I FELT LIKE some weird, male-version of Cinderella, staring at the clock, waiting for it to strike midnight. Only I wouldn’t be losing all my magic when the bell tolled, I’d be getting filleted alive by my overprotective parents. Somehow, I had to get everyone out of the house before that happened. And a part of me really didn’t want to. Because, oddly enough, I was having a good time.
It was fun hanging out with kids my own age, even if I didn’t know most of them. Sure, I’d seen them before at school, but Nika and I kind of kept to ourselves. We’d always known living in Salt Lake was temporary, and so was every friendship we made here. So why open up to people if it wasn’t going to last? Why give yourself the grief of missing them later on down the road? Plus, Nika and I had to lie about so much in our lives, that it sort of took the fun out of socializing.
But tonight, none of that mattered. Being part vampire didn’t matter. Being undead, as in my sister’s case, didn’t matter. And having a rogue vampire hunter chained up at the family ranch didn’t matter…because I was passing out Jell-O shots. I was the King of the Kitchen, and all of my subjects were coming to me for a bright, cheery refreshment.
It had been Trey’s idea. When he saw how stressed I was, he’d ushered me to the kitchen, set me up at the island in the middle of it, and proclaimed me the Lord of the Land, Ruler of the Fridge, and Doler of Drinks. I’d rolled my eyes at first, but eventually I’d started having fun with my bartending duties.
And people confided in me while I got them juice, water, pop, or something stiffer if they preferred. Sally told me that Ian was a jerk for cheating off her in chemistry. Ian told me that Holly had an unnatural obsession with teddy bears. Holly told me that Ryan was a conceited, self-absorbed asshole with no taste. And Ryan told me that his underwear cost forty bucks.
My favorite conversations were the ones that centered around Arianna and her circle of friends. Her friend Pam told me that Arianna wasn’t seeing anyone. Her friend Liz told me that Simon was cute, and she was going to date him if Arianna didn’t. I silently wished her well on that mission. Her friend Nicky said she thought Arianna and I would be a good match. I kind of wanted to hug Nicky.
Simon didn’t seem to have any friends at the party. Nobody seemed to know him either. All I could get out of people was that he lived next to the high school, but he didn’t go there. I already knew that much. He spent the entire night by Arianna’s side, which irritated me to no end. It was the only part of the party I didn’t care for. But Arianna only seemed to be respectful of him, not interested in him. I watched them like a hunting vampire whenever they wandered into the kitchen for drinks. Arianna would smile and shake her head every time Simon offered her a snack. I wanted to reach out, grab him, and yell at him that she wasn’t hungry anymore. But I resisted.
Arianna smiled whenever she saw me. I was handing a guy named Scott a lime-green Jell-O shot when she approached me alone. I raised an eyebrow at her. “I’ve got four left…want to try one?”
She bit her lip. It was adorable. “I don’t know…I don’t really drink.”
I handed her a pretty pink one, while I took an electric blue one. “I don’t either. Together?”
Giggling, she nodded and took the small, plastic cup. We both tipped them back. Mesmerized, I watched her mouth as she swallowed. Then the alcohol hit me and I gagged. That made her laugh even more. “You’re cute,” she mumbled.
I thought I probably wasn’t supposed to hear her say that, but my enhanced ears picked it up. I grinned into my cup. Over her shoulder, I saw Simon heading our way. Nika stepped in front of him, detaining him. He stopped short of running into her, then tried sidestepping around her. Trey popped up on one side to block his path; Raquel popped up on the other. My smile grew. I had the best friends.
Arianna chewed on the rim of her glass as she studied me. Tilting my head toward the archway that led out of the room, I asked her, “Do you want to go somewhere quieter?” I realized it sounded like a pickup line after I said it, but the music in the living room was thumping loud now, so it was a legitimate request.
I thought for sure she’d tell me no, but setting her cup down, she smiled and said, “Sure.”
The room was packed with people, so I reached down to grab her hand. It was warm and familiar, and felt better than anything I’d felt in a long time. I pulled her through the living room toward the stairs. Bodies were all around us now—I couldn’t believe how many people were here. I’d already heard a couple of things break, and garbage was everywhere. I was pushing that from my mind though. I’d deal with it later.
Arianna balked when she realized where we were going—to the bedrooms. I looked back at her innocent, angel face. Leaning in, I whispered in her ear, “It’s the only quiet place in the house, but if you’re not comfortable, we could go outside or something?”
She stared into my eyes, maybe judging how trustworthy I was. I dropped every wall I had, and let her see how much I cared about her. I would never hurt you. I love you. Remember me…please. She smiled, like she’d somehow heard my silent plea. “It’s okay. We can go upstairs.” She poked her finger into my chest. “The door stays open though.”
Laughing, I nodded. “Fair enough.”
As we reached the steps, I looked around for Arianna’s human-shadow. I didn’t see Simon anywhere though. Trey popped his head out from the crowd, spotted me and where I was going, and gave me two thumbs up. I rolled my eyes. This wasn’t going to be what he thought it was. Not tonight. Not when she didn’t love me.
People were everywhere on the stairs. I sighed when I saw that they were all over upstairs too—in all of the guest rooms, in my room, in Nika’s room, and even in my parents’ room. Groups of them were huddled on each side of my parents’ door, laughing and exclaiming, “Shut it! You’ll see!” I cringed as I realized what they were doing—testing the vampire-worthy soundproofing. Great. If they somehow broke the seal, my parents would notice instantly. God…I was going to have so much to clean up when they all left. Thank God for super speed.
I took Arianna into Nika’s room. Somehow, taking her into a girl’s room seemed less intimidating than taking her into my room. And…I could hear the sounds of someone making out in my room. I was going to have to get new sheets.
With a stern voice, I told the three people lounging on Nika’s bed to leave. When they didn’t move, I told them there was a fresh plate of special brownies downstairs. They left pretty swiftly after that.
Arianna blinked when she saw the feminine décor. Flushing with color, I quickly explained. “It’s my sister’s room.” I glanced at the bathroom separating Nika’s room and mine. Nika’s side was open, while mine was thankfully closed. “Mine’s on the other side of the bathroom.”
Smiling, Arianna sat on Nika’s bed. “Oh…I didn’t even know you had a sister. Why doesn’t she go to our school?”
I sighed as I sat beside her on the bed. Yeah, you do know I have a sister. She’s your best friend. “Um…she’s homeschooled. She just…prefers to be alone.”
Arianna tucked her hair behind her ears. “Oh. I have an aunt who is agoraphobic, so I get it.”
I widened my eyes like I didn’t know that, but I did. I knew most everything about her. “Oh, wow. That must be hard on your parents.”
Arianna’s face relaxed as she nodded. “My mom, yeah. She doesn’t understand why her sister won’t go anywhere. She thinks she’s being unreasonable, paranoid. Life is scary but…hiding yourself away and not living it…that’s even scarier.” She shrugged. “To me, anyway.”
She gave me such a warm smile that I almost believed she knew me…I mean, really knew me. But then her expression turned embarrassed and she looked away. “I can’t believe I just told you that. I don’t really talk about my aunt.”
Needing to touch her, I lightly put my hand over hers on the bed. “You can tell me anything. You can talk to me.”
I thought she’d pull away, but she looked back up at me instead. “I know. I’m not sure how I know…but I know.”
My grin was unstoppable. She might not remember me, but she instinctually felt safe with me. That was a good thing. A very good thing.
Bringing her legs up cross-legged on the bed, Arianna leaned forward over her thighs. “Okay, Adams. Tell me everything there is to know about you. Every single detail. Let’s get to know each other, like you said.”
I couldn’t contain my smile, and, for the next several minutes, or maybe it was several hours, I proceeded to tell Arianna everything I could about my life. I loved it, and I hated it. Since she didn’t remember who I really was, I had to tell her the lie we told everyone—Starla was my mom, my dad was dead, Nika was a 100 percent normal teenage girl. It gave me a lot to say to Arianna, and our conversation was light and breezy, but I felt guilty. I wanted to tell her everything we’d been through together…good and bad. She’d only think I was nuts though. Once a compulsion was done, it was as if those wiped moments had never happened. Not even another vampire’s compulsion could bring them back. They simply no longer existed; it was why Arianna had inexplicable holes in her memory.
Arianna had relaxed quite a bit during our conversation. Her demeanor was casual as she played with the strap of her shoe. Her laugh came naturally. It was easy to pretend that we were still together as we sat there talking. Our arms were even touching. It sent a jolt of electricity down my spine to feel my skin against hers again. It felt like we were finally shifting, finally moving in the right direction. It was everything I’d hoped tonight would be.
After a brief pause in talking about our summer plans, Arianna pursed her lips and said, “Why have we never been friends before now? We’re in the same grade, and we must have had classes together before…but I don’t recall ever seeing you before a couple of months ago.”
I sighed, not sure how to answer that. “I don’t know… We must have just kept missing each other. But I’m so glad that’s not the case anymore. You…there’s just something about you. You’re kind, warm, accepting. You see past people’s faults, to the person they are underneath. You’re patient, forgiving, and open to things that are a little…different. But you don’t take crap from anyone either, and you stand up for what you believe in. You’re just…amazing.”
Her expression was blank. “You saw all that, sitting across the room from me?”
I peeked up at her with a small smile that I couldn’t hide. “I see you, Arianna. I see the real you.” Straightening, I met her eye and held her gaze. “And I really like what I see.”
Arianna held her breath as we stared at each other. Her heart rate spiked, and I momentarily felt bad that I could hear it. She’d probably be embarrassed if she knew I could. But then her eyes drifted to my lips, and I really didn’t care that I had a slight advantage. All I cared about was whether she wanted me to kiss her right now. Was she ready to see me as more?
I leaned in, tentative and unsure. Maybe I was misinterpreting this. Maybe, because I wanted it so badly, I was seeing something that wasn’t there. My heart was thumping in my chest so loudly, Nika probably thought I was doing something much more strenuous than just sitting on a bed, staring at Arianna, and waiting for our second first kiss to happen.
When I got to the point where it would be obvious to Arianna that I was about to kiss her, I paused. I needed her to actively engage in this. I needed her to want this too. Please, Arianna…kiss me. The hesitation as our mouths hovered just a few inches apart from each other felt like it went on for days. The energy in the room intensified with each second that ticked by. So did my breath. I was almost to the point of hyperventilating. Wouldn’t that be romantic?
Just when I thought she was going to pull away, Arianna closed the distance between us, and our mouths connected. Hope and desire exploded throughout my body, pricking my skin like thousands of tiny insect bites. I felt dizzy, lightheaded, nauseous, like I was having heart palpitations. It was the best feeling in the world.
Cautious to not move too quickly with her, I didn’t touch her except to lightly cup her cheek. It took a great deal of restraint on my part. What I really wanted to do was lay her down on the bed, and tangle our arms and legs together as I sprinkled kisses all over her body. It was way too soon though.
She made a familiar noise in her throat that went straight to the lower portion of my body. I had to struggle to keep my fangs in. After her passionate moan, her lips pressed even harder against mine. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. She was responding…
There was a gap in our lips, and I gently poked my tongue through, probing. She made another pleased noise, and her hand came up to fist in my hair.
A groan escaped me as I slipped my tongue in again. She was receptive, warm, willing…it was just like it used to be. Even though the party was raging all around me, a party I needed to wrap up soon, I blocked out everything but her. She was my life, my air, my world. She scooted closer to me on the bed, and I ran my hand around her waist, pulling her tight.
Our lips never stopping, I gently started to lean her back. Her shoulders had just touched the mattress when a couple of partygoers crashed into the room, slamming Nika’s door against the wall. I’d completely forgotten the door was even open. I snapped my head up to see it was my friends at the door…and my sister. Trey and Raquel were each holding one of Nika’s arms while she struggled against them with an anxious look on her face. I’d been so lost with Arianna, that I hadn’t even felt her approaching me. Now that she was here, and looking like she was having some sort of attack, I could sense other family members on their way here—Hunter. And Mom. And Dad. Shit.
Arianna squirmed beneath where I was hovering over her. I looked back down at her, and she had an embarrassed smile on her face, like she was happy but mortified all at the same time. It thrilled me that she might feel that way, but I couldn’t dwell on that feeling, because Hunter and my parents were going to be here any minute. I had to get everybody out. Standing, I immediately said, “Nika, we need to clear everybody out of here.”
Nika shook her head. She was panting as much as I had been earlier. “I can’t…go down there…he’s coming…”
Right. Her bond with Hunter had obviously kicked in, and she was either going to rush to him, or spontaneously combust waiting for him. I suddenly remembered my ingenious plan to hide Nika in the shed when this happened. Only in my plan, Hunter was supposed to be arriving alone, so I’d have plenty of time to clear out the partiers and clean up the trashed house. Why were our parents rushing home too? Did they know? Crap.
I jogged over to the door to close it. What Nika needed now was privacy. But before I could shut it all the way, Simon strode in. With narrowed eyes, he looked Arianna’s way, then mine. “What’s going on up here?” he asked, his voice haughty, like he already knew the answer and he didn’t like it. He didn’t know though. He had no clue what was really going on up here. I didn’t have time to deal with him. Nika had shucked off Raquel’s grasp, and was pulling against Trey. She was going to make a run for it. I grabbed her arm, holding her back. “Fight it, Nick.”
“I can’t,” she moaned.
Everyone in the room was staring at Nika like she’d just grown a second head. Trey looked over my writhing sister to me. “She started wiggin’ out, then told us to take her to you. She said no matter what, we had to make her stay in the house. What the heck is wrong with her, man?”
Great. Another question I didn’t know how to answer. “Uh, panic attack,” I muttered.
Arianna seemed to understand. Hope blossomed in me that she knew the truth, but it faded when she commented, “Too many people at the party?”
I knew she was referencing her aunt’s illness, since I’d kind of told her that Nika suffered from the same anxiety. I smiled at her as Nika gave me a particularly good tug. “Something like that.”
Simon crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve never seen an anxiety attack that looked like this.” He tilted his head as he studied my sister. “It’s almost like she’s…turned on…”
I felt my cheeks heat as my sister let out an erotic groan. Yes, that was exactly what it was like. Why I’d told my dad I could handle this, I had no idea. Watching Nika act this way was really disturbing, for both of us.
Raquel smacked Simon’s arm. I adored her for that. “She is not. Don’t be crude. Panic attacks are different for everyone.”
Simon rubbed near his elbow. Raquel had almost hit his funny bone. Too bad she missed. “Whatever…this isn’t normal.”
Nika looked over at me with embarrassment and frustration on her face. “Make this stop, Julie.”
I sighed as I watched turmoil and passion twist her features. “I wish I could, Nick.”
Eyes sympathetic, Arianna asked me, “What did she mean by ‘he’s coming’?”
I clenched my jaw, this was the worst possible timing for this to happen. There were way too many witnesses up here…and my parents… God, I was so screwed. “Um, I don’t…” I dropped it. I didn’t know how to answer anyway.
Nika’s struggling increased. I thought she was two shakes shy of shoving Trey and I away and jumping out the window. She didn’t get the chance though. Her bedroom door exploded inward, the force breaking one of the hinges. Arianna screamed in surprise. Raquel and Simon both jumped. Trey squeaked like a little girl.
Nika, unsurprised, looked up to see Hunter in the doorframe. A crowd was beginning to gather behind him. Nika became uncontainable with Hunter right in front of her. She easily jerked away from Trey. She made a move for Hunter, but I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her back. She was stronger than I was now that she was a pureblood, but I could give her a run for her money.
Hunter was looking at me, but I was pretty sure he wasn’t really seeing me. Lowering into a crouch, he dropped his fangs and hissed. I stared at him in disbelief. He was exposing himself. Everyone in the room could see his teeth. Trey’s mouth dropped wide open while Simon cursed under his breath. The girls were too shocked to do anything. The crowd around the open door got even bigger as people nearby came to watch the showdown. How do I stop this?
“Hunter! No!” I yelled, hoping to get through the fog.
It didn’t work. Hunter wanted Nika, and right now, I was the only thing in his way. He blurred over to me with inhuman speed and yanked her free from my grasp. Knowing what would happen if they collided, I tried to get her back. Hunter shoved me, and I felt myself flying through the air. Then the wall rushed up to meet me, and I crashed into it hard, cracking it, and my skull. I sank to the ground, stunned.
With hazy vision, I watched Trey nobly try to get Nika back. He had a slimmer chance than I did though. With one hand, Hunter tossed him across the room. He tumbled over the bed, landing on the other side of it. At least he hadn’t hit a wall.
With no one left between them, Hunter and Nika melted into each other’s arms. Arianna was by my side in a flash, helping me to my feet while I groaned in pain. Hunter and Nika sank to the floor, clothes ripping in their eagerness to be together. The assembled crowd cheered them on. Horrified, I quickly realized that my sister wasn’t going to be able to stop this. Hunter either. They were going to have sex, right in front of a good chunk of the student body. Right in front of me. I couldn’t let that happen.
Arianna was staring at Hunter and Nika with pale skin and red cheeks. Everyone else was watching them too. I didn’t have much time. Blurring to the bathroom, I turned on the water as hot as it would go. Cold water worked well to shock humans, but vampires would barely feel it—they were too cold themselves. To get Hunter’s attention, I needed the water to be scalding. The best I could do right now was to get the water mildly uncomfortable. That would have to do. And besides, he was so cold, it would feel like it was boiling.
Emptying the trash nearby, I filled up the bucket, then darted back into the bedroom, praying the whole while that my sister still had her clothes on. Luckily, she did, although, Hunter was tugging at her jeans by the time I got there. Without missing a beat, I dumped the bucket of searing water over them.
Hunter snapped out of it instantly. Gasping in surprise, he looked up at me. “Julian? What the hell?”
Letting out a sigh of relief, I looked behind Hunter to the crowd of amused and amazed guests who had watched the entire thing. Trey stood from the other side of the bed; he appeared to be too dazed to really know what the heck was going on. Simon was more aware, he was staring at Hunter like he’d just seen something that wasn’t possible, which was exactly what he’d seen. I tried to lighten the mood by telling Hunter, “Just stopping you from having sex with my sister in the middle of a party.”
Hunter looked down at Nika, and they both seemed chagrined. A voice nearby broke through the tittering and whispering. I didn’t want to look at the door—I already knew who was standing there—but I didn’t have a choice. Reluctantly, I lifted my eyes. Mom and Dad, both pissed, were standing just inside the room. Dad’s hard eyes shifted from Hunter, to Nika, to me. “Everyone needs to leave. The party is over.”
Hunter stood up, his shirt was torn around the neck from where Nika had tried to rip it off him. Standing in front of her, Hunter used his body to offer some protection from the prying eyes hovering around the door. He wasn’t much of a shield though. My bedroom door was wide open now, and people were jostling for position in that doorway too. “Teren, I’m so… I’m so sorry.”
Hunter shrugged in a defeated way, like he had no idea what to do anymore. Even though I was mortified over what I’d just witnessed, I felt bad for the guy. Nika pulled up her pants, then stood as well. “We’ll fix this. We’ll fix everything.”
Dad’s eyes narrowed as he circled his finger to indicate all the lookey-lous watching. “Nobody remembers a second of this party. Got it?”
Both Hunter and Nika nodded. I sighed as I locked gazes with Arianna. Great. Now she wasn’t going to remember our second first kiss either.
Arianna’s face was an almost comical picture of confusion. She looked from me, to Dad, to Nika with her mouth opening and closing, like she didn’t know where to begin asking questions. Eventually, she just said, “Julian? What’s going on?”
Because I was feeling frustrated that Arianna was never going to remember me, because I was depressed that we’d never have what we’d once had, and because I was angry at the world in general, I told her something I shouldn’t have. With everyone’s attention on me, I said, “Hunter is a vampire. He turned Nika into a vampire, and whenever they start coming toward each other, their sire-bond kicks in and they start going at it. Oh, and I’m a vampire too, I just still have a heartbeat.”
Mom, Dad, Hunter, Nika, Trey, Simon, Raquel, Arianna, and everyone crowded around the doors who’d heard what I just said, gaped at me. Eyes wide, Nika snapped, “Julian!”
Feeling embarrassed for my outburst, I shrugged. “What? You’re going to wipe them all anyway, aren’t you?”
I knew I’d crossed a line. I knew it with every single cell of my body. Concealment was something Nika and I had been taught since birth. There was no excuse for what I’d just done. None. And even if nobody remembered me saying it, I’d still broken the trust of my family by opening my big, fat mouth. So much for proving to my parents that I was a mature, responsible man who could handle adult decisions. But then again, I’d ruined that the second they’d found out about the party.
Trey slapped my shoulder. “Vampire? For real, or are you messing with me? Can I see your teeth?” Before I could respond, he slugged me in the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a freak? Well, at least more of a freak than I already knew you were.”
Wanting away from everyone, I ignored Trey and tried to elbow my way past the people blocking the path to my joint bathroom with Nika. Dad wasn’t about to let me escape though. “Stay here, Julian. I want to talk to you once everyone is gone.” I frowned but stayed where I was. Seemingly satisfied that I wasn’t about to sneak out the back door or leap out a window, Dad turned to Hunter and Nika. Beneath the thumping music from downstairs, he murmured, “Hunter, you start on the group downstairs…I think some are already leaving. Nika, you fix the people up here.”
Trey was muttering that he’d suspected what I was all along. The stunned crowds around us were debating whether or not I was crazy. Some believed what I’d said though; I could hear heated conversations traveling down the hall. Pretty soon the careless words I’d spouted would be downstairs and out the front door if Hunter didn’t hurry. He gave Dad a stiff nod, then walked around him into the hallway.
As Dad stared Nika down, Mom whispered, “I’ll go help make sure no one leaves before they’re supposed to.”
Keeping his eyes on Nika and me, Dad nodded at her. Mom left, and I forced down a swallow. Dad wasn’t harsh or anything, but I’d still rather have Mom around. Nika seemed nervous as she turned to our classmates. “Everybody, can I have your attention?”
I twisted Arianna so she was looking at me, not Nika…it wouldn’t save her, but I wanted one last minute where she remembered our kiss. Her face was scrunched into a strange expression, like she was also wondering if I was crazy. To ease her mind, I hurriedly told her, “I was just teasing about the whole vampire thing, but…I wasn’t about that kiss…”
Arianna bit her lip. “Julian…I saw his fangs…”
Nika’s voice overpowered ours. “None of you will remember coming over to my house tonight. You’re going to get into your cars, or walk, or…well, however you got here…and you’re going to go home, to spend some quality time with your family. All you’ll remember about the evening was that you were going to go to a party, but you decided to do something else instead…bowling or a movie, or whatever you want. You’ll forget about everything that happened here tonight and truly believe that you never came here, the second you step out the front door…or the back door…or however you choose to leave my house.”
She sounded flustered, and I knew it was because she’d never done anything like this before. I’d probably be flustered too. The music downstairs stopped—Hunter was compelling his own group of teenagers. Without the music playing, you could hear a pin drop; everyone nearby was listening to Nika with rapt attention. She could tell them all to start line dancing and they would. Arianna had even twisted her head toward my sister. I turned her head back, then grabbed both of her hands.
“We can talk about that later, Arianna,” I passionately whispered. “I just wanted to let you know that kissing you tonight meant everything to me. I’m here for you…just know that.” I knew she’d forget that the second she left my house, but I still had to tell her. Nika was still droning on with her instructions. She moved out into the hall to include the people who perhaps couldn’t hear her.
“Nobody will remember a thing about this house, or about anything you might have seen or heard while inside it…especially the vampire stuff. Everything Julian said about them, and the fangs you saw, and the super speed. And me making out on the floor! Definitely, no one will remember that…and if you happened to take a picture or record it on your cell phone, take your phone out right now and delete it!”
Her voice grew heated as she erased a memory that was really embarrassing to her. A few people pulled out their phones and I briefly smiled at my sister. That was a good call on her part. Returning my attention to Arianna, since my time with her was running out, I said, “You don’t remember this, but we used to date. No…more than that. We used to be in love.”
Arianna’s eyes widened. “What? No…that never happened. I would remember dating you. I would remember being in love with you.”
I shook my head. “It did happen, but the memory was taken from you. That’s why you have holes, gaps where you can’t remember anything. It was erased, but I swear…you loved me once. And I loved you. I still…love you.”
Arianna looked confused, bewildered, but at the same time, enlightened and…relieved. She was staring at me like I’d just flipped on a light switch, and she finally understood why there were spots in her mind that were vacant—and it made sense to her. “Erased,” she slowly murmured, like she was testing the word.
Gripping her hands tight, I nodded. “Yes, you were altered, and—”
I wanted to say more, but before I could, Nika gave her last command. “Okay, everyone needs to leave—right now.” Smiling, she dramatically swished her arms toward the stairs. The people around us started dispersing, and Nika started giggling. She was enjoying her power trip a bit too much. Dad brought her down a peg by narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. Nika instantly bit back her laughter.
Arianna started to move away from me, just like Trey, Raquel, and everyone else in the room. I wanted to physically restrain her, but that would only delay the inevitable. She was tranced to forget the minute she left the house…a walking time bomb. I still grabbed her hand at the last minute though; it was so hard to let her go again. Her hazel eyes flashed to mine, frustrated and worried like she wanted to leave, but she didn’t understand why.
I was about to release her, when someone pushed me away from her. “Let her go! She wants to leave.”
Shocked, I looked over at Simon. He was staring at me, his mouth compressed with irritation. I glanced around at everyone else I could see. Besides me, Nika, and Dad, everyone was doing as Nika ordered and starting to leave the house. Everyone but Simon. He was just standing there, staring at me. “Why aren’t you leaving?” I stupidly asked.
With pain in my heart, I noticed Arianna slipping around my dad and out the door. That was it. I’d lost her. Again. Simon caught my attention by shoving my shoulder back. “What the hell was all that?” he barked.
“What was what?” I seriously wished I had a better comeback.
Simon pointed at my sister. “Her. Commanding people…and them listening.” He looked around the room. “Where the hell are they all going?” His eyes returned to mine. “And what was all that about vampires? Are you guys insane, or do you really believe that stuff? And how did that guy move so fast!”
Dad walked up to Simon. “You don’t feel the urge to leave?” he asked, his tone thoughtful.
Simon looked like he’d rather be anywhere but in this room with me. “Well, yeah, I’d love to go home now, but not because she told me to.”
Brows bunched, Dad twisted his head to Nika. “Tell him to do something,” he said.
Nika walked in front of Simon. Expression serious, she said, “Give me your wallet.”
Simon raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
Nika frowned. So did I. Humans didn’t question an order given by a vampire. They just did it. “Tell him to do something unusual,” I offered.
Nika’s expression turned sour. “I thought that’s what I just did.” Shaking her head, she said to Simon, “Okay…cluck like a chicken.”
I grinned. That was definitely unusual. Simon put his hands up as if to ward her off. “Okay. You guys are all nuts. I’m out of here.” He started to leave, but Nika blocked his path.
“Don’t move,” she stated, her face dead serious.
Simon tried to get around her the other way while my eyes widened in disbelief. He shouldn’t be able to do any of this. Worried, Nika looked over at Mom and Dad. “I can’t compel him, Dad.”
Simon seemed even more bewildered. “Compel me?” He looked at Dad. “You’re her dad? No way. You’re only a couple of years older than she is.”
Dad’s expression shifted into concern. “He’s just like Jake and Ben…” He looked to me, then Nika. “We have to hold onto him, so Gabriel can test him.”
Simon didn’t like the sound of that one bit. “Screw you! I’m not being tested by you freaks.” He tried to barrel past Dad, but that was like trying to slam through a cement wall; Dad didn’t move an inch. His fingers clamped onto Simon though, and held him tight. Simon freaked out once he was trapped. “Let me go! You can’t keep me here. This is kidnapping! Your ass is going to jail for at least fifty years! Let go of me!”
Looking like he was repressing a weary sigh, Dad ignored his comments. Stepping up to him, I said in a low voice, “He’s right, Dad. We can’t keep him…he hasn’t done anything wrong.” I thought about Simon moving in on Arianna and frowned. “Well, nothing bad enough to contain him. So…what do we do with him?”
Dad suddenly looked very tired. “I have no idea, Julian.”
From downstairs, we all heard my mom say, “We take him to Gabriel and let him test him, just like you said. Then we’ll decide what to do.”
Simon started yelling and shouting for someone to help him. The last few kids walking past the room looked his way, but Nika merely told them to keep walking. Nobody was going to help Simon. His newly adopted family might wonder why he never came home though…
“Dad, we have to stop Arianna from leaving,” I stated, panic in my voice.
Dad let out the sigh he’d been holding. “Julian, now isn’t the time to talk about you and your ex-girlfriend. I’m very sorry about what went down, but you should be letting her go, not—”
Stepping forward, I cut him off. “No. Simon lives down the street from her. His dad is gone and her family watches out for him…he’s staying with them. She should be compelled with some story to tell her parents, so they won’t come looking for Simon when he doesn’t come home.”
Dad looked at Simon. “The Bennett’s are looking after you? Where is your family?”
“Hell if I’m telling you, freakazoid,” he muttered through clenched teeth.
Ignoring him, my dad looked at the floor. “Hunter…”
Hunter, having heard all of that conversation, immediately responded with, “I’m on it. She’s almost to the door, I’ll bring her back up.” My heart started beating harder. She hadn’t been erased yet. She still remembered me.
My parents’ bedroom door opened, and the sound of giggling filled the hallway. I cursed. I’d forgotten about the kids playing with the soundproofing. By the way they were talking, it was clear they hadn’t heard Hunter or Nika’s commands. Of course, they probably hadn’t heard me spouting about vampires either.
Dad groaned as he looked back at his room. “Our bedroom? Really?” Frowning, he returned his eyes to mine. “You and I are going to have a talk real soon.”