Welcome to the Family (A Supernatural Saga Book 2)

by Caroline F Levy

  Thinking back, it explains why I felt so comfortable with Roger. He feels like safety and home.

  “I have to tell you something. You smell like cookie dough.”

  Poor Roger asked me to keep that one quiet. He would never live it down if the other were-bears ever found out.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nothing is moving fast enough for my liking. The Doc still has me restricted to my bedroom, twenty-four-seven.

  It is not all bad; Roger is with me during the day. We amuse ourselves playing cards. We are playing Snap, as I do not know the rules to any other games. It was a bit one-sided at first, as Roger has the speed of being a were-animal. However, I have won the last few games, which of course Roger swears he is letting me do.

  His cousin, Harvey, sits outside the room for a night. I have only spoken to him once when Roger introduced us. Apart from his build, he does not seem a lot like Roger. I have tried to talk to him. You would think the way he reacts whenever I go to the door that I am dangerous. He acts as if I am going to commit an act of violence. His reaction is – how can I describe it? Ready to defend himself, on high alert the moment I move in my room, especially if I come over to the door. He is a foot taller and twice as wide. When I met his wife Melanie, she told me it is nothing personal, he is always nervous when a vampire is going through a metamorphosis.

  The red mists are coming more often and so is the pain. If Roger is near he tries to soothe me, but the Doc has told me there is not a lot they can do. When my teeth come through this will stop. As soon as they do, I will have come halfway through the change. I will be ready to consume blood. My body is going through many changes; mainly my digestive system. I am growing a second stomach, so I will be able to digest the blood I drink. Once the stomach has developed my teeth will follow. I do not like the idea of drinking blood, but it is the only way for the red mists to stop. Seemingly, I will have an appetite for blood and sex. This is not what a single girl needs to hear.

  I have already noticed the speed. I keep falling over my own feet if I get up too quickly. As if it was possible, I am even clumsier than usual. This is happening because my brain and body are out of sync. This will level when I go through the final changes.

  Once I have my teeth and I have fed, I will be able to leave my bedroom, but kept under strict quarantine. They are hiding information from me, but no matter how much I ask, no one will tell me. I sound like a whiny child wanting something I cannot have. I have even tried to get a read the Doc and Roger’s minds. They must be blocking me, or I am defective. Maybe that will come with time too.

  It has been two weeks since the change started, and I have not seen Archie. I want to talk to him. I have so many questions. Roger is answering my questions about the were-animal community. But it is Archie who will teach me the ways of the vampire. The doc has told me I am not allowed to see Archie until I have become accustomed to my teeth. As it is a tradition for a vampire to see through the metamorphosis with only one other vampire, and Archie is not that vampire.

  Asking the Doc why I must wait for my teeth to come in before Archie can teach me about the traditions and ways of Vampires.

  She looks over to Roger, and he nods at her. “Sit down, Angela, and I will tell you what you need to know about the blooding.”

  Now I am nervous, ‘Blooding’ sounds hideous.

  “Angela, the blooding of a vampire is an age-old tradition. Normally you would have grown up and known others from your community. You have caused a stir, as the blooding normally happens between two vampires who are in a relationship or close friends.”

  I am starting to have an uneasy feeling what the doc is telling me.

  “Once your teeth start to come through, you will feel aggressive, and I do not mean in a violent way. You will want sex, Angela. That is why Roger has avoided telling you about it.”

  I sit down with a bump. “Are you telling me I will want sex and it will not matter who I am near?” Do I want the answer to that?

  “This is why you pick a partner to help you with the metamorphosis. However, as you do not know many from the community and have no bond with anyone, Archie has asked someone you do know if he would be willing to help you, and he has agreed.”

  The red is starting to cloud over, and I pant with panic. I reach deep down inside and slow my breathing. The red mist starts to lift.

  “Very impressive, Angela, I didn’t believe Archie when he said you could do that.”

  My attention snaps back to the Doc as I remember, she has not told me who the volunteer is.

  “Who?” is all I can say.

  She looks me in the eye. “Jack Jones. He will be arriving tonight.”

  The Doc leaves me alone to take in all that she has told me. I will become a vampire in a couple of days, and I will have sex with Jack Jones. I am not sure how I feel about this. Nervous, sick, light-headed. My heart is like a jackhammer in my chest. I am also excited. I remember the dreams I had back before all this had started to happen to me. It feels like an eternity since then, but it has only been a matter of weeks. I cannot believe how much my life has changed. How am I supposed to look Jack in the face when he comes to me tonight?

  I will be with Jack, from now until the blooding. This is so I feel more comfortable in his company. I do not think I will ever feel comfortable with what they are saying is inevitable. I must be able to stop the sexual urges. I have a mind of my own.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Jack has arrived he is waiting for me to allow him into my room. I am pacing, and Roger is still in with me for the last time until the blooding is over. He looks worried. I have passed shock and moved onto angry. He stands and shuffles his feet. I give him another daggers-look. I have been going over everything in my mind. I am hopping mad. At anyone, and everyone. I am aiming most of my anger at Roger. I know it is not his fault, but he should have told me earlier.

  He apologizes to me again. “I could not bring myself to tell you.”

  I am at boiling point. I pace the room again. Okay, I scream at him to leave. Nevertheless, to his credit, he stands his ground. I am like a caged animal, what is wrong with me? I stop pacing, and Roger freezes on the spot. It is as if he is not sure what to do for the best. Looking at him, he looks so sad. I feel the anger ebb away.

  I walk over to Roger and wrap my arms around him. I feel him stiffen at first, but then he relaxes.

  He nuzzles my hair and whispers, “Forgive me – please?

  I say what is in my heart, and not my head. “Yes.”

  He sweeps me up and gives me one of those bear hugs I am beginning to love so much, kisses me on the forehead, and puts me back down. Roger inhales a deep breath and slowly breathes out. “I have stayed longer than I should have done already. I have to go, babes.” He gives me one last quick hug and walks out of the room.

  I stare out of the door. It is so frustrating to be unable to leave the room. I can see Roger and Jack having a heated conversation, and Jack puts his hands up in surrender, but the red mist is trying to force its way in. I try not to let it. I give up on listening in on what they are saying and concentrate on my breathing.

  I curl up in a corner of the room, trying to overcome the pain.

  I hear Jack entering the room, and then his voice. “Come over to the bed, Angela.”

  Looking up, I confirm it is Jack in my room, and he is sitting on my bed. He signals to me and pats the cover. I hate the pain, but I also hate this man expects me to come to him. I hunker down into a tighter ball and try to go to sleep. It is not working the pain is so bad; I want to scream.

  I feel two arms gently lift me and carry me over to the bed, with the soft duvet placed around me; and a strong pair of arms wrapped around me. Much to my surprise, the pain starts to ease, and I fall into a deep sleep.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  I feel arms around me and snuggle in. I wrap my arms around him, and as I do, I realize it is not Roger. The build is all wrong and the cookie dough smell is not there. I can s
mell cinnamon instead. One moment I am there on the bed, the next I am crouched in the corner of the room. I hiss. I hear laughing and turn my head towards it.

  Jack is lying in my bed. “Well, good morning to you too, my sweet Angela.” Well isn’t this embarrassing.

  “Yes, my dear, you did just hiss at me. But I will not take anything that happens over the next couple of days personally.”

  I stand and make my way towards the bed. At least I am dressed.

  “Angela, you are near the time when you will be blooded.”

  I stop halfway back to the bed mid-stride. “Are you going to tell me what will happen to me?”

  “Yes.” He pats the bed for me to go back over, only this time, I do not fight it. I need to know what is going to happen. If I am hissing at people, then maybe I am not myself. I need to face I cannot change or stop what is going to happen to me.

  I sit on the bed, and carefully tuck the duvet around myself, “Please tell me what is going to happen to me. I need to know everything.”

  “Angela, I can only give you an idea of what will happen. When it happens, it is different for all of us. I can tell you, you will not be able to control your impulses or base reactions. They become animalistic, you will think of nothing but blood and sex.”

  I must look like a gazelle facing a lion.

  Jack scoots across the bed cautiously, reassuring me all will be okay. “This is the reason we share the blooding with someone close. We need to be able to trust them to take care of us. To stop us from hurting anyone while we are in the change. I am honored to do this for you. I know we have not known each other that long Angela. But I feel a connection between us, as friends. I can feel your physical attraction to me.”

  I am not sure where to look. I feel my skin burning hot; I must be the color of scarlet. This is so embarrassing.

  Jack gently pushes my chin up, so I can look him in the eye, but I keep my eyes closed. I feel his lips on mine, ever so chaste, but they are there, soft and warm. As his lips leave mine, I open my eyes. Jack looks at me so tenderly. I do not know why I kiss him back. It is just a peck on the lips, but it pleases him.

  “I know this must be hard. We grow up knowing what and who we are. The only time most vampires stay together as a family unit is if they find their fated mate. We live such a long time it is common to have separate living quarters even if we are in a long-term relationship. Have an open mind, it keeps life fresh and stops you from going insane. These choices will be up to you. Only you can decide how you wish to live your life. I will be as honest with you. I am to be your partner for the Blooding, but Archie is your mentor. It is not my place to teach you our ways. We are taught from a young age to think of the Blooding as our rite of passage into our world. This is our heritage. We may drink blood, but we also honor and respect other cultures, be they were-animal, witch, fairy, demon or the weaker humans. We take a vow to not harm or kill unless we are defending our own life or that of a loved one.”

  I scowl and cross my arms like a spoiled brat. “I cannot see what the big secret is; I have been here for weeks now. Why does it matter who tells me what life is like for a vampire?”

  Jack just smiles at me. “I will tell you that I am, as I said before, honored to be your partner in the Blooding. I hope you will come to me in the future if you need anything until you find your feet in this world of ours.”

  A gasp escapes my lips as I comprehend what he means, making Jack chortle as he hugs me. “You will be fine Angela. It is a roller coaster of heightened emotions and physical feelings. I know you do not think so now, but I have a feeling you are going to love being a vampire.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Iawake to the sound of moaning realizing it is me. I turn over to check and see Jack is still asleep, so it cannot have been too loud. Maybe I was dreaming. I try to settle back down to sleep, only to feel a burning sensation in my stomach. The slight burn is changing to out and out pain. I try to curl into a small ball, anything to stop it. There is no escaping it, feeling my insides being on fire is agonizing. I want to scream but grab the sheets and clench my jaw.

  I am trying not to wake Jack. I have a feeling he will have been watching me for most of the night. I move to get out of the bed, maybe it will help ease the pain. Pushing my feet over the side of the bed, pain rips through my stomach, racking my body. Even my bones ache, and my blood feels like it is at boiling point. I cannot help myself. The scream echoes around the room. I am pulled into an embrace, but it does nothing to help. I lash out. I want to hurt someone, anyone. Lashing out my feet and fists make contact a few times.

  Why me, this is not fair. I do not want to be a vampire. The malady is too much, a million needles ravaging my body. It is not just my stomach, my arms, legs and a few other places I dare not even think about are all on fire. I want to peel my soul away from my body. It is as if I am cooking from the inside out. As if I am being microwaved.

  “Angela, look at me.”

  Twisting and turning. I need to be free from this torture. It hurts so much. The scream bubbles in my throat, but no sound emerges. I am choking on my own breath. The need to hurt, someone — I need to lash out. Anything, to stop this excruciating pain. I draw air into my lungs as slowly as I can. Even the cool air burns as it enters my lungs. This is too much, it hurts so badly.

  “Angela, look at me, listen to my voice. The Blooding has begun. Where is the pain? Concentrate”

  All I want to do is escape my body and leave the pain behind. “All,” Is the only word I get out. My mouth starts to water as if I am going to be sick.

  “Angela, your teeth are coming, it will not hurt for much longer. Hold on, my Angel.”

  I want to wail, without warning my body freezes. I feel like I have received a general anesthetic. I go numb, and a darkness descends on me.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  I wake and slowly move, I can feel my body. I give my fingers and toes a wiggle. This is good, no pain. Cracking an eye open the room is pitch-black. So why can see Jack watching me?

  “How are you feeling, Angela?”

  Moving, it is too much, too soon. Feeling as if I am on a fairground ride — maybe I should just stay put for a bit. I think I can make my thumb do a sideways wiggle, this makes Jack chuckle.

  “That is a good sign; your sense of humor is still intact. Can you move anything apart from your hands?”

  Moving again, this time it is a little easier. I push up with my elbows. Sitting up, Jack places an extra pillow behind me.

  “I have to say, you are a remarkable young woman. It only took four hours for your teeth to come through.”

  Automatically sticking my fingers in my mouth, making Jack laugh again.

  “They are there, a most impressive set they are too. They only come out when you feed, and no, you have not fed yet. It is why we have another with us, so you associate taking blood as a pleasure.”

  It dawns on me what he means I will be doing when I first feed. I have my usual reaction and blush. “Can’t I just drink from a glass?”

  Jack looks at me in horror. “No, Angela, blood must be taken from the vein when you first feed. It must be fresh. Believe me when I say it is a wonderful experience. You will see for yourself soon enough. I would say we have a few hours before the craving sets in, so get some sleep. You are going to need it.” He winks at me and walks out of the room, chuckling. I am feeling wiped out. The stubborn side of me wants to ignore what he has just said. Just this once I will do as he suggests, as I snuggle down to get some sleep.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  I am so hungry, hungrier than I have felt in a long time. I call out to Jack, who, to his credit, comes running in. I smile as I see him running at the speed of a human, he is not just appearing by my side.

  Jack sees the smile on my face. “You will notice more detail in your surroundings than you would have done before the Blooding, but you have not completed the metamorphosis yet. There are still some changes to come. Although they are more phy
sical now, you are still frail like a human, which I will have to remember over the next day or so. Once you have fed a few times you enter the last stage of the change.”

  Spluttering at his comment. “How many?”

  He looks at me with a grin on his face. “Oh, Angela, you have to practice feeding. It could take a few tries before you get it right”

  I swallow audibly as heat pools in my stomach.

  “But first my dear Angela, you have to feed the parts of your body that are still human. How do you like your eggs?”

  I cannot believe he asked me that with a straight face. I feel able to smile for the first time in days. Wiggling his eyebrows Jack smiles back and then walks out of the room.

  Curling up in bed I am thinking how surreal this all is. I am still struggling to get my head around knowing a drop-dead gorgeous man volunteered to be with me for the Blooding. Before I can think further, Jack walks in with a plate of the most delicious-smelling omelet. My senses are running away with me, the smell alone has me salivating.

  He places the tray on my lap and sits to one side of me. “Angela, I have to ask why you seem so surprised that I would want to help you.” He is doing it again, reading my thoughts. "You are broadcasting loud and clear, my dear. I had someone objecting to me helping you. I had to do some swift talking to be able to be here. I am honored to be the one to bring you into the vampire world. Plus, I get to be your first vampire lover; you are after all a beautiful young woman.”

  I digest what he is saying, concentrating on not chocking on my food.

  “Yes, I did have to compete with another vampire. He will remain unnamed, as it is of no importance for now. Word had spread that you are entering the metamorphosis at such a young age, this will make you a powerful vampire later in life. You have crossed paths with some of the community and turned a few heads. So, please accept that you are a captivating creature, and stop the self-deprivation. Now, eat. You are going to need some fuel in that most luscious body of yours.”