in small chuckles, and he leaned in to kiss me repeatedly.

 Page 21

    Gabriel laughed softly as I listened to him walk up to us. We stopped kissing as he put a hand on my shoulder; his was as chilly as any other vampire that had ever touched me. "You two really are quite lovey-dovey."


    Starla''s words coming from his ancient mouth made me grin and start to laugh. I held onto Teren, not wanting to separate yet. His arms slung around me too, his hand coming down to rest on my stomach, also comforting our children. They squirmed and wriggled at his touch, one kicking me in a sore rib.Advertisement


    Gabriel smiled at hearing them. "Twins among our kind are exceedingly rare." He smirked at me. "Rarer than you, my dear." With a technical demeanor, he shrugged and said, "If they survive this, I''d be very interested in watching their development."


    Teren''s hand firmed on my stomach. His jaw tightened too and I could see the protective instinct flare up inside him, it flared up in me too. I was very grateful to Gabriel, for giving us hope, for giving our family a chance, but I didn''t exactly want him poking and prodding our kids like tiny little science experiments. Before I could say anything in rebuttal, Teren responded with, "We are extremely thankful, for everything you''ve done for us. We will never forget...your friendship."


    His tone was tight when he said that and I knew he was having the same thoughts I was - you''ll never get so much as a drop of blood from our babies - but he couldn''t be that blatantly rude to this ancient, well connected vampire. We needed him to be firmly on our side, especially if we ever needed more life-giving vials of his miraculous juice.


    Gabriel didn''t seem to take any offense to Teren''s words or tone. With a smile, he indicated the door to leave the room. As we exited the soundproof lab under the house, the sounds of dozens of bustling people filled my ears. I didn''t know how many I was hearing, or what species they all were - mixed or pure - but there was a harmonic quality to the cacophony and I found myself smiling. Being in that room had been too quiet. Considering how I used to wonder how Teren could stand all of his extra abilities, it was pretty interesting how I''d already adapted to mine.


    Occasionally, the human hunter''s cry would hit my sharp ears. I did my best to ignore it, but every wail and every plea for help, only made me feel even worse. As we walked back up the hallway, passing a few mixed vamps along with a couple that I thought were purebloods (being surrounded by so many vampires, I was beginning to notice a very faint difference in the smell between the two), I tried to remember that the person being served up as dinner, had brought this upon themselves.


    That really didn''t excuse what they were doing, but Teren and I were not strong enough to take on a house of vampires to save him. Teren was right with his non-verbal warning, this was just something I was going to have to let go. I just wished I could block out the pleading.


    Teren squeezed my hand as we walked back into the main house. Looking up at his face, I could see the haunted expression in his pale eyes. He was hearing it too, and it bothered him as well. He glanced down at me, smiled briefly, and then looked over at Gabriel. "Emma''s conversion...you said she was basically a carbon copy of me. Does that mean that she will she come out like me?" I knew he''d said that not only out of curiosity, but also to distract us with something pleasant to think about.


    We walked through a set of glass doors into an arboretum. A few more vampires nodded at Gabriel, before leaving us to our privacy. A couple cast hard looks at Teren, and I thought maybe he''d pissed off people they knew. Marble paths laced through raised, barked gardens, holding just about every medium to small sized tree I''d ever seen. The air was warm in here, and I could feel my feet swelling even more. As he walked us to a stone bench, I noticed a few more sets of full vampires. They seemed to like the almost tropical air.


    Gabriel plucked a deep red flower with a dark, black stamen and gave it to me. I took the flower as we all sat down, a little marveled by the botanical beauty around us, enclosed under a huge glass roof, showing us the pitch black night outside.


    Sitting on the other side of Teren, Gabriel smiled. "She has your blood. She will share all of your attributes and weaknesses." He grinned wryly. "Or lack thereof."


    I gasped, a little surprised. As I did, the smell of hundreds of flowers assaulted me, made me a little dizzy. I''d sort of not let myself hope that I''d come out of this like my husband. Really, I''d sort of figured I wouldn''t be getting out of this. It was pretty shocking to learn that I probably would, and I''d be at the same level of normalcy as Teren. That just seemed too much to hope for. "I''ll get to be in the sun?" I whispered, stunned.


    Gabriel looked around Teren, who also looked a little stunned as his beautiful eyes swept over my body. "You have no issues with it now, I''m assuming, since you made the trip okay?"


    I nodded my head, my eyes watering again. All of this new hope combined with pregnancy hormones wasn''t mixing well. Gabriel smiled at my reaction. "Then yes, you should be able to endure sunlight, among other things."


    Feeling overwhelmed, I needed an answer to our children''s outcome too. Putting a hand on my stomach, I quietly asked, "And them? Did changing me, do anything to them? "


    Gabriel looked at my stomach, then me, then Teren. "They are your children?" he asked clinically. Teren clenched his jaw, but nodded. Gabriel smiled and looked back at me. "Then they were already mixed vampires. Teren''s blood is the same as what''s already in their veins, if slightly more potent, as he is third generation and they are fourth. Being exposed to more of his blood, should not have affected them. As far as we know, vampires cannot be turned twice." He smiled and shrugged. "I foresee their limitations to be roughly equal to yours."


    I smiled, relieved, and felt a child kick me, almost as if they were relieved too. "And the shot won''t hurt them?"


    Gabriel shook his head. "No, my dear, they are not close enough to their conversion for it to have any true affect on them." He smiled warmly and I found a small laugh escaping me.


    Teren smiled at me and shook his head. With a soft laugh he twisted back to Gabriel. "You''re over six hundred years old. You must have seen quite a few of our kind. Have you ever seen the trait dilute out? Have you ever met a child that was purely human?" Curiosity overtook Teren''s face as he waited for the wise man''s answer. Teren''s family had lofty ideals of eventually seeing their line return to humanity.


    Gabriel twisted his head, his eyes taking in the paradise around him. Somewhere in the room bursting with life, I heard a nocturnal bird calling to its kind. The sound was odd to hear in a house, but comforting, on a basic one-with-nature level. It spoke to the foreignness within me. I may not have the sharpness of Teren''s "deceased" senses, but I already felt more connected to my world.


    Pausing another moment to watch a teenage looking mixed, clearly with child, walk into the room, Gabriel turned back to Teren and spoke. "All of the mixed that I have seen...have had, at the bare minimum, fangs and a mild interest in blood." He shrugged his shoulders. "But I''ve seen few beyond fifth or sixth generation." He tilted his head, his green eyes clearly thinking through the tons of vampiric knowledge he must have in his head. "Having studied the blood for as long as I have, I believe dilution of that level, would take several generations. Perhaps dozens." He smiled wryly. "But who knows, our kind have been around for as long as our cousins, it is entirely possible that some humans in this world are descendants of mixed vampires, and they just don''t know it."


    I frowned as I thought of that possibility. "Descendents...that sure would explain some of the nearly impossible things some athletes can do." I shrugged as Teren grinned and nodded. Sure, some people were enhanced through drugs, but there were stories of "miraculous" feats that came out every year, each seemingly more impressive than the next. Some of those people just had to be enhanced in a different way.


    As Teren and I started talking about that possibility, a loud growl broke the relative silence. It sent goose bumps down my spine and my teeth automatically dropped down into a defensive position. Not knowing what was going on, I left them down. Teren, fangless, twisted to stare at Gabriel. Gabriel wasn''t looking at our reactions; his eyes were studying the double doors we''d entered, focusing on the sound that had ripped through the night.


    As I held my breath, the dizzying scent of various species of flowers stopping, Gabriel flicked a quick glance at us. "Please, excuse me." With that, he blurred out of the room.


    My hand found Teren''s and I clutched him, hard. The vampire going through his conversion, had just awoken - hungry.


    I closed my eyes as the sounds of shuffling and shouting entered my brain. The growl intensified, and the shouting and pleading intensified as well. Teren dropped my hand and brought his to my ears, clenching them hard, trying to block the sounds that he only succeeded in muffling - the sound of that human man, screaming for mercy. I started to cry as Teren pulled my head to his chest, kissing me and holding me tight. To block out the muffled screams and growls that I could still hear, I started going over baby names in my head. I started at A, and made up two boy names and two girl names with every letter of the alphabet, all the while inhaling the calming scent of Teren under my nose.


    As I reached "L" and Lauren and Libby for girls'' names, Teren pulled his hands away, cupping my cheeks with them. His eyes were closed and his face looked solemn. He''d heard everything, crystal-clear. The night was relatively silent again, and my tears flowed even harder. Knowing that the man had brought this disaster on himself, knowing that the man would have killed each of us, without a second thought, and knowing that he would have stopped at nothing to take the life of my children, really did nothing to stop the horror I felt at listening to him die.


    I harshly swallowed. "I''m ready to go home, Teren."


    As conversations and rustling noises filled the home again, I noticed that the birds started making noises again too. An owl hooted at me from somewhere and I felt myself relaxing. Even nature was moving on. Teren stroked my cheeks, murmuring that everything would be fine and we''d leave once Halina was safely here. I could feel that she had markedly closed the distance between us. She must have been hauling ass to get as far as she had so fast. I could only imagine that when she got here, she was gonna be pissed that we''d gone off with a group of strange, potentially dangerous partial vampires without her.


    As I pulled away from Teren, pulling his hands from my cheeks and kissing the palms, Gabriel swished back into the room. He stood in front of our stone bench, his face apologetic and yet, somehow pleased too.


    "I do apologize, if that was...unpleasant for you." The beauty of his face intensified as he broke out into a wide smile. "But, Zane is doing wonderfully and should be fully recovered within a few hours." He put his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, looking genuinely happy that the in-danger member of his family had survived, no matter the cost. A shudder went through me.


    Teren stood, holding his hand out to help me up. "Is there somewhere where Emma can rest, before we head back home?" he asked politely, as he pulled me to my feet.


    Gabriel glanced at my stomach and then back to Teren. "You mean, until your vampire gets here?"


    Teren looked away for a second before looking back. "Yes. She''s wearing herself out getting here so fast. She won''t have enough energy to return with us. I won''t leave here until I know..." He bit his lip for a moment, looking unsure if he should second-guess our "savior''s" hospitality.


    Gabriel grinned crookedly. "None of you have anything to fear from me. Your vampire will be treated as an honored guest, and allowed to stay in the basement levels, for as long as they like." He raised an eyebrow at Teren and I. "You may stay as long as you like as well. It is approaching the middle of the night. The two of you must be tired."


    I blinked, not realizing how much time had passed. It had seemed to fly by once we''d gotten here, but we''d traveled a bit after the sun had set, and walking through this place took forever, and I suppose we had been in the lab for awhile. It hadn''t seemed that long at the time. As Gabriel pointed out how late it was, I suddenly felt it in my body. I slumped against Teren, a yawn escaping me. Teren looked at me questioningly, but I shook my head. I didn''t want to spend the night here. I wanted to be home with my comforts, my safeties, and my husband.


    Teren looked back at Gabriel. "No, thank you for the generous offer, but once my great-grandmother arrives and is brought up to speed, we''d like to head home."


    Gabriel nodded, extending his hand to the glass doors exiting the room. "Of course. We have several spare rooms at your disposal."


    With a hand protectively on my back, we followed Gabriel as he led us to a rather bland looking staircase. It led up into one of the house''s strange levels. Strange because we went up two flights of stairs, through a tunnel, down a set of stairs, and then back up a set. I was even more tired when we finally got to the room. Cursing the must-have-been-stoned architect that had designed this place, I had no complaints in me when Teren finally scooped me into his arms, carrying me down the seemingly endless hallway to where our guest room was.


    I was semi-asleep before we even got there. I heard Teren and Gabriel exchange some sort of parting, and then heard the door open and felt the chill of the little used room hit me. Since I was snuggling against Teren''s cool chest, the chill felt normal to me and I didn''t even shiver. Teren clutched me close to him as I swam in and out of alertness. I felt him lie me on something soft, a bed, and then heard and felt his body lie behind me. His arms curled around me as he buried his head in my hair.


    He exhaled softly, the sweetness of his scent making me smile, even in my sleep-haze. "We made it, Emma," he whispered. Not able to respond past a grunt, I loosely squeezed his hand. Relief and exhaustion overtook me, and the last thing I heard before I succumbed, was him telling me that he loved me.


    I dreamt of our children while we waited. I dreamt of holding them, playing with them, watching them sleep. I dreamt of watching Teren play with them, watching him make playful fanged faces for them. Listened to their imagined laughter as they tried to copy him, watched their little fingers touch his beautiful face.


    I couldn''t believe that after all of this, I might actually get to have that. I just had to survive the shot.


    I woke up with a start, uneasy. Teren''s cool arms were still around my body and he stirred when I stirred. "It''s okay, Emma," he slurred sleepily.


    Confused, I blinked at a stream of sunlight hitting my eyes. For a moment, I had no idea where I was. I twisted uncomfortably, my children telling me that I''d better find a bathroom soon. Scooting over to the edge of the bed, I looked around the completely foreign room. Alarmed, I turned back to Teren, still dozing on the bed. "We''re still here?" I said, kind of at the top of my voice.


    He cringed and peeked his eyes up at me. "Em, not so loud."


    Not enjoying his casualness, I repeated, "We''re still here, Teren. Why? I thought we were going home."


    He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Well..."


    I frowned, standing and rubbing a sore spot in back. "Well what? You could have woken me up."


    He sighed as he stood and walked over to me. "I''m...under orders, to stay until nightfall." He said that glumly, and stared at the floor.


    That''s when I felt it. I stared at the floor too, at the exact point in the house where I could feel Halina sleeping, several feet below us. I peeked up at him. "Halina...forbade you to leave?"


    He sighed again, rolling his eyes. "Yeah. She was...not pleased that we''d headed out without her." He frowned. "She sort of ripped into me, right in front of Gabriel and Starla." He rolled his eyes again, looking sheepish.


    I couldn''t help but smile a little at the thought of that conversation. Starla had probably laughed her ass off. I frowned, thinking of what Gabriel had said about the length of time mixed-turnings took to convert. "He said it happens in the first couple months, Teren. It''s been a couple months. Maybe we shouldn''t wait to go home..." I couldn''t meet him in the eye as I said that.


    His fingers came to my chin, twisting me to look at him. "We could dose you here, Emma."


    I shook my head immediately. "I won''t eat a person, hunter or not, and who knows if they have another ''bird'' to kill. I won''t be their pawn."


    My eyes were wide when I said that. Teren looked at me a moment before sighing and nodding. I was glad he understood. If the dose wasn''t going to work for me, it would start the conversion in me. I had no idea whether or not Gabriel had any other prisoners in this massive complex. Maybe someone was passed out, or asleep, or possibly near death. I couldn''t take the chance that he''d offer me up a blood-pumping human, right when I was at my weakest. I wasn''t sure if I had Teren''s restraint, and I didn''t want to find out if I did or not. And I didn''t want that guilt on my conscience if I didn''t, not when the Adams had plenty of blood sources readily available. Teren understood not wanting that guilt.


    "We''ll leave as soon as we get you some food." His finger gently stroked the soft spot under my eye. At his words, my stomach grumbled loudly and my fangs nearly dropped at the thought. I noticed the sunken look of Teren''s face and realized he hadn''t eaten anything since the tiny blood packet in Starla''s car. As a fairly new vamp, he still needed to eat pretty often.


    "You''re starving, Teren." I frowned.


    He grinned, having heard my stomach. "I''m not the only one." He kissed my nose. "And I''m not starving, just mildly uncomfortable."


    I nodded and slumped against him. He picked me up, prepared to walk me through the maze of hallways, when I whispered into his wrinkled dress shirt, "I need a restroom."


    He laughed, the lightness of it gone for so long that I found myself laughing in response. "Right, forgot about that."


    I grinned, looking up at him. "Well, you haven''t had to worry about that for awhile, Mr. I-no-longer-have-a-functioning-digestive-system." He smiled brilliantly at that, and I reveled in the joy in his face. I hadn''t seen that in a long time either.


    As he walked me out of the room, in search of facilities, my hand went to his cheek. "Do you think this will work, Teren. Do you think I''ll live, and they''ll make it through this?"


    He looked down on me, after finding the room in question. "I think you''re a miracle, Emma. And if anyone could survive this, it would be you." He grinned splendidly again and we kissed for a moment, until my bladder said enough is enough, and I speedily used that restroom.


    As Teren set me down in the entryway we''d used to come into the home yesterday, tall and dark Jordan approached us. With a cool professionalism, he led us into the dining room. Apparently, we''d woken up in time for breakfast. My stomach growled again as the smell of pancakes hit me. Starla and a few other alive-mixed were already in the room, helping themselves to the buffet style table of food.


    Teren looked around, but there weren''t any steaming carafes. I didn''t smell any blood mixed with the pancakes and syrup either. He frowned as Starla turned to us. Having heard my stomach, she loudly grumbled, "Great. Preggers is gonna eat all the chow." She smirked at me after she said that, and I scowled at her.


    Jordan had disappeared upon leading us to the room, zooming back to wherever he''d come from, so Teren only continued to frown, smelling and searching the area for his food. Jacen suddenly approached as I was getting my plate of carbs. Smacking Teren on the back, he pointed to a door leading outside. "Our grubs that way." He raised his eyebrows at him. "We prefer our food fresh here."


    Jacen turned to leave as Starla muttered, "Neanderthal." Jacen shot her a glare as he headed outside.


    Teren sighed and then looked back at me. "Guess I''m hunting after all." Grabbing a Styrofoam cup off a table, he muttered, "I''ll bring you back some." I frowned at him sympathetically and then smiled at his thoughtfulness. Teren didn''t really enjoy hunting, and I had a feeling that I wasn''t really going to be a hunter either.


    I sat down by Starla to eat my meal, since she was the only person I knew in the room. She chatted my ear off about the amazing shopping trip she could take me on. She eyed my tacky painting sweats and baggy t-shirt with open disdain. I took in her fitted DKNY dress and contained a sigh. I sort of missed my body. I''d have filled out her tight dress nicely, a few months ago. But as my twins kicked me, I let it go. I had something vastly more important than an hourglass figure. I was happy to give it up, to bring Teren''s children into the world. For awhile at least.


    Teren was coming back into the room just as I was filling up my second plate. I felt him approaching and my hands started shaking. He hadn''t been too far away from me, so the pull of him returning wasn''t that bad, but I still closed my eyes and took a couple deep breaths. Starla laughed at me as she left the room to go outside.


    Teren walked over to me with forced slowness. A smile crept on my face at his control. What he really wanted to do was throw himself on me. I knew that, because that''s what I really wanted to do. Our nature demanded it. But we fought it and calmly met in the middle of the room, him bending over to give me an appropriately small kiss. "Missed you," he whispered, his voice a little husky.


    "Missed you too," I whispered back, forcing myself to sit down, instead of leaning back in for another kiss.


    He sat beside me and the bond eventually evened out. Grabbing my free hand while I started in on my second helping, he placed a cup of deep red blood in front of me and I stared at it. With concerned eyes, I looked back at him. He understood.


    "It''s a puma. Found it up the hillside." I grabbed the cup and immediately started chugging it. Puma wasn''t cow, but it was better than human. Conscience-wise anyway. I noted the slight difference in taste as Teren continued. "They''ve fenced in a large portion of the hill, trapping the wild animals inside. Many here only eat animal, but not all..."


    His voice drifted off and I peeked over at him with my eyes, my fangs slightly digging through the Styrofoam cup. He looked over my face and sighed. "They''ve got a house with people...willing to..." He shook his head. "They give them drugs or money or...sex...and the humans let them bite them." He shrugged as my mouth dropped. "They don''t kill them, but they have the purebloods wipe them when they are done with them."


    "How do they find people willing to do that?"


    Teren shrugged, looking out over the room that was all listening to us. A voice from behind us answered me. "We place ads, in the personals." I twisted to look at Gabriel standing behind us. "We don''t mention exactly what we are looking for, but you''d be surprised how many are more than happy to do it." He smiled widely as my mouth opened even farther. "For the right price."


    "Oh," was all I could squeak out to that. I took in the leader of this group of mixed and pure vampires behind me, authoritative, yet welcoming at the same time. A bright shaft of sunlight was lighting him from the side, lightening his sandy brown hair to near blonde and making his green eyes exceptionally emerald. He had power, money, charm, and the looks to go along with it. This man was the sort of person who could change the world, if he chose. But his life mission had been to save Teren''s kind. Well, my kind in a way now too. I was thankful that he was on our side.


    He cringed slightly and moved away from the sun. To me, that meant he wasn''t in Teren''s generation. Maybe Alanna''s? His arm swept out to indicate the seat beside Teren and Teren nodded. Gabriel sat down fluidly, watching me sip my cup of blood that Teren had brought back for me.


    "What flavor," he asked politely.


    Teren answered before I could. "Puma, found one on the hill." Gabriel raised an eyebrow at Teren and smiled.


    "Those are popular, our supply has dwindled a bit. Finding one now is quite impressive." His grin widened more. "I''d love to hunt with you some time?"


    Teren smiled softly, not wanting to be rude by telling the man how much he didn''t like it. "Another time, maybe. We''re going to head home after Emma is full."


    I smiled at that, around my cup-o-blood. I may never actually get full again, while these two fuel burners were inside of me, but I''d be good in a couple minutes. Gabriel looked over at me, a slight frown on his face. "If you must leave, you may." Bringing his eyes back to Teren, the barest hint of a devilish smile lit the corners. "Your great-grandmother will be very displeased that you disobeyed her order."


    Teren looked down, a sheepish smile on his face. "Yeah, well, I am an adult. She''ll just have to deal." He looked up at Gabriel, a slight smirk still on his lips as he watched Teren. "Besides, my wife is my priority now, and we don''t have the time to wait around for sunset."


    Teren''s voice lost its impishness as determination filled it. If anyone could wish an outcome into existence by sheer will power, it would be Teren, right at this moment. Gabriel eyed him speculatively before shifting his gaze to mine. "You won''t consider taking the dosage here?"


    Not having words for this imposing man, I only shook my head, no. He smiled and nodded, not looking surprised. "I''ll have Starla get ready to drive you home."


    Teren nodded and Gabriel made to stand up. He paused halfway in standing to smile down at Teren. "Your great-grandmother is...an extraordinary woman."


    Teren''s eyes widened fractionally as Gabriel stood completely. "I have immensely enjoyed her visit." I clamped my mouth shut to not laugh. By the slightly dazed, amazed look on Gabriel''s face, I was pretty sure he knew Halina in the most intimate way a man could know a woman. Teren''s mouth lowered a bit, and I''m sure he was aware of that too. Gabriel put a cool hand on his shoulder, smiling down on him as a father figure would. "Your family is welcome here, anytime."


    With a slight twist of his lip, he turned and left us at the table, staring after him in wonder.


    Less than an hour later, we were flying down the interstate, Starla grumpily clutching the wheel and chomping on a fresh piece of gum. It was apple flavored this time, but no less sickenly sweet. Teren sat beside me in the backseat, letting me lie down on his lap. Well, as much as I could in the small backseat. Adjusting the seat belt around my stomach, I listened to the sounds of the liquid vials in the trunk sloshing in time to the thumping music pouring from the speakers. I hoped that stuff worked better than the dose Teren had been forced to take. Although, I suppose that had worked exactly as intended. I was just hoping for the opposite effect.


    As Teren stroked my hair, he watched Starla, singing along to the current hit playing on the radio. "Why do you take the shot?" he asked her. She paused mid-chorus and looked at him in the rearview mirror. Her eyes narrowed as he continued. "You don''t want to be eternally young?" His eyes flicked over her manicured nails, over styled hair, and designer dress. I scrunched my brow at that. He did have a point. She did seem the type that had been trying Botox by fourteen.


    Her jaw tightened and her narrowed eyes turned into a nasty glare. "Don''t presume to know me."


    Teren blinked, surprised at the harshness in her voice. "I''m sorry. I meant no offense by that." He shrugged. "I''m just curious."


    Her face relaxed and she started chomping on her gum. Her eyes drifting to mine, she let out a quick sigh. "The conversion took my mother and my sister." Her eyes flicked back to Teren''s, moister now than before. "There is something in our bloodline, that won''t complete the changeover. We''re faulty, hardwired wrong. I''m the last of my family, and that would have been my fate too, if Father hadn''t found me." She shook her head and her voice dropped to a whisper. "I have to take it...it''s the only chance I''ve got."


    I stared at her, surprised at her admission. I glanced at Teren, he looked equally shocked. Starla eyed us in the mirror before focusing back on the road. "Anyway, that''s why I figured Father could help you. I know that I''d be dead in a few years if he hadn''t helped me. Dead-dead, I mean." She smiled as she glanced at us again. "But now, I help Father." Her eyes flicked over to Teren, before shifting back to the freeway. "He studies me, studies my blood. He''s changed the formula a few times since meeting me, learning what works, from the junk in my blood."


    She smiled, pride obvious in her features. "I''m helping him perfect it. The mixed seem to take to it better now, or so Father says. He''s tried it out on five in the last several months, and three of those didn''t auto-convert." She glanced at us again, while I mentally tried to figure out what percentage rate of success that equaled. She smiled wryly as she watched me try to puzzle that out. "The weird thing in my blood just may be what saves your children. Chew on that." Then she blasted the radio, driving all conversation from the car. Teren and I glanced at each other and he gave me a soft, reassuring smile.


    Teren called his family on the way there. Not to let them know we were headed home, they knew that, but to let them know what we''d discovered. Or rather, what had discovered us. I could hear Alanna''s relieved sobs through the phone. After that, he handed me his cell and I called my sister.


    She berated me for not calling her earlier and I heard her whisper that we were okay to someone in the room with her. When I recognized the male voice answering her, I blinked. "Hot Ben''s still with you?"


    I cringed when I realized my pet name for him had slipped out of my mouth. Oops, pregnancy brain. Probably shouldn''t have said that right in front of my husband. As I sat up in the seat, Teren frowned down at me, an eyebrow raised. Starla laughed while I lamely shrugged. Appropriate or not, it was true. He was hot.


    Through the phone, my sister started giggling. "Hot? I suppose he is..." She paused for a moment and I knew she was checking him out. I heard him say, "What?" and then my sister responded to my question. "Yeah, he wouldn''t leave my house until he heard that everything was cool from Teren." She paused again. "So, is everything...cool?"


    With a laugh and a shake of my head at Ben''s dedication to his task, I filled my sister in on exactly what had gone down in L.A.


    After several pit stops, traffic jams, exasperated sighs from Starla, and backrubs from Teren, we finally arrived back at the ranch. I''d never been so happy to see the river-rock encased beauty. The red roof tiles gleamed at me in greeting as we zipped up the bumpy drive. It was late afternoon, a few hours before dark, and only Alanna and Jack waited for us in the parking lot. Alanna had tears in her eyes as she waited for the car to stop.


    Whispering how worried she was, she swept her son into a firm embrace. He returned it just as eagerly, lifting her up a little in his happiness. Then he released her and reached back into the car to help my bulky body exit. He got me to standing and then Alanna''s cool body was around mine, hugging me as fiercely as she dared. She couldn''t even speak through her tears and I found my exhausted hormones matching her reaction. We cried in each other''s arms for a good five minutes.


    Starla groaned and laid her head back on the seat, obviously anxious to head back home; she didn''t even shut the car off. While Jack and Teren retrieved the suitcases of vials from the trunk, Alanna and I finally separated. Wiping my eyes, I leaned back into the car and thanked Starla profusely for coming all this way to get us.


    "Whatever," she muttered. She took off the moment Teren closed the back door. He yelled a goodbye at her car as she flew away from us, dirt and gravel highlighting her retreat. Teren shook his head. "Not a country girl."


    I laughed and slung my arm around his waist. He smiled down on me as I watched Starla leave. I heard her car squeal onto the highway and wondered if I''d ever see that prissy vampire again.


    Looking up at Teren, I sighed contently. "Ready," he asked. My sigh caught in my throat. I knew what he was really asking. My heart started beating faster and I clenched a hand over my stomach. No, I wasn''t ready. How could you ever really be ready to possibly die? I exhaled slowly, letting the air escaping my body, calm me. Without speaking, I nodded. I was as ready as I was ever going to be.


    Alanna put a cool hand on my shoulder and she and Teren walked me into the kitchen. I inhaled deep as we walked into the home. The smell of freesia from the hallway upstairs hit me, the scent wonderfully smelling of home and comfort and family. Feeling more at ease, I followed Teren into the dining room. He and Jack set the suitcases up on the table, Teren popping one open. He grabbed a small pink vial as Alanna cocked her head at him.


    "What is it?" she asked.


    Teren shook his head. "Hopefully, it''s what will save our children." He grabbed a syringe in the case and prepared exactly 4cc. When it was ready, he faced me and exhaled in one short burst. "Ready?" he asked again.


    My heartbeat tripled. I shook my head no, but said, "Yes." We had no more time to wait. It was surprising I hadn''t died already. A few more days was all the time this body had, Gabriel had pretty much confirmed that. I was fated to die...one way or another.


    He nodded, squatting down in front of me. "I love you, Emma," he whispered.


    Alanna behind me started crying softly as Jack held her. Imogen blurred down into the room, fighting against the strain of sunlight still present. Instantly, windows were covered to accommodate her, and shaking in pain, she waited next to her daughter. I didn''t reprimand her for coming down. She wanted to be here, and she was willing to take the pain to support me. Tears filled my eyes as I nodded at the loving family behind me. Twisting back to Teren, I said, "I love you too."


    He grabbed my arm, twisting it so he could see my inner elbow. His hand was shaking as he brought the tip of the needle to my bare skin. Just as he was about to stick me, I whispered, "Don''t forget to take them." He paused, looking up at me. "If I don''t make it, if my heart stops, you cut them out of me." I shook my head, my tears falling. "They are thirty weeks now, they''ve got a real shot." My hand cupped his cheek. "You get your ass to a doctor and get someone here to save them. Promise me."


    A tear dropped to his cheek as he stared at me. "Promise me," I repeated.


    He swallowed harshly and his voice came out thick with emotion. "I promise, Emma."


    I swallowed and bent down to kiss him. He stuck me while our mouths moved together. I gasped at the brief pain, at the smell of the pinprick of fresh blood, and the warmth rushing up my arm. He pulled the needle out, his lips insistent as he continued to pour his love into it. His hands came up to cup my cheeks and I could hear sniffles and contained sobs from the group watching this.


    As my hands ran through his hair, I felt the warmth spread through my entire body. I felt myself relaxing as his tongue found mine. I felt my heart slowing as our frantic kiss settled into something languid and lustful. As my heart slowed to calmness, my breath started to pick up.


    Teren broke apart from me, his pale eyes concerned. "Are you okay? What do you feel?"


    Aching with the loss of his retreat, I leaned forward to find his lips again. "Fine, I feel fine." We met again, a slight groan escaping me.


    He pulled away again, his breath faster too. "What do you mean you feel fine?" His eyes searched mine, a passion there, buried under the layers of concern.


    I smiled, feeling that warmth from the injection circulating through every cell. It gave me a light, airy feeling, and I felt everything about me slow down. Everything but my breath. That picked up as I glanced over Teren''s face. "I think it worked," I said huskily, finding his mouth again.


    He pulled back, cupping my face. I held my breath as I watched him. I heard the room silence as every vampire held their breath. Only Jack''s low, deep breathing remained. Teren''s eyes moved down to my chest, to my heart. He stared, like he could stare straight through me. I listened with him, as I let out a soft exhale. My breathing back to a normal, slow pace, I cherished the steady thump I heard, mixing pleasantly with the two fast, fluttery beats underneath it. The entire room listened to those beats for a solid ten minutes.


    Time finally seemed to convince Teren that I wasn''t going to keel over. His eyes finally flicked back up to mine. "You''re alive. Oh my god, you''re alive." His lips were back on me then, no longer holding back.


    I heard Alanna, Imogen and Jack all start to exclaim and make joyous noises of celebration. Then I felt Imogen slip from the room, offering her congratulations and support from her darker, bedroom environment. Alanna and Jack tried to offer their supportive comments, but Teren and I were letting our relief spill out physically, and couldn''t pry ourselves away for long enough to acknowledge them.


    Finally, Alanna leaned over our making out bodies and said, "Would you mind taking that upstairs, dears? Your father eats here."


    I could clearly hear the humor in her voice and I chuckled in Teren''s mouth. His humor wasn''t quite there and he only grunted, lifting me up and blurring us to our room here at the ranch. The room where our children were going to be born...when they were ready to be.

 Page 22

    Relief, exhaustion and stress finally took its toll, and we fell into a deep sleep after our celebratory reunion. A sleep that I''m sure would have lasted for a solid twenty-four hours. Would have, if just before dawn, the door to our bedroom hadn''t been busted open. Stalking into the room, Halina glared at our naked, tangled bodies, barley covered in loose quilts. Ignoring my squeals of protest, she blurred over to Teren, grabbed him around the throat, and lifted him, one-handed, off the bed.


    "You disobeyed me...again," she snarled.Advertisement


    She was holding him in the air with one arm, his feet not quite touching the floor. She glared at his face, ignoring that he wasn''t wearing anything. She also ignored my plea for her to let him go. He struggled against her, looking more embarrassed than hurt. Finally prying her fingers away from his airway, so he could speak, he bit out, "I''m no longer a child, Halina, and I don''t need your permission."


    Her eyes narrowed at the use of her name and she lifted him a little higher. He squirmed, pried her fingers loose again, then added, "Emma couldn''t wait. She needed the shot."


    Halina seemed to remember that I was in the room at that point. She glanced over at me and I clutched the sheets around my body, like she could somehow see me through them. She ignored my nakedness as assuredly as she was ignoring her great-grandson''s. She tilted her head as she listened to my heartbeat. "It worked?"


    Her head twisted back to Teren and he nodded, or tried to anyway, she was still clenching his throat. Loosening her fingers, he squeaked out, "Can I get dressed now?"


    She looked down, finally noticing that he was buck-naked. She smirked as she lowered him to the floor. "I''ve been changing your diapers since the day you were born. It''s nothing I haven''t seen before." Teren rolled his eyes before blurring away to the closet.


    While he dressed, Halina came around to me. A soft smile on her lips, she reached out and placed a cool palm on my stomach. The twins inside squirmed at her touch, one kicking my bladder. She smiled at them, her teenage face full of wonder. I ignored my desire to be dressed as well, as I watched her. "Amazing man, that Gabriel. He assured me it would work on you." Her eyes flicked up to mine. "He was right."


    She was still smiling at me as Teren came back, dressed in gray lounge pants and a basic white tee. She glanced at him as he slid back into bed with me. Straightening, she said to Teren, "Interesting house of vampires down there." She raised one corner of her lip. "I may need to visit again."


    Teren slid his arms around me, covering my bare body more with the sheets. "Yes, I hear you and Gabriel...got along well."


    She grinned and sat back on a hip. "Repeatedly."


    I groaned and lowered my head to my hands while Teren chuckled and kissed my head. "Can we go back to bed now, Halina?" I peeked up at her through my fingers. "You can ream Teren out tomorrow night, okay?"


    She smirked at me, then frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Don''t think I won''t." Abruptly her frown shifted to a soft smile. "I''m really glad you are okay, Emma." Then she blurred from the room. I heard her swish into her daughter''s room, waking her up. Then the giggling started as she relayed her trip to the woman that seemed more a best friend to Halina, than her flesh and blood. Both of them were laughing as Halina went over horribly graphic details of her encounter with Gabriel. They had apparently spent several hours of the dawn in a lightproof room downstairs, "getting to know each other". I groaned, holding my hands over my ears and wishing that I hadn''t inherited Teren''s super sense of hearing.


    Teren chuckled again and whispered into my hair, "Welcome to my world."


    We celebrated my birthday with gusto. Mom and my sister, Hot Ben and Tracey, all came out to help the poor, pregnant, bed-ridden woman celebrate turning twenty-six. We laughed and talked around my bed while they showered me with gifts, many mainly for the upcoming babies, although, Teren did surprise me with a beautiful, antique heart locket. The intricately detailed gold pendant folded out into four small pictures, and he''d already placed tiny ones of him and myself inside. He''d left the other two blank and my eyes watered at the thought of filling them. Kissing him thoroughly, I marveled at how amazing my man was at jewelry shopping. Again, the benefit of being raised by three strong women.


    Mom massaged my swollen feet while Ash laid her head on my stomach, trying to hear the beats I could hear more clearly all the time. Alanna brought us some cake and everyone still eating enjoyed the rich, chocolate dessert.


    As Mom stuck a large forkful of cake in her mouth, she indicated where Teren was sitting, and not eating, and asked how Teren''s allergies were going. Immediately after the wedding, we''d convinced my mom that he''d developed a severe allergic reaction to certain foods, and, until we could narrow down which foods were toxic to him, he was staying to a strict home-based diet. But he''d joined us for meals anyway, scoring great husband points with my mom. Whenever we''d eaten and he hadn''t, merely holding my hand while he watched me eat, Mom had questioned him repeatedly on what foods he thought might be causing the problem, and Teren, having researched it, gave her thoughtful and insightful answers. It had made me grin every time I''d listened to them talk about it, since every answer he gave her was correct - every food was toxic to him.


    That cover story had played off better than we''d hoped and Mom had never thought it odd whenever he didn''t share meals with us. Smiling at her concern, even after all this time, he assured her that his doctors were still narrowing it down, but she shouldn''t worry, he was getting enough to eat. Hot Ben laughed when he said that, earning himself a strange look from Tracey.


    Halina and my sister went over Russian baby names while I relaxed in my mammoth bed, warmed that everything really was going to be okay. I wasn''t sure how I felt about not entirely being human anymore, but at the moment, it didn''t matter. Our kids were going to have a shot at making it full term, that''s all that mattered. Of course, I still wasn''t excited over the whole "exiting" process, but I pushed it out of my mind, for now.


    When my friends and family grudgingly left me, the vampires broke out some fresh blood and we had a celebratory toast to me successfully getting older than Teren. I reminded them that technically he would always be older, even if he had stopped "aging". They all thought that was funny, and we all laughed away the last few months of tension.


    When weeks started going by, my body started doubling, and I swear, tripling. I went past the cute, ''obviously pregnant'' stage, straight to the ''I swallowed a house'' stage. Teren told me I was adorable, and I tried to feel that way, but mainly, I felt stretched. My vampire sensitivity felt every centimeter of my tight skin. But I relished the life inside of me, and didn''t begrudge the loss of my trim figure. Teren could help me get that back anyway.


    He injected me with Gabriel''s formula every day. We did it right before bed, and he watched me anxiously for a few minutes, every time he did it. After the third straight week, I tried to ease his mind, telling him that it was working and my heart wasn''t going to suddenly stop, but he worried anyway. Worry was a big part of love.


    Gabriel checked on my progress, calling me on his cell phone. That was shocking to me at first. He was so old, it was a little startling that he''d adapted to technology; I couldn''t even get my grandmother to use an answering machine when she''d been alive. But he had a vampiric mind, self healing, and surging with a free-flowing supply of brain cell enriching blood. I suppose he''d always have his mental faculties, and he''d already proven he was smart. Me just being alive, proved that.


    He was always interested in the state of the twins when he called. I had a feeling he was keeping notes on me and my progress, and we were being studied discreetly. I hoped his inquisitiveness didn''t become a problem after they were born. Teren didn''t want them treated as science experiments. Neither did I.


    After a month of injections, Teren finally let me leave the ranch again. Feeling assured that I wouldn''t convert during dinner, he took me out to a nice restaurant, ordering a plate for himself for show, but letting me snack off it. We stayed out of San Francisco, just in case we ran into someone that we''d told my cover story to - I shouldn''t exactly be out and about if I was on bed rest. He took me to a small town nearby the ranch and we ate, went for a short stroll, talked about trivial things, and seemed like a normal couple again.


    With no more fear over their fate, we finalized our baby names and guessed what sexes we thought they''d be. We discussed what we thought they''d look like, Teren assuring me that they wouldn''t necessarily be carbon copies of him. We laughed and flirted and kissed softly in the moonlight. It was disgustingly romantic, and I cherished it.


    Not being able to see doctors anymore, I relied on the women of the house, who had all successfully carried children before. They listened and felt my body, assuring me that everything was going just as it should. I smiled, trusting their abilities and experience, but still wishing I could have another ultrasound, just so I could see for myself. I even considered asking one of them to steal a machine for me. I didn''t though.


    Mid-May, I was done with being pregnant. I was done with being huger than really seemed physically possible. I was done with my back aching. I was done with not being able to get truly comfortable at night, even with Teren''s cooling arms. I wanted to be able to bend over again. I was tired of aching, swollen feet. I was tired of not being able to go home. I was anxious to see our creations and I was ready to be a mom.


    I may have started to get a little snippy. I really don''t think I could have been faulted for that, I had so many hormones flooding my mixed blood, but even so, after snapping at Imogen for waking me up in the middle of the night, when she and Halina were laughing downstairs about another rendezvous Halina had had with Gabriel, I cried afterwards, I felt so bad. And of course, Halina found my emotional mood swings hilarious.


    By the end of May, I started cursing Teren and his defying the odds super sperm. I let him know on several occasions that my physical torture was completely all his fault. He would smile at me, a little smugly, a look of pride on his face. He only once replied with, "It takes two, you know." I pelted him with every object I could find after he said that, so he never said it again.


    He started appeasing me with ice cream drizzled with blood. I know that sounds disgusting, but trust me, it''s unbelievable. It worked miraculously well, and my moods started calming back down with the cold, creamy treat.


    When June started, I was sure I was going to be pregnant forever. It was the second week in, when I started to think that maybe being pregnant forever was okay. Because, in the second week of June, I started having contractions. At first it was mild, just an ache in my low back, not much different than the aches I''d been having for the last few weeks, maybe just a little stronger. Then those started shifting into painful throbs that had me sitting down and breathing steadily through my mouth. It first happened when Teren was at work. I''d wanted to call him, to have him rush home so he wouldn''t miss it, but Alanna waived her hand at me and assured me that they weren''t consistent enough to be the real thing.


    With my blank look, she explained that when I was truly in labor, the pain would be longer, stronger and closer together. With a smile, she patted my belly and assured me that I would have no doubt when those started. I was not in the least happy that I was being treated to fake labor pains. The universe has a twisted sense of humor.


    But she was right. They lasted on and off for a few more days. And when they were over, I would have given anything to have felt them again.


    It was morning, one week before my due date, when the first true contraction hit me. I was in bed, kissing Teren goodbye for work, when the pain wrapped around my entire abdomen. I breathed through it while Teren asked me what was wrong. Shaking my head, I told him it was another fake contraction. Sensing something that maybe I couldn''t, he called into work, letting them know that he was staying by my side today. I tried to convince him that that wasn''t necessary, but then another one hit me. Clenching his hand, I decided he was right, he should stay.


    Those uncomfortable squeezing sensations lasted all afternoon long. At first I thought it was just another false alarm, but right around dusk, I knew my body wasn''t joking. The vampires could sense it to, and before I had much say in the matter, I was in a loose nightshirt, propped up in my bed while Imogen felt around my lady parts. Caring more about the approaching event than my modesty, she assured me that I was nearly ready and the babies were in the right position. Trusting her, I laid back in the bed, Teren''s cool arm around my shoulders, and waited for the next round of pain.


    Alanna gave me a cup of small cubes of blood that she''d frozen. I sucked on those, grateful for the way my body felt slightly relieved, like blood was a natural vampiric endorphin releaser; even the tiniest amount, somewhat relieved my pain. The coolness on my scorching mouth helped too. My fangs dropped down, but I ignored it, another burst of pain taking my focus instead.


    As the rounds started coming closer together, and even my inexperienced mind knew I was really, really close, I asked Teren to call my mother and sister. He looked over my pained face, my forehead already slick with sweat, and nodded. I was a little surprised; I thought he''d argue.


    I heard him calling them in the hallway, heard my mom''s excited reaction and her oath that I''d better wait until she got there. I laughed at that, until more pain hit me. Then I stopped laughing, focusing on breathing through the pain condensing in my core.


    Teren came back a moment later, crawling into bed with me. He scooted behind me, placing his knees on either side. I clutched them, grateful for something to hold on to. Placing a light kiss on the back of my neck, he began rubbing my lower back. His cool hands combined with his vampiric strength, was a godsend. I nearly wept with relief.


    My water broke about twenty minutes later, making me panic at first. There''s nothing like that feeling, to let you know that this is absolutely happening - there is no going back. Alanna assured me it was alright and Teren rubbed my shoulders, soothing me. I felt a little bad for getting their bed all messy, but none of the vampires seemed to care as they went about prepping for the delivery. Halina and Imogen began setting up an area for the newborns, to clean and examine them. The smell of antiseptic hit me.


    I dropped my head back on Teren''s shoulder behind me and prayed for strength.


    I felt something deep in my body, just as I heard the tires of my mother''s car in the driveway. Every vampire turned to look at the door. My mom had just shown up. I started to hyperventilate. My fangs were out; I was too distracted to keep them in. I just couldn''t do it and she''d see.


    Alanna swished to my side. "Jack will let them in, dear. You focus on the babies. That''s all you need to care about right now."


    She stroked her hand down my cheek and I nodded.


    Imogen checked me again as I heard excited exclamations from downstairs. I pushed aside my fear at Mom seeing me like this, and struggled with the new sensation in my body. Under my breath, I muttered, "I want to push."


    I felt Imogen''s cool hands, checking internally to see if my body was ready for what it wanted. Pulling back, she smiled up at me. "Go ahead, Emma. If you want to, you''re ready."


    Teren squeezed me, whispering encouragement. "You can do this, Emma." I hesitated, fighting the building sensation. I could hear my mom approaching; I could hear her fast footsteps. I didn''t know what to do, but the choice wasn''t really up to me. My body was going to push, whether I wanted it to or not.


    Leaning back into Teren, a contraction hit me and the desire was irresistible. Using every muscle in my core, I pushed down as hard as I could. I could feel the movement, and I could feel the pain. Babies weren''t exactly the same size as the area they came out of. I squeezed Teren''s arm and paused, momentarily spent. Imogen encouraged me to try again, right as my mom walked into the room.


    I was tired, but fear made me look over at her. Her eyes were wide and shiny, excited for her daughter birthing her first grandchild. Then her eyes locked onto my mouth. They widened as she took in the new, unnatural element on me. I wanted to cry and explain, but the urge to push hit me again and I bared down. Ashley went to wait patiently in the corner, being respectfully quiet. My mom rushed up to my side.


    "What''s wrong with her?" As I ignored her, focusing on pushing, I heard her address Teren. "What''s going on? Why are her teeth like that?"


    Teren sputtered and could only say, "We''ll explain later."


    A cry escaped me as the baby shifted positions. Imogen called for another push and I ignored my mother asking for more details. As the baby was squeezed farther down, the head nearly ready to come out, the pain intensified. I contained a scream as the pain ripped right through me. Nothing could possibly hurt this bad. I''d rather be knocked out again. I''d rather have my neck ripped open again. I''d rather be doing almost anything, than having my body torn from the inside out. Teren brought his arms around me in an attempt to sooth me. It didn''t help, it was excruciating, and I needed relief.


    Since the thing I really needed was right there, I instinctually made myself forget that my mother was standing a foot away from me. I grabbed Teren''s arm and clamped down on the tender, inner area, my extended fangs slicing right through his skin. He flinched as my teeth tore through his flesh. He hissed, but didn''t remove his arm from my teeth. The blood welled in my mouth, heavy and heavenly. I sucked down the tangy coolness, letting the almost heady feeling of drinking steal my mind away from the pain ripping through me. Teren didn''t pull away from my attack; he let me drink as long as I needed. In fact, he let me drink so long that his arm started trembling. He still didn''t pull away though and I didn''t stop. He left his arm in front of my face and let me drain him. He even whispered encouragement into my ear as I began the final push.


    My mother, on the other hand, went ballistic. She grabbed his arm and tried to pry it from my mouth. I think I may have growled at her, but before either Teren or I could do anything about it, Halina pushed her way from us.


    "She is vampire, as are we all, and she needs this. Either deal with it, right now, or leave this room." Her voice was commanding and intimidating. I had to image that she''d dropped her fangs as well, to emphasize her point. Even in my turmoil, I was a little surprised that Halina was giving her a choice. If she truly wished, the pureblood vampire could compel my mother to sit quietly in a corner, or quack like a duck. Sometimes it was intimidating to think of just how much power that teenage vamp had.


    I heard my mother sputter a few times and then she came around and sat next to me, holding my free hand.


    I didn''t have any more time to worry about it though, the baby was coming out. I sucked deep on the already free-flowing blood as I pushed hard. Imogen''s cool hands pried the shoulders loose and Alanna helped slide the baby out the rest of the way. Teren''s arm started to obviously shake, but he still left it in my mouth, letting me take in his cool, endorphin releasing blood. I wasn''t too worried about harming him. He was already dead; I couldn''t kill him by overdrinking. It would really only make him a little weak, and if my southern "area" had to be ripped to shreds, then he could suffer through a little bit of weakness.


    I smelled the baby first. Something unmistakable hit the air. The scent of new life. The scent of me, mixed with Teren, even under a haze of all the blood in the room and in my mouth. I released Teren''s arm as the relief of not having to push anymore hit me. He shook his arm out, the skin healing right before my eyes, since my teeth were no longer in the way, and kissed my head, laughing in happy relief. I ignored the sensation of blood dribbling down my chin, ignored my mother mutter, "My god, Emma." Instead my tired eyes watched the bundle in Alanna''s arms as she and Halina cleaned up the child. A tiny, insistent cry filled my ears, doing odd, protective things to my body. I could just make out a thick patch of dark hair on a small, blood-smeared body, and that was it. Just when I was going to ask to see, another round of instinct hit me.


    Imogen, still playing the part of doctor, patted my knee and told me the second baby was ready. I nearly sobbed, forgetting in my thrill of possibly seeing my firstborn, that I had another one coming.


    Feeling too tired to do it, I shook my head. Tears running down my cheeks, I muttered, "I can''t. I''m sorry." It was like running a marathon and then having the judge tell you that they''d extended the race another six miles and you had to keep going.


    Teren massaged my shoulders, then wiped hair away from my sweaty face. "You can, Emma. You''re the strongest person I know. If anyone can do this, it''s you."


    My mother, still stunned into silence at my side, squeezed my hand. I weakly looked over at her, more tears running down my face. She smiled, a little nervously and finally spoke. "One more, sweetheart. I know it''s hard, but one more...and then you''re done."


    I swallowed, my resolve refortifying. Mom didn''t understand yet, that I literally was done with one more. This was the only chance Teren and I had to have kids, and I wouldn''t selfishly risk the life of one by refusing to push. Not that it really was my choice anyway. My body would evacuate these kids one way or another. I grit my teeth and pushed.


    The second one came out easier, my body pretty much stretched to the limits it needed to be, but I still cried out at the last painful push to get the shoulders out. When Alanna was reaching past Imogen for the second child, a second healthy cry filling the air, I collapsed back into Teren, too exhausted for words.


    He was lightly crying into my shoulder and telling me that I did great. I closed my eyes, mumbling some response to that. As Imogen and Alanna tended to putting my body back together, I heard Halina and Ashley cooing over my babies. My mother was still silent, holding my hand. I had so many desires, I didn''t know which one to tend to first. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to tell my mother I was fine, and that everything was going to be okay. I wanted more blood. And I wanted to see my children.


    That desire rose over everything else and I opened my heavy lids. Ashley was holding one bundle of blankets while Halina held the other. Teren behind me kissed my head and told me they were beautiful and perfect. I didn''t know how he knew that, since all I saw was fleece, but his senses were more advanced than mine.


    "Can I hold them?" I whispered. Ashley didn''t hear me in her cooing, but Halina immediately twisted to me.


    Her face beaming, she brought over her bundle. Ashley noticed that and looking up at me, followed her. My mother, oddly quiet again, released my hand and patted my knee. Ignoring the tugging sensation in my lower area, as Imogen presumably repaired the damage done in the birthing process, I held my arms out for my baby.


    "It''s a boy," Halina whispered, as she laid the bundle in my arms.


    I stared down at the most angelic face I''d ever seen, a face I''d seen countless times. It was as if all of Teren''s features had been softened and miniaturized. Looking at his son, was like looking at a baby picture of Teren. He was perfect. Shockingly dark hair peeked out of the top of the blanket in a jet-black shade that matched all of the vampires. His eyes were closed in slumber, but I could see them shifting behind the pale lids. He had pudgy, healthy cheeks, full pink lips, and a cute little nose. One hand was out, clutching the warm blanket he was nestled in, and I rubbed a tiny digit. His skin was unrealistically soft, like nothing I''d ever felt before. Perfect skin, untouched by the harshness of the world. As my finger moved over the tiniest fingernail you could imagine, that little hand reached out and grabbed my finger.


    My entire world shifted in that exact moment.


    I sobbed and kissed his forehead, my tears dripping onto that perfect skin. Teren behind me sniffled and reached around with his not-drained arm, to run a finger down his cheek. "He''s perfect, Emma. You did great." He whispered, his voice breaking.


    I looked behind me, at his tear-filled eyes. "We did great." I kissed him briefly, before shifting back to my son. Ashley, standing at the edge of the bed beside my silent mom, startled to giggle as she looked him over. "He looks just like Teren, Em." She glanced down at the bundle in her arms. "I think she looks more like you."


    As what she said hit me, my mouth dropped open. "She?" Ashley looked up at me and nodded, holding out her bundle for me to take. Shifting one child, I took the other on my other side. I felt like I was moving in slow motion. Even though they''d been jostling around in my body for awhile, they seemed so fragile, like the tiniest wrong movement would break them.


    Ash laid my daughter in my arms and I stared at her, amazed. She was right, she did look more like me. She had a light splattering of brown hair; she looked almost blonde next to her brother, but I knew that hair would eventually grow out into a shade that matched my own. Her eyes were open, as she examined this strange world around her and those eyes were clearly dark, clearly going to be brown, like mine. I nuzzled her face and she opened her mouth, like she wanted to suck on my nose.


    Teren shifted his hand to stroke her head. His finger gently passed over the tender spot of her skull. The bone there wasn''t fully formed yet and the skin pulsed with her heartbeat. He left his finger there, feeling the pulse of life. Outside of my body, her heart was louder, perfectly matching the rhythm under Teren''s finger. "She does look like you, baby." His voice came out wondrous, like he really hadn''t been expecting that.


    I sobbed again, and squeezed them tighter, all pain and discomfort from birthing them, gone. After a few moments of familial bonding, my mother beside me finally cleared her throat. I looked up at her, my eyes watery from tears. Her eyes locked on my mouth and I realized my fangs were still out. Popping them back up, I bit my lip. "Mom...?"


    Her eyes started watering and she shook her head. "Can I...can I hold them?" She finally spoke.


    I nodded, more tears splashing down my cheeks. I handed her the miniature version of Teren and her face melted. I thought that at that exact moment, she could have cared less that she was in a room full of mythical creatures. At that moment, I don''t think she was even aware that anyone besides her and her grandchildren were in the room. She laughed and stroked his cheek. His little head moved back and forth as he grunted and squirmed.


    Laughing, I handed her my daughter. She lightly kissed her pink cheek and I swear my little girl smiled. Relief flooded through me and I sank back into Teren''s arms. He wrapped himself around me, his coolness feeling wonderful on my tired body. Imogen and Alanna finished tending to me, removing some blankets and towels that they''d placed down, that I could clearly smell were soaked with blood, and modestly covering me. Then Alanna went to get Jack, since the gross part was over with. I smiled and closed my eyes, exhaustion taking me over.


    Amid the chorus of "they''re beautiful, they''re perfect, they''re so tiny", I heard a pair of perfectly strong heartbeats. I nestled into Teren''s back as I listened to those beats. So many times I''d been afraid I''d never get to hear them, and I relished every wet, steady thump. I smiled into Teren''s skin as he gently swayed me back and forth, a deep chuckle coming up his throat as he watched our families welcome the new lives.


    "I love you, husband," I whispered, too low for the humans to hear.


    He kissed my forehead. "I love you too, wife."


    I sleepily peeked up at him as Jack entered the room and was instantly handed a child. "Are you disappointed?" I asked.


    Teren looked away from where his father was congratulating us and peeked down at me. "Disappointed? Why would I be that?" His brows scrunched together as he looked over my face.


    I sighed. "You told me once, that you never wanted me to change." I shook my head and dropped my mouth open, slightly extending a fang. "I changed."


    He smiled with one side of his mouth, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. "I''ve been told my entire life, that if I ever fell in love with a human, I''d have to one day let her go." He shook his head, his eyes watering back up. "I came into this relationship, never thinking I''d get to keep you. I can''t tell you how...not disappointed I am right now."


    I cupped his cheek, a tear sliding down mine and across his fingers. Smiling, I leaned up and kissed him. Our brief moment of connection was interrupted by my beaming with happiness mother.


    "Do these little miracles have names yet?" she asked, twisting away from Ashley to gaze at me on the bed. I smiled. Teren and I had talked about names all throughout the pregnancy. Well, actually, we''d stopped when we weren''t sure if they''d make it. We''d put everything on hold during that scary time, but afterwards, we''d picked up again. We hadn''t mentioned anything to anyone, wanting it to be a surprise. Since we didn''t know the sexes, we''d picked out multiple sets of names, one for every scenario. We''d already decided on the boy/girl set. I glanced over at Teren and he nodded, willing to let me make the announcement.


    I sighed and swept the room. Staying on Halina, who was cooing at my daughter, I met her eye. "Her name...is Nika Alexis, in honor of Nicolis." Halina''s mouth dropped open, her eyes quickly filling with blood-red tears. They dripped down her cheek as she looked back at Nika. Nicolis was her husband, the husband she''d inadvertently killed after her conversion. She mourned him daily.


    Smiling at her reaction, I turned to my mother, her eyes transfixed on Halina''s bloody tears. Clearing my throat, she brought her attention back to me. Watching her pale face, I softly said, "His name...is Julian Wyatt." My mother had much the same reaction as Halina, my sister too for that matter. Julian was my father''s name. My father that had sacrificed his own life, to save my sister''s. It was the one male name that Teren and I had never wavered on.


    With tears dripping down her face, my mother stared at me in awe. I didn''t know if she was overwhelmed by what we''d done, or what we were. I hoped that she''d be okay with the latter. I didn''t really want Halina to have to wipe all of this from her mind. I had a feeling that in the next few years, learning how to raise children, let alone vampire children, I''d need my mother. And really, I had no idea how to hide what they were from her. Not forever. Not when their teeth came in and they started experimentally biting people. How do you explain that to someone that doesn''t understand the reason?


    Timidly, I tried to start the conversation with her. "Mom, I should explain..." I could hear the reluctance in my own voice, could feel Teren minutely squeeze me in support. Halina''s eyes shifted to my mom, ready to move in on her, if needed.


    My mom immediately started shaking her head. "Are you happy, Emma?"


    The largest smile possible spread over my face and tears sprung into my eyes. "Yes," I whispered.


    She swayed Julian in her arms, back and forth, and smiled peacefully at me. "Then I don''t need to hear it. Whatever is going on with you..." her eyes flicked over to the other vampires in the room, "with all of you," they came back to mine, "all I care about, is your happiness."


    A sob broke out of me that my mother might accept my strange new family, that she might accept me. Until just then, I hadn''t realized how much I''d wanted her to know. Seeing the emotion break over me, she quickly came over to sit on the bed beside me, Julian still clutched in her arms. "I love you, Emma, whatever you are." She gave me a kiss on the cheek and then she placed kisses all over Julian. "Besides, these are the most perfect children I''ve ever seen."


    Being one of her children, I tried to not take offense to that, as I laughed and leaned into her shoulder. She laughed as well and kissed my head. I felt Teren shift out from behind me, to lay over on the other side of me in the massive bed. Mom helped me lay back on the pillows and then placed Julian in the crook of my arm. I cooed at him and kissed his soft cheek. Mom kissed my head again and then exclaimed, "I''m going to go call my girlfriends, tell them I''m a grandma!"


    I grabbed her arm as she rose and she looked down on me. Seeing my concerned face, she added, "I''m going to tell them that I''m a grandma to two perfectly normal, regular, healthy, and beautiful children." I nodded at her that she understood. That what we were, what they were, needed to be kept secret. She nodded back, and then flitted from the room to go off and brag about them.


    Ashley walked up next, giving Julian and then me a kiss. She looked over my shoulder at Teren and then back to me. "You guys did great. You were amazing, Emma." She giggled and added, "And I''m never having children. That was disgusting." I laughed and smacked her arm and she laughed and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I''m going to go call Tracey and Ben." I nodded and watched her leave.


    Imogen swished from the room and came back moments later with handmade knitted blankets in blue and pink. Looking sheepish she said, "I couldn''t help but make a whole bunch in different colors." Smiling as she swaddled Julian in blue and then Nika in pink, she added, "I was really hoping for one of each.


    Taking Nika from Halina, she placed her in the crook of my other arm. Halina looked at her longingly, not seeming to want to let her go. With a sigh, she did though, and backed away from the bed. Staring at Teren and I and our children, she looked at her daughter and grand-daughter. "Well girls, how about a celebratory drink? I know I could use it."


    Alanna and Imogen smiled and nodded. Alanna turned to me as Imogen and Halina left the room. "We''ll be downstairs, dear." Her eyes flicked down to my body. "Holler, if you need anything."


    I smiled, nodding, knowing that I knew exactly where they were in this house, and I knew they''d hear me if I casually asked for anything. Alanna''s comments were sweet though. As she and Jack left hand in hand, I sighed and settled into Teren''s side, sort of happy to finally be alone with our new foursome.


    Teren''s arm went under my shoulders, holding me close in the beautiful bed I''d birthed our children in. His pale eyes locked onto mine as a soft, peaceful smile settled on his face. We stared at each other for several quiet minutes before he spoke. "You know, now that they are safely out of you, you could stop taking the injections, if you wanted."


    I stared down at the two bundles in my arms, one a mass of cotton-candy pink, light-blondish, fuzzy hair poking out the top, the other, a sea of powder blue, with a patch of thick blackness at the head. I kissed each soft and warm tuft of hair and closed my eyes, reaching out with my new senses. In the distance, I could hear Jack and Alanna talking quietly in the kitchen. I tuned them out. In the dining room, I could hear Imogen and Halina laughing as they clinked their glasses and sipped their blood cocktails. I tuned that out. I heard Ashley on her phone, talking to Hot Ben, who said he was hopping in his car now and he''d be here soon. I heard Mom on her phone, gloating over how her grandchildren were perfect angels, and one of them bore her late husband''s name. Next to me, I could hear Teren softly mimic breathing, waiting for my response. I tuned them all out.


    Pinpointing my abilities, I listened for the two tiniest beings in the room. Their breath was faint, but I could hear it. They hiccupped and sighed and stopped and started with their breathing, still getting the hang of it. I squeezed them just a smidge tighter and listened for their hearts. Like a musical sympathy, the beats filled my ears. The longer I concentrated on only hearing those specific sounds, the louder they became. I let my own heartbeat fill my ears and smiled as the three of us fell into a similar pattern as they lay near my chest. My heartbeat was slower, one of mine equaling two of theirs, but the rhythm was perfectly in sync.


    Opening my eyes to Teren, I sighed softly, contently. "Not just yet. I want to stay like them for awhile longer." He nodded, his eyes as content as mine, as he reached out and stroked a dark clump of Julian''s hair with his finger. "Are you okay with that?" I whispered.


    His eyes snapped up to mine. "Of course, Emma." His finger traveled up to linger on my cheek. "I will stand behind any decision you make on this. It''s your body, your choice." He leaned in and gave me a soft kiss. "And I''ve always said, I''ll take you any way that I can get you." He leaned back and gazed at me, his face still pale from the amount of blood I''d taken from him. "If I get you young and beautiful or old and elegant, I''m happy." He smiled, his eyes brightening. "Because, either way," he cupped my cheek, his eyes watering, "I get you forever, and I never thought I''d get that."


    I smiled, my own eyes watering. "I didn''t either. I love you so much."


    He grinned crookedly at me. "I would say I love you too, but I think I''ve gone too far past that, so I''ll just say..." his grin turned serious, "you make eternity something to look forward to."


    I gave up on trying to contain the tears after that. Darn emotional vampires.


    ***The End***