by RK Close
“Tell your mother it was delicious as usual,” she said, starting to stand. She was wearing a long T-shirt dress and an oversized sweater wrapped loosely around her. When she turned sideways, I dropped the plate, barely hearing it shatter.
Olivia’s side profile revealed a large baby bump. She smiled at me, but I could only stare like an idiot. “How . . . when . . .” I stammered, not knowing what to ask, exactly.
Olivia laughed and placed a loving hand on her mound. “Don’t you dare ask me how, Seth McKenzie,” she said, laughing.
“It’s mine? I mean, ours?” I stumbled over my words and tried to remember this was a dream—a bizarre dream.
“Of course, Seth. Who else did you think was responsible?” Olivia said, winking at me.
Sitting at Cole’s kitchen table, I stared blankly at my coffee cup. The dream kept playing in my mind, like a broken record. Especially the part with Olivia.
“You okay,” Cole asked.
“What?” I’d almost forgotten he was there. “Yeah, just tired, I guess.”
“Liam thinks we should form a truce with the vampires. They did cooperate last night and were willing to help rescue you before you managed to escape. I’d like to hear more about what actually happened when you’re up to it. What do you think about a truce?”
“I think Victor needs to come clean about his involvement in the death of our birth mother first. What if he had something to do with it?” I asked, finishing the last of my coffee.
Cole seemed to consider this. “Yeah, if he was involved, that’d be a big problem for all of us. Do you think he did?”
“I have no idea, but I know he was there,” I said.
“Do you think it was a suppressed memory?” Cole asked.
“That’s what I want to find out. It seems likely since Olivia said he definitely knows something about our past.”
That, and I needed to see Zoey. I had a million questions for our resident authority on all things supernatural. Starting with the question of vampire pregnancy and if it was possible. That dream excited me as much as it terrified me.
I’d never even thought much about having children. I wasn’t certain that I’d ever risk creating a child that would have the same curse as me. But a child with two curses against them--that was the makings of a Greek tragedy.
“Thanks for letting me crash here last night. I’ll fill you in on my stay at the vampire torture chamber soon,” I said, getting up to leave. “Can you drop me off at my place?”
Cole looked surprised. “You’re leaving already? I thought we’d hang out and talk about . . . stuff.”
“Sorry, Cole. I’ve got some things to take care of today. Can we talk later?” I moved toward the door, still wearing Cole’s sweatpants that were too short for me and his T-shirt that was too loose.
Cole grabbed his keys. “Sure. We’ll talk later. Liam’s most likely going to want to meet with the vamps sooner, rather than later, so make sure you’re available tonight.”
27
Olivia
The walls of my room felt like they’d crush me. I’d never experienced such soul-wrenching agony. Not even when I became a vampire and lost my family. I’d already pushed them away with my anger. I knew that I was leaving them. It was like a planned trip you didn’t want to take.
This . . . this hurt far worse. Simon was my friend, but he was also family. I didn’t realize that until that very moment. I replayed that horrific scene in my mind until I thought I’d go insane.
Eventually, I decided that I wanted to remember the man, rather than his death, so I focused on that. I’d pulled out a sketch pad and tried to capture his likeness, being sure to immortalize his rare smile. When I was satisfied that the sketch resembled Simon, I hung it on the wall of my attic room.
Maria came to check on me and commented on it. “That’s really good. It looks just like him,” she said, tracing the sketch gently with her fingertips. I smiled weakly—it was all that I could manage at the moment.
“He would never let me take his picture. I have one selfie of us that I managed to sneak before he knew what I was doing. That’s it,” I said, staring at the picture of us on my phone.
Maria sat on the edge of my bed. “It’s obvious Simon loved you very much. We all miss him.” She seemed to want to say more but hesitated. “Victor has agreed to meet with the shifters here tonight.”
I straightened my posture. Seth would be here? I hadn’t spoken to him all day. Then I remembered his phone was broken. Would he have wanted to call me? Victor said that Seth was tortured by Xavier’s men for hours.
Because of me.
If there was anything between us before, it was sure to be over now. He must hate me. I didn’t want to imagine what they did to him. When Victor tried to tell me, I cut him off and ran to my room.
Losing Simon and Seth in a single night was too much to bear. I’d mourn the dead, first. I pulled myself out of my troubled thoughts and realized Maria was watching me intently. She looked concerned.
“I’m fine, Maria. Don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything stupid. I just need time.”
She nodded and turned to leave. At the door, she stopped and turned to me. “Will you come to the meeting with the McKenzies?”
Did I want to see him now? “I don’t know,” I said, laying down on the bed and rolling on my side. I heard the door close softly. I thought I had no more tears to cry, but I was wrong.
If we were staying here, I’d have to see Seth eventually. Did I want the torture to begin so soon? He would be a constant reminder of what I could never have. But he was alive, and for that, I was grateful.
Seth
I knocked on Zoey’s door. I wasn’t sure she’d want to see me again so soon. We’d asked a lot of her these past weeks, and now here I was ready to ask again.
The curtain moved, and several locks slid before the door opened. There were dark circles under Zoey’s eyes and she looked tired. Despite her appearance, she gave me a warm smile.
“I’m glad you’re still among the living, Seth,” she said.
“I’m glad to be among the living. A little bird told me you had something to do with that.”
“You spoke to Olivia?” she asked, stepping back to let me in.
“No, I’ll see her tonight. We’ve got some business with her clan. Are you okay? You look beat up.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Thanks.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I’m really trying to ask if you’re all right?”
“I’ll be fine. Magic, like the kind I worked last night, is draining. I’ll recover soon.” She scrutinized me with her green eyes. “What are you really here for?”
I cleared my throat. I wasn’t totally certain about what I wanted to ask her. “I’m not sure, really.”
Zoey gave me a knowing look. “Does it have anything to do with a certain vampire whose name begins with O?” She teased.
I plopped down in the nearest chair and threw my hands up. “Yes, but I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Maybe I can make it easier on you. You want to know if a shifter and a vampire can be mated?” Zoey sat down and crossed her arms and legs in one smooth motion.
I ran my hands through my hair. “Yeah, I guess I do. I mean, we’re so different, but I can’t stop thinking about her. It’s obsessive and I’m not that guy. I’m the guy who thinks variety is the spice of life. I’m the guy who loves all the ladies. I’m—”
“You’re the guy who’s matched to a vampire and wondering if that can happen.”
I blinked at her. “Yeah. Is that even a thing?”
She shook her head and my heart sank. “Seth, you already know the answer to that question. Are you dreaming about her? Do you feel overly protective of her? Can you imagine your life without her in it?”
I thought about it. “Yes . . . yes . . . and no,” I said. It was true. I couldn’t imagine my life without her being a part of it.
“I fe
el like there’s something else on your mind,” she said.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Can vampires have children?”
Now it was Zoey’s turn to blink at me. “There have been a few cases of two new vampires having children, but it’s very rare. Why? Is that a deal breaker for you?”
I shook my head. “No reason. Just curious, that’s all.” Zoey looked suspicious but didn’t press the issue. “What about the children of the two vampires? Were they normal?”
“That depends. Normal is different for each individual. If you’re asking if they grew like normal children, then yes. An unusual side effect of vampires having children is that the child doesn’t require blood to survive, but they have all the other benefits of being a vampire.”
“Like speed, strength, and hearing?” I asked.
“Yes.”
It was only a dream—a weird and wonderful dream.
We stood and walked to the door. “What about my bite?”
“Don’t bite her when you’re a wolf, and she should be safe,” Zoey said, cocking one eyebrow like I’d asked a silly question.
I laughed. “Wasn’t planning on it. Thanks, again.”
“Don’t mention it,” she said as she closed the door. I heard the familiar sound of the locks sliding back into place and wondered again, what witches were afraid of?
28
Seth
Cole went with Liam in his truck while I rode my motorcycle to meet with Olivia’s family. I could no longer deny they were a family, once we’d witnessed their reactions to losing Simon and their efforts to save Olivia.
We pulled up in front of the Victorian-style mansion and parked on the street. It looked like any other house on the block.
Liam, Cole, and I approached the L-shaped porch and climbed the steps. Liam knocked on the door and barely lowered his arm before it opened. Elizabeth gave us a sad smile before motioning us in. I followed Liam and Cole inside.
I’d expected to see Olivia, but she was suspiciously absent. I worried about how she was handling Simon’s death. If my phone wasn’t on the fritz, I’d have called her. Things between our families were not settled yet. Outside of this meeting, I wasn’t certain I’d be welcomed.
The others were all gathered in the living room around the fireplace. Victor came forward and shook Liam’s hand and then did the same for Cole and me. Edgar stepped forward, giving us a curt nod, rather than a handshake. The three women, Elizabeth, Lola, and Maria smiled in greeting.
“Welcome to our home. I understand you have some questions for me. I’m prepared to answer to the best of my ability,” Victor said.
Liam nodded at him and then turned to me. I cleared my throat, worried that the question I asked might destroy the temporary peace we’d found.
All eyes were on me, and I studied their faces, one by one, until I found Victor’s. “Did you kill our mother?” I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my voice.
Victor didn’t flinch, but Cole looked surprised that I’d taken such a direct approach. My gaze bore into Victor. I needed to know, once and for all, if he was involved or not.
“No.” Victor seemed to want to say more but was uncertain about how to proceed.
“But you were there,” I accused.
“I arrived after your mother was already dead,” Victor said gently.
Liam stepped forward, listening intently to Victor’s words. Maybe he didn’t believe that the vampire actually knew anything about our past.
“How did you happen to be there? The remote location was an unusual place for a vampire to be, right?” I said.
Liam moved to stand next to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. My emotions calmed, if only by a few degrees. I glanced at him, and he nodded for Victor to answer the question.
“At the time, my clan was sponsored by Xavier’s clan. I’d planned to move us from his rule, but politics can be touchy in vampire culture; disagreements often end in death.” He began to pace in front of the fireplace. “Our faction was at war with a local werewolf pack whose leader was equally as vicious as Xavier. I’d been assigned the task of keeping tabs on the movements of the pack. I managed to overhear a conversation between the leader and his mate, regarding a pack member who’d gone rogue several years earlier and was to be dealt with.” Victor stopped pacing and looked at me.
“Our mother?” I asked.
“Yes. From what I gathered, your mother fled her pack seven years earlier to marry the alpha of another pack in . . . Montana, as it turned out.”
The vision of the house, with the mountains and the trees, came back to me. It could have been in Montana. I looked at Cole and Liam and knew they were as transfixed by Victor’s revelation as I was.
“Leaving the pack was punishable by death?” Liam asked.
“For that pack, it was. Some do not operate as rigidly, but as I mentioned, their leader was known to be vicious and ruled with a heavy hand. It seemed she disappeared without a trace, but he’d put a large bounty on her head. And, eventually, her whereabouts were discovered. You were all young when her mate, your father, was murdered by those seeking the bounty.”
Victor’s words were like a punch in the gut. We knew she’d been murdered. Once we knew what we were, the reality of her death lost any possibility of an accident.
“So they brought us to Tennessee to kill her and abandon us in the woods to die?” Cole asked, hurt and anger coloring his words.
“She managed to escape with the three of you, but how or why she ended up in the territory she should have avoided, I do not know. Originally, the alpha called for your deaths along with your mothers, but his mate begged him not to kill children because it would bring a bad omen,” Victor said, leaning on the mantle above the fireplace.
“So they killed her and left us to die,” Liam said.
“Yes, that was the plan,” Victor said.
I looked at him. “Then why were you there in the woods? I saw you,” I said. What was his involvement?
“I only learned this information after she was already...gone. When I realized that the three of you were left in the woods to die, I came to find your exact location and to see if you were still alive. When I found you, I left water bottles and made an anonymous call to the authorities.”
Victor looked at us in turn. “I’m truly sorry that I could not save your mother.”
We’d just learned more about our past than we’d ever known, but it was not the sort of story that brought peace and closure. And why would our mother have taken us there? Why wouldn’t she have gone as far away as possible?
Liam stepped up and reached for Victor’s hand. Victor looked surprised but shook kis hand. “Thank you. You had no reason to get involved, but you did.”
Cole’s eyes were glossy when he approached Victor. Instead of reaching for Victor’s hand, Cole grabbed the older vampire in a bear hug. “Thank you.”
Victor looked surprised and maybe a bit uncomfortable but allowed the embrace, nonetheless. Edgar looked as though he was ready for trouble but relaxed when he realized Cole’s intentions.
Victor and I stared at one another for a tense moment, until I reached for his hand. He grasped mine firmly. “I’m sorry for assuming the worst of you.”
Victor nodded once.
“Do you know what our mother’s name was?” Cole asked.
“I did not know the surname, but they called her Suzanne. I’m sorry that I don’t have more for you.”
“You’ve given us more information than we had about where we came from and what happened to our us,” Liam said. “What is the name of the alpha that our killed our parents murdered?”
Victor glanced at Elizabeth. Liam’s question seemed to make them nervous. “Vengeance will only bring death,” Victor said.
“We appreciate all that you’ve done, but let us decide our own fate,” Liam said firmly.
Victor bowed slightly in a formal gesture. “His name is Roy Chambers, and he is still the alpha of the large
st Tennessee pack, as far as I know. The position of alpha may be challenged at any time, by anyone, but as of two years ago, he still ruled.”
“Thank you,” Liam said. “Shall we discuss an alliance now?”
“What about Olivia?” I asked, worried that she wasn’t there.
Maria stepped forward. “She’s at the church.”
Victor cocked his head and raised his eyebrows.
Maria looked uncomfortable. “I was worried about her, so I followed her. She didn’t know. When she entered the church, I left her be.”
“Which church?” I asked.
“The old one on Cherry.”
I looked at Liam.
“Go. Cole and I can handle the rest. We’ll let you know what’s decided,” he said, almost smiling.
I nodded and took my leave. I’d been aching to see Olivia all day. I knew what I wanted. I needed to know if there was a chance she could ever feel the same for me.
Olivia
When it was time for Seth and his brothers to arrive, I snuck out. I wasn’t ready for Seth’s rejection. I didn’t want to see the look in his eyes when he remembered being tortured and knowing that I was the reason for it.
I made my way to a place I sometimes visited when I felt more lost than usual. The Gothic-style church was made mostly of lava rock with magnificent stained-glass windows depicting biblical scenes.
The priest kept the front doors open until ten o’clock most evenings. I slipped inside and the beauty and splendor overshadowed the sadness I’d been filled with since Simon’s death.
There was nobody in the sanctuary, so I went to one of the original wooden benches and sat down. I cried. I prayed. I reflected. I’d never been certain if God heard my prayers once I’d become a vampire, but I held out hope that He did.