The Next Generation

by S. C. Stephens

  We all walked back to Ben’s bed. I was stunned. He shouldn’t remember…but he did. I didn’t get it. Mom didn’t either. She turned to Dad. “Teren…why does he…?”

  Gabriel’s amused voice overlapped her question. “Interesting,” he murmured.

  Dad leaned around me to look over at him. “You know what happened?”

  Gabriel stared between all of us. “Of course, it’s quite obvious.”

  Dad’s expression grew tight. “Mind filling us in?”

  A small smile touched Gabriel’s lips for a fraction of a second, then the cool, detached scientist returned. Splaying his hand toward Ben on the bed, he matter-of-factly said, “Halina is correct in there not being protection for humans from compulsion.” He frowned for a second. “Besides complete deafness.” Shaking the thought away, he looked back to the bed. “That only leaves one logical reason as to why Ben appears to be immune.”

  I studied Ben as Gabriel spoke, trying to think of any possible reason that Halina’s mind control wouldn’t work on him. It worked on all humans, it should have worked on him too. Unless…

  Dad gasped at the same time my mind pieced it all together. We both stared at Ben open-mouthed. Ben looked between us as Halina scoffed. “Please, there’s no way, Gabriel.” She’d figured it out, too, then.

  Ben still seemed clueless as he examined each of us. I heard Mom lean over and ask Dad, “Is he saying that Ben’s…a…a…”

  Irritated and concerned, Ben snapped out, “A what? Why are you all looking at me like that? So I have some super-secret blocking power. No need to bug out.”

  Halina leaned forward and stared Ben down. “Bark like a dog.”

  Ben raised his chin. “No.”

  Frustrated, Halina clipped, “Get your broken ass out of bed and hop on one foot.”

  “No, I don’t feel like it.”

  A scowl formed on Halina’s face; she wasn’t used to a human denying a direct request. “Tell Teren that you fantasize about the time you caught him and Emma going at it in your SUV.”

  A flush swept over Ben’s cheeks at the same time it swept over mine. He looked past Halina to Dad. “I so…so…don’t, Teren.” Ben’s eyes reconnected with Halina’s. “And if you could take that one, that would be great.”

  Dad sighed and put a hand on Halina’s shoulder. “It’s not going to work, Great-Gran. He can’t be wiped.” With a heavy exhale, Dad shook his head. “He’s of mixed blood...several generations old, I’m assuming…but still mixed, still there.” He crooked a grin. “He’s a little bit vampire…just like us.”

  Halina stood straight and looked over at her grandson. “Well, damn. I didn’t see that one coming.”

  THE GRIEF THAT I’d been feeling from my brother shifted to astonishment…and I had no idea why. He was saying goodbye to Ben at the hospital with my parents. Nothing about that should have been remarkable—just sad. But I was definitely feeling shock from him. If he came home and told me he saw a gaggle of pigs in the sky, the feeling of surprise and disbelief wouldn’t come close to what he was feeling now. Whatever had happened, it was big. But Julian didn’t seem scared or worried, so I tried not to think too much about it.

  I had my own problems anyway.

  Hunter. As the night stretched on, he filled more and more of my thoughts. Now that Hunter had my family’s blood running through him, I could feel his location, like I could feel everyone else’s. The familial bond had activated a couple of hours ago, before darkness had fallen. Not rushing to him when it had kicked in was a challenge; not rushing to him now was equally challenging. He would be waking up soon, and I didn’t know what to expect from him once he was fully converted. I honestly didn’t know if he would convert. It would be just like him to stoically refuse to eat.

  There were rumors in the house that Dad had almost died on the night of his conversion for just that reason. It wasn’t something my family talked much about, but I’d gleaned enough to realize that Dad had woken up when Mom was around, and she’d nearly become his first meal as an undead vampire. I couldn’t imagine the horror that Mom had felt, or the guilt that Dad would have felt if he’d accidentally killed her that night.

  I laid my aching body down on Grandma Linda’s warm lap and tried not to think about that either. Grandma stroked my hair, murmuring that everything would be all right. Grandpa and Alanna were sitting on the other small couch, absorbed in their own quiet conversation; they were reminiscing about Ben. I tuned out their words as I watched my old, gray-haired grandpa sling his arm around his youthful, beautiful wife.

  To the outside world, they seemed an odd pair. Some people called Grandpa a cradle-robber, said his relationship with his wife set a bad example for his grandchildren. If they only knew the truth—that Grandpa was one of the most moral and honest men I’d ever known. If people knew that he’d adored, loved, and remained faithful to his wife for several decades now, they’d change their tune about him.

  Imogen paced before the sliding glass doors. I wasn’t sure if she was anxious over Ben’s fate, or concerned about her mother’s unseemly bond with my boyfriend. Probably both. I was a little…confused…about Halina’s link with Hunter. In one regard, it was sweet that she was just as worried about him as I was. In another, it was strange to have someone else care so much about him. I didn’t want to be jealous, but, yeah, I kind of was.

  As time ticked by, Julian’s level of shock evened out. I relaxed as his mood improved. For some reason, he was happy now…content. I wasn’t sure why his mood had shifted again. That was the annoying part of our bond. We felt each other’s emotions, but we couldn’t feel the reason behind the emotion. It could be incredibly frustrating at times. All I could assume was that Ben had been successfully wiped, and Julian had finally accepted it. I hoped I could be as accepting of it as Julian one day, but I was still feeling a little bitter about the whole thing. Especially since I wasn’t allowed to be there for it.

  Just as I yawned, and considered heading up to bed, Halina’s form streaked away from the hospital. It happened so fast it sent an electric zing through me, like someone had snuck up behind me and slipped an ice cube down my back. I shot up from my grandma’s lap and stared out the window, to where I could feel Halina blurring away. Imogen and Alanna were staring as well.

  “What is it?” Grandma Linda asked, touching my shoulder.

  Imogen looked back at her, her brow furrowed. “Mother left the others.”

  Ignoring the ache in my shoulder, I stood up. “She’s going to Hunter.” In a whisper, I added, “He’s awake.”

  Imogen walked over to me. “You can’t know that, child.”

  I looked up into her pale, sky-blue eyes, eyes that were inherently common in my family. “But she could, right? Grandma Halina would know…she’d feel it?”

  I looked around at everyone, but none of them answered me. Truth was, we didn’t know. No one in my family, save my father, had ever turned someone. I wasn’t sure if Dad had been aware when Mom awoke from her conversion. But, then again, Mom’s conversion wasn’t your typical vampire turning. Hers had been more along the lines of what mine would be like. A pureblood conversion was completely different; our species were more like cousins than direct descendants.

  I looked back to where I could feel my grandmother. She knew, and she was running to him…to try to save him. It warmed and terrified me all at the same time.

  Mom and Dad returned with Julian not too much later. Dad had a big grin on his face. Shaking his head, he told the room, “You are not going to believe what happened with Ben.”

  As Dad relayed the story, I had to agree with him. It was hard to believe. Ben had vampire blood in him? He didn’t have any of our “gifts,” so it was very, very diluted, but it was in there somewhere, buried deep. I supposed that would explain how he held his own against vampires. He had a tiny, tiny edge.

  Imogen and Alanna were ecstatic over the news, and not just for the fact that Ben would get to keep his memories. No, they were o
verjoyed that returning our line to humanity was indeed possible. Breeding out the vampiric blood was one of the many reasons why they had all chosen to have children.

  As the news sunk in, Julian twisted his lips. “Uh, Dad, that means Olivia…”

  Dad’s smile fell a little. “Right…we won’t be able to wipe her either. I guess we’ll just have to be extra careful around her, to keep her in the dark for as long as possible.” His eyes scanned Julian and me. “No need for her to grow up before her time.” His tone was remorseful, and I knew it was because he regretted how quickly our childhood had been taken from us. It wasn’t his fault, though.

  Walking over, I looped my arm around his waist and rested my head against his shoulder. After a moment of silence, I asked him the question that was pounding through my brain. “Dad…do you think Hunter will be all right?”

  Dad took a moment before he answered me. “I don’t know, kiddo. I’m sorry.”

  With trepidation, I asked, “Can I go to him?”

  Dad smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “You already know I would never agree to that. It’s too dangerous, Nika. He’s too dangerous.” My heart sank, but I wasn’t surprised.

  Halina stayed away all night long. Dad eventually made Julian and me go up to bed, since we had school in the morning. After giving me a warm hug, Julian sauntered off to his room and crashed onto his mattress. He was asleep in seconds. I stared at his form sprawled across his bed for a moment before I closed our mutual bathroom door.

  I took my time brushing my teeth and washing my face. My stomach had a huge knot in it, though, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Hunter. I couldn’t help but worry about him. He would have woken up starving, near death. If he didn’t get food right away, his body wouldn’t complete the changeover, and he would die. He could be dead already. Maybe Halina was staying away out of grief. I wasn’t sure what I would do if he died. I wasn’t sure what I would do if he came back to life either.

  I woke up the next morning feeling like I hadn’t slept at all. I must have fallen asleep at some point, though, since the last thing I remembered was staring at my dark ceiling. The dull grayness I woke up to told me it was morning. I could hear Julian lightly snoring as I got ready for school. I let him sleep in; he hadn’t gotten the drug-induced rest that I had yesterday. Poor guy had been forced to go to school on practically zero sleep. I thought if Dad hadn’t been so worried and frantic, he would have let Julian skip. Dad had just needed one thing to return to normal I guess.

  I meandered downstairs once I was ready for the day. Mom and Dad both looked up at me when I entered the kitchen. Noting the quietness of our home, I took a second to pinpoint the rest of my family. Everyone was back at the ranch except Halina. She was still miles away from us with Hunter…or Hunter’s body. Not ever having lost a family member, I had no idea if I would stop feeling Hunter’s location if he died, or if he would forever be a blip on my internal radar. I never wanted to find out the answer to that question.

  Mom stood and examined me as I poured a bowl of cereal. She felt my forehead, cupped my cheeks, checked my eyes. “I’m not sick, Mom,” I grumbled, batting her hands away.

  Sighing, she turned her attention to my bandages. I’d removed the one from my throat, opting for a high turtleneck to cover the raw, red line instead. The bandages on my shoulder and arm were clean, the wounds no longer bleeding. Mom would have known all of that just by smelling me, but she needed the reassurance, so she thoroughly inspected each injured area on me. “Are you done?” I asked, feeling grumpy and out of sorts.

  Kissing my cheek, she murmured, “I suppose so.” She pointed to the counter, where a carafe of steaming blood was waiting. “I want you to drink up before you go, though.”

  The smell emanating from the stainless-steel container made my mouth water. It had been a while since I’d had blood. Forgetting my bowl of sugary goodness, I got a glass from the cupboard and poured myself a cup. My fangs were down before I even finished pouring. Closing my eyes, I tilted the cup to my lips. It was heaven. I might not need blood like the others, or even crave it like they do, but I was still recovering, and my body wanted it right now; I savored the metallic sweetness as I gulped it down.

  Gasping for air when I was done, I immediately poured a second glass. A low growl escaped me as I tipped that one back. Blood for a vampire was a natural, revitalizing painkiller. Gabriel said the introduction of blood into our system released endorphins, much like drugs do with humans. It was why some vampires got carried away with drinking. Whatever the reason, I instantly felt more alert and a lot less sore.

  When my thirst was satiated, I finished my less-satisfying breakfast. Julian rolled out of bed and joined our group right as I was putting my bowl in the sink. He looked a little worn down, but he had a huge smile on his face and his mood was buoyant. Even though I’d been in and out of it yesterday, his mood had been similar. He was excited to go to school…and Julian was never excited for school. I had to assume that it was a person who was boosting his spirits, and not what he was being taught.

  As he poured himself a glass of blood, I cautiously asked, “Why are you so peppy?”

  Smiling around his fangs, he shrugged. “No reason.”

  He was practically bursting at the seams now, and even Mom and Dad noticed. “Something going on, son?” Dad asked, a knowing smirk on his face.

  Julian glanced at everybody, then lowered his cup from his lips. “Well, besides the fact that Ben is sort of one of us?” He paused as Dad’s grin grew. “Grandma let Arianna keep her memories.”

  The smile fell from Dad’s face. “Why would she let her remember?”

  Julian brought the cup back to his mouth. Under his breath, he murmured, “Because she’s sort of my girlfriend.”

  My head snapped around to Julian so fast it made my shoulder ache. “You asked her out?” Shock swept through me as I analyzed my brother’s joy. He was feeling that for…Arianna? Finally? Eyes narrowing, I asked, “What about Raquel?” If my brother was playing some kind of game with my best friend, well, I would give new meaning to the word Mom-zilla.

  Seeing the seriousness in my expression, Julian set his cup down on the counter. “I don’t feel for Raquel what I used to feel.” He gave me a soft smile. “Arianna has my heart…and I told Raquel as much.”

  I was floored. Not only had he chosen Arianna, but he’d confessed his feelings for her to the woman he’d been drooling over for months, if not years. This was huge for Julian. I automatically swept him into a hug, and my parents chuckled. Then a thought struck me. Pulling back, I told him, “You better not break her heart. I would have to stake you.”

  Julian sighed in a clearly love-struck way. “I’m not going to, Nika.”

  Mom stood and gave Julian a kiss on the head. “That’s wonderful, honey. Arianna is a great girl.”

  Dad walked over and put his hand on Julian’s shoulder. “Congratulations, Julian. I told you that you would find someone who’d accept you for who you really are.” Pride blossomed in Julian’s chest at Dad’s words. It was instantly replaced with embarrassment when Dad said, “And I think we should have the sex talk, now that you’re seeing someone.”

  Julian flushed with color as he groaned. “Dad…I know how it works.”

  Dad shook his head. “It’s not the mechanics that we need to talk about. There’s a lot more to sex than…sex.”

  I giggled at Julian’s mortification when Dad swung his eyes to mine. “That goes for you, too, Nika. With Hunter still out there…”

  My laughter died along with his sentence. Melancholy filled me as my thoughts turned toward my wayward boyfriend. In a whisper, I told him, “Don’t worry, Dad. I don’t think I’ll be having sex anytime soon.”

  I sighed and Dad wrapped his arms around me. He murmured in my hair that everything would be all right, and I hoped that was true. We just didn’t know anything yet…and it was maddening.

  Watching Arianna and Julian at school was swe
et, and a little annoying. I was used to my brother brooding and pining for a girl he couldn’t have. Not that I wanted him that way, it was just how things had been for a long time. I was thrilled that Julian had finally moved past Raquel, but I was suffering from a gigantic helping of jealousy, since my own love life hadn’t worked out so well.

  Sitting on the steps with Julian, Trey, and Arianna after school, I shuddered as a gust of chilly wind wrapped around us. We’d be coming into winter soon, the holidays nearly upon us. The ski resorts would be fully open by the end of the month, and my family always made a point to take a break from the holidays and spend a weekend up there. Since the chill didn’t bother the undead, playing in the Utah snow was a favorite activity for the vampires in my life. Julian and I enjoyed it, too; we just needed extra layers to stay warm.

  When school let out for Christmas, we all usually flew down to California to see Aunt Ashley and Uncle Christian. They had a nice place close to the water. Mom and Dad would spend hours on the beach, regardless of the weather. Julian and I would join them for a little bit before heading back to the warmer, dry land.

  Yes, a bunch of fun family traditions were coming up, and I should have been euphoric about them, but I wasn’t. This was my favorite time of year, and I didn’t have it in me to enjoy it. Not with everything that had happened. Not with so much unknown. Was Hunter alive? Was Halina alive? Was Hunter’s dad still breathing? And if he was…would he come after us? Would we ever be safe?

  Starla arrived right on time and stepped out of her vehicle to wave at us. She was wearing a form-fitting sweater dress, warm leggings, and knee-high boots. Her spiky blonde hair was expertly spritzed into place and huge, bug-like sunglasses framed her face. She looked like she’d just stepped from the pages of a fashion magazine.

  Trey whistled and bumped Julian’s shoulder. “Damn, man, your mom is seriously hot.”

  Julian exchanged an amused glance with Arianna. “Um, thanks…I think.”

  After saying goodbye to my friends, I plodded off to her car. Julian stayed behind, giving Arianna a series of light, adorable, sickening kisses. They were still lip-locked by the time I reached Starla’s car. Pulling down her sunglasses, Starla glanced at me. “Want to start a pool on how long it takes them to jump in the sack?”