Embracing Humanity (Embracing Shadows Book 2)

by Night, Ash

  Got it. Don’t like it, but I got it.

  You don’t have to like it, little brother. It’s for the best, remember?

  Are you doing okay? Has…has he…

  Beat me yet? I just woke up, brother. He was mad at me for flirting with the receptionist. That was two hours ago.

  Are you okay?

  Of course. But listen, he mentioned you earlier. He asked me if you and I were still on speaking terms. I told him no, that I had cut all ties with you and Erin the moment I left. As far as I could tell, he believed me, but if he does that thing again where he cuts off my link with you, and I have no doubt in my mind that he will just to make sure I’m not planning anything with you, it’s a lie, okay? I’ll be fine.

  I understand. My stomach hit the floor and that cold, clammy feeling was back. I didn’t want that to happen again. The loneliness I’d felt last time was unbearable. It brought back memories of the first few days without Mother and I wasn’t sure I could survive losing the only family member I had left.

  Brother, everything will be fine. I have lived a long life. I’ve come to terms with the fact I most likely will not come back alive. Killing the bastard will be worth it, though. We won’t have to live in fear of him taking anything from us again. You can be happy.

  I bit my tongue. I hated that my older brother felt expendable. He wasn’t. I could argue with him until I was blue in the face, but nothing would change his mind about that. It made me angry. After years of Kistel’s abuse and having been told over and over that he was absolutely nothing, my brother truly believed he was worthless. In some ways, Kistel’s words were more powerful than our mother’s.

  I know I don’t say it often, but I’m glad you’re my little brother. Hell knows what I did to deserve you. I don’t deserve anyone in my life as kind as you, but I’m glad you’re in my life, little brother.

  I felt tears prick at my eyes. Alex had never told me anything like this before in so many words. He normally wasn’t one for long speeches unless it was to gloat about something. I’m glad you’re my brother, too, Alex. Can we go fishing after this?

  Sure, we should plan a camping trip. Where should we go first?

  Smiling, I thought about everything we could do. We had never gone camping together before. Kistel forbid it. It was nice talking with Alex like this. I wished he was in the room and we could talk face-to-face, but if that were the case, I doubt we’d be having this conversation in the first place. If there was one thing my brother couldn’t do, it was show his feelings.

  Chapter sixteen

  Alex

  With tears in my eyes, I listened to my brother tell me about a trip I was almost positive we would never take. For the first time in my life since before Anastasia’s death, I knew what it meant to want to live. I wanted to take this trip with my brother. He was a very selfless person and I could hear the excitement in his voice as he told me all about it. I didn’t have the heart to be cynical.

  And I know some amazing places to go hiking! It’ll be great! Alex, are you still there?

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and snapped back to reality. Yeah. It sounds great. I’m, um, just really sore. I think I might lay down and try to think of ways to torture Kistel.

  Okay, you enjoy that. I’ll see you later.

  Yeah, of course you will, brother. I sighed and covered my face with my hands. Damn my brother for sounding so hopeful. He even got my hopes up.

  I stared up at the ceiling, feeling the stress building up in my shoulder blades. This was going to be a long few days.

  “Alexander, do you need me to give you a back rub?” Anastasia’s slender form appeared before me at the foot of the bed.

  “That wasn’t funny the first twenty times you did it,” I growled. Kistel opened the door, laughing. Anastasia disappeared.

  “Oh, come on, lighten up, Alexander.”

  “It’s Alex,” I hissed. “And aren’t you a little old for jokes? You’re like dinosaur-aged.”

  That earned me a punch in the face. I heard my collarbone crack as I hit the wall. “Watch your mouth, dumbass,”

  I smirked and sat up. “Sensitive about your age? You, the oldest creature on the planet?”

  Kistel opened the mini fridge and took out a bottle of whiskey. “Once again, you have completely misunderstood the point. I am not sensitive about my age. It’s a simple matter of respect.” He poured himself a glass.

  “Respect, huh? Like the way you respected my mother?” I asked, picking myself up and leaning against the wall. The room was spinning. “Damn, will you let me out so I can feed?”

  “Getting hungry? Can’t have you fainting on me, not when things are just getting fun. I guess I’ll have to fix that.” Walking over to the bedside phone, he dialed a number and a person spoke on the other end. “Yes, two of your finest girls.” He hung up. “They’ll be here in thirty minutes.”

  “Dammit, old man! Just let me leave! I already told you I know exactly wheat you’ll do if I run!” I shouted. I hadn’t been out of his sight in days and I hadn’t fed in nearly as long. My veins felt like sandpaper. My fangs were on fire. They ached for soft flesh to rip into. Kistel knew I was starving. He also knew starving made a vampire desperate. It was a nasty little game.

  He glared at me. “You’re lucky I have this whole building under my power, brat. Or else our neighbors would be very suspicious of you shouting like the damn roof was caving in.”

  That was his way of reminding me he could compel multiple people to do anything he wanted at any given time. He could compel a mob of people to come after Erin with knives or guns loaded with wooden bullets. My brother wouldn’t be able to protect her from everyone. He wasn’t a match for pointy objects.

  “Point taken,” I mumbled. “Couldn’t help but notice you said thirty minutes. If you didn’t get hotel staff, who did you get? Pizza delivery girls?”

  Chuckling, he took a drink. “No, Alexander, I got something better.”

  Hookers. The old man, who I swore could have told me about a time he hunted cavemen for food, ordered hookers. I stood at the door, dumbfounded.

  “Alexander,” he said, snapping his fingers. “Don’t be rude. Invite the lovely ladies in.”

  “You can’t be serious. Hookers?” I laughed bitterly. “I didn’t think you knew what those were.”

  “Oh, we aren’t dirty hookers, baby. We’re escorts. Distinct difference.” The redhead said as I let her and the other girl in. Both were dressed in revealing outfits; fishnet stockings, shiny red heels, decked out in expensive jewelry, and they both had chest implants. They looked like two of the most high- maintenance girls I had ever seen. The sound of both their heartbeats were roaring in my ears. It took everything I had not to attack them right at that moment.

  The brunette smiled and sat on my lap after looking at my dad for a moment. “Do you mind if I sit here?”

  He winked at me. “I know how much you like brunettes. Prefer redheads myself.”

  I smiled wryly. “Cute, thank you,”

  “Have at it, Alexander. They are ours all evening.”

  My fangs thrust out. The girl didn’t even flinch when she saw them. She let out a small moan as they sank into her jugular. Her slim frame sagged in my arms as the life drained from her.

  Kistel was kissing the other woman. The sight made my blood boil. Even though he was a low-life scum-sucking bastard, even though I would have to be stupid to think he hadn’t slept around on my mother countless times, it made me angry to see him kissing anyone but her. It was disgusting.

  “You can’t really talk, can you, Alexander?”

  “It’s the one thing that separates me from you,” I said in disgust as I placed the dead girl in my arms in the corner of the room. “I never cheated on Anastasia. The thought didn’t have time to cross my mind. I was completely committed to her, and only her.”

  “You did, though. An hour after she was gone, before she was cold in her grave, you were tearing into other women.”<
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  I lunged at him. “Don’t you ever joke about that, you bastard.”

  He stood up so fast the girl in his lap went flying into the corner of the wall and I heard her neck snap on impact. “Boy, do you want me to set your brother’s girl on fire just like I did to yours?” His eyes were stone-cold. “Because, if you don’t watch your mouth, I will.”

  Growling, I stopped inches from his face. “You’re enjoy this,”

  He smirked. “You are goddamn right,”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Erin

  Waking up, I felt fuzzy, off, and a bit sore. I knew this feeling. It was my worst fear coming true. I was losing myself again. Getting dressed and brushing my teeth, I tried to convince myself I was imagining things, that I wasn’t going to be a zombie all day. Or worse, when I visited Aubrey’s mother. It meant the world to him and I didn’t want to disappoint him.

  “Good morning, sweetheart!” Aubrey said cheerfully as he walked into the room. “Would you like breakfast? The hotel serves free breakfast downstairs. It smells amazing!”

  “Sure,” I said. “I’m starving.”

  He smiled. “At least you have your appetite,”

  “Yup,” I replied, praying he wouldn’t notice anything wrong. Of course, he would. Aubrey was insanely good at reading people, especially those he was close to.

  We rode the elevator down to the first floor, walked down the hall, and into a big room with all kinds of food. There were two big pots of scrambled eggs, one with cheese and one without. Baskets were overflowing with every kind of muffin I could think of. French toast, pancakes, and waffles had a whole section dedicated to them with a station for blueberries, strawberries, chocolate chips, and whipped cream.

  My stomach growled as my eyes scanned all the delicious food. I grabbed a plate and loaded it with bacon and scrambled eggs. Sitting in the nearest seat, I started to eat. The taste was indescribable. It was as if I had never eaten scrambled eggs before, or that my taste buds hadn’t been fully working until now. I was barely done chewing each mouthful before the next was ready. Everything else around me no longer mattered. The bacon stripes on my plate were gone in two bites each.

  The next plate was piled high with a tower of pancakes, waffles, and French toast held together with whipped cream, completely drenched in syrup. I devoured the tower two layers at a time. My stomach growled, demanding more as I finished off the last piece of waffle. The muffins were calling my name. Reaching for another plate, I grabbed three huge muffins and sat down again.

  The first muffin I unwrapped was an apple cinnamon that had been rolled in a mix of cinnamon and sugar. Cutting it in half, I spread butter and jam on both sides and ate it in six bites.

  The second muffin was chocolate. I ate that one with a layer of peanut butter. It was gone in six bites as well.

  The last muffin was a strawberry cheesecake muffin. I ate it plain. The tartness of the strawberry on top was delicious. The cream cheese frosting melted in my mouth. The cheesecake filling inside the muffin was heavenly. It was the perfecting ending to my meal.

  Once my meal was done, the world came back into focus. I could hear noises around me again. Forks and knives scraping against plates. People talking. Children chewing with their mouths open.

  “Hon, I got you some chocolate milk.” Aubrey said, smiling. He was too polite to comment on my eating. I must have looked like a barbarian, just shoveling in food as fast as I could. It was as if I were afraid it would be my last meal before going to the electric chair.

  “Thank you,” I said, wiping my mouth with my napkin before taking a drink. My stomach gurgled uncomfortably. I moaned. “Ate too much,”

  “I heard that happens quite often to humans. It’s better than starving, at least.” He popped a piece of watermelon into his mouth. “Did you enjoy your breakfast?”

  “That wasn’t breakfast. That was a massacre.” I replied, blushing. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” Although it wasn’t my favorite emotion, at least I was feeling something. It was a good sign.

  Taking my hand, he kissed my palm. “You’re beautiful. I love you. Nothing else matters. I promise.”

  I smiled faintly. “Can we go for a walk? I need to walk off breakfast.”

  “Join the club, little lady!” A large overweight man exclaimed from behind us, laughing with his friend. “Of course, we’d have a lifetime of breakfasts to walk off. I wouldn’t worry your pretty little head about just one.”

  I chuckled. Aubrey took my hand and we took the stairs back up to our room. It was slow-going. Every step, every breath, hurt. Aubrey was perfectly content with my pace, holding my hand and smiling. Eventually, we made it to our room. Thanks to the stairs, it was easier to walk and it didn’t hurt as bad on the way back down. The fresh air felt good. Aubrey put our bags in the truck and we found a nice path in a nearby park to walk down.

  “Feeling better?” He asked.

  I took a deep breath. “Yes. I think I just experienced one of the side effects of my medication.”

  “Probably, you don’t normally eat that fast.”

  “Lucky it was free.”

  “I can afford more food than that, you know. You could eat like that every day for a year and I would not go broke, not even close.”

  “Ugh, don’t think I could stand to eat like that again.” My stomach nearly heaved at the thought of eating like that ever again. I still wasn’t sure if my stomach had hurt more because of how much I ate or more so because it was consumed so fast.

  “Well, think of it this way, most guys nowadays would be proud to have a girl who could eat so much so I’m proud of you.” He kissed my cheek.

  I laughed. “That’s a great way to look at it.”

  “Are you okay? No nightmares?” Aubrey asked after a few moments of silence. “I went out to hunt a bit earlier last night after you fell asleep.”

  “Nope, I’m fine.” I said quickly, lying through my teeth. It was true I hadn’t had any nightmares, but I was not okay. The incident at breakfast was only the tip of the iceberg. I was afraid everything would change.

  Last night was amazing. I’d loved every minute. I didn’t want Aubrey to assume I was acting weird because I hadn’t enjoyed myself or something. He was amazing. I wasn’t sure if he’d had prior experience and I really didn’t want to know.

  “Was last night…not okay?” Aubrey looked ashamed. “I’m sorry if it was unsatisfying. It was my first time.” A hint of a blush lit up his cheeks. It was extremely cute.

  “Really?” I asked. “No, no, Aubrey, I meant what I said last night. It was truly amazing. You rocked your first time. I can’t believe it was your first. That I was your first.”

  His lips descended on mine in a sweet passionate kiss. “In my time, the act of making love was held as sacred. Times may have changed, but I fully intended to make sure I was with the right person. Last night was my commitment to you, Erin. I know I am with my soul mate.”

  Smiling, I kissed him back. “So you weren’t like other boys?”

  “No, I had never seen a girl without clothes until last night and I must say, why would I ever want to see anyone else?” He whispered in my ear.

  I blushed and turned away. Tears streamed down my face. “Damn, I think I’m experiencing another side effect. Uncontrollable happy tears.” He wrapped me in a hug.

  “Shall we go?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Aubrey

  Later that day, we were on the road again. Her earlier dose of meds were making her sleepy so I drove in silence. Since we had left earlier than expected, and Erin had groaned at the thought of lunch, we were making very good time. My head was filled with memories of my mother as I saw more and more familiar landmarks that told me I was coming home.

  If I were a normal human, I could pretend I was returning home from college. If I were a normal human, I could pretend my dad was just a jerk I hated because we had nothing in common. If I were a normal human, I could pretend I wasn’t brin
ging my girlfriend to meet a patch of dirt, that the loving woman underneath wasn’t a pile of bones without a soul.

  Of course, I’d already been down that road of pretending. The crash of reality wasn’t worth the soothing drive. It would have just made me think about the future. Eventually, I’d be in the same boat again, this time pretending Erin was coming home instead of laying in a box.

  I shook my head. I would not think that way. I was going to enjoy every second I had with her. I had a few decades at least, and science was advancing all the time. By the time Erin was eighty, it was possible all she would have to do is take a pill and, boom, she’d live forever. That thought made me smile.

  Most humans were shallow. They would want their future partners to stay young forever. Whether Erin took the pill when she was twenty-nine or a hundred and nine, I wouldn’t care. I just wanted her with me forever.

  At last, the narrow road opened to reveal my childhood home. Alex had it in his name so he had compelled a few carpenters to install carpeting to hide the bloodstains in time for Erin’s arrival. He even had someone mow the lawn.

  The house wasn’t very impressive by most standards, a simple one story log cabin with a small wood stove for central heat. It wasn’t much, but it had been a place I’d called home and was filled with memories of my mother so I loved it. I had a feeling Alex felt differently. Even when we came back here to pay our respects to Mother every year, he never could seem to relax around this place. Memories were powerful things. Even now, the scent of baking peaches could make my eyes water.

  “Honey, we’re here.” I said, gently rubbing her back.

  She woke up slowly, her hair sticking to her face where she had been sleeping against the pillow. “What time is it?”

  “It’s noon, sweetheart.”

  “Is that…” Her eyes widened as she looked at the house. “It’s so cute! Can we go inside?”

  I chuckled, pulling up beside a tree. “Of course,”