DAD DECIDED THAT we couldn’t risk the life of Trey’s family by continuing to his home. By the way Hunter had sped off once Grandpa had rammed him, we assumed he wasn’t following us anymore, but we didn’t know for sure. It was entirely possible that Hunter had doubled back and was trailing us again. Our entourage wouldn’t be hard to follow, especially with the bullet holes adorning the minivan’s side and the blown-out windows. Hopefully no well-meaning citizen had reported our car fleeing the scene of a crime.
Eyes watchful of the road around us, Dad told Halina to pull into the first dark, seedy motel that she saw. Finding an alley nearby, we parked the minivan as close to the wall as Halina could get it, so the violent evidence wouldn’t stand out. The rest of our caravan parked in the motel’s lot, near the exit but facing a side street, so their vehicles wouldn’t be direct giveaways that we were here. Streaming out of their cars, my family hurried to the alley to make sure our group was uninjured from the showdown.
Conscious of another attack, Mom and Dad quickly helped me put my jacket back on and get out of the car. My arm burned, and I was lightheaded, but I was still breathing, and that was always a good thing. As the family groups melded together, I was hugged and inspected by every single friend and relative.
When Julian hopped out of the back seat, he looked at the wreckage with grief and guilt in his heart. Turning to Arianna, he said, “I’m sorry about your car. We’ll get it fixed.”
His eyes locked on the street, Dad nodded. “Great-Gran will have someone inside clean it up, then take it to a shop. A small, private one.” He risked a glance at Halina. “You’ll have to go with, to ensure the car is quietly repaired tonight. We don’t need anyone reporting this. We’ve attracted enough attention already.”
Halina nodded, her reluctant eyes flicking over all of us. As our guardian, she didn’t want to leave our side, but she was also the only one of us who could do compulsion, and covering things up was a big part of our protection.
Seeing her in agreement, Dad told Arianna, “I’ll have Starla call your mom, explain that there was a situation with the car and we’re getting it fixed. We’ll get her permission to let you spend the night with us.” He stopped roving the streets to meet Arianna’s eye. “I’m sorry, but it’s too dangerous to drive you home.”
Arianna was too startled by the evening’s events to comment; Julian gently grabbed her hand in support. Antsy about being out in the open, Dad started ushering our group to the motel office. On the way, he told Trey, “We should call your parents too…they’ll be worried.”
Trey shrugged. “Nah, I doubt they’ll even notice I’m gone.” Bringing his fingers to his lips, he mimed smoking a joint.
Dad frowned at the reference, while sympathy trickled into me. My parents were so overprotective that it was hard to imagine parents who were so busy getting stoned that they wouldn’t notice their only child was unaccounted for. I wasn’t sure what that level of apathy would do to a person, but it sure explained why Trey came to school buzzed every day. Well, almost every day.
Dad clapped Trey’s shoulder. “We’ll tell them that you’re with us anyway. They should know where you are.” Trey was beaming when Dad removed his hand.
After Dad had Starla make the phone calls, he headed into the office with Halina. One of the fluorescent light bulbs inside flickered off and on in a steady rhythm; it almost matched the blinking of the vacancy sign near the road. I watched my dad through the glass; he was handing the greasy, overweight man at the counter a wad of cash. Both Halina and Dad had bloody smears and streaks on their clothes. I was sure Halina had taken a bullet or two, and I knew my dad had taken several. The clerk on duty didn’t notice their appearance, though, thanks to whatever story he was being fed by Halina.
Moments later, they were back with two keys to adjoining rooms and the beefy man was heading out to the van with a gallon of bleach and a handful of rags. Hiding any trace of our vampire blood was of the utmost importance.
Dad unlocked one motel door while Halina unlocked the other. Starla groaned as she peered into the room Halina had opened. “You have got to be kidding me.” She twisted to Gabriel behind her. “I am not staying in this despot, Father.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, the aged vampire stared his “daughter” down. “Until this situation is properly contained, we’re all staying together…so yes, you are staying here, Starla. And you will keep your opinions to yourself and be appreciative that none of the bullets in the air tonight hit you.” He placed a cool hand on my arm as he said that. The throbbing was better than before, but his touch still felt wonderful.
Starla looked appropriately chastised as she walked into the dingy room with Jacen, who seemed a little unsure how to respond to Starla being scolded. Gabriel was his leader, yet Starla was his girlfriend; it put him in an uncomfortable position.
While Ben, Julian, Arianna, Trey, and Mom entered the second room, Grandpa, Alanna, Grandma Linda and Imogen followed after Starla and Jacen. Gabriel and Halina seemed unsure which room to enter, which family members to protect.
Dad slung an arm around me while nodding at the other door. “We’ll be fine. You can stay with the others, Great-Gran.”
Maybe seeing that our room was a little human heavy, Halina turned to Gabriel. “You stay with your nestmates. I’ll stay with Teren and the children. I’ll need to leave as soon as that malodorous man is done cleaning the car anyway.”
Gabriel gave her a brief nod. “Be safe, love.”
Halina stepped into him, cupping his cheek. “And you as well.”
Leaning in, Gabriel gave her a brief peck. “And try to remember that you are not at full strength yet.” He gave her a pointed look. “Regardless of what you believe, you are not invincible.”
Halina smirked. “So you say.”
Gabriel’s normally passive face was amused as Halina sauntered into our room. Dad shook his head at his great-grandmother and her super-old boyfriend as he urged me inside. I cringed when Dad closed the door. Starla was right, the place was a dump.
There were two beds with rumpled, mismatched comforters; I instantly wondered when they’d last been washed. Between them was a table that was missing a leg. The top of the table was resting on a nail driven into the wall behind it. It looked ready to topple at any moment, which would surely break the gaudy lamp sitting atop it that was the only point of light in the room.
The wallpaper was cracked, and a faded grayish-yellow color that made the room seem sickly. There was a door leading to a bathroom in the back of the room; I was a little afraid to go in there. But Dad had wanted discreet…and sometimes discreet meant decrepit.
There were no chairs in the room, so everyone was seated on the bed or standing around. Dad helped me to the bed where Mom was sitting, and even though I was feeling better by the moment, I sat down beside her. Julian and Arianna were sitting on the edge of the other bed, still holding hands. Arianna was paler than I’d ever seen her and Julian was filled to the brim with worry. Ben was on full alert at the window, peering through the blinds.
Halina’s eyes were on Dad as he stepped up to Ben and clapped him on the shoulder. “I was only grazed, Teren, but you took a few,” she said. “How many times were you hit?”
Remembered horror sent a shiver down my body as Dad twisted his dark head to Halina. “I don’t know…a few times.”
Dad shifted his gaze to meet Mom’s eyes. Standing from the bed, she walked over to him. A stuttered exhale escaped her as she wrapped her arms around her husband. He held her tight and rested his head against hers. In the silence, I heard Mom murmur, “That was too close, Teren. Much too close.”
Over Dad’s shoulder, Mom locked eyes with me. They began to water as she shifted her gaze to stare at the blood-stained sleeve of my jacket.
Dad was about to respond to her when Halina interjected, “Those bullets will need to be removed, Teren.”
Dad sighed as Halina walked over to Ben and pulled a switchblade out of his pocket. My eyes widened at the thought of having to witness another operation like I had earlier. I really didn’t think I could right now. The shock and fear were wearing off, and a feeling of peace was starting to come over me. Watching my dad in that much pain would surely undo that calm; it would probably unhinge me.
Arianna too. She shot up off the bed. “What are you going to do with that?”
Dad looked over the many young adults in the room, then indicated the bathroom door. “Maybe we could do this privately?” Halina nodded and grabbed his hand, leading him away; Mom hurried after. Before they disappeared into the bathroom, Dad locked eyes with Ben and pointed at us. “Watch them for me.”
Ben straightened, and his expression hardened as the weight of his newfound responsibility settled around him. When the bathroom door closed, Ben turned back to the window, all the more vigilant. Someone in the bathroom turned the faucet on full blast. It wasn’t enough to mask all the noise, but it helped. The conversations drifting from the room were muted under the surge of water.
Standing up, I walked over to Arianna; her wide eyes were glued on the bathroom door. Slightly shaking, she asked me, “Nika…are they doing what I think they’re doing?”
Putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, I nodded as I sat on the bed with her. “Yes, they need to get the bullets out. But it’s okay, my dad will be fine.”
I heard Dad inhale a quick breath, and I figured the operation had started. Maybe to distract us, or maybe to distract himself, Ben murmured, “I’m glad Olivia is with her mom right now.”
Sympathy bubbled to the surface as I watched Ben diligently scanning for trouble. The neon sign outside cast a reddish light across his skin where it shone through the blinds. The light enhanced the slight scars that marred his perfect face, scars he’d received over the years either protecting or confronting our species. It made me think maybe Mom was right, maybe Ben should be wiped and set free. Maybe my friends should be wiped and set free too. “I’m sorry you got wrapped up in all of this, Uncle Ben,” I told him.
Ben shook his head without looking at me. “Protecting your family is an honor, Nika. There’s no place I’d rather be right now.”
Hearing my dad’s muted attempts to contain the pain he was feeling overwhelmed me with guilt. This was all my fault. Well, no, if I were to place the blame properly, this was all Hunter’s fault. He’d overreacted to the situation, acted out of fear and prejudice, not reason. My family wasn’t a threat to humanity. We just wanted to fit in, to belong…even if we never really could.
Needing an explanation, needing to vent, scream, question, and maybe break something, I turned to Arianna. Seeing her purse securely fastened across her chest, I whispered, “Let me see your phone.”
Wrapped up in guard duty, Ben didn’t hear me. Julian did. As Arianna’s still shaking fingers dug through her small bag, his expression darkened. “What are you doing, Nika?” he asked, equally as quiet.
I didn’t answer him. There was nothing I could say, no rational explanation for the risk I was taking. I wasn’t sure just how tech-savvy Hunter was, wasn’t sure whether he could track Arianna’s cell phone once he knew her number. There was a lot I wasn’t sure about. But I knew my parents were wrapped up in Dad’s situation, and this was the only chance I would get to talk to Hunter again. And I had a few things to say to him.
Luckily the vampires next door weren’t paying any attention to me either; a lively debate about whether or not placing an ad was still a viable solution to the problem was being tossed around the room. Time seemed to be the biggest factor in the con column. It would take a considerable amount of time for Hunter and his father to assume we’d left the area, to feel comfortable enough to fall back into their old ways and again start answering vampire blood ads. In the meantime, we’d be in a constant state of worry, anxiety, fear, and hiding. We’d have to put our entire lives on hold—like we’d been put in the vampire protection program.
Ignoring my brother’s anxiety, I quickly called Hunter. He answered immediately. “Hello?”
I paused for a moment as his voice washed through my brain. Even though it hadn’t been that long since I’d talked to him, it felt like forever since I’d heard his voice. Or at least, since I’d heard it without the sting of rejection added to it. When I didn’t answer him immediately, he whispered, “Nika? Is that you?”
Needing some additional background noise to hide my conversation from Ben, I turned on the ancient TV bolted to the wall. It flashed on and some Spanish telenovela started blaring. Ben cocked his head, but didn’t turn to look. He was more concerned about things outside of our room than inside. Covered by some shrill, irate woman, I focused my anger.
“You open fired on my family? What the hell were you thinking?”
Julian leaned forward on the bed, intently listening. His mood was stormy, and he was clearly restraining himself from either ripping the phone from my fingers or launching into his own tirade.
After a microsecond of silence, Hunter’s voice hit my ear. “Open…what? What are you talking about?”
Rage roiled in my stomach as I remembered the incident he was playing dumb about. “Don’t. Don’t even try that innocent crap. You followed us from the ranch, then pulled up beside us at a red light. You started firing…” My throat dry, I had to swallow before I could continue. “There were humans in the car, Hunter.”
“Oh my God, Nika…I didn’t. Are you okay?”
The true concern in his voice seared my heart, but the fire in my belly quickly obliterated it. “No, I’m not. You hit me!” I didn’t elaborate on that, didn’t tell him that he’d only nicked me.
“Jesus! Are you okay? Are you at the hospital? Where are you?”
The panic in his voice muddled my mind, and I clarified my situation. “It was just on the surface…I’m fine.”
I eyed Ben, but the television was doing its job, and he wasn’t paying any attention to my conversation. So far, no one else was either. The vampires next door were still in contemplation, Mom was sniffling in the bathroom, and Dad was snapping at Halina that there wasn’t a bullet in his spleen so she could stop digging around in there. Hearing that made me gag a little.
Hunter sighed. “Thank God…you scared me.”
The temperature increased in my stomach, evaporating the confusion in my head. “I scared you? You’re the one who freaking shot at me!”
I could hear Hunter sputtering, then he said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Nika! I’ve been at home, cleaning up, and wondering what the hell I’m supposed to do about you.”
That deflated my anger a bit. “Then who…?”
Hunter gasped as he made the only logical conclusion left to make. “No…he couldn’t have. He said he wouldn’t… He said he would leave you alone until I… Oh my God…”
“Your dad did this, didn’t he?” I whispered, awed by the shock in his voice. “He followed us, and fired on us…and you, you didn’t know?”
“I swear I didn’t know he’d do that, Nika. I told him…” he paused, and I couldn’t help but picture his dark brow compressed in puzzlement, “I told him I couldn’t hunt you…that you were different, that you were basically human. I told him I couldn’t kill you, and I begged him to leave your family alone. Just until we figured out what your kind was.”
“You…couldn’t kill me? But you said…you said I was a vampire and it didn’t matter?”
Hunter sighed, the sound as conflicted as his voice. “I know what I said. I was in shock. I still am. I just didn’t expect… All of this has turned my world upside down, Nika. You have to understand that. But the thought of anything happening to you…I just can’t…handle it.” His voice full of worry, he again asked, “Are you okay?”
My heart melted at the love I felt coming from him. He still cared. Regardless of what I was, he still cared about me. Julian frowned as my feelings leeched into him, but I ignored his disgruntlement. “Yes,” I whispered, lightly rubbing my wound. “I’m fine.”
“Thank God,” he reiterated. “Dad was pissed at me when we parted ways after the incident at school, but I never thought he’d… He really shot at you?”
Just then, the water shut off in the bathroom. There was some light laughter from my dad, and I knew I only had moments before my parents reemerged. “Yes, but I’m fine,” I breathed into the phone.
“I can’t believe he did this to me,” Hunter mused. I thought to say goodbye to him, even though that idea killed a part of me, but before I could, he added, “I need to see you, Nika. Where are you?”
The bathroom door creaked open, and I knew I should disconnect the phone and hand it back to Arianna. I couldn’t though. I couldn’t sever this moment with Hunter…not yet.
“I can’t tell you that, Hunter.”
Dad’s eyes snapped to mine as he stepped into the room. His expression was dark as he took in the sight of me making a secret phone call behind his back. I was sure I had guilt plastered all over my face as I locked gazes with him.
Dad looked about ready to blur over to me and smash the phone against the wall. Halina, too, for that matter. Cognizant of the tension in the air, Ben turned from his post at the window. My guilt tripled as his mouth dropped in shock. He seemed stunned that I would call the enemy right after being shot at by him. But I hadn’t been shot by Hunter. He still loved me…I was sure. He confirmed that while shock froze my family.
“I love you, Nika…and I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to see you, talk things out. Surely we can find a way to figure this out?”
My dad tilted his head, and hurriedly, I finished up my conversation with Hunter. “That’s not a good idea. You and I shouldn’t be around each other…”
I was interrupted from my train of thought by Dad. Shaking his head, he whispered, “Say yes.”
As I puzzled over Dad’s response, Hunter asked for the same thing. “Please, Nika. I’m not going to hurt you. I just need to make sure you’re okay. I just…I need to see you. My dad won’t be there, it will just be me, I promise.” When I still didn’t respond, he added, “Please? We can meet somewhere neutral. The library?”
Wondering why my father was giving me the go-ahead, I told Hunter, “All right. The water wall, at midnight.”
The relief in Hunter’s voice was palpable. “I’ll be there, Nika. Just me.”
Staring at my father, I responded, “Okay…but you better not kill me, Hunter.”
A soft laugh escaped him, and I immediately pictured his warm smile. “I won’t, I wouldn’t…ever. I’m in love with you, remember?”
I bit my lip, not able to respond. Instead, I ended the call. Dad had his arms crossed over his chest, but he was smiling. I had no idea why. Nerves spiking, I asked him, “Why did you say it was okay? I thought you’d never let me see him again.”
Lifting his eyes to Ben, Dad calmly said, “Because it’s a lot easier to trap a hunter, when you know exactly where the hunter will be.”
I shot up off the bed. “No! It wasn’t him, Daddy. He didn’t fire at us!”
Dad lowered his eyes to mine. There was remembered pain in the pale depths. “He shot me at the school. That was most definitely him.”
I violently shook my head, but Mom objected first. “Teren, we can’t use our daughter as bait.”
Dad turned around to face her. “We’ll all be there, waiting. She’ll be safe. Besides,” Dad twisted to face me again, “he’s in love with her. That will give us an edge.”
Furious, I stormed past him into the bathroom. I slammed the door shut behind me, cracking the frame. My destruction didn’t alter the look of the room much, but it made me feel better. Ignoring the tinge of blood in the air, I sank down the wall and sat on the floor. It was filthy, but I didn’t care. My family was about to take a much more proactive step to finding Hunter and his father. It twisted my gut in fear and revulsion. I didn’t want this…any of this. I just wanted to sneak out of the house to go see a movie with Hunter. I wanted my biggest problem to be that my brother was in love with someone he couldn’t have, and my boyfriend was too old to openly date. I’d give anything to have those simple problems again.
In the other room, I heard Halina making plans to temporarily leave us. She was as reluctant to go as Dad was to let her leave. But we had to fix Arianna’s car before some curious person saw it, and Halina was the only one who could make that process happen this late at night, with no questions from the repair shop about why there were bullet holes in the car. There would be no record of it either. Halina could make all of this happen in a blink of an eye with no one the wiser. Being a full vampire did have some perks.
In the end, Halina took Imogen with her so she wouldn’t be out there all alone. Gabriel wanted to go, too, but he couldn’t pull himself away from protecting Starla and Jacen. Starla was just as human as Julian and me; unlike my dad, she wouldn’t pull through being shot or stabbed.
Before leaving, Halina told Dad, “I’ll be back as soon as I find someone with the parts we need. Do not go off to meet that boy without me.”
I cringed. That boy was my boyfriend.
I heard Dad respond, “I won’t…you need to be there.” I pictured Halina giving Dad a cocky smile. Just as I felt frustrated tears stinging my eyes, Dad added, “And please be careful. No showboating, you’re still weak.”
Halina sniffed indignantly. “I am not…weak. But I am a little…run down. Maybe I’ll grab a bite while I’m out.”
Arianna gasped and a burst of something warm and protective sprouted in Julian. He murmured to her, “It’s all right, she won’t hurt anybody.”
I knew that wasn’t the case. When Halina hunted in the city, she generally hunted people. A bite, regardless of how small, would hurt. But what Julian really meant was that Halina wouldn’t kill anyone. While I would never contradict that statement in front of Arianna, that wasn’t always true either, and with Halina not feeling up to her usual level of fitness tonight, she just might take a life.
Halina was pretty good about only killing people that most of society wouldn’t miss, but how could I explain that without sounding horribly callous? Whether her meal choice was right or wrong, I couldn’t say, but I knew that it was a choice I would never make. I was never going to kill anybody. Ever.
The two motel room doors opened simultaneously as Halina and Imogen left together. Once the doors shut, I heard a knock on the bathroom door. Having felt her approach, I knew who it was. “Come on in, Mom.”
She opened the door and entered the bathroom where I was sulking. I spotted Dad standing near Ben through the open door. He was looking back at me, his face apologetic. Dad didn’t want to set up my boyfriend, but he needed this over with. I dropped my eyes from his as Mom took a seat beside me.
She put a chilly hand on my knee. “We’re all very sorry that it has to be this way, Nika.”
I felt Julian’s feelings shift to sympathy as he listened. “I know, Mom. I’m not really mad. Just…frustrated.” Meeting her eyes, I shrugged. “Does that make sense?”
Sighing, Mom cupped my cheek. “Perfect sense.”
I shivered as the chill from her hand traveled down my spine. Laying my head on her shoulder, I whispered, “I’m sorry I kept him from you guys. I just didn’t want… I didn’t want you to tell me that I couldn’t see him.”
Mom put her arm around me. “We understand that, Nika.” Giving me a knowing smile, she added, “Your father and I didn’t always share our secrets with our parents either. What matters is that you told us when you had to. When it got dangerous, when you got scared, you told us. That’s what’s important.”
I nodded, feeling a small bit of relief from her words. As I stared at the woman who had given me so much of her appearance, I wondered if her personality had been passed down to me too. Mom was brave, strong, and a little feisty. She was every bit the hero my dad was. But I really wasn’t sure if I was anything like her, even though Julian assured me I was.
Mom and I were silent as we felt Imogen and Halina drifting away from us. They were in the abused minivan with the pudgy man from the front desk. I’d heard Halina compel the man to take them somewhere that could repair the damage to the car in one evening. The man had immediately started spouting something about knowing a guy who owned a junkyard and could fix just about anything. Luckily, Arianna’s Mom’s car was pretty common; finding the parts to repair it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. Especially since Halina could breeze around town and have any needed part delivered by…well, literally, anyone. Unless a human had vampire blood mixed into them, there was no protection from compulsion that I was aware of.
They wouldn’t be gone long, and when they got back, we’d be heading out to trap a hunter…my hunter. It made me ill to think about it. He might have shot my dad, he might have insinuated that I was a monster, but…I still had hope that our star-crossed love would somehow work out. The logical part of my head knew that was rarely the case. Romeo and Juliet were shining examples of just how badly our type of love could end.
I never imagined that my first real relationship would turn out this way. I’d always pictured flowers and poetry, dramatic declarations of love, followed by a beautiful wedding and equally beautiful children. Never in a million years did my fantasy include bullet holes.
After my mood cooled, I rejoined the others in the motel room. Mom left me to drape her arms around Dad. Dad never lost his vigilant stance as he tenderly embraced her. Trey was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. His heartbeat was slow and steady as he slept. I didn’t understand how anyone could nod off after what we’d been through tonight. I was sure I’d be awake for days.
Julian patted the corner of the bed where he was sitting. Arianna was still right beside him, clenching his hand for support, like he was the only thing keeping her grounded. I sat beside the pair, my mood speculative. Julian’s was sympathetic as he watched me. After a long moment of silence, his hand closed over mine. “It will be okay, Nika. If they can wipe him without killing him, they will.”
I lifted my eyes to my brother. He wasn’t sure if what he’d just said was true; I could feel it in his emotions. Not sure either, I wrapped my hand around his. “I know.” We both knew the odds of that happening were slim, but I appreciated his attempt to comfort me anyway.
The hours ticked by, and yet, at the same time, the hours blurred by with a speed that matched a pureblood vampire’s. My two absent grandmothers returned just as the clock on the wall moved into the eleventh hour. Imogen went straight to her room, to check on her daughter waiting with the others. Halina sauntered into our room. She gave Dad a business-like nod.
“The vehicle will be delivered in the morning in near-perfect condition.”
“That’s fast…good.” A slight frown marred Dad’s features as he absorbed her words. “I don’t suppose you allowed the mechanics to give themselves short breaks while they work on the van?”
Halina raised an eyebrow. “Speed was of the essence. They can take all the time they need when they’re done.”
Dad sighed. “I know, but if they work themselves to death…?”
Halina waved off his concern with her hand. “The mechanic the fat man knew was young, strong…” she wiped the corner of her mouth with her thumb, “…tasty. He’ll be fine.”
Dad let his concerns over the mechanic’s welfare go. Arianna shivered and buried her head into Julian’s shoulder. He patted her back while Trey let out a lumberjack snore. All the vampires twisted to look at the sleeping teenager.
“I see he’s terribly upset by everything that has transpired tonight,” Halina mumbled.
Julian lifted his chin. “I told you they could handle it, Grandma.”
Halina eyed Arianna trembling in Julian’s arms. “We’ll see.” She focused her attention on Mom, Dad, and Ben. “Now, let’s go over our plan.”
I tuned them out as they started discussing what to do. I didn’t want to listen to them making plans that would harm someone I cared about. In fact, if there was a way to sneak off and meet up with Hunter alone right now, I might do it. But escape was impossible, not with my internal GPS telling every family member where I was at all times. If it only came with an on/off switch…but the person who knew how to do that died a long time ago.
At quarter to midnight, Dad squatted in front of me. “It’s time, Nika.” His face was both apologetic and determined. Regardless of my feelings on the matter, this was happening.
With a sniff, I stood up. Surprisingly, Julian stood with me. Dad immediately started shaking his head. “No, son, you stay here with the others.” It had already been decided that Alanna and Imogen would stay behind with Starla, Jacen, and all the humans, sans Ben. He was joining the hunting party of Mom, Dad, Gabriel, and Halina.
As Julian stood tall and proud, Arianna slowly raised herself to stand next to him. “I’m going, Dad. I’m not letting Nika do this alone.”
A faint smile lifted Dad’s lips, then it faded. “She won’t be alone. Your mom and I will be right there, along with the others. Nothing will happen to her, I promise.”
A level of determination filled Julian; it was stronger than any protective emotion I’d ever felt from him. “You’ll be in hiding while she’s exposed. I’m not going to let her be exposed all alone.” My brother looked over to me, fear and concern washing over him. “If you’re going to be in danger, I’m with you.” He held out his hand for me. “I’m with you to the end, Nick.”
A knot formed in my throat as I took his hand. “The very end, Julie.”
Julian looked back at Dad. “Besides, it won’t be odd to Hunter if Nika brings me along.” He shrugged. “We’re best friends.” Arianna let out a small sigh as she stared up at Julian. I couldn’t feel her emotions like I could feel my brother’s, but it was clear by the look in her eye that her crush on him had returned in force. If it had ever truly gone anywhere to begin with.
Dad seemed like he wanted to argue, Mom did too, but Halina stepped right in front of us. She appraised us with a calm, almost detached expression, but I knew that she loved us and worried about us, even if she didn’t express it as freely as our parents. Tilting her head toward Julian, she asked in Russian, “Can you handle being her first layer of protection? I won’t put you out there if you are not strong enough. We cannot risk you having a…moment.”
Julian swallowed. We all knew that a “moment” was really a panic attack. Given enough stress, Julian could freeze up. And if tonight went badly, and he froze up…he would be the one in the most amount of danger. But as surely as he would be protecting me tonight, I would be protecting him. And I knew he could do this with me by his side. We were stronger together.
I shoved as much of my encouragement into him as I could, and he stood a little taller. Unwaveringly, he answered Halina in her native tongue. “I’m ready. I will not fail her…or you.”
Halina smiled and responded to his statement in English. “Then you may go with Nika.”
Dad bit his lip, not happy. “Great-Gran, I don’t think—”
Halina merely looked over at him, but Dad immediately stopped talking. There was something in the power of her presence that made arguing with her pointless. Like it or not, she was the matriarch of our nest, and that generally meant that she had the final say over our lives.
Arianna looked unhappy as her eyes darted between Julian and me. “Just how dangerous is this?” she asked, fear for us evident in her expression.
Julian gave her an untroubled smile that I did my best to match. “We’ll be fine, Arianna,” I told her. “Hunter won’t hurt us.” And hopefully, none of us hurt him.
Lips set in a hard line, Arianna shook her head. “I don’t like this.” From the way Dad sighed, I could tell he agreed with her.
Grabbing her hand, Julian repeated my words of reassurance. “We’ll be fine…just fine.”
Turning to face Julian, she quietly said, “Please be careful.” Her heart was in her eyes as she locked gazes with my brother, and it took her a solid ten seconds to look over at me. “Both of you,” she said, extending one of her hands to me.
Taking her hand, I gently squeezed her fingers. I was so glad she was staying here at the motel with the others; I wasn’t sure exactly what might happen tonight, but I knew I didn’t want my friend in the middle of it. Julian was just as relieved as me that Arianna was staying behind, but as he kept holding her hand and staring into her eyes, his relief began shifting into something deeper. He was swirling with confusion over those feelings, but they were crystal clear to me. He cared about Arianna, and not just in a friendly way, and while he couldn’t quite see it yet, I thought maybe he was beginning to.
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Julian finally released Arianna. Walking over to Trey, he thumped his leg to wake him up. The dozing boy woke with a start. “What? What I’d miss?” Looking around with hazy eyes, he murmured, “Are we still at the motel?”
I rolled my eyes at Trey, and Julian let out a small laugh. “Yeah, for now. But Nika and I are leaving with some of the others.”
Trey sat up as our family started to rendezvous outside the motel rooms to say goodbye to those of us who were leaving. Listening to my mom say goodbye to Grandma Linda made my eyes sting. Standing, Trey clapped Julian’s shoulder. “Where we going?”
“You’re staying here with Arianna and the other humans,” I answered.
Trey frowned. “What’s with the species-ism?”
I pursed my lips, trying not to be annoyed. Sensing my mood, Julian interceded. Leaning in, he whispered, “Hey, man, I need you to stay and protect Arianna for me.” He paused, genuine concern filling him. “I need you to keep her safe for me. I’m counting on you.”
Trey beamed with his protection assignment. “You got it, man.” His expression clouded over as he glanced between my brother and me. “What are you guys doing though?”
Sighing, I pulled on his elbow. “I’ll fill you in outside.” I tilted my head at Julian and Arianna, hoping Trey would understand that I wanted to give them a moment alone to say goodbye. It took him a second, but eventually Trey got it. Nodding, he followed me out the door.
Once outside, I quickly got Trey up to speed, then hugged every family member who wasn’t coming with us. As I tearfully said goodbye to Grandpa Jack, the tender conversation between Julian and Arianna filtered out to me. I tried not to listen to them, but Julian’s emotions were so strong, they pulled me into the conversation.
“Are you really going to be okay?” Arianna asked, a tremor in her voice.
“Yeah, of course.” Quietly, Julian added, “I’ll worry about you though.”
“You will?”
Julian sighed, the sound full of caring. “Yeah, you’ll be in the corner of my mind the entire time I’m gone.” He paused, then added, “I’m so sorry you got dragged into this. I never wanted…”
“I know, Julian…but…I’m glad I know what you and Nika are.”
Julian’s spirits soared. “You’re...happy that you know?”
Arianna sighed. “Yeah, I mean, it explains a lot about why you’re…aloof. Why you sometimes seem unhappy. Why you look like you don’t think you belong. But, no matter what you are, you do belong, Julian. You fit. Even if you’re a…vampire, you fit.”
Julian was awed by her comment, and my heart lifted for him…for them. “Arianna…I…I don’t…”
Julian’s rising emotions boiled over, and I had to pause a moment while saying goodbye to Jacen. As I breathed through the intensity, Jacen asking me if I was all right, I heard a noise cutting through the night—the sound of two people exchanging sweet, soft kisses. Julian’s mood leveled off as he shared an intimate moment with Arianna. Smiling, I told Jacen, “I’m fine…everything’s fine.”
Mom and Dad glanced at the motel room where Julian and Arianna were kissing, but they didn’t interrupt the pair’s innocent pecks. Even with my abhorrence of what was about to happen tonight, I wished Julian and Arianna well. If my pig-headed brother had truly opened his eyes, maybe they could finally be together.
When they emerged from the room a moment later, Arianna’s eyes were bright, and Julian looked a little dazed. Halina smirked at him, but surprisingly didn’t comment. I hugged Arianna when she walked over to me. She giggled when we pulled apart, then her face turned serious. “You be careful, Nika.”
My nerves spiked. This was it. Either way, this was the last time I would ever see my boyfriend.
“I will. I’ll be perfectly safe.”
I hoped so, anyway.