The Next Generation (Conversion Book 4)

by S. C. Stephens

  Dad nodded, his eyes flicking over everyone in the room. “Well, we might have a problem. We might need to leave the ranch.”

  I stepped forward, not understanding. “What? Leave the ranch? Why?”

  Dad locked eyes with me. His earlier pain was gone, but a new, equally intense pain was filling him. “I’m sorry, Nika, but Hunter knows what we are. We need to leave, to keep the family safe.”

  My eyes widened as I fully understood what he was saying. “You don’t just mean leave the ranch…you mean leave the state.”

  Starla gasped, grabbing Jacen’s arm in excitement. “Are we going back to Los Angeles? Finally?”

  Dad ignored her, his eyes still focused on mine. He didn’t answer my question verbally, but his silent answer was so loud, it nearly split my head in two. I sputtered for a logical alternative to drastically uprooting our family, but all I could come up with was, “But he doesn’t know where we are? I never told him where the ranch was!”

  Standing, Dad walked over to me. “Nika, he knows that your family is full of vampires. He knows our family name. How long do you think it will take him to discover where Adams Ranch is?”

  I wanted to object, but I knew he was right. We weren’t safe here. He could find us, stalk us, take us down one by one. A part of me couldn’t believe he would do that, but then, I’d just watched my grandmother bury her fingers into my father’s chest to remove a bullet that Hunter had put there. He could do…anything. Tears in my eyes, I shook my head. “Our friends…school?”

  “Can all be established somewhere else, Nika…”

  I thought my heart might explode, but that was nothing compared to the shock of pain I felt from Julian. “No,” he stated, his voice and face defiant. “No, I’m not leaving town.”

  His voice shook as rage and pain warred within him. I understood why. He didn’t want to leave Raquel and Trey any more than I wanted to leave Hunter and Arianna. But Dad was right, we had to. Dad put his hand on Julian’s shoulder, but Julian brushed him off and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “No, Dad. There has to be another way. One that doesn’t involve us tucking our tails and running away.” He dropped his fangs, snarling, “We’re not some weak species that needs to live in fear day in, day out. We’re vampires. And we have a right to fight for our home.”

  I stared at my brother in shock. Of all of us, Julian was the one who lived in an almost constant state of fear. His childhood had left him with so many scars…but staring at him now, he seemed so strong, so able, so confident…so much like Dad. He was an inspiration, and I dropped my fangs, declaring my agreement with his sentiment, if not his statement. I wasn’t quite ready to fight the man I loved; I didn’t think I’d ever be ready for that.

  Dad glanced between the two of us, looking both proud and flabbergasted. “Safety is our top priority, and the ranch is no longer safe. Where exactly do you suggest we go?”

  Julian was about to answer him when we all heard something that sent a slice of fear straight through me. Every vampiric head turned toward the front of the house, to the sound of a car rolling over cobblestones as it entered our driveway. Our entire family was here and accounted for. Whoever had just arrived wasn’t welcome at the moment.

  Dad slipped on a clean shirt that Imogen had set on the counter for him. Looking over everyone, he whispered, “Stay here.” He made to leave, but Mom grabbed his elbow. Eyes fiery, she told him, “I’m coming with you, Teren.”

  Dad looked like he wanted to argue, but years of marriage must have told him that was pointless. He ended up nodding at her and indicating outside with his head. They slipped out the back door while the rest of us wondered if we were about to go to war…with my boyfriend.

  FEAR PRICKED AT the edges of my brain, but I drove back the icy terror with the fiery remnants of anger in my belly as I locked eyes with Nika. Her deep brown eyes were also laced with fear, but beneath that emotion was a hurricane of worry swirling within her. She was worried for our parents, worried for our family, and, yes, even worried for her boyfriend, I was sure.

  I could feel Mom and Dad’s presence darting around to the front of the house, to surprise whoever had just pulled up. I found it hard to believe Hunter and his dad would be stupid enough to drive up to a vampire nest while said vampires were awake, and now that Hunter was aware that some vampires didn’t have a problem with sunlight, he had to assume we were prepared for a daylight attack. Hunter’s newfound knowledge made the argument for us leaving town a good one. But I couldn’t leave. Trey, Raquel, Arianna…they were all intrinsic parts of my life, and I couldn’t just cut them out and walk away. Not yet. I was supposed to get until the end of high school with them…then we’d leave. But not now. I wasn’t ready.

  The car outside creaked to a stop and everyone—those who could—stopped breathing and listened with every ounce of supernatural power we possessed. Mom and Dad were in the front yard, probably getting ready to make their move. The air in the kitchen was so thick with tension, I was having a difficult time pushing back the onslaught of fear. Ben coughed into his hand, and every vampire in the room snapped their heads to him. “Sorry,” he muttered, right as I heard the mysterious car’s door open.

  “Damn, this place is huge!”

  Recognizing the voice, I blurred out of the kitchen before anyone could stop me. The ranch had three glass doors encased in heavy, dark wood for the front entrance. Each door was highlighted by a stone arch that supported a balcony on the floor above. My sister and I had mimicked game shows with these triple doors when we were younger, pretending each door led to a unique prize—one potentially priceless, the others potentially worthless. Hoping I was choosing the right door now, I pulled open the middle one.

  My sister was instantly beside me as I stepped onto the front patio. A familiar minivan was parked beside the huge fountain of a crying woman that was in the center of our circular driveway. Trey popped out of the passenger’s side, his face awed by my impressive home away from home. The only thing that surprised me more than seeing Trey here, was seeing Arianna crack open the driver’s side door. My mouth was wide open as they stepped out of the vehicle.

  “Teeth,” Nika muttered, nudging me in the ribs.

  I immediately pulled up my fangs, only then realizing that they were still down. Mom and Dad appeared on the other side of the fountain, holding hands and seeming like they were going for a casual stroll around the property, not stalking my friends. Below what Trey and Arianna could hear, Dad asked, “What are they doing here?”

  “Don’t know,” I murmured back, waving at my unexpected guests.

  Faces full of concern, Trey and Arianna made their way over to Nika and me. Knowing I sounded like a parent, the only question I could think to ask was, “Why aren’t you guys at school?”

  Arianna rushed up to me, throwing her arms around my neck. Her force pushed me back a step, startling me. She hadn’t acknowledged my existence much lately, let alone touched me. “Julian, thank God you’re okay! I couldn’t stay at that place until I saw for myself that you were all right.”

  Pulling back from our embrace, her eyes flashed to mine and her cheeks filled with color as our gazes locked. It had been a while since she’d purposely looked at me. I’d almost forgotten just how beautiful her eyes were—green, brown, a splash of blue and gray—they were different from every angle, a kaleidoscope of colors. Kind of…enchanting really.

  “Especially after what Trey said he saw in the hallway,” she said. “Did someone seriously pull a gun on you?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

  “Not at me,” I muttered, overly conscious of how close her body was to mine. Pushing back the feeling starting to creep up on me, I looked over at Trey. “What exactly did you see?” Ice tingled up my spine as I realized that he’d, at the very least, seen the gun being drawn.

  Mom and Dad stepped up to our group, and Trey eyed Dad with both confusion and trepidation. Arianna switched her position so that she was cuddling into
my side. Part of me wanted to push her away, since I was trying to not be misleading anymore, but really, after the last couple of days that I’d had, I wanted the comfort too much.

  Trey’s eyes flicked between mine and Dad’s, but when he spoke, it was directed at Dad. “I went out to the hall to see where Julian was, and I spotted him and Nika talking to that Hunter dude.” Trey looked back at me. “Then that crazy mo-fo pulled a gun and fired!” Arianna shuddered as Trey looked back at Dad. “I thought he was shooting at nothing, but then you…appeared out of nowhere…slammed into a wall.” His eyes scoured Dad up and down. Trey shook his head in disbelief; the hair peeking out from under his knitted cap brushed his shoulders. “I know he got you. How are you not hurt? Or dead?”

  Dad frowned, rubbing the spot where he’d been operated on just a few minutes ago. “Maybe we should discuss this inside?” He motioned to the front doors.

  Instead of moving toward the doors, Trey looked back at me. “Then you tackled Hunter…and I saw your face, your mouth. And those fangs weren’t props, dude.” Scrunching his face, he suddenly looked like he was back in math class, trying to figure out a complicated problem. I would have found his look humorous, except, when he spoke, he asked me almost the same thing Hunter had asked Nika, “What the heck are you?”

  Disengaging herself from me, Arianna scoffed. “Trey, knock it off with your stories. He had a gun pulled on him! You don’t need to dramatize the situation by adding some crap about Julian being a vampire.”

  Trey shifted his inquisitive look and glared at Arianna. “Like I said before, I saw it! With my own eyes!”

  Standing in front of me, like she was protecting me, Arianna crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t see it with somebody else’s eyes, Trey.” She sighed, her breath coming out in a puff of moisture. “But you’re wrong. All that happened was a gun fired. Luckily no one was hurt, and Hunter, the freaking psycho, ran away.”

  Trey stepped up to Arianna, glowering. “You weren’t there, Arianna. You didn’t see what I saw.” He pointed back at Dad. “He got shot!” His arm swung around to Nika and me. “And they disappeared with him like that!” He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. “They vanished into thin air, like they…teleported or something.”

  I sighed softly. He really had seen everything. Kind of gangly, Trey had always reminded me of a pony who hadn’t quite grown into its body yet. I’d always thought the same thing about his mind too, but with how he’d pieced everything together, I had to reconsider. Trey was smarter than he let on.

  Arianna gave Trey a look of disbelief. “Have you had anything this morning, Trey?” she asked, miming a joint.

  Trey blinked. Looking abashed, he shook his head. “No, I’m sober.”

  Arianna shook her head. “You’re sober, but you think you saw Julian and Nika teleport? You think Julian had real vampire fangs? Do you really think Julian is a member of the walking undead? Julian?” She patted my chest, my heart.

  Walking around the arguing pair, Dad opened the front door. “I’m pretty sure we can clear all of this up inside,” he suggested. He locked eyes with Trey. “We’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

  Trey nodded, and Arianna turned away, muttering, “Vampires…ridiculous.”

  I exchanged a long look with Nika while Mom and Dad entered the house after Arianna. Nika’s mood was akin to my own. She was a mixture of sadness and elation. It would be easier on some level if our friends knew the truth. But it would be more difficult, too. Our family didn’t let a whole lot of people in on our secret. Truly, aside from Ben, it was limited to immediate family only. The theory was that the fewer people who knew the truth, the fewer people who could find out the truth. It was all done to spare our family from being hurt or hunted, to hide mass exposure. Not that it was a foolproof plan, as our current situation with Hunter showed. But letting Trey and Arianna in on the family secret also brought with it the very real possibility of rejection, and they would definitely be wiped if they couldn’t handle it. A part of me was really bothered by the idea that the people I was closest to might not be able to accept who I was. Nika was already feeling that ache of rejection, since Hunter had just shunned her in the most violent way he could. She was still reeling from the blow, on the edge of breaking down. Another loss right now might push her over the edge.

  I slung my arm over Nika’s shoulders, silently supporting her. Trey watched our every move with inquisitive eyes. Of all the days for Trey to come to school completely sober… With a heavy heart, I headed into the house to tell my friends that I was a…how did Hunter put it? Right, a bloodsucking nightmare.

  Everyone was waiting in the living room when Nika and I arrived with Trey. While the ranch back in California resembled a ski lodge with thick, wooden beams and flat river rocks, this ranch reminded me of a palace. The ceilings were vaulted, with crystal chandeliers and silent ceiling fans, waiting for the heat of summer. Every wall was rich with color, the furniture a deep, dark cherry. Heavy brocaded curtains outlined every set of windows. They were all currently open, to let the bright light of this chilly day filter into the room. A room filled with vampires.

  Trey’s eyes were wide as he looked at all the youthful faces in the room. He was either thinking that I had a lot of family members who all seemed around the same age, or he was slowly realizing that there were a lot more vampires in the room than he’d anticipated. He paled a little as he found a seat next to Arianna on one of the many plush chairs in the room.

  Arianna was checking out the various members of my, admittedly, attractive family. She seemed unperturbed by all the undead around her. Of course, she didn’t know yet. She might feel differently in a few minutes.

  Mom and Dad were still standing as I found a seat next to Nika. The couch we were sitting on had golden tassels that hung off the buttons. I absentmindedly played with one while Dad stepped up to Trey. Arms crossed over his chest, Dad’s face grew deadly serious. “I’ll tell you everything that happened in that hallway, Trey, but first, I need to know…did you tell anyone what you saw? Even just that you saw a gun?”

  Trey leaned over his knees, bouncing his heels as nervous energy shot through him; I could smell it. “No, no…I only told her.” He jerked his thumb at Arianna. “She freaked out when I mentioned a gun. Dragged me off to go find Julian and Nika before I even had a chance to tell anyone else.” His eyes flashed to mine. “Not that I would, man. Your secret’s safe with me.”

  Arianna snorted at his comment, but Trey ignored her. “We left school right as the cops showed up to lock it down. I didn’t say anything, I promise. You can trust me.”

  Dad twisted his lips, considering. After a moment, he shrugged. “You’re right. I did get shot. But I…recover quickly. Especially when they miss my heart.”

  Arianna’s mouth dropped wide open as she absorbed what Dad was saying. My stomach tightened at the thought of her turning away from me…for real this time.

  Trey was only dazed by Dad’s pronouncement for a second, then he shot to his feet. “I knew it!” His pointed at me. “You’re totally vampires, aren’t you?”

  Amusement and amazement bubbled into me, both at the look of wonder on Trey’s face and the fact that he’d jig-sawed the puzzle pieces of my life together in such a way that he’d come up with the one thing we’d been trying to hide from everyone. A little relieved that the words were out there, I mumbled, “Sort of. We’re only a little bit vampire.”

  “Huh? What do you mean…little bit?” Trey looked relived that he’d guessed my secret correctly, but dumbfounded too, like the puzzle he’d put together had formed a picture of something that was impossible to understand without guidance.

  Arianna turned her head to stare at me. “What?” She still looked confused, but at least she wasn’t scared. Yet. Worry passed over her features as she glanced between Trey and me. She seemed to think we were both crazy.

  Dad appeared to be about to explain, and even Nika opened
her mouth to start talking, but I held up my hand to stop them. I wanted to explain this. It was my fault anyway. I stood up to stand before Arianna and Trey; they both watched me, Trey wondrous and curious, Arianna…perplexed. Dad backed up a step, giving me space to admit the deepest, darkest part of myself to people not in the know. My stomach swam with nerves; I’d never confessed this before. I wasn’t sure how to begin, or if I even should. But Trey and Arianna had to be told something, especially since they were putting themselves in danger by hanging out with me. If they were going to stand by my side right now, they needed to understand what I was, and what I wasn’t.

  Inhaling a calming breath, I talked in as soothing a voice as I could. “My great-great grandmother was turned into a vampire while she was pregnant. Her daughter was born half-human, half-vampire. Her daughter was born part-vampire, and so was her son…and so was my sister…and so was I. We’re all of mixed blood.”

  Trey’s eyes widened to a point where I thought they might pop out of his head. “That’s…possible?”

  I nodded, as Arianna jumped up from the couch to stand with Trey. “Okay, I don’t know what’s going on here, or why you’re all making up stories, but I’d like to go home now.”

  She grabbed Trey’s hand, pulling him into her, and searched his face, seeking support in her desire to leave. She was clutching his arm as they stood close together, and a part of me hated how close they were standing. It made an uneasy feeling go through me. Almost…jealousy, and that was a really odd thing to feel about Arianna. I tried to push the feeling back—someone else touching Arianna should not make me jealous. Even still, I reached for her free hand. “I’m not lying…I’m not making up a story. I’m just telling you what I am, so you can understand why Hunter, well, why he shot my dad.”