I WATCHED THE cabin burning in the distance with mixed feelings. While I was glad that crazed man and his research had been firmly ground to a halt, the carnage and chaos left in his wake was staggering. Compulsion-proof humans, tortured vampires, disillusioned teens who thought undergoing a risky underground medical procedure was a good idea, and a madman hell-bent on wiping out my entire race. Lives forever altered. And for what? Jealousy, hatred, fear? It was exhausting, and I just wanted to go home.
“Are you all right?” Hunter asked, stepping up beside me.
Looking up into his glowing eyes full of love and concern, I forced a smile to my face. “Of course, just tired.”
Hunter nodded; he looked just as worn out as I felt. “It’s been quite a night…quite a summer.” He sighed. “Quite a year.”
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I pulled him close. “It’s almost over.”
He placed his arms over mine, holding me tight, comforting me with his body, if not the bond. “Thank God,” he murmured into my hair. “Let’s go home.”
Pulling back, I looked over at Halina and Gabriel. They were studying the cabin as well; Halina’s eyes were victorious, Gabriel’s were speculative. Dad and Julian had left some time ago with Starla and Jacen, and were surely back at the ranch by now.
Turning my focus to the other side of Hunter and me, I looked over at Simon. It surprised me some that he’d stayed. Stayed and fought. I’d kind of assumed that he’d hightail it the minute he’d shown us where the cabin was. But he hadn’t. He’d duked it out with the supercharged hunters, covered our backs, warned us of danger…acted like one of the nest. And by the bewildered expression on his face, he wasn’t sure why he’d done it.
Hoping he’d finally calmed down enough to see that we weren’t all bad, I softly said his name. “Simon? Want to go see your dad now?”
He startled, like I’d woken him from a dream, then he nodded.
Halina and Gabriel led the way back to the ranch. Hunter, Simon and I followed as closely as we could without leaving Simon too far behind. He just didn’t have as much stamina as the rest of us. Both Starla and Jacen were in line with my dad, abilities-wise, so Simon was at that level too. Simon would need to take Gabriel’s shot from now on; if he didn’t, he’d convert too soon and die. And if he wanted to stay as human as possible, he’d have to take the shot indefinitely. He was dependent on vampires now—a future he’d probably never imagined.
Simon still seemed contemplative when we arrived at the ranch. Jake, Alanna, and Grandpa Jack were outside to greet us when we got there. Alanna must have told the boys we were coming. Simon’s face finally erupted into a smile when he saw his dad. He flew into Jake’s arms, almost knocking him over. “Whoa, easy there, buddy. You’re about a thousand times stronger than I am now.”
Laughing, Simon stepped away from him, then his expression hardened. Turning to Alanna, he visibly lifted his chest and his chin, like he was gathering courage. “I’d like to see the two…the two vampires who were used in the experiment. I’d like to…apologize…to them. What I did, what I allowed to happen…it was wrong. Utterly and completely wrong.”
Simon looked back at Jake with sorrow in his eyes. “I knew it too. When I saw them, saw their suffering, I knew I should do something…put them out of their misery at least, but I needed them to save you. I needed their blood, so I let Grandfather continue…” Closing his eyes, he let out a long, broken exhale. “I overlooked an injustice for what I thought was the greater good…and I’ll never forgive myself for it.” Opening his eyes, he shook his head. “Even if they are monsters…they didn’t deserve what was done to them.”
“They’re not monsters,” I whispered into the night. Hoping Starla and Jacen were all right, I added, “None of us are monsters.”
The confusion returning to his face, Simon turned to look at me. “I think…I’m starting to see that. Which only makes everything worse.”
Eyes full of compassion, Jake put a hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Come on, I’ll take you to their room.”
When I stepped into the house, I instantly noticed something…weird was going on. The sounds of panting and kissing were coming from somewhere upstairs. I instantly understood. My brother was deepening his connection with Arianna, and apparently he didn’t care if the entire house knew it.
Dad looked like he was just about to run upstairs and physically pull Julian and Arianna apart. Recalling that I owed Julian a little payback, I put a hand on his shoulder. “Let me handle this, Dad. I know just what to do.” I blurred away before Dad could respond.
Halina was giggling when I got to the bedroom that Julian was using as his love nest. Biting my lip to hold in my smile, I burst through the door and rounded on the bed. Two figures instantly shot upright on the rumpled mattress. Breathless, Julian grabbed his shirt off the floor and covered Arianna with it. His hair was tussled, his cheeks were bright red, his eyes were wide, and his heart was pounding like it was about to explode. Arianna was no less affected as she held Julian’s shirt tight to her chest—her bare chest. At least they both had their pants on, although Julian’s were unbuttoned.
“Nika? Jesus, you scared the crap out of me!”
My smile was exhilarant. Payback was so much fun. “You realize that the entire house can hear you panting, right?” From the look on Arianna’s face, it was clear that she hadn’t remembered. Julian should have, but by the way his cheeks lost all their color, the fact that our relatives had super-acute hearing had clearly slipped his mind.
“Before Dad comes up here and gives you a three-hour-long speech on the birds and the bees, you should probably say goodnight to Arianna.” With a wave to my brother and my friend, I backed out of the room.
Back downstairs, I practically skipped my way to Hunter. I suddenly didn’t feel tired at all. Hunter’s expression was amused when I met up with him in the living room. “You enjoyed that. A lot,” he stated. I couldn’t deny it, so I only shrugged. Yes, yes I had.
Dad nodded at me in approval, then turned his eyes to Gabriel. Gabriel was clearly wanting to go check on his nestmates, but he was giving Jake and Simon a moment to talk to Starla and Jacen alone. Even though I was trying not to eavesdrop, I could hear Simon stuttering on his words—all of them were awkward and uncomfortable. It wasn’t every day you had to say you were sorry for doing nothing while someone was being tortured.
Clearing his throat, Dad said to Gabriel, “You told me once, that when a mixed vampire tried to turn someone, it almost always failed. Henry clearly found a way around that…but what about the heart giving out? How much time does Olivia and Simon have?”
And Starla. Dad didn’t say it, but her name hung heavy in the air. Henry had transfused her with Jacen’s blood in an attempt to keep her alive, but would it work? Or would her heart give out, her conversion kick in, and the old mutation in her blood rear its ugly head?
By the look on Gabriel’s face, this was something he’d been stewing on nonstop since Olivia had dropped the “Henry’s making mixed vampires” bomb on us. And from what I could tell by his irritated expression, Gabriel hadn’t come up with any answers yet.
“Honestly, Teren, without running a series of tests…I just don’t know. If we work under the assumption that what he did to them is similar to a successful mixed turning, then they have the same amount of time as any freshly turned mixed vampire—a couple of months, at best.” With a sigh, he looked up at where Starla was recuperating. “But all of this is so new and different…I just don’t know. And I hate not knowing.”
Dad nodded, like he’d expected as much. “We can’t take any chances. We’ll get Starla, Olivia and Simon on the shot as soon as possible. Then you’ll have the time you need…to find out their fate.”
Gabriel sighed. “It’s a pity you had to kill Henry. The man was clearly a genius. We could have learned so much from him. Together, he and I could have done some amazing things…”
“Whoever he was when he was human, he wasn’t that person anymore. You should have seen him come after me…like a rabid animal. Like he was out of his mind.”
Gabriel gave him a thoughtful smile. “They say the most brilliant minds are just a hairline away from madness. All it takes is the right push.”
Dad studied him silently for a moment, then said, “I’m sure you’ll come up with a solution.”
Halina squeezed Gabriel’s waist, while he gave Dad a curt nod. “Yes, I’m sure I will,” he confidently stated.
Dad shook his head at Gabriel, then looked over at Mom. “It’s been a long day…let’s go home.” Mom sagged into his side like that was the best news she’d heard in a while. Dad smiled at her then looked up at the ceiling. “Julian, we’re leaving. Tell Arianna goodbye, then get your butt down here.”
Julian’s response was instant. “Can Arianna stay at the house? Her parents think she’s out, and it would be weird for her to stay here at the ranch without me…”
Dad started massaging his temples. “Yeah, fine. But Trey stays too. And Arianna sleeps in Nika’s old bedroom. And Julian…your mom and I are keeping our door open all night long, so don’t even bother trying something.” I heard Julian hastily agreeing to Dad’s terms. He sounded giddy, and Dad sighed again.
Halina slowly shook her head at him. “How do you ever expect them to give us more grandbabies like that? Have I taught you nothing?”
Dad pointed a finger at her. “You be quiet. And you taught me plenty.” He smirked at that and Mom giggled. Dad rolled his eyes, then swung his gaze my way. “Ready to go, Nika?”
Knowing Dad wasn’t going to like this, I squeezed Hunter’s hand. “Actually, I’m staying here. With Hunter.”
Dad’s expression immediately turned frosty. “You’re not eighteen yet, Nika.”
“And it doesn’t matter anymore, Dad. Hunter is my sire, my best friend, my soulmate…and my lover. And I belong with him. And you know it. Keeping us apart because of my human age is pointless. I’m not human anymore.”
As I studied Dad’s reaction, I couldn’t tell if he was going to break down…or hit something. The house was suddenly deathly quiet. Maybe I should have done this somewhere more private, but in this family, lack of privacy was just something you got used to.
The silence ticked on for long seconds, until Halina finally shrugged and said, “At least Nika can’t get pregnant. One less worry…since you’re so against the reproduction of our species.”
I had to slap my hand over my mouth to not laugh. Dad turned to Halina with a groan. “Oh my God, would you give it a rest already?” As Halina curled her lips into a smile, Dad turned back to me. “Fine, Nika. You can stay here with…Hunter. But just so you know, I don’t like this.”
Releasing Hunter, I stepped forward and grabbed both of my father’s hands. “I know you don’t, Dad. But it’s time to let go.”
He let out a weary exhale. “I’m not good at letting go.”
A smile crept over my face. “I know that too. But you’ll always be my father, and I’ll always love you. You never have to worry about that.”
Dad wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me in a tight embrace. “Good.”
From upstairs, I heard Julian quietly ask Dad, “So, hey, since you’re letting Hunter and Nika shack up, does this mean Arianna and I can—?”
Before Julian even finished his question, Mom and Dad simultaneously barked, “No!”
Halina let out a beleaguered sigh as she turned to Gabriel. “They just don’t understand how it works. Maybe we should teach them?”
Gabriel smiled and Dad started massaging his head again. “It’s way past time to go,” he muttered.
WHEN I WOKE up the next evening, I felt different. More free, more at peace, more at ease. I was exactly where I was supposed to be—by Hunter’s side—and I wasn’t going behind anyone’s back to be there. It was allowed, accepted. Finally.
I stretched out until my legs brushed against his, and reveled in the delightful feeling of our soft skin sliding together. We’d slept naked again, and as Hunter wrapped his arms around me, I decided that was how we’d always sleep. I just needed him as close to me as inhumanly possible.
Hunter nuzzled against my neck, his stubble sharp against my sensitive skin. “Good evening, lover,” he murmured before kissing me. Then he laughed. “I still can’t believe you said that to your dad. For a minute there, I thought I was going to have to make a run for it.”
Laughing myself, I twisted to face him. Pressing my chest to his, I giggled and said, “Anywhere you run, I’ll follow.”
He gave me a long, lingering kiss. “And when the bond comes back in a few hours, you’ll know exactly how to find me.”
I completely stiffened in his arms. I hadn’t realized what all of this being over with meant for us. The bond. That exquisite connection we shared that had been so harshly severed for the last several weeks. There was no reason to keep denying it any longer. Especially now that we were living together, and the insane pull we felt when we were apart wouldn’t be triggered. As much. We might purposely trigger it on occasion, just to feel the passionate rush that came along with reuniting.
“That’s right…” I muttered. “You don’t have to take the shot anymore.”
Hunter’s hand came up to cup my cheek. “We’re free, Nika. In so many ways, we’re finally free.”
His lips returned to mine, and the desire always simmering between us began to resurface. Free. That was all I’d wanted for so long that it was a shock to the system that we finally had it. We were finally able to do…everything we wanted to do. Rolling Hunter over to his back, I climbed onto his hips and stared down at him. With no windows to speak of, and a light-proof seal around the door, Hunter’s room was very dark, and his tranquil eyes were softly glowing at me. Mine were washing him in a pale light as well, highlighting the lines and angles of his perfect bone structure. His lips were a beacon, one I couldn’t resist.
Even though we’d made love the last two nights, I wanted him again. I had a feeling I’d always want him. Maybe that was a residual side effect of the bond, still in place even though it wasn’t currently active. Or maybe it was just because I was head-over-heels in love with him. Probably both.
Our hands and mouths slid over each other’s bodies, driving the intensity to a point where pleasurable desire was replaced with white-hot need. When Hunter rolled me to my back and moved inside me, we both exhaled in relief. He was everything I wanted, and so much more. We moved together slowly at first, prolonging the sensation as much as possible. It didn’t take long for the moment to become unbearable though, and before I knew it, our movements were fast and frantic.
As I reached the edge of pure bliss, I placed my lips along Hunter’s neck. The word, “Yes,” escaped him and I instantly bit down. His cool refreshing blood poured into me, right as I hit the wall. I moaned as the ecstasy coursed through me, washed down me, made every nerve in my body feel like it was on fire.
Hunter’s mouth searched for my skin as he continued to move over me. Releasing my own bite, I angled my neck away from him, so he’d have plenty of skin to choose from. He clamped down hard, near the base of my shoulder, and his entire body shuddered as my blood poured into him. His own climax was quick to follow, and he whimpered as he came and drank. I cradled his head to my skin, encouraging him to take more. He couldn’t hurt me—not really—and the more he took from me, the longer his euphoria would last. And I wanted him to feel amazing forever.
When he finally pulled away, he laid his forehead against my shoulder and panted against my skin. “God…I never knew… I never even imagined it could be like that. That drinking and sex…could feel like that…”
A residual shudder rippled through his body. With a laugh, I kissed his hair. “Now you wish you’d always been a vampire, don’t you?”
Hunter looked up at me with a smirk on his lips. Then his expression softened. “Maybe I always was…and I just never knew it.”
Touched by the acceptance I saw on his face, I leaned in for one last kiss. If we waited too long to make an appearance, someone would come searching for us. Again. We might have more freedom than before, but we weren’t exactly on our own yet.
With great reluctance, we both got up to get ready for the night. When we were clean and dressed, we tentatively opened Hunter’s door. I still expected to see my father’s angry face whenever I emerged from Hunter’s room, but I think he was finally okay with Hunter and I living together. Or at least…he wasn’t violently opposed to it anymore.
Seeing that the coast was clear, I stepped into the hallway with a bright smile on my face. Grabbing my hand, Hunter joined me. “I know it’s early, but we should go find Gabriel, see if he made any progress on Starla’s blood.”
A bit of my good mood faltered as I nodded. We’d checked on Starla and Jacen this morning, before heading to our room for the day. They’d been tired, clearly still worn, but in good enough spirits considering. I had to imagine that what had happened to them would remain with them for a long time. Like how Julian had suffered from claustrophobia for years after his abduction, they would both have scars from this, I was sure.
Instead of turning to take the hallway that led upstairs, we headed across the way to Gabriel’s lab. I could feel that Halina was in there, so odds were good Gabriel was too. When we entered Gabriel’s carefully constructed clean room, we saw that he was indeed there, along with Halina, Jake, and a very nervous looking Simon. I gave him a friendly wave to try and make him feel better, but with the harsh way he swallowed, it was clear my presence wasn’t comforting.
Halina gave us both a warm hug. Gabriel peeked up from his microscope, a small smile on his lips, while Jake gave us each a brief, almost cordial nod. Hunter pointed at whatever Gabriel had been studying. “Find anything in Starla’s blood? Some kind of clue that might help Olivia?”
Gabriel’s smile brightened. “I think I have. Henry was truly a genius beyond his years. His attempt to cure her by transfusing her blood with Jacen’s, might have done just that. I’ll need more time to be sure, but I have a very good feeling about this.” With a wistful sigh, he shook his head and looked over at Halina. “A transfusion never occurred to me. All this time, and the answer to Starla’s problem was practically under my nose.” He lifted his arm and patted the vein running through his inner elbow.
Halina smiled as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “You’re too hard on yourself, love. You can’t see every angle, all the time.” She frowned. “And there’s been a lot of distractions lately.”
“What does that mean for Olivia?” I asked.
Gabriel frowned. “Until I know for sure, and until she’s of age, of course, she’ll need to continue taking the shot…just like young Simon here.” Gabriel glanced down at Simon; he rubbed his arm where Gabriel must have injected him. A smile cracked Gabriel’s lips as he looked back at me. “But if my theory about Starla is correct, then Olivia will merely need a transfusion of her own before she can safely convert. And with all I have learned from Henry’s research at the cabin and the test subject’s blood, I am confident I can safely duplicate the transfusion process. Once it has been completed, Olivia’s blood will take on the characteristics of the donor vampire, almost as if it were a brand-new turning. I’m assuming that is only the case on living vampires. After the final conversion has been completed and the human part of the body dies, well, then the vampire will be stuck with those traits…which is, of course, why we must remove Starla’s blood from her.”
Jake pointed at Simon. “And what about my son?”
Gabriel shrugged. “There is no flaw that I know of in Jacen’s blood, he should be fine. Once he comes of age, of course. However…if he would like to be as human as possible, then a transfusion of his own could be arranged.”
Jake and Simon shared a look before Simon said, “What do you mean? Aren’t I as human as possible already?”
Gabriel shook his head. “No. Being of a later generation, Julian’s blood is slightly more human than Jacen’s, and with this new, marvelous, precise procedure, I believe I can safely give you blood from a fourth generation vampire. Possibly even a fifth or six generation vampire, if we knew of one…” Shaking his head, like he was refocusing, he said, “Unfortunately, we do not. The most human vampire in our midst, Ben, is too human. I could not get the procedure to work with his blood. But I can with Julian, and since he has the least amount of side effects of all of us, he is the best choice for you. His eyes don’t even glow.”
My eyes widened in surprise at Gabriel’s suggestion, but…it made sense. Besides Ben, who only had a trace amount of vampire in him, Julian was the most human. And if that was what Simon wanted—to be as human as he could be—then Julian was the logical choice. But still…what would that do to my brother? “Will that hurt him, Gabriel? Julian…I mean…will that hurt Julian?”
Gabriel shrugged. “No more than a poke. We would take his blood slowly, over time.” His expression darkened. “It would be nothing like what was done to Starla and Jacen.” His expression evening, he looked back at Simon and Jake. “Of course, that is assuming Julian wants to help you.”
While Jake and Simon contemplated Simon’s future, a thought suddenly struck me. “You can safely duplicate the process… Does that mean you can create new mixed vampires?”
Looking confused, Gabriel blinked at me. “I need more time to be absolutely sure, but…yes, I’m confident I could if I wanted to.” From his tone of voice, it was clear he couldn’t see a reason why he would ever want to. I had a reason. I knew a few people who might be interested in becoming a mixed vampire, if it was truly possible now.
Giving Hunter an excited squeeze of his arm, I zipped upstairs. Mom and Dad were in the kitchen with Alanna and Imogen. Julian and Arianna were setting the table together, making dopey love-filled eyes at each other, and I had to wonder if all of Dad’s precautions had done any good.
“Good evening, Nika,” Dad said, kissing my hair. “I trust you slept well…away from the house.” He cringed after he said it, like he was making himself be civil about all of this. I was too excited to appreciate the sentiment.
“Gabriel thinks he can recreate Henry’s work. He’s positive he can safely make mixed vampires.”
Every sound in the house stopped. Well, every sound but Trey playing basketball outside with Ben and Olivia. I could still hear Trey screeching that vampire power-jumping was illegal and unfair. Caution in his eyes, Dad slowly asked, “And why would Gabriel want to carry on Henry’s work?”
Stunned that they couldn’t see what I saw, I pointed at Alanna. “Because we can save the rest of our family. The ones who are still human. The ones who are going to die.” Passionate tears pricked my eyes. I’d always accepted the fact that eventually some members of my family would leave me—Grandpa Jack, Ben, Tracey, Ashley, Christian, Grandma Linda… But now we had a viable solution to save them. They only had to take it.
Alanna’s face shifted to an expression of shock and disbelief. She opened and closed her mouth several times, like she wasn’t sure what to say or how to feel. Julian jumped to his feet, his eyes wide as he stared at Arianna. Like we were still connected, I knew exactly what my brother was thinking—he could save her too.
Dad stared at the ground while a multitude of emotions swept over his face. He started shaking his head, and Mom gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Teren? Maybe…”
Dad looked up, pain in his eyes. “He doesn’t want to be a vampire. He’s never wanted our life. He’s content to die. Right, Mom?” His gaze shifted to Alanna. They were talking about Grandpa Jack…the one who was probably closest to his natural end.
Tears were streaming down Alanna’s face now, and Imogen blurred to her side. Hunter had joined us at this point. Having heard the conversation while approaching, he remained silent. Alanna shook her head as she locked eyes with Dad. “This…has never been an option before. I don’t…I don’t know if he would want this or not.”
My hands clenched into fists. I knew Adams men were stubborn, but choosing death, choosing to permanently leave the family just because of a few side effects…in my young eyes, not taking the solution to the problem was stupid.
“We have a way to conquer one of life’s biggest mysteries. We have a way to cheat death. We don’t have to lose our loved ones anymore. Grandma…you don’t have to lose Grandpa. You don’t have to spend an eternity alone, once he passes. And Grandpa doesn’t need to worry, he won’t really be a vampire. If he takes Dad’s blood, then he’ll be like him. He’ll have fangs, yes…enhanced speed and hearing, sure…but daylight will be fine for him. He could live a mostly normal life, forever, with you. And isn’t sacrificing steak for blood worth that?”
I looked between Alanna and my father, but before either one of them could answer me, Grandpa Jack walked around the corner and stepped into the kitchen, a thoughtful expression on his face. Everyone stared at him, waiting to see if he’d heard what we were talking about. Grandpa smiled at me, patted my shoulder, then walked over to his wife. Grabbing both of her hands, he stared deep into her misleadingly youthful eyes. “Giving up an eternity with you, with our family, for something as silly and frivolous as food and a heartbeat, would be the biggest mistake I could ever make. If you want me to do this procedure, to become a ‘little bit’ vampire, just like you, just like my son…then I will. Happily.”
Alanna’s face contorted, then she threw her arms around Grandpa. “Yes, yes I want that. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Literally.” She sobbed as Grandpa rubbed her back. Tears ran down my cheeks too.
“Okay, dear. If it’s safe, and Gabriel thinks he can make it so that I’ll end up like you or Teren…then yes, I’ll go through it. For you,” he whispered, kissing her head. He looked over at Dad, and I was surprised to see tears on his cheeks. Actually, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. “For both of you,” Grandpa added.
Dad smiled, then hugged his parents. It quickly turned into a group hug, with everyone in the room joining in, and I inhaled and exhaled in relief. My family wasn’t changing. We weren’t going to lose people to the ravages of time. My family was eternal, and would always be that way. And I found a tremendous amount of strength in that.
A few hours later, when I felt a tingling sensation deep in my bones, another strength returned to me. The bond. It was reactivating, reestablishing the mental and physical connection that forever bound Hunter and me together. While severing the bond had been instant and painful, the restoration process was slow and satisfying. It filled me with a blissfulness that was only rivaled by our intimate times together. I could tell Hunter felt it too. Peace was etched into every line of his face. Joy practically radiated in the air between us. And even though I knew Halina was feeling happiness and contentment over her own reconnection with Hunter, she gave us space to revel in the moment.
Everything was as it should be, everything was right in the world. And even though my heart was still and every breath I took was unnecessary, I wouldn’t have changed anything about my life. I couldn’t. I was forever linked to my best friend, my lover, and my one-day husband. My life was truly everything I wished it to be.