by AJ Jarrett
His mind was on his parents and his brother. When he left the hospital, a police officer drove him down to the station to take a statement. Matt’s mind was mush, but he told the police as much as he could.
The fire had long since burned out at his house, and an investigator for the fire department said the fire was caused by some sort of electrical issue. Matt didn’t believe that for a second, but he didn’t say anything.
What could he say really? That vampires attacked him and his family then burned down his house. They would think he was insane and lock him up in a padded cell and throw away the key.
His parents’ bodies were found or what was left of them. Matt didn’t have to identify the bodies or anything like that. They had been so badly burned they were unrecognizable, so they had to pull dental records. Matt wanted to tell them to save their energy. He knew it was his mom and dad that they had found.
Matt had asked if they had found his brother’s body and they hadn’t. It had been wishful thinking on Matt’s part. Not that Matt wanted Kevin to be dead but if he wasn’t in that house that meant he was still with Hale. Hale did say death would be better than being with that man Kayson.
“Dear God,” Matt groaned. He didn’t know what he was going to do. His parents were dead, and his brother was missing and somehow he was still alive. Matt wasn’t complaining but how did he survive? He felt as he took his last breath. He was fucking dead, so what brought him back?
The police captain put out an AMBER Alert for Kevin. They were in the process of contacting all his friends, coaches, and teachers to see if they had seen or heard from him. Matt knew it was pointless. The police weren’t going to be able to find his brother. Hale had him, and Matt needed to speak to Colby about this guy and hope he had a way of finding him.
The car pulled up to the curb next to Colby’s dormitory. Matt paid the driver and got out. He was given a new shirt at the hospital. He’d cleaned up the best he could, but he still had soot streaking his arms and in his blond hair. As he walked up the steps to Colby’s dorm, he could feel people staring at him. He ignored them.
The sound of a rhythmic thumping echoed in his ears. He glanced around to see a man and woman standing in front of the dormitory across from Colby’s. They were kissing, and he could have sworn the sound got louder and faster. The man pulled back from the woman and whispered in her ear, “Let’s go up to my room.” Matt jerked in surprise. He had heard what the guy said. The girl nodded and followed him up into his room.
That wasn’t the only weird thing going on. There was this intoxicating sweet scent filling the air, and every person that passed him had the same smell. It caused his stomach to ache and growl in hunger. Matt hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon. He hadn’t felt like eating earlier, but now his stomach was twisting in on itself. He needed to eat and soon.
Matt walked down the hall to Colby’s room and raised his hand to knock. Colby didn’t answer so he knocked again. He didn’t hear his friend stirring, but he could hear that even tempo rhythmic sound. Thump, thump, thump. It was slow and steady. There was also that sweet, rich scent, like cinnamon rolls, seeping out from under the door. Matt pounded His fist on the door. God, he was a mess. His life was in shambles, and he was having these strange cravings.
“Hang on a sec. Geez.” Matt could hear Colby as he shuffled out of his bed and walked toward the door. When Colby opened the door, and Matt saw his best friend standing there with his blond hair sticking up all over his head and his eyes swollen from sleep, Matt lost it. He started sobbing like a baby. Colby was the closest thing to family he had left. He stepped toward Colby and wrapped his arms around him. “Okay, this is unexpected.” Colby patted him on the back. “Matt, man, you all right?”
“No,” he blubbered. Matt buried his face in the crook of Colby’s neck. The smell was driving him crazy and helped numb the pain of losing his family. He pulled back from Colby’s embrace and went to sit on his unmade bed.
“Talk to me, Matty.” Colby sat down beside him. His warm hand rubbed circles on his back. “What’s the matter?”
“My parents.” He looked over at Colby. “They’re dead.”
“What!” Colby shouted. He reached over to grab Matt’s hand. “How?”
“The police report says by fire, but that’s not what killed them.” Matt raised his shoulder to wipe off his cheek.
“Their house caught on fire?” His big blue eyes were shimmering with tears.
“It did but not until after they were already dead.” Matt stared off in front of him, replaying the events in his mind. Walking into the kitchen to see his parents’ dead bodies on the floor then seeing Hale.
“Matt, I’m confused.” Colby swiped his hands under his eyes. “You’re not making any sense. Where’s Kev?”
“I don’t know.” A loud thudding started to pound in his ears, and Matt had a hard time concentrating. There were so many more important things going on that he needed to worry about, but this hunger was driving him insane. Everything else seemed to fade away except that gnawing hunger.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
Between the loud noise in his ears and the cramping of his stomach, Matt couldn’t take it anymore.
“Do you know a man by the name of Hale?” Matt asked and watched as Colby’s eyes rounded and his hands began to tremble.
“What did you just say?” Colby’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“Hale. That’s the name of the man who killed my parents and took off with my brother. Do you know him?” Matt’s voice started to rise.
“Oh my God.” Colby stood on shaky legs. “You must be mistaken. It can’t be him.”
“Black hair, pale skin, eyes black as night.” Matt narrowed his eyes as he glared at Colby. He wasn’t sure why but he was suddenly very angry at his friend. Matt had never had an enemy in his entire life, and now a man he didn’t even know wanted him dead.
“No.” Colby shook his head.
“Yes.” Matt stood. His chest was heaving from how fast he was breathing. “I showed up to my folks’ house to find them on the floor in the kitchen drained of all their blood. And then Hale had some guy with him named Kayson who took an extra special liking to Kevin. They took him with them, Colby!” Matt shouted.
Matt started to sweat. If felt as if someone had turned the heat up in the room. His fingertips ached as if they were being split open and he had a painful pressure in his gum tissue.
“Matt,” Colby said his name real slow and took a step back.
“And to top it off he tried to kill me. I was certain I was dead until I woke up to the house burning down around me.” Matt clenched his fist. Something sharp pierced his palms, and as he opened his hands, he felt blood run from his fingertips to splatter onto the cheap carpeted floor. “What’s going on, Colby? This monster took out my entire family all because I’m friends with you. Why?”
“Did he bite you?” Colby asked. He cocked his head to the side and was staring warily at Matt. “Did he feed you his blood?”
“He bit me, but no I didn’t drink his blood.” Just the thought made Matt gag. “What is wrong with you, Colby? Did you hear what I said? This man, thing, killed my parents and kidnapped my brother all because we’re friends.”
“We really need to get out of here.” Colby turned around and started to pull clothes out from his dresser drawer. “It’s not safe.” He started to get dressed.
Colby pulled his shirt off over his head, and Matt stood there staring. He couldn’t take his gaze off Colby’s long, slender neck. Matt could see the slight twitch of the vein in his neck. His mouth began to water. The more Colby moved, the thicker that sweet scent filled the air. Before he knew what he was doing, Matt lunged at Colby and took him to the ground.
“Matt, stop.” Colby struggled with him. “You need to listen to me.”
Matt straddled Colby’s hips and pinned his arms above his head. A hard pressure pulsed at his upper gum line and he was salivating so
much it dripped down his chin to fall onto Colby’s bare chest.
“Smell so good.” Matt opened his mouth and bent down to Colby’s neck.
“Matt, please stop. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Matt wasn’t listening. All that mattered was tasting Colby’s blood. He had to have one sip. Matt licked the tender flesh and was just about to bite down when a bright light filled the room, and he was thrown back against the wall. He landed on the floor and his vision blurred.
“I’m sorry, Matty.” Colby knelt beside him and shoved his blond locks out of his eyes. “I’ll explain everything once my dads and grandfathers get here.”
Matt opened his mouth to ask Colby what he meant, but the blackness consumed him. His eyelids fell shut, and Colby was gone.
* * * *
Matt wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he finally opened his eyes. He was in a bedroom on a soft bed. The walls were painted a light gray with white accents on the woodwork. The drapes were pulled shut, but a tiny gap in the blinds showed him it was dark outside. Matt sat up in the bed, and the first thing he noticed was the hunger was back. He wound his arms around his stomach and whimpered.
“You’re hungry.” Matt jerked his head to the side to see Ben sitting in a chair in the corner. “It’s common for newly turned vampires.”
“What?” Matt mumbled. “Turned?”
“Matt, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you’re a vampire now.” Even in the darkness, Matt could see Ben perfectly. He saw the sadness in his dark blue eyes.
“No.” Matt shook his head. The familiar burn of tears stung his eyes. “It’s not true.”
“I’m sorry, son, but it is.” The hard edge of Ben’s jaw softened. “Colby told me what happened and I spoke to the police on your behalf. I’m so sorry, Matt. Had we known he’d found Colby we might have been able to stop him.”
“Oh good, he’s awake,” Miles said as he walked into the room, flipping on the light. Colby and his uncles Benedict and Asher followed behind him. “Here.” Miles handed Matt a coffee mug. Steam rose from the top. “Drink that. You’ll feel better.”
“What is it?” Matt sniffed at the dark liquid, and it had the sweet scent he smelled earlier. He took a big gulp, and his hunger was filled.
“Blood.” Miles smiled.
“What?” Matt’s hand started to shake, and he dropped the mug. Asher moved so swiftly Matt didn’t even see the auburn-haired beauty. All he saw was a flash of red. He snatched the cup up before it hit the bedspread.
“Be careful now.” Asher waved a finger at him. “Bloodstains.”
Matt opened his mouth to say something, anything but he couldn’t form words. This had to be the saddest and weirdest day of his life.
“Grandpa, stop it.” Colby smacked Asher in the arm. “This is hard enough without you trying to make light of the situation.”
“I can’t help it that I’m funny.” Asher sat down on the bed beside Matt. “Besides, someone needs to lighten the mood in here. Here finish this. It will help with the hunger.”
“Did you say grandpa?” Matt took the mug and looked at Colby.
“Yeah.” Colby sat down at the foot of the bed. He brought his hand up to nibble on his thumbnail. “Matt, I need to tell you the truth. I’m not adopted. My parents are Ben and Miles. As in Miles was impregnated by my dad and gave birth to me.” Matt lost the grip on his cup and nearly dropped it again had it not been for Asher. “And Benedict isn’t my uncle. He’s my grandfather and Asher is his mate.” Colby took a deep breath. “And we’re all vampires.”
“I do rather hate that term, grandfather.” Asher put his arm around Matt’s shoulders and leaned into him. “Do I look like some old man?”
“Lover, you have zero tact.” Benedict laughed.
Matt took a better look at Benedict. He and Ben did look an awful lot alike. They looked like brothers but why would someone lie about such a thing? And the vampire bit. Matt didn’t want to believe it, but he knew it to be true. He’d seen what Hale did to his mom and dad then to him.
“Whatever.” Asher rolled his eyes.
“Can you two not bicker for at least ten minutes?” Ben stood from his chair. Benedict nodded, and Asher put his hand to his mouth as if he were turning a key in a lock. “Thank you, dads. Okay, Matt, Colby told me everything that happened. I’m sorry about your parents, and your brother.”
Matt stared into his cup. Hearing Ben say that was just another reminder how his life had forever been changed. His life would never be the same ever again. And his poor brother. He had to find him. Some way somehow Matt swore he would.
“Hey, Matt.” Ben shooed Asher away and took his seat. “You said that Hale bit you. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir.” Matt met Ben’s dark blue eyes. “I thought I’d died until I woke up surrounded by smoke.”
“And he didn’t feed you any of his blood?” Ben asked, and Matt shook his head. “Then how?” Ben looked over at Benedict. “If he wasn’t given Hale’s blood how is he still alive and a vampire?”
A long pause settled over the group and Matt was thankful for that. He needed a moment without sound or having to think. All this was too much to handle. They were telling him he was a vampire. If it weren’t for the blood in the mug he’d already consumed, he might think they’d all gone completely mad.
“Oh my God.” Colby jumped to his feet. He held up his finger. “It’s from me.”
“From you?” Miles took a step toward his son.
“Yeah.” Colby’s cheeks flushed a bright red. “It’s not anything weird so stop staring at me like that. Matt, remember in the library yesterday?”
Matt thought back to studying with Colby. So much had happened since then but he did remember. “The paper cut.”
“Paper cut?” Asher smirked. “My lovely grandson, that’s not how it works.”
“What do you mean?” Matt asked, looking from one man to the next.
“Matt, sweetie.” Miles sat down on the end of the bed. “Becoming a vampire is sort of similar to how it’s done in the movies. You get bit and drain to near death then a vampire gives you his or her blood. The change takes over your body like a virus, and you become a vampire. Now granted we can walk in the daylight and eat food if we so chose but we do need blood to survive.”
“Okay let’s get past the history lesson shall we.” Asher glanced between Matt and Colby. “How did you come to taste Colby’s blood, Matt?”
“He…I…” This was all too much. Matt was back to a trembling mess.
“I cut my finger on a piece of paper and Matt grabbed it and stuck it in his mouth.” Everyone winced and stared over at Matt. “It wasn’t like that. His mom used to do that to him and to be honest, it stopped hurting. But that was the only way blood got into him from a vampire.”
“Are you sure Hale didn’t give you any blood?” Ben asked.
“No.” Matt shook his head. “He wanted me dead. Why give me his blood if it was only going to bring me back to life.” Matt’s eyes clouded with tears. “He was so angry. He said I wasn’t allowed to touch things that belong to him.” Matt scoffed and looked at Ben. “He thinks of Colby as a thing, property to be owned.”
“Well, because he kinda is.” Asher rolled his eyes.
“Ash, please,” Benedict grumbled.
“What do you mean?” Matt asked.
“Matt.” Colby crawled over Ben’s lap to scoot in close to Matt. He grabbed his hand and entwined their fingers. “Hale is my mate.” Matt frowned, causing his eyebrows to scrunch up.
“A term you might be more familiar with is soul mate.” Miles spoke up. “But for us paranormal beings it’s an actual thing. Love at first sight and all that. The other half to our soul. We can live forever and as long as we live we’re together. It’s a love without end, Matt. All of us paranormals have a mate out there, and once we find them, it’s the greatest day of lives.”
What they were saying was a lot to take in. Paranormal bei
ngs? Mates? Living forever? It sounded like a fairy tale from a fictional book.
“So you are all vampires?”
“Yes.” Colby smiled. “Vampires are a part of the paranormal community. There’s more like us out there. Some are shifters, witches, fairies, and vampires. But the community is split between good and evil. My family is part of the Warriors of the Light, and we fight for good, or at least we use to.” Colby’s voice lowered, and he had a sad expression on his face. “We’re at war with the Warriors of the Dark and their leader the First. Also known as Athena. She’s a powerful witch that wants to rule the world and everyone in it. If given the chance, she will kill us all.”
“And that hateful bitch is Hale’s mother.” Asher clapped his hands together. “Of course our little Colby would get stuck with a winner.”
“He wasn’t always like this, Grandpa,” Colby said in Hale’s defense and Matt got angry.
“Colby, that man’s a monster.” Matt jerked his hand out of Colby’s. “He killed my family and laughed about it. He stole away with Kevin and didn’t blink an eye. He tried to kill me.” He smacked a hand to his chest.
“I’m sorry, Matt.” Tears fell from Colby’s eyes. “Hale’s mother changed him, and now he’s like this. I want to believe he can be saved, but I guess this proves there is no saving him. He’s lost to me.”
“Shit,” Matt groaned. He didn’t want to be mean to Colby or make him feel any worse. He wrapped his arm around his best friend’s shoulders and pulled him close.
“Is anyone else curious as to how a sip of Colby’s blood was able to change young Matt here?” Benedict’s brow was pinched together.
“Well, he is the child born from the light.” Asher shrugged. “Maybe that’s one of his talents. He is destined to help save the world, so maybe his blood can save others.”
“I’m sorry, Colby.” Matt leaned in close to press a kiss to the side of Colby’s head. “I’m not mad at you. I’m just scared. In less than twenty-four hours I’ve lost everyone I love. I just don’t know what to do.”