Over Night

We’re only about ten minutes behind the ambulance. When we arrive at the hospital, Nathanial’s parents run up to me, concerned about the blood on my dress.

“My dear, are you okay? Did you get hurt?” Mrs. McCord frantically checks me for injuries.

“I’m fine. Nate protected me and kept me from getting hurt. I’m just a little shaken up and worried. Is he...is Nate going to be okay?” I ask, panicking a little.

“Your uncle says he has no internal injuries. Everything is superficial and just needs a few stitches and a little bit of blood through his IV because the knife nicked an artery.

It is a miracle he wasn’t hurt worse than that. Your uncle said you helped Nate by putting pressure on the wound,” she reassures me. “Thank you for saving our baby.”

she adds as she sheds a few tears.

“Miss, may I ask you a few questions?” requests a tall man in a police uniform. “My name is Officer Smith, and I’m here to investigate the attack,” he adds.

“Yes, of course. Anything you need, Officer,” I reply as I look to Elijah.

I follow the officer into a small room dedicated to interviews. Elijah follows, being that I am technically a minor and cannot be questioned without a guardian or lawyer present, and he is both. Elijah will observe as I recall the events of this evening for the officer, minus a few minor details.

“Okay, Miss Pierce. Can you explain to me what happened this evening?” Officer Smith pulls out a chair for me to sit in and walks to the other side of the table.

“We left the formal to go for a walk in the park, a man about fortyish, kind of scruffy looking, approached us from out of the bushes. He pressed the knife up to Nate, and Nate pushed me behind himself to protect me. Alexander and Mati had also come on the walk, but they were slightly behind us, and the man did not see them. When Alexander saw the man, he snuck around and came running from behind the man and grabbed him. This startled the man, so he stabbed Nate. The only thing I remember after that is Nate bleeding everywhere. I pressed my hands to his wound, like they teach us to in first aid class, until the ambulance came.”

“Do you know what happened with your brother and the man?”

“All I remember is seeing the two of them struggling with each other a little. I didn’t see a lot, because I was mostly focused on helping Nate.”

“Thank you, Miss Pierce. Could you please ask your brother to come in?” requests the officer.

“Yes sir.” I leave the room, and Elijah stays behind for Alexander’s interview.

Out in the waiting room, I tell Alexander it is his turn, even though he already knows that since he was listening in while I was interviewed. He hugs me and then turns and heads to the interview room. He is prepared to give the same story as I did; only he will add the part I could not remember. He will explain that he fought with the perpetrator in self-defense. He will tell the officer that when he arrived, he placed the man in a headlock with one arm twisted behind his back. During the struggle, the man stabbed Nate, and the two of them fought. The man tried to stab Alexander but then ran off into the woods. What Alexander will not admit is the fact that the attacker was a vampire and that he and Isaac destroyed him.

Ebony and Matt arrive at the hospital. They run up to me and hold me as I collapse in their arms. “Are you okay? What can we do to help?” she asks.

“Ebony, I almost lost him tonight. I can’t. I need him. I just found him.” I sob.

“Sophia, Nate is awake, and he wants to see you.” Mrs. McCord takes my hand and leads me to his room.

Entering his room, I see the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on, injured or not.

“There she is, my beautiful savior,” Nathanial says in a raspy, weak voice.

I rush to his side. “Shh. Save your energy. I will stay with you...uh, as long as I have your permission, Mrs. McCord?”

“Yes, of course, my dear, as long as your parents are alright with it. I know he is in good hands with you. We will be back first thing in the morning.” She winks.

The McCords hug and kiss their son goodnight. They say their goodbyes and hug me as they leave.

I can see that Isaac has various monitors and IVs hooked up to Nathanial. He needs to stay overnight for observation because of the blood transfusion, just to ensure a full recovery. He is extremely drowsy, drifting in and out of sleep, and I’m not leaving. I will stay by his side all night–forever if need be.

He opens his eyes for a moment. “Hey, sweetie. You are still here?”

“Where else would I possibly want to be?”

“I am so sorry.” He reaches for my hand.

“What on Earth are you apologizing for?” I question.

“I’m sorry for putting you through all of this torment and anguish. I’m sorry for ruining the winter dance.”

“You did not put me through anything. There was nothing you could have done. I am sorry you got hurt when Alexander came.” I lower my head, ashamed at the memory of craving his blood.

“I am fine, thanks to you. Please don’t worry that pretty little head of yours.” He pauses for a moment and then continues, “I am just so glad nothing happened to you. If you had gotten hurt or worse, I just...I would not be able to live with myself,” he said with pain in his voice.

“Really, you don’t ever have to worry about me. Nothing is ever going to happen to me,” I reassure him with more truth than he’d ever realize. I lean down and kiss him on the forehead and then wait for him to fall asleep again.

I sneak out to the waiting room so I can speak with my family. “What did the officer have to say?” I inquire.

“He didn’t say, but he is putting out an APB matching the man’s description, or at least that’s what he was thinking of doing. Obviously they’re never going to find him,”

Alexander confirms.

“So what happened? How did you destroy him?” I ask, wanting to make sure he will not return.

“When Isaac came, he grabbed a stick and staked the vampire in the heart. We decapitated him, and he self-combusted due to the stake. He is gone, no coming back. It was a difficult fight since he was so hungry. We will explain more later, but we think he could have been Cerberus.”

“Oh that is not good. We will have to talk about it later. You guys should all go home. We don’t need people getting suspicious. Isaac or Constance can stay with me and Nathanial,” I suggest, and everyone agrees.

Constance decides to stay the night as well, and we head back to Nathanial’s room.

He has enough medication in him that he should sleep through the night. Isaac is transferring care of Nathanial to Constance. With that dealt with, we settle in to the large recliner chairs situated in Nathanial’s room and begin a night of girl talk. I’m not sure if chairs like this are normally in the rooms, maybe Constance pulled some strings.

“Did you foresee what happened?” I question.

“Yes. I tried to call you but your phone was at home, so I called Alexander, but it was too late. It was after you left. I was putting things away in your room. That’s why he and Mati were close behind you and why he was listening to your thoughts,” she explains.

Constance usually needs to have some kind of connection to the person or situation in order to have a premonition. Touching my things must have given her the connection she needed.

“Is there anything else you should tell me? Anything I should know?”

“No, not yet at least, although I was surprised you chose to heal him instead of turning him. I know you love him,” Constance admits.

I am extremely surprised with that comment, and she has caught me off my guard, but I figure there is no point in hiding it or trying to lie. “I do. I have since that first moment I met him, since I bumped into him on that first day on my way to class. As much as I want to be with him, I can’t do that to him. It was extremely hard for me not to feed from him tonight. I have never been faced with such temptation before,” I am ashamed to admit.

“Love is more powerful than anything else in the world, but...”

“But what?” I ask, wondering why she is hesitating.

“Well, I do see him joining out family in the future,” Constance discloses.

I walk over to Nathanial, still sleeping peacefully. I lightly run my fingers through his truffle-brown hair. “I know we are soul mates, he is the other half of me. My life is finally complete, with him in it and Mati confirmed it, but I can’t. Why would I want to damn him to a never-ending existence like ours? When I think about the reasons behind it, they are all selfish. I just can’t turn the sweetest man I have ever known into a killer, a monster,” I argue.

“I do not know the details behind his change. I only know I see him as a member of our family,” Constance sighs and adds. “What is meant to be shall be, and we cannot always change it.”

Constance and I talk all night and she assures me that Nathanial’s pain is well managed and that his vital signs are good. It’s funny, because every time I touch him, his monitors indicate that his heart rate increases a little; it is becoming a joke to us.

When the nurses come in to check on him and speak with Constance, I pretend to be asleep. Constance takes a few moments to review hospital charts and records, make a few notes, and perform various hospital duties. Once the nurse leaves, we start talking again.

“Constance, I am just so torn! Nate is amazing. I could not ask for anything more from him. He has given me more than I could have ever hoped for, and because of him I have felt things I never expected. What on Earth am I supposed to do?” I plead.

“Enjoy him for as long as you can, but always know the option is there. Because he does not know any different, you can’t possibly know what he might want,” she reasons.

We agree to talk about some less stressful issues, and Constance starts to tell me how much she is enjoying her job at the hospital. “It is great here. Isaac and I fit right in, and the staff is very welcoming,” she explains.

“The whole town really is great. I hope we can stay here for a while,” I add.

I really believe the Wenham has a lot to offer us. The feeling of belonging I get from this town is really making me want to get to know the people better. If they can accept me, maybe I should try to accept them. I look over at Nathanial and begin to wonder if he will still accept me if he finds out what a monster I am. How did Caspian do it? How did he keep such a secret from someone he loved?

Constance and I reflect on the times when Caspian was around.

“It has been too long now, over thirty years. Maybe we should try to find him.

Maybe we should bring Caspian home,” I suggest.

“Isaac and I have thought the same thing. This might be something to talk to Elijah and Florence about.”

It has been a long time since Constance and I spent the whole night talking, and it is nice to fully open up and express my feelings about Nathanial. They all know how I feel. It just feels good to open up and admit it to myself as well.

***

Morning comes quickly and my Nathanial awakes.

“Good morning, sunshine,” I greet with a smile.

“Good morning, sweetie.” He smiles back and says, “I could get used to waking up to you.”

“Okay kids, I am still in the room!” Constance announces. She proceeds to give him a complete checkup. “One more day in here with the IV antibiotics, and then I can give you a prescription to take at home. Your stitches are looking good, and they can come out in a week. There should be no physical activity for six weeks, and do not lift anything over ten pounds,” Constance orders.

“No football?” He looks devastated.

“I’m afraid your season ends here, Nate. I’m sorry.” Constance hates giving people bad news.

Mr. and Mrs. McCord are back at nine o’clock sharp, and Mrs. McCord hugs me and thanks me again for taking care of him before she gives Nathanial a hug and kiss.

Nathanial repeats to his parents what Constance told him, and I fill in the parts he misses, ensuring they have all the instructions.

I say my goodbyes and excuse myself to go home and freshen up. “I will be back later.”

Constance had me dressed in hospital scrubs so I did not have to stay in her soiled dress all night long, but I need a shower and some real clothes.

***

At home, I clean myself up. I give Ebony a call to fill her in on everything that happened. I only saw her for a moment last night at the hospital. We speak for a short period of time and it is nice to have a friend to confide in. “How was your date with Matt?” I ask.

“It was nice...well, until we heard what happened. We were so concerned about you and Nate.”

I assure her that we are both alright and there is no need to worry. “I will call you again later. Thanks for being there for me.”

Chapter Twenty Four

Sighting

I decide to go downstairs and talk with my family about the events of last night.

“Sophia, I am glad you came down. Are you doing alright? You were amazing last night,” Florence commends.

“I am alright. It was very difficult though,” I admit.

“What you did, resisting your greatest temptation, proves how strong you are.

There are not many who could do that, Sophia,” Elijah praises.

I know what they are trying to say. I was able to resist him when temptation was the greatest, and that was a major milestone for me. I will most likely be able to resist feeding from him in the future. This is good, very good. It does not mean he is any less tempting, but now I have the true scent of him implanted in me and will not long for it as much.

“Well, Sophia, while you were away last night, we came to some revelations. I guess we should inform you of what we discovered,” Florence says as she guides me to a chair.

“I hope everything is okay. What did you learn?” I ask nervously.

“Well, we believe the vampire that attacked Nate last night was a member of the Cerberus cult. We spent the night tracking disappearances and unsolved murders throughout the northeastern states,” Elijah informs.

“What did you find? Have there been many?” I ask with concern.

“More than we would like. It appears as though they have risen from the wastes and are trying to live in the shadows. The problem is that they are hungry, ravenous for fresh, untainted blood,” he continues.

Thinking of the bonds I have made here, I ask, “So what do we need to do now? If one has already made his way to Wenham, others may follow. I will not allow anything to attack this town.”

“We agree, Sophia and will continue to work on it. For now, you worry about Nate,”

Isaac adds.

“So Danika, I have to ask, where were you when all this was happening? I don’t remember seeing you,” I begin to question. I can’t stop wondering who that guy is that I saw her with.

“I was enjoying my first winter formal. I had no clue any of you had even left until all the commotion started. By the time I got outside, everything had cleared up. I looked for you and could not find anyone. I overheard someone say you and Nate got attacked,” she defends.

“So that never clued in to you to check the hospital?” I become a little snarky.

“Seriously? Check the hospital for a vampire? Yeah, that was my first thought.” She says rolling her eyes before she continued. “I asked my date to bring me home. I figured you would all be here and that maybe Nate was embracing.”

“You thought I attacked Nate?” I scream as I jump up to get right in her face.

“No. I figured if he had been attacked, you would just embrace him. Try having a little more faith in me, Sophia–like I do in you.” Danika storms upstairs to her room and slams the door. I can’t tell if she is upset over my comment or the fact that I didn’t Embrace Nathanial.

Everyone just stands in the living room in total shock. Danika and I have never seen eye to eye, but we have never had it out like this in front of the entire family before. I sit back in my seat and try to calm down a little. I try to trust her, but my gut tells me different. Maybe now is as good a time as any to bring up Caspian.

“So, Constance and I were talking about Caspian while we were at the hospital, and we agreed that maybe we should contact him.” I slowly look around for my family’s reaction. I know this is a sore topic, but I have to express my feelings about the situation. I want my brother back, for he is the only one who can truly understand my current torment.

“We understand how you feel, Sophia. We want him to come home, too, but it is his choice,” Elijah insists.

“I mean no disrespect, but can we not offer a homecoming to him? Maybe he is afraid of what we think of him,” I argue.

“I will agree with you there, and I will do everything I can to reach him,” Elijah offers.

With that, I decide I will finish getting ready. Before heading back to my room, I pause and turn to my family. “Thank you for understanding. It means a lot to me.” I hug Elijah and Florence and leave the room.

***

When I walk through the door to my room, I fall on my bed and sob. Crying is not easy for a vampire to do, but the tears flow out of me so easily.

After a while, I collect myself, go to the washroom, and wash my face. I touch up my hair and makeup. I do not want anyone to know what I am really going through, so once I am presentable again, I begin to collect things to take back to the hospital for Nathanial.

I start to download some music and movies to my laptop for him, and there comes a knock at my door. “Come in!”

“Hey, Sophia. How are you holding up? I know this has been harder for you than you are letting the others know.” Alexander closes the door behind him.

“I can’t hide anything from you, so there is no point in trying.” I wrap my arms around my twin.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about Caspian. I was surprised when you brought him up today.” He sits on the end of my bed.

I sit next to him and ask, “Okay. Why do you want to talk to me about him?”

“I was just wondering if you remember seeing anything else last night.” Alexander nervously twiddles his thumbs.

“No. Once Nate was stabbed and bitten, all my attention was on him. Why? Did you see something else?” I ask.

“Yeah I did. When I was fighting the rogue vampire in the woods, I think I saw...no, I’m positive I saw Caspian,” he divulges.

“You know, I swear I have seen him watching us.”

“Yeah, I know. That is why I wanted to talk to you. The problem is, I couldn’t tell if he wanted to help me or the suspected Cerberus. I think we need to keep an eye out for him,” Alexander warns.

“Alexander, I was closest to Caspian, and I promise you he would never side with a vampire cult, though I do agree we should watch for him.”

“I don’t want to tell the others yet, not until we are sure,” he responds.

“Agreed. Let’s talk more later on. I need to get back to Nate.”

Chapter Twenty Five

Released

I believe enough time has passed, and it is now safe for me to return to the hospital.

I stop at the convenience store to pick up some snacks for Nathanial and drag out a little more time, so as to not arrive back so soon. I finally get back to the hospital, and it seems like I have been gone all day. As I walk in the room, I notice some of Nathanial’s friends from school are here.

Ben is there, and just like that day in photo shop, he insists on teasing us again.

“Sophia, look at what you are doing to our man here. He is completely head over heels for you. Dude, what happened last night? Did you forget how to play defense?” Ben jokes.

“Hey, bro, shut your pie hole. You’re embarrassing me.” Nathanial says, glaring at him.

We visit with them for a little while, and then Nathanial and I spend the remainder of the day and night watching the movies I downloaded earlier. His parents allow me to spend the night again. I have to wonder why they trust me so much, especially since I know I could end it all in an instant. It is nice, although trying to push away from him was no longer an issue because we are becoming closer that I have ever wanted, and there is no turning back now.

I can’t push him away anymore; instead I vow to protect not only him but his entire family. I will do anything for them. He is now the reason for my existence. I want the world for him, and I want him to experience everything I never could. This is my goal, regardless of what Constance said last night. I am determined to ensure that every single one of Nathanial’s dreams come true.

“Sweetie, what is it? Are you okay?” Nathanial sounds concerned.

“Sorry. I’m fine. I was just daydreaming about you.” I smile.

“I see. Well, I hope it is about our future, because I know you’re in all of my dreams.”

“It is about our future and all your goals. I want everything for you. My dream is to see all your dreams come true,” I add.

“Sophia, all of my dreams include you now, so as long as I have you in my life, my dreams have already come true,” Nathanial confesses.

For a guy everyone says, cares only about school and football, his priorities have sure changed. I don’t ever want him to change his dreams because of me. He is so sweet and caring, and he has no idea about me. Here I am beginning to doubt my decision to be with Nathanial again. I can’t turn back now. I love him too much. I will just have to keep him on the proper path and protect him in the process.

“I want nothing more than to have you in my life. I just don’t want you to give anything up for me. We haven’t known each other that long, and your feelings may change once we get to know one another better,” I suggest.

“Sophia that will never happen. I have never been interested in any girl until that day you ran me down in the hall,” he jokes. “But seriously, since the day we met, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head, not even for a second. You are the most amazing girl I have ever met.”

How can I argue with him? I understand exactly what he means, what he feels. I feel it as well. We’re soul mates, meant to be together. The only problem is that he doesn’t know why we have no future together.

With that thought, I decide to stop worrying so much and just enjoy spending time with Nathanial while I can. I crawl up on the hospital bed next to him and cuddle.

While the movie is good, we talk the whole time. We enjoy leaning as much about one another as possible.

Nathanial likes to tell me about his older brother Luke, who will be coming home this weekend for Christmas vacation. “I really look up to Luke. He worked really hard to get into Harvard. I hope I can make my parents just as proud,” Nathanial expresses.

“Nate, can’t you see that you mean everything to your parents and that they are already proud of you? They just want you to be happy. You put way too much pressure on yourself. You are so lucky to have a family that loves you for who you are,” I say with complete conviction.

“Sweetie, I’m sure your family feels the same about you. They want nothing more than for you to be happy. I just have not figured out why you fight it so much.”

“I do, Nate, but I also know what it is like to not be appreciated and accepted. You are so blessed to have such an amazing family. I hope you realize what you have.” I want him to understand, but I worry it is turning in to a lecture.

“I also know how lucky I am to have you,” he responds and seals it with a kiss.

Lucky to have me? I wonder if he would still feel that way if he knew the truth.

***

Nathanial gets discharged from the hospital today, Sunday morning. His parents are here and ready to take him home. I will go home and give his family some time together. I feel guilty for spending so much time with him. I am sure Mrs. McCord wanted to be with her son in his time of need. She was so gracious to allow me to be with him. As we are leaving and I say goodbye, I thank the McCords once again for allowing me to stay with Nate. I decide to offer my apologies for staying so much. His mother insists that she had to work anyway and was just happy to know he’s been in good hands. That’s a relief to me.

Luke is coming home from Harvard today. With his busy schedule he decided to live in the dorms on campus, coming home for Sunday dinners every chance he got. I thought it will be best if I stay away and allow his family to heal from the traumatic events of the weekend, so that’s exactly what I do.

Chapter Twenty Six

Learning

My family had plans to go skiing today, but those plans change when Constance had a vision that we should stay home. She does not always share her visions, but we trust her to do what is in the best interests of the family. We learned early on not to question her or her motives. She always tells us what we need to know. It is best this way, and Constance has never done us wrong, so we trust her completely.

Instead of skiing, Ms. Edwina and the girls join us at our place today to work on their power control. We are the perfect candidates for them to practice on. Between the eleven of us, the skills and powers in the house are almost unfathomable.

“So what exactly are your powers?” Eliza asks.

“I can heal, Alexander is telepathic, Constance has premonitions, Matilda sees souls, and Florence controls memories. That is only the beginning. Isaac can control the elements, and Elijah can borrow powers of those around him,” I respond.

“What about Danika?” questions Ebony.

“Funny you ask that, as we don’t know yet. We’re hoping we can find out with your help,” Alexander suggests.

Eliza smiles. “So who has the strongest power?”

“Elijah’s power is truly amazing. We try to keep it hidden, because this is a power many would love to possess. When one vampire kills another vampire, they acquire the power of the destroyed vampire, so it would be very dangerous for other vampires to learn of Elijah’s power. They would want to destroy him for it. He is remarkable, and he only absorbs power when doing so is necessary.” Florence beams with pride for her mate.

Now that we have disclosed our powers, we begin to discuss the powers of the witches. Ms. Edwina senses truth and lies, she has even acquired new powers of the years, but this is something we already knew. Ebony is telekinetic, so she can move things with her mind, as we saw at school. That leaves Eliza, and we have not yet seen what she can do.

“You must be wondering what I can do,” she says. “I know you have witnessed both Grams’ and Ebony’s powers.” Eliza raises her right hand.

We all look around to see what it is she can do, but we can’t figure it out. Then, one by one, we notice all three of our witch friends are in different places than they were when she first raised her hand.

“You can move people?” I assume.

“No. Rather, she can control time. She can freeze time, and once she learns to control it a little better, she will be able to slow time and travel through it as well,” Ms. Edwina explains.

“Why is it you were all in different places?” Danika inquires.

“Because her power does not affect Salem witches,” Ebony answers.

As we learn about each other’s powers, we also learn the major differences in our powers. Witches like Ebony and her sisters can learn new powers, and all the powers of their ancestors are somewhere within them. Vampires can only acquire new powers from the destruction of another vampire, except for what we bring in from our human lives, if anything–that is, with the exception of normal vampire powers such as super strength, speed, increased senses, and so on.

Elijah tries to explain a little more to our witch friends. “Because of the lifestyle my family and I have chosen, we rarely destroy another vampire unless they directly threaten us, like the other night. During the last Cerberus war, we fought, but we left the final destruction to others. We believe in the fight, but we have made a vow not to kill anyone, including the immortal. If we absolutely need to destroy a vampire, we will, when cases like protecting our own or those we are close to warrant such actions in our minds. In all our years, it rarely comes to that, and we are grateful.”

“Will Isaac or Alexander receive any powers for the one they destroyed the other night?” Ebony asks.

“Actually, it appears as though he did not have any extra powers to gain. Not all vampires have extra powers. The Cerberus cult creates just for gaining numbers, whereas most vampires that follow Renata law only create if they can improve the clan with the addition of one and their power,” Isaac explains.

“Renata law and Cerberus cult? Wow. There is a lot more to vampire history than I ever thought,” Eliza admits.

“Yes. It is quite complex, and we will explain more as time goes on, but for now, let’s work on your powers.” Elijah diverts attention, and we all get to work.

Elijah starts working with us to teach us power protection, how to protect our powers so others like him cannot use our powers. He also explains the great emotional sense he received when around Nathanial. He believes Nathanial has a gift to extract emotional information from others, but because Nathanial is mortal, he does not understand this or how to use it. It just makes him easy to talk to, and that is why I have such a hard time keeping things from him.

***

Everyone is having fun. Eliza’s having fun surprising most of us, although she is getting frustrated that she cannot surprise Alexander and Constance. Ebony is doing really well too; she has been practicing moving items away from those who possess them. This may come in handy for extracting weapons from others. We continue working hard like this for a few days, and I lose track of time.

Out of nowhere, the phone rings. Constance and Alexander both turn and look at me, a telltale sign that the phone is for me.

“Good afternoon. This is the Pierce residence,” I answer.

“Sophia, I have missed having you around the past few days. I think the doctor has called for my daily dose of beautiful,” Nathanial says excitedly.

“I missed seeing you too. I just didn’t want to intrude, with Luke coming home and you just getting home from the hospital a few days ago,” I explain.

“Sweetie, Luke can’t wait to meet the girl I won’t stop talking about,” he confesses.

“So would I. I could pick her up on my way over,” I joke.

“Don’t you be coy. You know you’re the only girl for me.”

“How are you feeling? Better, I hope.”

“Yes, much, thank you. I get my stitches out in just a few days. That will be nice because they are feeling very tight and itching.” He grumbles a little and asks, “So are you coming over?”

“If it is okay with your family, I could be there shortly,” I offer.

“Of course it is. They are so excited that I finally found a girl I am interested in. I think they were starting to wonder if I’m gay.” He chuckles.

“Sorry, but I refuse to share you with anyone, guy or girl.”

“No worries there. You are the only person for me. See you soon. Drive safe, though, because the roads are getting slick,” he cautions.

“I always do,” I reply, leaving out that with my reflexes, nothing could ever happen.

The only person for him? But I am not a person–at least not anymore. I am a Vampire a monster. But I do know what he means and cannot analyze his comment as I always do.

I really hate how analytical I am after so many years. You think I would learn let the chips fall where they may, but when it comes to this, I can’t. He believes I am human, and I want him to continue believing it. I just know I will lose him if he finds out the truth.

Chapter Twenty Seven

Predicament

The roads are pretty icy, but they are no match for my quick reflexes. I make it to Nathanial’s house in less than twenty minutes. I made myself presentable before leaving and took my time not to raise any questions regarding how fast I’ve arrived. It has been a few days since Nathanial got home from the hospital. I miss him and can’t stop thinking about him, but I kept busy. I’m excited to see him and don’t even have the chance to ring the doorbell, before he comes flying out the door to greet me. He gives me a big hug and then leans down to kiss me. One small peck, and then his soft lips began to move passionately with mine. It is amazing how every time we kiss, it sends electric shocks through my entire body.

I hear a man clear his throat near the doorway.

“Sorry to interrupt, little brother.” Luke taps Nathanial’s shoulder.

“Oh, sorry, man. Allow me to introduce you to the most beautiful woman in the world. This is Sophia. Sophia, this is my big brother Luke.” Nathanial introduces us while holding his arm around the small of my back.

“It is nice to finally meet you.” Luke greets me by extending his right hand out to shake mine.

“And you as well.” I shake his hand and smile.

He tries to pull me in to him and lift me to spin me around in excitement. For a short moment, I am surprised and resist, but then I realize what I am doing and release myself into his arms. I can see the puzzled looks on the brothers’ faces.

“You’re a tough one, aren’t you? My God! You are freezing. Nate, let’s get this poor girl in the house to warm up,” Luke insists.

“Sophia, we have missed you. It is wonderful to see you again. Please make yourself at home.” Mrs. McCord welcomes me with open arms.

“It is lovely to see you again. Thank you for having me over,” I reply.

“You will join us for dinner, won’t you?” With her striking wide eyes, she looks at me as she invites.

“Thank you. That would be nice.”

I’m glad to have my day crystal so I can eat human food without getting those awful stomach cramps and indigestion, a normal and very painful reaction for a vampire. I begin to realize just how thirsty I am, because I have not eaten much since Friday after Nathanial’s attack. I am going to have to watch myself and be very careful. I am sure Florence will have a nice blood meal ready when I return home. I got too caught up in training with the witches. I have only snacked a little. “May I help you with anything?”

I offer, as Florence has always made sure we keep our manners.

“No thank you. Please enjoy your time with the boys. I think Nate has missed you a little and I’m sure Luke would like to get to know you,” Mrs. McCord informs.

I am excited to get to know him as well. Luke means so much to Nathanial, and I cannot wait to get to know the man he idolizes so much. I am actually kinda nervous. I normally don’t care much for what others think of me, but tonight I care more than I could ever expect to.

Nathanial holds my hand and leads me to the family room, with Luke in tow. “Are you feeling okay?” Nathanial asks with concern.

“I am fine. Why do you ask?”

“You just seem a little pale, and your eyes are darker. Are you getting sick?”

“Probably just a lack of sleep and too much shopping.” I know that is not the real reason, but I cannot tell him the truth.

He gives me a little kiss on my cheek. “Promise me you will take care of yourself.”

“I promise.” I give him a little smile.

Luke begins telling us all about his classes at Harvard. “I am majoring in history.”

He starts explaining about the section on the Salem witch trials. He is particularly enjoying it because of how close to home it all happened. He decided to do a report on Sara Good, the woman from Wenham that was hanged in 1692 for being a witch and how she was wrongly convicted. We continue to discuss the topic for a while. Luke looks impressed by my knowledge of history.

“I did a little research when my family decided to move here,” I explain.

“Did you know the civilians of Salem tried to persecute even more women in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s?” Luke adds.

“I read a little about that.” I do not admit I was there.

He pulls out some of his textbooks. “You may enjoy this then.” Luke offers the book to me.

Nathanial quickly grabs one of the texts for a closer look. “What the…?” Nathanial gasps.

“What’s wrong?” Luke questions, and I await a response.

“This picture! The woman looks just like you!” He stares at the book in shock.

Luke takes the book for a better look. “Holy crap! She sure does.”

When I look at the picture, I am shocked. It is me, along with my family. I try to cover my surprise. “Wow, it sort of does. That’s so cool and a little creepy.” I say casually, trying to brush it off.

“How is it possible? I know this picture was taken after the witch trials, but it is still from the nineteenth century. Do you have ancestors who lived in Salem?” Luke questions.

“Uh...um...well, I’m really not sure. I don’t think so. The Pierce family adopted me years ago in Italy, which is where I was born,” I try to explain.

“Adopted you and your twin brother Alexander?” Nathanial asks with surprise.

“Yeah, that’s right. They came to Italy and found us, which is when Alexander and I became part of the Pierce family,” I confirm stiffly. I start to panic, knowing everything can come crashing down any minute now.

“That’s cool. Maybe I can help you find out about your birth relatives,” Luke offers.

“I don’t know. The Pierce family is the only one that matters to me now.” I try to detour him. I never expected this. Who would have expected when we saved Constance all those years ago that the picture of us, claiming her body would end up in a history book. I can only hope I explained it well enough. I need to change the subject. Maybe I should ask Luke about basketball or about Nathanial as a child. I need something to distract everyone. I pretend to flip through the remainder of the book.

Just then, a scream comes from the kitchen. I can already smell the blood. Mrs.

McCord cut herself, and Luke and Nathanial rush to her aide.

With my hand covering my mouth, I announce, “Sorry, but please excuse me. I can’t handle the blood after everything that happened on Friday night.”

I hurry outside to get some air. I feel the hunger taking over, burning inside of me, and I sense my eyes turning black. My head begins to spin and then pounds and I become dizzy. My throat and chest burn with hunger, and I know I need to calm myself. My jaw is aching, I can feel the teeth in my mouth enlarging and sharpening as my fangs start to protrude.

I look up and see Alexander there, ready to talk me down. I can still smell the blood.

It is the only thing I can smell. I am sometimes grateful Alexander likes to spy on me so much. He is just what I need, and he calms my insecurities easily. He holds my head, forcing me to stare him straight in his eyes as he connects our minds and slowly calms me.

Luke and Nathanial finish bandaging their mother, and Nathanial comes out to check on me. Alexander hurries off into the bushes so he won’t be seen. It is a close call, but because of his gift and our super hearing and speed, he is able to leave just as Nathanial reaches the door, assuring me he will stay close and connected.

As Nathanial steps outside, I glance up at him and become even calmer. He has such a powerful influence over me. I keep my head slightly lowered, as I do not want him to see my eyes, but through my peripheral vision I watch him walking over to me, his head slightly bent downwards, trying to see my face.

“Are you alright, sweetie?” Nathanial wraps a jacket over my shoulders and sits on the porch swing next to me.

“I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” I refuse to look him in the face, for I do not want him to see my eyes. “I guess I am more upset over your attack than I let on,” I try to explain. “You mean so much to me. I never want any harm to come to you,” I continue, waiting for him to stop me.

“I understand. I was so worried that the man would hurt you, and I wanted to keep you safe, but I got hurt, and that hurt you. I want to protect you forever,” he confesses.

“Nathanial, that is so sweet, but really I am okay. There is nothing to protect me from,” I insist.

“Even if it is just protecting you from pain, I feel things for you that I have never felt before, and I never want to see you hurt or sad. If there is anything at all I can do to make things easier or happier for you, I will.”

“I understand. I want to protect you as well, and that is something I have already failed at. You were hurt because I wanted to go for a walk.”

“Our attack was not your fault. We should be grateful. If it was anyone else, they would probably be dead. Alexander is very protective of you, and his spying on us is what saved us.”

I cannot disagree with him, because as he knows the story, that is all true. If any other student had gone out, they would probably be dead, killed by the rogue vampire.

I may not have protected Nathanial, but some other poor soul was saved that night, and I can be grateful for that. Nathanial is only okay because of me and my family.

“Sophia, you have brought out feelings in me that I never thought existed. Some of the things you told my brother tonight were new to me. I never knew you were adopted or born in Italy. My point is, I want you to feel comfortable enough to tell me anything.

I want to know everything about you, every inch of your being.”

“I never think about being adopted or from Italy. I have been in North America for what seems like forever. It is just a part of the past and is not important to me any longer. I want to tell you everything, but some things are just so difficult to explain,” I begin to confide a little.

“You can tell me anything. Nothing you say will ever change how I feel about you, and I will never leave you. I don’t know if I could live without you now that I found you.” He sighs and holds my hand gently. He lifts my chin with his finger to look into my eyes and continues. “I know we have so much more to learn about each other, and I want to know it all. I hope we can have a lifetime together to learn it, but why not start now?”

“I want to learn everything about you too.” I smile ever so softly, slightly turning up the corners of my mouth.

“Sophia, I know it has only been fourteen weeks since we first met, but I knew from that first moment that you were the one.” He takes a deep breath. “Sophia Pierce, I love you, and I always will. You have shown me what it means to live. Now I want you to share your life with me, and I want to share mine with you.” He looks so incredibly nervous and, the way his hair is blowing in the light breeze pulls at my heart, he is so vulnerable and doesn’t even know it.

Even though Matilda, Alexander, and Constance have all told me Nathanial and I belong together, this surprises me. I know how I feel, but I just never expected him to love me. I stand up, turn in front of him, and drop to my knees. He is completely still, not sure of what I am doing. I lean in toward him, resting my head on his chest over his heart. I listen to the rapid beating of it, a beautiful sound. All the hunger I felt has now left me and the only thing I feel now is love. “Nate...” I look up at him, running my fingers through his beautiful hair. “I am completely and utterly head-over-heels in love with you. I too, have loved you from the moment we met. You have shown me what love is and what it means to live with love. I have never met anyone like you, and I never thought I would. I did not believe I could ever deserve anyone like you, but now that I found you, I do not want to let you go.”

He places his hands on either side of my face. “We were made for each other, sweetie.” he says softly as he pulls me closer to him until our lips meet. They fit perfectly together, like two missing puzzle pieces.

Luke peaks his head out the door. “Hey there, lovebirds. Mom’s okay, but we are going to go out for dinner instead.”

Nathanial gets up and helps me up. He leads me inside. “Mom, Dad, I was wondering if the two of you would mind if Sophia and I just stay here? We can order some pizza and talk.”

“Not at all, son. Just mind your manners and be the gentleman we raised you to be,”

Mr. McCord answers. He then helps his wife with her coat and prepares to leave.

“Mrs. McCord?” I squeak.

“Yes, dear?”

“I hope you are okay. I am extremely sorry about my reaction to your injury,” I say, ashamed.

“No need to worry yourself. I am fine. Nothing a Band-aid couldn’t fix. I understand. I hope you are doing okay, and please know we are always here for you if you need to talk...or anything. You and Nate have both been through a lot this past week, and I am sure it will take a while to heal emotionally. I just want you to know we understand what you have gone through and that we are here for you.” The woman who–in any other life–might be my future mother-in-law hugs me before leaving for dinner.

Chapter Twenty Eight

Apprehension

As I gaze into Nathanial’s eyes, I let the air escape slowly from my mouth. “Your family is amazing. They care so much for you and only want happiness for you, like they have found with one another. It amazes me how completely accepting they are of me, without really knowing me,” I confess.

“I am very lucky. I do have a wonderful family, and now I have a wonderful girl as well. Nothing could ruin this. I have the perfect life.” He grins from ear to ear, showing off his perfectly straight white teeth.

Nathanial grabs us some sodas from the fridge, along with the pizza delivery menu.

We head to the family room and get comfortable on the sofa again. “I am glad we have some time alone. I think we have a lot to talk about now. I want to know everything about the woman I am in love with, and I have some questions I am hoping you will answer. I want to understand your past so I can better understand the present and future.” He lays out his intentions in a sweet and calming voice.

Then Alexander interrupts my thoughts. “Sophia, be careful. He is suspicious.

Florence’s memory implantation did not fully take. The picture he saw of our family...he will not let this go. I think you should tell him, but tread lightly I will be just outside if you need me. He does seem extremely calm and content, so I believe it will be okay.”

With Alexander’s warning, I begin to freak out inside. Something I just hours ago I hoped to keep from him forever is about to be revealed. How will he react? Will he be frightened by me? Repulsed? What am I going to do? How do I tell the man I love that I am a dangerous hunter that wanted to drink his blood, and that I am over a 130-years-old? Is he going to be disgusted by me?

“Calm down, Sophia! It will be okay.” Alexander’s calming thoughts enter my head.

“Your family is truly wonderful. I hope you know how lucky you are to have a family that cares so much,” I say, trying to avoid the inevitable and knowing full well I have said that before.

“I do. I just always worry that I cannot live up to their expectations. You also have a great family. They seem very caring, and I know I do not know them well, but Alexander is probably one of the best friends I have ever had,” he confides in me.

“They are wonderful. My family is a great support system. They never judge and always help when one member makes a mistake instead of turning it into a lecture opportunity like so many other families do. Well with the exception of Danika, I tend to be a little hard on her.”

I really want to ease into this, and I can tell Nathanial does not want to push me, though I can sense his growing anxiety and know that it will soon come out. I don’t want to lose him, but that is what will happen as soon as he finds out that I am nothing more than a monster. My family has just got settled here, and now we’re going to have to leave already.

Alexander speaks to me again. “Okay, seriously, sis. I told you it is going to be okay.

You need to calm down, even just a little. Do you want me to come in and get you?”

Because our minds are linked, I respond back, “I can’t help it. All I can think about is losing him and what happened to Caspian when he lost Ashley.”

“That was different. She had no idea what he was, what any of us are, and she died because she didn’t know the risks. It is better this way. Nate will be aware and can learn what to watch for.”

Alexander is right, but I can’t control my feelings. I have never been so terrified in all my years. I know it will be better if Nate knows the truth about me. It will be safer for him, and if he stays with me, at least he will be fully informed and it won’t be under false pretences. I try to mentally prepare myself, and it helps that Alexander is nearby.

Nathanial and I look over the takeout menu and ease into the conversation, both knowing it may be uncomfortable. He pulls a knitted afghan over us and just cuddles for a while as we chat. I know this can’t last forever, so I try to prepare for whatever might come next.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Freedom

I think I am ready for this. It is time to tell Nathanial everything. I am ready for what he is about to ask.

“Okay, Sophia. I want you to know. I am in love with you, and nothing can change that! But I do know there are things you are hiding from me. I want complete honesty,”

he requests.

It takes every ounce of strength I have to not get up and run, but Nathanial calms me. He holds my hand and I instantly feel the peace he puts over me. “Yes, there are things I have been hiding from you, and for that I apologize. It is just that these are not only my secrets, but my family’s secrets, and I have never shared them with anyone–at least not without my family.” I take a deep breath, not knowing if I can continue.

Nathanial opens his brother’s history book to the picture of me. “I know this is you somehow. I would know you anywhere, and I feel it. Plus, I recognize your entire family. I just do not understand how it is possible. Your family has not aged a day since this photograph was taken.” He sighs and adds, “Since the attack, I have had two different memories. One is just like we told everyone, but when I dream about it, I see it differently. I see Alexander moving at unbelievable speeds and you healing me. My injuries were much worse than they are now. I remember feeling my body repairing itself, from the inside out. I have seen your eyes change color before. They go from the most beautiful green to jet black whenever you are around blood. You always seemed chilled, and you are pale most of the time. I have noticed your incredible strength, and you are so much more educated than anyone I know, especially in history. I know you are different, but I just do not understand how any of this is possible.”

“Okay. I will explain everything. I only hope what I tell you will not change your feelings for me, because you mean the world to me. I also need you to promise that you will keep my family’s secret, whether you decided to stay with me or not.”

“I not only promise to keep your secret, but also that I will always love you, and nothing will ever change that,” he tries to reassure me.

“This is not easy for me to explain. I really have never shared this with anyone before.”

“I understand. Just take your time,” he says peacefully.

So I take another deep breath and begin my explanation. Here I go, I tell myself and Alexander. “You are right. That is my family in the picture you saw. We saved Matilda from the persecution of witches in the late 1800’s.” I pause momentarily. “I was born in Italy in 1876. I was attacked in the streets one night by a vampire.” I try to read his reaction, but I am more scared than I have ever been in my afterlife, and I can’t tell what he is thinking, so I decide to continue. “Alexander was also out that night, headed to our family home. He found me and tried to save me, but the same vampire attacked him. Elijah, Florence, Isaac, and Constance found us. They were vampires that followed the six traditions. They decided to save us by giving us a few drops of their blood, and we began to make the transformation. They taught us how to live as vampires and to feed off animals and not cause harm to mortals when we feed from them. It is not as satisfying to drink only animal blood, but it keeps us strong enough. That is why we tried to safely supplement with human blood. We have all killed a human by drinking too much blood before, but it has been many years ago. My family has morals, and we find it more difficult to kill a human than most vampires. My family has found a new way to feed now, and that includes a mixture of animal and donated human blood.” I sigh, “Well that is a quick basic explanation of my family.” I notice the blood flush out of his cheeks, and his skin turns pale.

“Okay, so you and your family are vampires? Um, that is not quite what I expected to hear; honestly I’m not really sure what I expected. Are there other vampires out there?” he asks.

“Yes. They are all over the world, and not many choose to live the way we do. I also had another brother named Caspian, but things went bad for him, and he left, disappearing into the shadows,” I explain, wondering what he will do with this information.

“I think I can be okay with it. I’m not afraid of you or your family. I know you won’t hurt me, or at least I don’t think you would hurt me...or should I be scared? I knew it was something. I just didn’t know what,” he admits with a hint of panic that he tries to conceal from me.

“No. You do not need to fear anyone in my family. You should just because of what we are, but we will never harm you, Nathanial. Quite the opposite, actually we want to protect you.”

“So how is it you live normally? What about all that burning or sparkling in the sun or whatever?” he asks with a half laugh.

“Sparkling vampires? That’s just for the movies. Burning is real, though, but my family has these things called day crystals–a magickal black diamond. A powerful witch placed a spell on them to help us live more like mortals. With the power of this crystal, we can eat human food, go out in the sun, look more mortal, and it helps us control our cravings.” I show him my necklace. “As I mentioned, the necklace I wear is special. We all have some kind of jewelry with this special and rare gemstone in it.

Matilda has a bracelet, Florence a broach, and Constance has earrings. Even the men have something. Alexander has a watch, Elijah a pair of cufflinks, and Isaac has a tie clip. Caspian had a ring that he gave back to us when he left. Once Danika was ready, Elijah lent her the ring. See, she is new to our family. Constance found her about eighteen months ago. We recently got her a day crystal of her own. There are others in the world that have the gem and those who don’t have it want it. Without this little black gem, things would be a whole lot different for my family.”

At this point, I am becoming concerned about his lack of reaction. He seems to be processing the information I just shared with him. He appears to be slightly concerned and maybe even a little disbelieving.

“Okay, so vampires are real, but so are witches?” he questions.

“Yes, and so much more, but I hope I can explain all that later. There is so much to learn, but I hope we have lots of time for explaining.” I become wishful. “Please promise me, no matter what you decide about me from this point on, that you will not tell anyone–not even your family,” I beg.

And then he leans over and kisses me. “Thank you for being so honest with me. I understand how hard it must have been for you.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “How are you doing with all this? It is kinda a lot to take in.”

“Strangely enough, I am okay. I want to know it all, and I want you in my life. I told you nothing will ever change my feelings for you, and I meant it,” he reassures me.

I cannot believe it was that easy. He just accepts me for who I am. I don’t see one judgmental look coming from him–only love. How is it that even now, after he knows what I am, he still loves me? How can he love a killer? Nathanial is even more incredible than I ever imagined. How did I get so lucky? Then I remember something that can end it all over again.

“There is one problem. Because my family does not age, we have to move around a lot. We can only stay in one place for a few years, a decade at most.” I lower my head and add, “I want to keep you in my life and I just do not see how it is possible. Worst of all, you could get hurt. The only thing that kept me from feeding on you when you were bleeding in my arms was the fact that I love you so much.” I lift my head and look at him with complete shame.

“It is okay, sweetie, I know you will not hurt me, and I trust you completely.” He kisses my hand that he continues to hold tightly. “And you can trust me with your secret,” he confirms. “Can you tell me about your other brother, Caspian was it? What went so wrong with him?” Nathanial asks.

“Well, that is a tough one to explain. Caspian has been gone for many years now. It is really hard for all of us, so we don’t talk about it or him much. We lived in northern Canada at the time, and Caspian was a college student. He was eternally twenty-two years old, but he had been around since the seventeenth century. When Caspian met my family, he had grown tired of his ways, he wanted to find a new way to survive,” I begin to explain. “My family agreed to take him in and teach him how to survive without causing harm to humans. He was doing great. He got a day crystal just like the rest of us and began going to school, and sometimes he would work like a normal member of society. Caspian wrote for the college paper and was enjoying his new life.

Then he met Ashley, and they fell madly in love. She was mortal, and he kept our secret from her. Caspian found it very difficult, because he loved her so much, but he had a difficult time resisting her,” I continued.

“Okay, so it’s similar to us. The thing is, he did not confide in her like you just confided in me,” Nathanial observes.

“Yes, and that is what concerns me. One night, Caspian and Ashley became intimate, and this is where problems arose. Caspian did not realize what his reaction would be. He had been intimate before, but always with another vampire who could handle his strength and not get injured. While they made love her heart started to pound harder and faster, and her scent became stronger. He could not handle it and became rough with her. He was biting, her tasting her blood, and in the end, he accidentally killed her.” I bow my head, hoping I will never go through what Caspian did. “It was only recently my family share the entire story with me.”

“What happened next?” Nathanial asks.

“Caspian could not deal with what he had done. He was so ashamed and could not face the family. He decided to leave. We have not seen him since. I sometimes think I see him keeping an eye on us, but he never approaches any of us.” I sigh.

“I can tell you miss him.” Nathanial pulls me closer.

“I do, but most of all, I am scared that I could do the same to you,” I admit.

“Sophia, I am not concerned. You need to give yourself more credit. If you were going to harm me, the night of the attack would have been your chance. I was bleeding all over the place. You resisted my blood when it was spilling out all around you. I just wonder why you didn’t just turn me. Then you would not have to worry. You can do that, right? Turn me in to a vampire?” he questions.

“I easily could have, but it would have been completely selfish. You have a great life and family that loves you. I would never want to take any of that away from you or your family. And yes, I did resist your blood that night, but it was not without temptation. My love for you just happened to win out over my hunger for your blood,”

I say with brutal honesty. Am I trying to scare him away?

“See. Right there you proved that you are stronger than Caspian was. You made the choice to save me rather than kill me, and for that I thank you. How could I not trust you? If you can resist while faced with such a temptation, you can do anything,” he encourages.

“Nate, I just don’t know if you fully understand. Your blood, your scent is so amazing. You appeal to me more than anything. Have you heard of pheromones?

Cause that is kinda what is happening here, each person emits their own personal fragrance and as a vampire I am more sensitive to this. You are everything I want and need all wrapped up in a perfect body.” I guess part of me hopes he will reject me so that he will be safe forever.

***

Over the next few hours, we talk about my family and some of the things we have been through. We don’t get through everything, as that will take a century. I do cover the basics and answer any questions he has. He holds me with such love and admiration.

“How can you love someone like me? I have been damned. I have killed people before, and all the remorse I have can never change that. It is part of me. It is my nature to kill,” I say.

“Because I love you more than life itself, and you can’t choose who you love,” he explains. “All the rest, we will figure out. We will be together forever,” he insists.

It is extremely freeing to open up to Nathanial, and I feel so relaxed by it. He turns on the television. There is not much on tonight, so we just snuggle together. He eats the pizza we ordered, and for once, I do not feel obligated to eat for the sake of appearances. His family arrives home shortly after, greeting us and asking how our evening has been.

After all the formalities, I say my goodbyes.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” Nathanial asks with a grin.

“Would you like to come to my place? I know my family would love to see you again,” I say. Nathanial looks for his mother’s approval, and she nods her head.

“I would love to. What time?” he answers excitedly.

“How about I come pick you up around eleven o’clock?” I suggest.

“Perfect.”

Nathanial wraps his arms around me in a loving embrace. I tuck my arms in around his waist. He lifts my head again and gently gives me a kiss goodnight. I can see his mom’s approving smile. He then walks me to my car, opens my door, and leans down for one more little kiss. I watch as he walks back up to the house. He turns and waves before he closes the door. I fling my head back and let out a huge sigh. I do not deserve this man. He is too good for me. I relish in the fact that after so many years, I have now found something, someone worth living for.

Chapter Thirty

Distress

Alexander hops over the seat; he was hiding in the back. “That went very well.” he cheers.

“Yeah, he handled it very well. I don’t think it could have gone any better,” I reply happily.

We both sit back to listen to the conversation going on inside the McCord house. I decide to drive away a little to stay out of sight. Our super hearing allows us to hone in on a conversation up to a mile away, more if we try and the conditions are right. We just want to make sure Nathanial was honest with me and will keep the secret. We are able to tune out the noise from the surrounding houses and zero in on the McCords. We can hear the family’s approving words. Although they caution Nathanial to take things slowly, he has never been in love before. Nathanial admits he is indeed in love with me and tells them it was love at first sight. He also says he knows he wants to spend his life with me. In that moment, his parents seem to understand, as they to fell in love at first sight over twenty years ago and still remain happy today.

I can trust him with everything. He did not even hint to his family that anything is different. I realize that in his mind, the new information will not change anything. This makes me so happy, until I remember that we don’t have forever. Nathanial is going to go to college, grow old, and die. I am never going to change, never going to grow old.

How can we stay together?

“Let’s go home, Alexander. I’ve heard enough.” My heart is breaking because he loves me and I love him, but it will never work out. It is like a battle raging between my head and my heart.

***

I drive faster than normal and when we arrive, the whole family is waiting.

“What is it, dear?” Florence asks.

“I can’t do this. I just can’t. I love him too much.” I sigh.

“Can’t do what? Was it too hard being there at his family’s home? Did something happen?” Florence’s concern is growing, and I can see the distress in her face. Do they all think I did something?

“No, nothing that hurt anyone or that was dangerous,” I confirm.

“So what happened? What has got you so upset?” she asks in a motherly tone.

“Florence he told me he has two memories of the night he was attacked. When he dreams, he sees the real memory. Why didn’t your implantation work fully?”

“I am not sure. Maybe it was because he was meant to know the truth,” she defends.

“Sophia, it is meant to be. I can’t give you all the details yet, but he will one day be a part of our family,” Constance insists once again.

“No! I don’t want this for him. Being around him is too dangerous not just for him but also for his entire family. His mother cut herself tonight, and since I have not fed in days, it took everything in me not to attack her. I had to leave the house for a bit. I became extremely agitated and upset because I am thirsty. He knows everything now.

He saw a picture of our family from when we saved Constance. I told him, and he does not care. He said he loves me and nothing can change that,” I explain.

“Sophia, the two of you are soul mates. You and Nate belong together like no two souls I have ever seen before. You need to accept it, or both of you will be miserable,”

Matilda encourages.

“I just need some time to think, but most of all, I need to eat.”

“I have dinner almost ready. Why don’t you set the table for us, Danika? Everyone else can get cleaned up for dinner,” Florence suggests. “You will feel much better after you have fed,” she reassures.

After a delicious dinner, we all enjoy some lovely blood sherbet, and I admit I do feel better now. I explain that Nathanial is coming to the house tomorrow. I have a great family, and they are very concerned about me and are trying to make me feel better.

“Who is up for a race?” Isaac challenges.

We all jump up from the table and head for the door, already starting to run. Isaac always wins because he is the fastest, but Alexander is sneaky, reading our thoughts and ruining our technique. He is able to get ahead of Isaac and trip him up. The two of them fall to the ground and begin to wrestle a little. This gives the rest of us a chance to get ahead of them. We all stop at the same instant when we hear something beyond the trees: a couple of wolves. We are all surprised, as wolves have been extinct in the area for many years.

Alexander links us telepathically. “There is something different about these wolves.

I think it is best if we return home,” he informs us.

“You are right, Alexander. I see their souls differently than most animals,” Matilda agrees.

“What do you mean you see their souls differently?” I question.

“Well, under most circumstances I don’t see a soul on an animal; it is more like an aura. These wolves though are giving me much more of a human feel to them; I see the good in them. I can’t explain it.”

“It’s the same for me, I normally don’t hear animal thoughts, but I’m picking up some kind of gibberish from them. As if they are part human.”

“I wonder if Ebony knows anything, we should mention it to her later and try to figure out what is up with these animals.”

On that note, we all turn and leave the wolves in peace to return to our own dwelling.

***

I am feeling much better. The fact is, I cannot continue on without Nathanial. I do not have the strength to stay away. I will just enjoy him and the love we share and go from there. What is meant to be will be, as long as he remains safe. I finally succumb to the full weight of my feelings. Nathanial means everything to me, and there is no hiding it. His family is just as amazing. I always wanted to be a part of something so normal and special. My family is great, but they are all I have, and after so many years, I think it may be time for more.

When I was mortal, the family I had expected too much from me. I was expected to save our family name and honor. It was too big a burden for such a young girl.

Growing up back in Italy, I was raised knowing it was my responsibility to keep the family. I recall how my birth mother would explain my duties to me. I was expected to marry a wealthy and powerful man that would increase our royal stature. I was the firstborn daughter to the Suvanto family in over ten generations.

I remember back to the 1800’s when I was alive, only a woman who married a royal improved the family’s worth. Our family had been stuck at the same level forever. I was the one to improve that and bring more money to the family. I was to marry up the social ladder and reproduce for the royal family. Once I was married to someone of proper standing and I produced a male heir to become king, my family’s standing in society would have been solidified. I sometimes feel as though the vampire that attacked me actually saved me because he led me to the Pierce family, my afterlife family. I am grateful to them for saving me from a tragic life. All I ever wanted was love, and finally, after over a century, I have found it, and I am not about to let it go. My mind is finally made up, and I will fight for Nathanial.

***

My family and I thought now would be good time to tidy the house. It is nearly immaculate, but Florence insists we maintain a proper and presentable home at all times.

“Our home is the one true thing we have in our existence that we can be proud of.

We never know when someone may stop by to say hello.”

“Yes, Mother. We know,” everyone grumbles at the same time.

While cleaning, we put the local radio station on, crank up the volume, and dance around our beautiful home. After so many years, we have a pretty good system and get it done in no time flat, even without using our super speed. We all enjoy the perks of being a vampire, if you can call them perks, but we enjoy being as normal as possible even more.

Our time together is enjoyable, and now that it is winter break, we have all kinds of plans to explore the area and learn even more about this little town we are beginning to call home. It has been a very interesting day, and the events have taken a toll on me.

“Where is Danika? I don’t recall seeing her since we returned from the forest,” I make known, thinking that like a normal teen, she is hiding in her room avoiding chores.

Isaac runs up to her room and back down again. “She is not there,” he says with concern.

We do a quick search of the house, but she is nowhere to be found.

“My Lord! I hope she did not get caught up with those wolves. We better find her,”

Florence says with a slight hint of fear in her voice.

“You stay here, Florence, in case she returns. The rest of us will go look for her,”

Elijah suggests.

We all set out to look for Danika, running at top speed and tuning in to all the sounds we can find.

Chapter Thirty One

Caspian’s Watchful Eye

December 22,

My formal family has been keeping me busy the past few days. I worry about Sophia, the girl I once called a sister. I can only hope her relationship with that boy–Nathanial–does not end like mine and Ashley’s did. I almost blew my cover the night of his attack. If Isaac had not shown up when he did, I would have been forced to help Alexander defeat the rogue Cerberus. I continue to log my mission in my journal. It was difficult to stand back and watch Sophia and her mate get attacked by the Cerberus. I wanted to warn her that he was in the area and that there are more heading their way. I sense them.

My ability to sense others of supernatural force would be very helpful to my family in the coming weeks and months. Constance’s gift of premonitions will help as well, but only if she has contact with something or someone involved. She has no control over what she sees. Another problem I have learned is that the leader of the Cerberus cult has the ability to block mental abilities of others. This is something he can use to his advantage, and he may have blocked all mental abilities in the area. There is no way of knowing.

When I left my family thirty years ago, I swore I would protect them and I have succeeded–at least until now. I am helpless when it comes to Sophia’s dealings with this mortal, although she has always been emotionally stronger than I was back when I was with Ashley. I still worry about her. I need to trust that the family learned from my mistakes. I felt a slight moment of relief when I was watching Sophia tonight. Nathanial is now aware of what Sophia and the family is, and this alone protects all of them. I should have been honest with Ashley, but I cannot concern myself with that at the moment.

It is the new vampire Danika, I must worry about. She is trouble and quickly headed down the wrong path. I will do everything in my power to keep my former family safe, even if it means destroying their newest member. I have been watching the Cerberus approach her, attempting to draw her to them. It is difficult to watch, as I know her actions will affect the family I care about.

I fight the urge to shake some sense into that young head of hers. I have no other choice but to join the cult undercover. I can’t go back to my family, not after what I did, they deserve better than me and I still must atone for my mistakes. Leaving them was the greatest punishment I could ever receive. Now I must remain at a distance if I want to help them. They almost have her convinced to join them, to live as a vampire was created to live. I have watched as they taunt her with the feel of a fresh kill and the taste of blood as it pumps warm and juicy right out of its artery. They are after my family, and she is leading them directly to them. My family? I guess they always will be.

I need to be more careful. I have become sloppy and am sure a few members have seen me creeping around recently. They must not know I am here. I will go to the underground vampire club and offer myself. This will give me insider knowledge and keep me away from the family.

Tomorrow I, Caspian Pierce, will become a member of the Cerberus cult in order to protect the ones that once protected me.

I finish my journal log for the night and place it in the safe in my hotel room. I have heard about Club VC before. There is one is Boston, and this is where I will find the Cerberus. I remember when I made some vampire friends up north, they used to party there. I recall their explanations about Club VC and what I overheard from the cult members. VC is an underground vampire club, run by the Cerberus cult. I recall it being compared to Studio 54 from the early 1970’s. Humans have been persuaded to work there. From my understanding, the cult searches for humans that are lost, runaways and the homeless, and then they use the power of compulsion to have them agree to become living blood banks. I will need to see the extent of this myself, so I try to find something funky to wear tonight. Locking up, I decide to take a quick pass through the woods by the house occupied by those I am trying to protect.

I watch from high in a tree as they all run by. In the distance, I can see two wolves. I thought they were extinct in the area, yet I get a supernatural feeling from them. That gives me one more thing for me to look into. The family stops and turns around to head back home. Some things never change, for Isaac is still in the lead. I notice Danika is a fair bit slower than the rest. As I watch her, the alarms within me begin to go off. I search the woods, sensing the Cerberus nearing. As I prepare to warn my family, I notice Danika winding off the path. I quietly follow her to where she meets the same vampire she has been talking to at school. I still need to figure out how is he able to survive in the sun, without a day crystal. Thanks to technology these days, I have equipment set up all over so I can watch my family during the day on my computer.

I watch the vampire pressure Danika: “You told us you would come and party with us after your formal.”

“I know, but my sister’s boyfriend was attacked that night by some cult member,”

she naively replies, not knowing he is a member of the cult and is all too aware of the attack.

“That is horrible. Why don’t you come tonight?” he tempts in a snarky tone.

“I will soon, but my family has lots of holiday plans. Soon. I promise.”

I make note of the sincerity of her voice.

I am realizing she really is not aware of whom she is getting involved with. I sense the family heading back to the area. They must have noticed her missing. The cult vampire takes off quickly.

“There you are, Danika. We have been worried about you. What happened?”

Constance asks as she approaches.

“Sorry. I was just exploring the woods a little. I thought I was close enough to home that the wolves would not come near,” she answers, trying to hide her plans.

“You can’t be out here like this by yourself. You are not skilled enough if another vampire attacks, and we know they are around now,” Elijah reasons.

“Sorry. I was not thinking. I will be more careful from now on.”

The family heads back to the house, and I move on my way to Boston. I need to offer myself to the cult at the club. It is the best way to protect my family.

Chapter Thirty Two

Relief

“I am so glad you are alright, Danika. Don’t you ever do that to us again, young lady!” Florence throws her arms around our youngest member.

“I’m so sorry, Mother Florence. I was not thinking straight,” Danika says with remorse.

Walking toward Danika, I open up, “I know you are new to this family, but we care about our members very much. I am sorry for always being so hard on you. I am just taking my fears out on you. I’m sorry I was so mad at you tonight. I am going to try to let go of the anger and show you I care.”

“Thank you, Sophia. That means so much coming from you. I will try to make you proud.”

I notice her bite her lip at the end of that sentence. I have to wonder if that is earnestness or guilt. It doesn’t matter, as long as she understands that the family was worried about her.

Everyone takes their turns informing Danika of how we feel about her and what our family means to each of us. She sits in front of each of us, and I can see her pain. She has only been a vampire for about a year and a half now, and in this time a new vampire goes through all the emotions of a person diagnosed with a terminal disease. Being that she is also a teenager, she is bound to act like one.

Florence brings in some blood tea infused with a little rum. “We had a little scare tonight, and I think a little relaxation is in order. Everyone needs to let go of these emotions we are having.”

“Each and every one of us is so lucky to have you in our existence, Florence. Thank you for everything you do.” Elijah leans in and kisses his wife.

We nod in agreement and enjoy our tea.

“I think it is time we turn in for a little rest,” Florence encourages.

***

I decide to go upstairs and clean up a bit. I take a shower and get into my most comfortable pajamas. I turn on my stereo and lie down on the bed, trying to relax and enjoy the music. It is classical tonight. I do not need much sleep, but tonight I am mentally exhausted. As I lie there in bed, I begin to picture the music, the notes dancing across the bars. It is beautiful to imagine the music coming alive like this. Music is an amazing thing, from the first note to the final melody. Until I met Nathanial, the arts were my one true passion. It has always been consistent and has always been there for me to turn to. I slowly relax and enter a deep meditative state, drifting off to sleep with the hope of seeing Nathanial in my dreams.

“Nathanial, NO! Please! I beg you...don’t ever be like us. I want you to experience everything I never could,” I plead.

“I want to be with you forever, Sophia, and this is the only way. I will find someone to turn me. We will be happy and will always have each other,” he argues.

“I will leave before I ever let you be Embraced,” I threaten.

“I will never let anything tear us apart, my love. I will love you forever and always. Even if you leave, I will find a way to Embrace and walk the Earth searching for you. This is what I want and nothing more. How could I ever miss out on anything if I have you?”

“How can you do this to your family? To lose you would destroy your mother.”

“My family would understand and support my choice.”

I awake and sit up in bed, wondering if what I just dreamt could possibly happen. I do not want this for him. Being a vampire has it perks, but it is treacherous never growing or changing, cursed to walk the Earth forever. He won’t do it. Nathanial would never do that to his family. I calm myself from the dream and drift back to sleep. As fast as I fall back asleep, the dream is forgotten.

Chapter Thirty Three

Welcoming

I go to pick up Nathanial at eleven o’clock, just as planned. He gets in the car giving me that wonderful grin I love so much. I’m nervous. It is just like the first time I met him, waiting for him to speak.

“I had some time to think about things last night.”

My heart plunges into my gut as I wait for him to continue.

“And I want you to know that no matter what, I am still completely in love with you, I know it will all work out the way it is meant to be,” he reassures me and leans in for a kiss. “Now I want you to teach me and show me everything,” he says eagerly.

“Just remember...you asked for it.” I say with an evil little grin. I hammer down on the accelerator of my Porsche Cayenne. “Buckle up, buttercup.” I laugh.

We arrive at my house in no more than a minute or two.

“Holy crap! That was faster than Mario Andretti,” he chokes out with a little shock in his voice.

I remind him that he asked for it. “Well, lesson one, I have superior reflexes and have been driving since cars were made.” I smirk. “And you are right. That was faster than Mario Andretti. I could smoke his butt any day.”

We get out of the car sharing a little giggle. Even though I am in the driver’s seat, he still walks around to open my door for me.

“This is not a house. It’s a freaking hotel.” he gasps.

“It was actually a bed-and-breakfast years ago,” I explain.

The acreage we live on is perfectly manicured, the drive is cleared of all snow, and the frosted trees glisten in the sun. The driveway circles around a fountain that is situated in the middle of a grassed area. Off to the right is a large attached garage that would make Jay Leno jealous. I park in front of the main steps that lead to the front door. We begin to walk up the marble stairs that lead to a beautiful wrap around veranda with marble roman pillars holding the roof above.

When we enter through the large French doors, my family is waiting to welcome Nathanial. Each member of the family lines the grand staircase at the back of the large front foyer. There are two sets of stairs, each in the shape of a semi-circle leading to the second floor. The décor has been collected throughout our years of travel, and the furniture has a contemporary feel.

“Your home is breathtaking. I could have never imagined anything so amazing,”

Nathanial compliments. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home.”

“Nate, it is great to finally have you here.” Alexander greets him with a handshake.

Matilda comes down next. “Looking good. I trust you are feeling better?”

“Much, thank you.” He smiles.

“Nate, I would like to formally introduce you to my Aunt Constance and Uncle Isaac, the doctors that cared for you,” I announce.

“We met playing pool before the winter formal,” Nathanial reminds me.

“Oh, that’s right. I can’t believe I forgot I guess I have had so much on my mind.”

“Nate, it is a pleasure to see you under better circumstances,” Isaac says.

“Thank you for stitching me up. I just wish Sophia could have healed it completely.

Now I am going to miss Christmas day scrimmage with my brother,” he jokes.

“And last are my mother and father figures, Florence and Elijah. I guess you also met Elijah at the pool hall, but I don’t believe you met Florence formally.”

“Welcome, Nate. Our home is your home.” Florence gives him a hug.

“You better take care of yourself. I don’t think our girl could handle if anything else happened to you,” Elijah says, shaking Nathanial’s hand.

He smiles and says, “Thank you so much. It is an honor to spend the day with the family that brought Sophia to me. I am forever indebted to you.”

“Well, why don’t we go and relax in the family room? The girls have prepared some refreshments and baked some blueberry scones. They did very well, if I may say so myself,” Elijah announces.

“Thank you. That sounds wonderful, but you really did not need to go to any trouble for me. I am just happy to be here,” Nathanial replies with all the manners of an aristocrat.

“So, Nate, do you have any questions for us or any concerns we could help ease?”

Elijah asks, breaking the ice.

“I do have lots of questions, but I know they will all be answered in time. I would really enjoy getting to know all of you and what your lives have been like as a family.

You know the normal stuff, before we get to the other stuff.”

“That would be lovely!” Florence agrees.

We sit and visit with my family for a while. We cover all the usual things like embarrassing stories from over the years, school, and Christmas, which is fast approaching.

“We should host a New Year’s party. We could invite everyone and try to get to know the townspeople,” Matilda suggests.

“What an excellent idea! We could invite the families from work and school,”

Constance agrees, always up for a good party.

“You better invite me.” Nathanial jokes.

Everyone has a good chuckle, and he looks around.

“It wasn’t that funny,” he defends.

“Nate...” Elijah places a hand on his broad, thick shoulder. “The thing is our family takes love very seriously. Love is very important, and when you add soul mates to the mix. Well, what I am trying to say is that we already consider you part of our family.

You are with Sophia and we all believe you to be soul mates. You never need an invitation around here. I hope that doesn’t scare you away.”

“Let me get this straight. You are worried that you just scared me by inviting me into your family? Let’s recap the things that could have and should have scared me in the last few months.” Nathanial begins his reflections on the past few months, and we all listen to the events as he sees them. “The first day of school, I literally bump in to the most amazing woman in the world. Falling head over heels in love. . I experiencing feelings I have never thought I would have. I know I can’t live without her and everything I know is about to change. That was a little scary. Then, once I found the courage to ask her out, I get stabbed and have memories of unbelievable events surrounding the stabbing. That was a little more than scary.” He takes a deep breath and continues. “Then there was finding out the love of my life and her entire family are actually a clan of vampires and that she wanted to drink my blood. I even found out that witches are real, yet not one of these things compares to the fear I felt when—”

“You came here?” Matilda interrupts.

“No. That was not scary at all.” He smiles and looks over at me before continuing,

“Telling Sophia I am in love with her and opening my soul to her was the scariest moment of my life because I was terrified she would reject me since we just started dating,” he confesses. “So by comparison, being considered part of your family is a relief. My only hope is to make it official one day.”

In shock, we all look at one another. Does he really mean or even understand what he just said?

“What? What could you possibly mean by that?” I frantically ask as the dream I had last night comes rushing back to me.

“Maybe we should save that conversation for a later date.” He smiles.

I look at Alexander.

Nathanial says, “Let’s keep this one between us, bro.” Clearly, he has already figured out what Alexander’s gift is, and Alexander only chuckles.

“Well, thank you for sharing with us. It was nice.” Elijah smiles at Nathanial.

Chapter Thirty Four

Planning

“Enough serious talk. Let’s get back to party planning. Constance and I can handle the decorating. Nate, can you assist Sophia with the invitations and guest list? Since you know almost everyone in town, you would be best at deciding who to invite,” Matilda says excitedly.

“We can take care of the menu,” Florence volunteers, and Elijah nods in agreement.

“Can I handle the swag?” Danika asks excitedly.

“Swag? What the heck is swag?” Isaac makes a goofy, confused look.

We girls all laugh, and Danika explains, “Swag is like a loot bag, a party favor bag filled with nice gifts.”

Florence’s smile reaches from ear to ear. “That is a wonderful idea, Danika. I would love to go shopping with you.”

“Mother and daughter shopping spree. It’s a date.”

“I guess that leaves us with the entertainment.” Alexander gives Isaac a nudge.

“Well, alright then. We all have our to-do lists, so we’d best get started. There is not much time.” Matilda jumps up and runs to the other room with Constance in flow.

“So, Nathanial, shall I give you the tour?” I offer.

“Please do,” he says eagerly.

Hand in hand, with our fingers intertwined, I begin to show him the rest of the house. Since we are in the family room, I decide to lead him to the library next, just off the family room and quite impressive.

Walking through the double doors of the library, we both look around at the room lined with mahogany shelving that slide on rails, revealing even more shelving. The ceiling is about twelve feet high. Every shelf is filled with books of every kind. A lovely hand-carved old wooden rung ladder is available to allow anyone to reach any book in the collection, even from the highest shelves.

“I have never seen anything like this before. It is magnificent.” Nathanial starts gushing. “I know where I am coming to study from now on.”

I laugh at his enthusiasm. “This is only the second room you’ve seen. Just wait!” I tease.

We move throughout the remaining rooms. The gourmet kitchen, the office, theatre room, game room, exercise room, and indoor pool. We continue on to visit all eight bedrooms, all ten baths, and the study.

“The art room is one of my favorites in the entire house,” I admit as I show him the various instruments, painting, and other art supplies.

“Can you play any of these?”

“Yes. I can play all of them quite well.” I grin. “But I prefer painting.”

“Did you paint any of these?” Nathanial politely asks.

“Yeah, most of them.”

“They are magnificent ,” he gushes while examining the wall of art. “Why don’t you play something for me while I look around?”

“Sure. What would you like me to play?”

“Whatever. I just want to see some of your talents,” he replies.

I decide to strum a little tune on my guitar. I begin playing a song I have been working on since my family moved here. “This song expresses all the feelings I had in the beginning until now–hate, love, fear, remorse, and everything under the rainbow.”

Near the end of my piece, it becomes very soothing and caring with a sense of acceptance.

“Wow! That was extremely moving. Who is it by?”

I can tell he feels all my emotion in the song. “I wrote it. It is a compilation of my feelings from our move to Wenham to meeting you,” I admit.

“Well, I could feel how torn you were about us, but I may even understand a little better now.” He leans over and gives me a hug and adds, “I am sorry I caused you such distress.”

“It was not you that caused the distress and anguish. Being a vampire is what caused it. I did not think it was possible to love a mortal,” I assure him.

We head back downstairs and to the garage, a place I know he will enjoy.

“This is my kind of garage.” He begins to examine each and every car.

We have many different sports, luxury, and foreign cars, along with a few classics and average cars. It is any man’s dream, and I knew he would love it here.

“I never knew homes such as this actually existed.” He said flabbergasted.

“Let’s go to my room and start the guest list,” I suggest.

We head back up the grand staircase to my room. It is a large room, painted white with a large bay window and window seats that overlook the garden. I have a hand-carved oak king-sized bed draped with a bright red duvet. Across from the bed is a matching armoire, and on it is perched a beautiful silver frame with a picture of Nathanial that I took that first day inphoto shop. The other side of the room is a walkin-closet and private bath. Just to the side, two small steps lead to my private reading room that boasts a small octagon-shaped window and a small scrapbooking area covered with photo albums, papers, stickers, and so on. Open on my table is my newest project, pictures of Nathanial from our first day.

In typical man fashion, he starts admiring my top-of-the-line electronics and massive music and DVD collections. We both crawl on the bed with a notepad in hand and flip on the TV.

“Groundhog Day? I love this movie. It’s a classic,” I say. He agrees, and we both laugh.

We pile the pillows to prop us up a little, get comfy, and began our guest list, starting with the most obvious first:

ELIJAH AND FLORENCE

ISAAC AND CONSTANCE

ALEXANDER AND MATILDA

NATHANIAL AND SOPHIA

“That looks really good together,” Nathanial admits.

ARTHUR AND NIKOLE MCCORD

LUKE MCCORD

MATT BARTON AND EBONY TRIGGS

ELIZA TRIGGS

MS. EDWINA TRIGGS

BEN (FROM FOOTBALL)

MR. WILSON

MRS. HUNT

We will need to get a list of those from the hospital that Constance and Isaac will want to invite, also you need to do one for your buddy’s from football. The invite will include all of their families as well. Now that we have the guest list ready, we can work on the invitation layout. We don’t have much time to plan, as Christmas is just days away, which means New Years is just over a week away and most people probably have plans already.

We work on making up invitations on my Mac and decide to hand deliver them. We play around with a few of the programs on my computer until we find one we like.

After trying various fonts, colors, and background patterns, we decide a classy and formal look is the way to go.

“Okay. I think we can print these off now,” I announce.

“Yeah, I think they look great,” Nathanial replies.

Happy New Year!

Please help us celebrate our first

New Years in Wenham.

at the Pierce family residence

182 Mountain Drive

Six p.m. on December 31

Bring the entire family for

dinner, refreshments, and entertainment.

Children’s room and nanny on hand.

After printing we add ribbons to them, making them as elegant as we can for homemade invitations, before taking them downstairs to show the rest of the family.

“They are really quite lovely. I adore the steel blue paper with the silver ribbon,”

Florence admires.

“Thanks. We’ll add some snowflake and champagne glass confetti and then seal the envelopes with our family seal in red wax,”

Nathanial grabs a small basket sitting next to the sofa filled with magazines. “Can we use this to carry the invites in?”

“Yeah, sure. That will work nicely,” I reply.

“Cool. Sounds like a plan.” he says with one of his killer smiles.

Chapter Thirty Five

The Park

We start to organize the invites in the basket according to address. We have quite a few families to deliver to.

“We should get going and deliver these before it gets too late,” I suggest.

“It may take us a while. We are lucky everyone lives fairly close to one another.”

Nathanial picks up the basket and grabs my hand, leading me out of the room.

I see the rest of my family is busy preparing, so I just tell Alexander we are going to deliver the invites. I am actually a little excited. My family has hosted lavish parties before, but never one with so many mortals. This should prove to be an interesting and new experience for us all.

***

Nathanial and I drive to the school end of town. This will be the best place to start, and we can just walk the streets of the area delivering our invitations. It is a nice evening out, with a slight chill in the air and tiny perfect snowflakes falling from the sky above. Wenham is such a scenic town. It is not as modern as most places are. In the center of the town park, there is a magnificent gazebo with white lights hanging from the roof. The biggest poinsettias I have ever seen line the path from the street and surround the gazebo. Everything about this town feels like home and welcoming. The sun is setting and it is striking.

Nathanial and I both stand frozen as we look down the pathway into the park. It is the same park where he was attacked about a week ago. I look up at Nathanial as he squeezes my hand just a little tighter. “Are you alright? We can go another way,” I suggest.

“I am fine. Don’t worry about me. It is just now that I know the truth, and I see the entire attack a whole new way–the right way, just like it happened. I can actually remember it all and see what I never saw before,” he explains as if he is watching it happen. “I look over to where we were and I can picture the vampire ready to attack.

Now I can see Alexander and Mati heading toward us at incredible speeds.”

“Don’t do this to yourself,” I insist.

“Do you see that? There is a man over there behind the tree.” Nathanial stands tall and tries to shield me just as he did the night of the attack.

“Oh my God! I don’t believe it.” If I could have gone any paler, I would have.

“So you see him too?”

“No. I see my brother.”

“Alexander? What is he doing here?”

“No, it’s Caspian. He is here.”

“Well don’t just stand here. Go! I will wait for you.”

I take a few steps forward and just speak aloud. I do not want to scare him away.

“Caspian, I know it’s you, and you can come home. We miss you, and you are always welcome back.” I watch as he turns and disappears into the night once again.

“Caspian…NO! Please don’t leave again!” I shout, to no avail.

Once in a while, I swear I see Caspian. I know he likes to keep tabs on where we are staying. I always hope he comes home to us soon. This has been the closest he has gotten. I have never been able to speak to him like today. Maybe the day of Caspian’s return is nearing. I now know the entire family wishes for him to come back to us.

Caspian making his presence known to me may be something for my family to look into. This is twice in a week that a member of our family has spotted him. I wonder why he is getting closer, and I hope it is because he plans on returning to us soon.

“Are you okay, Sophia?” Nathanial wraps his arm around me.

“Yeah, thanks. It is just so awkward for him to show up now, when my family and I have been discussing finding him. We actually started talking about it since your attack, and to see him here where the attack happened is odd. Alexander believes he was here that night too.” I rest my head on Nathanial’s chest as he holds me.

“That is a little weird, quite the coincidence. Can you tell me more about him?”

“Caspian was great. Aside from the bond Alexander and I have, Caspian was dearest to me. I have always turned to him whenever I needed something. Everyone has always treated me like some fragile little girl, but not him–not Caspian. He was always honest with me. Caspian would share things with me no one else would. He is a few hundred years older than I am and lived like a true vampire for most of that time. He was only able to go out at night. He hunted and fed off humans to stay strong. But Caspian was tired of living like that. He was a perfect fit for our family,” I explain.

“Yeah, the story you told me about Caspian explains so much, especially why you were so reluctant to get involved with me now. Don’t worry, honey. That will never happen to us. I believe in you and know that you are stronger than that,” Nathanial comforts.

“I was not sure if I could resist you. Your scent overpowered me for the longest time. It was all I could think about,” I admit.

“And has that changed?” he questions.

“Yes. You still appeal to me, but ever since the attack, I’ve had the advantage of knowing I can control it. With the open wound and your blood spilling all over me that night, your scent is imprinted in me. I know now without a doubt that I can resist the temptation of your blood,” I say with pride.

We begin to walk further up the path hand in hand, and Nathanial asks, “Do you think Caspian will rejoin your family?”

“Well, we can’t worry about it now. We have a job to do.” I begin to lead the way to our next delivery.

It is so much fun running up and down the streets and placing the invites in the doors. I pick up a little of the snow that has fallen to the ground from a large spruce tree towering above us. As I walk toward Nathanial, I slowly reach up and tuck the snow down the back of his shirt.

He begins doing a funky chicken dance, hopping around to try and get it out.

“You’ll pay for that.” He grabs a handful of snow and starts chasing me down the street.

It feels so good to laugh uncontrollably. I lean over the bus stop bench as Nathanial comes up behind me. Grabbing my waist, he picks me up, and a moment later there I am lying on the snow-covered grass. Nathanial falls beside me, and we roll around together, laughing as we play in the white stuff like little kids on a snow day. This is so much fun, I think to myself. Everything about this feels so real, so normal. How is it possible that someone like me is so lucky? To be able to find such happiness–even something that resembles happiness–is a grand feat for my kind. This is unbelievable.

“We better stop horsing around and finish these deliveries,” I say with a giggle.

“Yeah, I think you are right. The next house is just over there.” He points down the street.

Nathanial and I are just about finished delivering the invites to everyone, and then it hits us: Christmas is in two days.

“Oh my gosh. I need to finish my shopping.” I explain.

Chapter Thirty Six

Shopping

Nathanial and I head over to the mall. We pick out a few things for our families and a few close friends. I am enjoying myself, just walking around the mall like two teens in love do. We do a little window shopping, and we even run in to a few of Nathanial’s friends. It is nice to feel part of something after so many years. Being that we do not know each other’s families too well yet, we decide to purchase gifts from both of us as a couple. I pick out gifts for my family, and he picks out presents for his. I encourage him to get his parents something really nice, something they would never expect.

“I don’t think I have ever gotten my shopping done that fast before. You are a shopping machine,” Nathanial jokes.

With a little chuckle, I respond, “I’ve had a little practice.”

We finish our shopping, we decide to head back to the house and wrap the newly purchased gifts.

“Maybe we should pick up some wrapping paper and ribbon before we leave the mall,” I suggest, remembering that we don’t have wrapping supplies at home.

“That may help a little,” he agrees with a chuckle as we head back into the mall.

***

“Sophia, these look too nice to open,” Nathanial compliments.

“I perfected my wrapping skills a little while ago,” I joke.

We both have a good chuckle over it.

“I have a feeling you have perfected many things.”

“Well, you know the saying. Practice makes perfect. With all the practice I have had, I’m near perfect at everything.” I wink.

“The only point I will argue is that you aren’t near perfect–you are completely perfect. That’s just part of what I love about you.” He leans in and kisses the corner of my mouth. When we finish wrapping all the packages, Nathanial says, “I need to talk to Alexander. I need him to help me with something.”

“That’s fine because I need to visit Ebony for a bit.” I am sure she can help me find the perfect gift for Nathanial. Ebony and I made plans for a shopping trip, and boy am I in the mood for this one.

“Why don’t you and Alexander do what you need to, and I’ll head over to Ebony’s for a while? Maybe Alexander can drive you home if I don’t get back in time,” I suggest.

“Sounds great, sweetie. Have fun. I love you and will see you later.” He gives me a small kiss and heads toward Alexander’s room; I hear the knock on Alexander’s door.

I brush my teeth and grab a sweater. As I leave, I notice Alexander and Nathanial have moved into the office. They are deep in discussion and being very quiet. I try to hurry by, so as not to overhear what they’re talking about. They pause and wave so I don’t hear anything. They are acting very secretive, and I find myself wondering what they are up to. Easy enough, I brush it off and jump in my car to head to Ebony’s house.

I drive the speed limit today. I am not in a hurry and just want to enjoy the scenery.

The stores are open until midnight tonight for last chance shopping, so we have about four hours to find our guys the perfect gift. I arrive at the manor and walk up to the door.

Ebony is all ready to go.

“May I come in and say hello to everyone?”

“If they were here you could, but they are all shopping too,” she answers.

“Typical women we are.” I laugh.

We get back in the car and go out on our shopping mission. Once we arrive at the mall, we begin the hunt and talk as we look for bargains. Ebony and Matt have been getting closer. I am happy for her. In all my years, I have never had such a good friend.

She is kind, caring, honest, sincere, and extremely loyal–not to mention a very talented witch. I really enjoy having a girlfriend to share things with. We have had a few slumber parties with our sisters–just the usual stuff like pedicures, manicures, and girl talk. It is so much fun, and it is nice to have others around besides just our family for a change.

“What on Earth are we going to get the boys?” I ask.

“I have no idea. We have been up and down this mall, and I can’t think of anything.

They are both so special. We have to get them the perfect gift,” Ebony emphasizes.

“I got it!.” I yell.

“What?” Ebony asks.

“We should get the guys something like a ring, a watch, or a wrist band, and then you can put a protection spell on it to ensure that others’ powers can’t influence them unless they allow them to with full understanding,” I whisper.

“You are amazing. That is perfect. With all the craziness going on around here right now, I would feel better knowing our little mortal boys are protected,” she agrees enthusiastically and reveals, “I have had a sense of evil approaching.”

“What do you mean?” I inquire.

“I don’t know. I just have this feeling that something bad is heading our way and we should be prepared,” Ebony informs me. “You know; like something wicked this way comes.”

“Let’s discuss it with my family later and see if they know anything. But for now, let’s go shopping.” I grab her hand and pull her in my direction.

We start walking to the goldsmith shop. When we get there, the gentleman explains that he makes most of his jewelry by hand, with the exception of the watches, which he can custom order from a friend of his. Both Ebony and I find a few things we like. The store owner places all the items on a black velvet mat so we can have a closer look.

I decide on a nice watch. “I remember Nate telling me one day that he wants to own a collection of nice watches. What better time to start?” I decide. The watch has a silver wristband and a white face, and small emeralds mark each hour. It is perfect.

Ebony decides on a black leather wristband with an attached silver medallion that can be engraved. She chose to have his name put on it in a Celtic script since he is of Irish decent.

We stop at Starbucks, where Ebony gets cafe mocha and I enjoy a double espresso.

“I know the day crystal helps you digest human food, but why are you having coffee? I know you don’t need it,” Ebony inquires.

“Well a few things help to decrease vampire cravings, and caffeine is one of them.

Plus, it’s a great way to spend time with friends,” I explain. “Besides, who can pass on Starbucks?”

Chapter Thirty Seven

Protection

When we arrive back at the manor, we notice that Ebony’s sister and Grams are also back from shopping.

“We have a great idea for the boys’ Christmas gifts,” Ebony announces.

“Really? What?” Eliza questions.

“Because of everything that happened to Sophia and Nathanial at the winter formal, we were thinking of putting a protection spell on their gifts.”

“Look. We picked out some great gifts for them. We tried to think of something they would keep with them at all times.” I pull the gifts out of the bag and show the other ladies.

“Will you help us place a protection spell on these?” Ebony requests.

“Girls, this really is a great idea,” Ms. Edwina says as she goes to the office. She returns with the Book of Shadows.

I’m so excited. This is working out great. If the two sisters do the protection spell together, it will be stronger because of the Triquetra. We begin looking through the Book of Shadows to find the proper spell, and it proves to be simpler than we had expected.

As I reach for the book, it slams shut and moves away from me. “Oh my God! That scared the crap out of me. What just happened?” I ask.

Mrs. Edwina smiles. “That is how a protection spell works. When a family creates their Book of Shadows, the first spell they usually use is a protection spell. It is placed on the book so that the book can never get in to the wrong hands. Only a blood relative or guardian can touch the book.”

“What is a guardian?”

“They are the protectors of good witches, our own personal guardian angel.”

“That is so cool. So no one else can ever touch the book?” I confirm.

“In most cases, no, but there are some occasions where another witch, a warlock, or even a demon finds a way to break the spell. That is why it is so important to keep the book safe. All our family secrets are in this book, and if the wrong entity gets a hold of it, they will be able to destroy our bloodline completely, not to mention wreaking all sorts of other havoc in the world,” Mrs. Edwina warns.

“That is very interesting. I hope the protection spell for Nathanial and Matt works just as well.”

“Grams, I never knew all that. I mean, you had mentioned something about protecting the book before, but never about it being protected and why,” Ebony says with interest.

“There is so much for you girls to learn. I do not want to rush things and overwhelm you,” Ms. Edwina replies.

“Thank you, Grams, but I think both Ebony and I want to learn it all. Finding out we are real witches was the biggest shock. Not much else could be more shocking or overwhelming,” Eliza confirms.

“Oh just wait. The first time you have a meeting with a demon or some other evil supernatural being, you will be surprised. You always need to be prepared. They can show up anywhere and at anytime,” Ms. Edwina lectures.

“Okay, Grams. We understand, but I think for now, we should try the spell,” Ebony suggests.

“I am so excited to actually try a spell on something,” Eliza admits.

“Okay, Sophia. May I please have the gifts?” Ms. Edwina holds her hands out.

I place the gifts in her hands. She turns and places them in the center of the room and surrounds them with four white candles, one at each of the four points of the Earth: north, south, east, and west.

“Okay. Now, Ebony and Eliza, I want one of you to stand to the east and one to the west sides of the gifts and candles and then start chanting the spell,” Ms. Edwina instructs.

“By the dragon’s light,

On this December night,

We call to thee, give me your might,

By the power within,

We conjure thee.

To protect all that,

We surround,

So mote it be,

So mote it be,

So mote it be!!!”

As they complete the spell, all the candles flicker and go out.

“That was so cool” I jump with excitement.

“That was pretty cool, and so much fun.” Ebony runs to me, and we jump around in a circle with our arms locked like a couple of giddy young girls after their first date.

“We should test it out and make sure the spell worked,” Eliza says as she puts each item on, one at a time.

Ebony tries to move items to hit her. My keys fly out of my hand directly at Eliza, but about a foot away from her, they just stop and fall to the ground. She tries a coffee mug from off the table. It flies through the air, and we all watch as it explodes in the same spot where the keys stopped. It is like a force field is surrounding her. Items just bounce away or break as soon as they come within about a foot or two from her. Ebony continues to try, and Eliza dances around.

“Na na na na boo bo... you can’t hit me!” Eliza taunts her sister.

“Oh what are we, preschoolers again?” Ebony says.

“Just trying to have a little fun, sis. Come on and take your best shot.”

“GIRLS! Enough! You have proven that the spell works, and all you are doing now is destroying my home,” Ms. Edwina yells.

“Oh, Grams, I am so sorry, I was just having some fun, and I will clean this mess up,” Ebony says with remorse.

“I know, girls. It is the excitement of actually seeing a spell work. Now why don’t you celebrate and then clean up this mess.” She gathers the book and slowly down the hall to return it to the office for safekeeping.

“You two are absolutely amazing.” I declare with elation. “This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen.”

“Yeah, that is so awesome. I can’t believe we did that. I know we have been practicing and working on our magick, but I never expected anything like this,” Eliza boasts.

“I cannot wait to see what else you can do. Remind me to stay on your good side,” I encourage with a joke.

“Totally. I think I will start to study the Book of Shadows to see what else I can find,”

Ebony proclaims.

With the gifts now linked to a protection spell they are ready to keep the men we love safe. Ebony and I wrap them so I can head home. It is getting a little late, and I want to mention Ebony’s bad feeling to my family. I also still have to tell them about seeing Caspian earlier tonight. “I should get home. I can’t wait to tell my family about this and what we talked about, Ebony.” I say my goodbyes and head back home, where there are many things to be discussed.

Chapter Thirty Eight

Staying

Back at the house, I notice white lights hanging in all the trees that line our driveway, all the way up to the house. I walk in and see the biggest Christmas tree I think has ever been in someone’s home. It is standing beautifully in the family room, right next to the fireplace, perfectly placed in front of the huge bay window. Boxes of decorations are lying everywhere. Everyone appears hard at work decorating the house, hanging mistletoe and stringing garland throughout the huge house.

I see Nathanial sliding down the banister of the grand staircase, and he lands right in front of me. He opens his arms to me. “I think this entitles me to a kiss.”

“What do you mean?” I question, with a slightly puzzled look.

He points just above my head, and I look up.

I am standing under a large bunch of mistletoe. I smile at Nathanial. “I guess it does,” I answer.

With his arms around me, he dips me down and plants a big kiss on me, as if he were Fred Astaire. I giggle like a little girl. “Hey, sweetie. Did you enjoy your time with Ebony? How is she doing?” he inquires.

“She is well. We had a lot of fun. I got to hang out with her sister a little too.”

I love it when he calls me “sweetie,” his little nickname for me. It’s so cute. Just seeing him makes me smile, but I really enjoy seeing him in my family’s home, alone with my family, as if he really does belong.

“What time do I have to return you to your parents?” I ask.

“You don’t. I called and explained that Alexander is helping me with something, and I am allowed to stay the night.” He surprises me with a grin.

“Really?” I say with excitement.

“Yeah. They spoke with Elijah and agreed, once he assured them I would be in a room away from yours.”

We all laugh.

“Cool, I get to keep you.” I move back in to his arms.

“Only for forever.” he whispers.

“You can’t live forever,” I said with a hint of suspicion and a dirty look toward Constance.

“I can if I become like you.” He is very blunt.

“And how would your family feel about that? What would we tell them?” I ask.

“They would understand my decision. They are very supportive,” he begins to appeal.

“What about all your plans? Don’t forget about football, college, and well...life,” I argue.

“Things always happen in life that can change a person’s plans,” he rebuts.

I decide it was not worth the argument and ask, “Can’t we just enjoy things a bit before making any permanent life altering plans?”

“Don’t get that pretty little head of yours in a knot. I am just playing with you.

Alexander told me that would bother you. I am really just teasing. I am sorry. I am quite happy to allow the chips to fall where they may.” He looks at Alexander, and they both snicker.

“What is...oh, never mind. I don’t even want to know.” I give Nathanial a kiss and go to put his gift in a safe place.

When I come back downstairs, I grab some ornaments and begin to help with the decorating. The stereo is playing all our Christmas favorites, and we are all dancing around singing and laughing.

Florence comes out of the kitchen and shouts, “I made some homemade eggnog with a little spiced rum, if anyone wants any.”

We all enjoy a glass. Alcohol, in moderate amounts, is another thing that helps to curb our cravings, and everyone knows eggnog is a Christmas tradition. Thanks to our day crystals, we can partake in such traditions and formalities as Christmas dinner, and traditions are very important to our family.

Isaac decides to make a toast. “Here is to friends, family, home, and eternal love.

Thanks to Nate, another of our family has found love and is complete.”

“Cheers!” everyone shouts.

“So Sophia, on Christmas Eve, my family walks the streets of town and looks at all the lights and decorations. Would you be interested in joining us this year?” Nathanial requests with a glimmer in his eyes.

“I would love to. I was also hoping you could sneak over here on Christmas day for a little while,” I request.

“I didn’t really think about it. I just assumed we would be together on Christmas.

I’m sure I can manage some time away,” he states. “We usually get up and check to see what Santa has left us. Dad makes breakfast, and Mom preps for a huge dinner. We sit around and play games like football and such. Then we eat and the exchange our gifts. I am sure I can sneak out after breakfast.”

“I was also hoping to spend the holidays together, but I did not want to be presumptuous,” I explain.

Once we finish with the decorating, we finalize our plans for Christmas, and then Nathanial sneaks off with Alexander again. I don’t know what to do with myself right now. I feel so giddy knowing that Nathanial is in the house. I just want to see him and hold him. I know I will get my chance in a while. I know when he’s done doing whatever he’s up to with Alexander; he’ll come and find me. I think I’ll wait in my room and have a little down time. Today was pretty busy, and I still have not had the chance to talk to the family about seeing Caspian and Ebony.

I throw in a DVD of The Christmas Story, hoping it will put me to sleep since I’ve seen it a hundred times. It is awkward sleeping so much, as I’ve always needed just a small amount of sleep, maybe ninety minutes a day. Lately, I have been resting more and more, maybe because I found what I was looking for and am completely at peace now. Normally, I spend my nights reading, writing, or learning something new. There is so much to do, so why waste it sleeping? I always joke that I can sleep when I am dead.

***

A few hours later, I hear footsteps heading toward my room, followed by a light knock at the door. “May I come in?” Nathanial asks softly.

“No need to ask.” I sit up and run my fingers through my hair, trying to comb it out a bit.

He walks over and sits on the bed next to me. He brushes my hair out of my face and gently kisses my forehead. “Sorry I woke you.”

“No, I am glad you did. Are you and Alexander finished with whatever you were doing?”

“Yep, and you are not getting anything out of me,” he snickers.

“Okay, I won’t ask,” I huff and fold my arms over my chest.

He lies back, and I snuggle right into his arms. I feel so safe and warm with him, like I am right where I belong.

Nathanial is asleep almost immediately, so I just cuddle up to him. I enjoy watching him sleep. He is so peaceful. I only wish I could see into his dreams. I lie wrapped in his warm embrace, enjoying the aroma that is coming from him. It is so intoxicating and tempting. I fully remember the scent from his stabbing and how bad I wanted him. His scent is imprinted in me now. I can imagine it and almost taste it, but it does not pain me any longer. I can easily get lost within the rich bouquet of Nathanial.

I need to get my mind off of his scent and just enjoy being in his arms with him next to me. I decide to pick up a book; closest to me is a compilation of Hemingway’s work called The Wild Years. I recall that it was published posthumously. I always enjoy his work, as it speaks to me in a way others don’t. I just finished reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I think I like that one because I saw with my own eyes the horrible atrocities committed by the Nazis. I can understand what she went through and felt. I relax and enjoy reading my book while the only man I have ever loved sleeps peacefully next to me.

I finish my book and I snuggle in to Nathanial even closer. It feels so right, yet so wrong to be in his arms. I almost feel like it is wrong to be this happy, this in love. I know I don’t deserve him, so I wonder how I am so blessed to have him in my life. I close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to be a mortal again.

In my mind’s eye, I see Nathanial and me enjoying high school and then college together. After both of us get our post-secondary degrees, we move back to Wenham and find jobs. I imagine if I was mortal, we would then begin to plan our wedding.

Nathanial would ask my father for my hand before proposing, and he would plan the most amazing proposal. A small smile comes across my face at the thought of what could have been if I were someone else, and I continue my daydream a little more. After the most amazing wedding and a tropical honeymoon, we come back and announce to our families that I am expecting. Nine months later, I give birth to a handsome little boy, who looks just like his father. As I imagine this perfect life for Nathanial and me, I feel my face become damp. I can feel the tears streaming down my face like never before. I have always wanted children, a little boy of my own, and I picture him being just as amazing as Nathanial.

I have to stop imagining what never will be. I will never be a mother and never have a happy ending. I am grateful for finding love with Nathanial, and I need to focus on now instead of a future that can exist. Christmas is nearing, and that is something I can be happy about, at least for a little while.

Chapter Thirty Nine

Traditions

It’s Christmas Eve, and we have all been busy with party planning. “I think we have it all covered.” I say to Matilda.

“I think you’re right. Things are falling into place,” she responds.

Nathanial got a ride home from Alexander earlier in the day; he wanted some time with his brother. I love how close his family is, especially since so many families today are too busy for one another. That’s not how it is with the McCords. They always make time for family and friends.

***

It is about seven o’clock, time to meet the McCords for a stroll down the streets, I am so honored that Nathanial and his family wants to include me. I make sure I drink before going, to avoid any problems. Everyone is ready to go when I arrive, so we start down the street immediately.

The houses are done up nicely. Every house in town decorated, and it is brilliant.

Food bank donation boxes line the streets throughout the town, and they are overflowing.

“Thank you so much for inviting me. Is the town like this every year?” I ask, imagining this as a piece of heaven. The perfect man is holding me close, and his perfect family is guiding us through a perfect town during the most perfect season of the year.

“Yes, it is tradition for every household to decorate. The town holds a contest every year for the best-dressed house,” Mrs. McCord explains.

“These are amazing. I have never seen a community put so much effort into decorating,” I admit.

“Yes, the holidays are very important around here,” Mrs. McCord replies.

I examine each and every house, and they are all different. Some have thousands of lights, while others have animated reindeer moving to synchronized music. This is so magical, and to experience it with such a wonderful family is a wonder all its own. My every Christmas wish is coming true.

“Sophia, I realize it is short notice, but we would love to have you and your family join us for dinner tomorrow,” Mrs. McCord requests.

“I think that would be wonderful. You do know there are eight of us, right? I don’t want it to be too much trouble.”

“I love to cook. I could probably feed the entire block if I put my mind to it,” she assures me, and everyone nods in agreement with goofy grins on their faces.

I let out a slight giggle and accept the kind holiday invitation on behalf of my family.

“We shall be there then. Thank you so much for the invitation.”

We continue around the neighborhood and make our way back to the McCord residence.

“Would you care to join us for some eggnog, Sophia?” Mrs. McCord invites.

“Yes, I would enjoy that. Thank you.”

Inside the house, Mr. McCord starts a fire, as his wife pours the beverages. I assist her in serving.

“Thank you, Sophia. Your parents should be very proud of you. I believe you are a fine young woman,” she compliments.

“I believe they are. Thank you again.”

“Why don’t you tell us a little more about yourself? Luke mentioned that you told him and Nate you were adopted from Italy?”

“Yes. Alexander, my twin brother, and I were adopted by the Pierce family years ago. We were a little older, so we still remember our biological family. We could not have asked for a better family to join though.”

Nathanial’s mother smiles. “May I ask what happened that they were able to adopt you?”

“Of course you may. Back in Italy, there was a terrible accident that made us available to the Pierces. We were very lucky they found us.” My explanation holds truth, albeit lacking a little detail.

“I bet they believe they are the lucky ones.” She pats my knee.

“So what about your family? What can you tell me about you?” I ask, trying to draw her attention away from my family.

“There really is nothing exciting about us. Arthur and I fell in love about twenty-five years ago. We had known of one another but never spoke until we had English class together.” She smiles lovingly at her husband.

“She had me at hello,” Mr. McCord says, and they both chuckle.

I wonder what is so funny. I think it is sweet.

“Dad, enough with the movie quotes.” Nathanial shakes his head.

Luke smiles. “Sorry, Sophia. Our parents are movie freaks and can turn almost any conversation into some kind of script.”

“Yes, I suppose they’re right about that. In my defense, though, the moment I first heard that line, I knew it described how I felt and still feel about your mother.”

“That is cute!” I smile at the dream of everlasting love.

***

Christmas morning, Nathanial shows up just after breakfast as he promised. Luke drove him and left to go help his mother prepare for the evening dinner for twelve. I would have loved to introduce Luke to my family, but they will meet him tonight. I hold Nathanial’s hand and lead him inside.

He seems to feel very comfortable here. “Merry Christmas, everyone,” he announces.

“And to you as well, Nate” Florence returns the gesture.

A smile beams across my face as I watch the man I love walk to each member of my family and hug and kiss them. He really does belong with us and is the perfect fit.

Once the formalities are complete, Constance readies her camera. On the tripod stand she sets the timer to take a picture. “Okay, Nate. Time for one of our Christmas traditions. Every year, we gather in front of the tree and take a family picture.”

“That sounds great. I will take the picture for you.”

“Nate, we want you in the picture. You belong with us.” Florence says, and with a evil look from me, “even if only for a short amount of time,” She adds.

“Well, thanks. I am so glad you feel that way. I also believe I belong.”

The entire family, along with Nathanial, stands in front of our tree, and we smile for our newest Christmas picture.

“Why doesn’t everyone find a seat around the tree so we can open our gifts?”

Florence suggests.

The entire family finds a spot. Matilda and Alexander sit side by side on the floor, as do Nathanial and I. The older members sit on the couch, and Danika is in front of the tree, ready to play Santa.

“Another tradition we have, Nathanial, is that the youngest member gets to play Santa and pass out all the gifts,” Elijah explains.

“You must be relieved to pass on that tradition, Sophia. What? You did it for like a hundred years or something?” Nathanial asks.

“Yeah, something like that. I am glad to sit back and enjoy things a little more now.”

“As much as I want to go first, you are our guest, Nate, so I guess you can start.”

Danika hands him the first gift. “This is from me.”

Nathanial appears surprised that the entire family has gifts for him.

“You shouldn’t be so surprised, Nate. We told you that you are part of this family now, and we exchange gifts in this family,” Alexander explains.

He smiles and rips the paper off the box. A huge grin beams across his face as he pulls out a Patriots jersey and a certificate for name embroidering. “Thanks, Danika.

This is so cool. How did you know I like the Pats?”

“Well, they are the closest football team to Salem, and you are a football nut. It was a lucky guess.” She smile and winks at me.

“Yeah, I kinda am. Thanks so much. I love it,” he says excitedly.

We all take turns opening gifts of clothing, jewelry, and so on. Matilda and Alexander give me the entire Nickelback CD library so I can become more accustomed to Nathanial’s favorite band. I get some really great gifts, but I think my best gift is Nathanial. I really do not need anything more. He is everything I could ever wish for. I look over my shoulder at the man sitting next to me, and I realize again that he is so perfect.

Nathanial is so elated as he opens his gift from Matilda and Alexander. “I can’t believe you got me a designer pair of jeans, shirt, and this great sweater. It is way too much,” he says as he puts the sweater on right away. He looks great in it, not that he needs the help, but the sweater suits him perfectly. “You have got to be kidding me.” he screams. “Season tickets for the Patriots, plus the few games left for this season? I just can’t believe it. This is amazing. Thank you, everyone.” he screams as he begins to jump around like an over caffeinated monkey.

We nearly die of laughter.

“I think we did well!” Constance jokes.

“You did great! I can’t wait to wear my new jersey to a live game.”

“I told my family the New England Patriots is your favorite NFL team and that you have never seen a live game. I knew it would be something you would enjoy. They loved the idea, and we feel so bad that your football season ended early because of our kind.”

“This is the best. Thank you again and again. It could not get any better.”

“Well, Nate, you are not finished yet. This is from Elijah and Florence.” Danika hands him a small box with a small green bow.

He opens it and looks confused. “It is a key, but for what?”

“The other part of your gift is over here. Follow me.” Elijah leads Nathanial to the garage.

We all follow, and I hold Nathanial’s hand, he has a puzzled look on his face and keeps looking at me with a questioning look. I just smile and say, “You’ll see.”

Once the door to the garage is opened and we are all inside, Florence flips the lights on and there, with a big green ribbon, is a shiny new Honda Insight just for him.

“Oh my God! This is way too much. I can’t...you can’t be serious. Your family has been way too generous already.”

“But you can. We spoke with your parents, and they agreed to allow us to give this to you. You can’t always borrow your mom’s car, and you need to get to those Patriots games. We stretched the truth a little and explained that this is my car, but I do not like it and it is just sitting here. Now it’s yours,” Elijah insists and adds, “I suggested it would also be a good idea because of the distance between our houses, and I did not want Sophia to be driving you all the time, and being out late alone.”

We all huff and chuckle at that.

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much. This is unbelievable! I love the color, I don’t think I have ever seen anything like it before.” Nathanial is in complete shock, and we can all see it on his face.

“It is a pretty neat car. It is a hybrid, and the color is sky blue. We asked for green, but they don’t offer that color, so this was the next best choice,” Elijah says.

“It is great. Thank you. I just don’t know what to say.”

“Let’s go back inside. You still have my gift to open.” I tug at him after he does all the man things like looking under the hood and trying out the stereo.

Everyone heads back inside.

I stand in front of the gigantic spruce tree we decorated just a few nights earlier. I hold a small black box in my hands; it is wrapped with a red ribbon. “I found you less than four months ago, but I feel complete with you around. I want to protect you so that I can treasure you for every possible moment we have together.” I smile and continue,

“This gift is my way of keeping you safe.” I hand him the box, lean in, and give him a small kiss.

He opens it slowly and looks at the contents carefully. “This is amazing! I love it. But I don’t understand. How will a watch keep me safe?” Once again, he looks a little puzzled.

“Ebony and her sister put a protection spell on it. No supernatural power will be able to penetrate the protective field that surrounds you when you wear this, unless you willingly allow it to pass through,” I explain.

“So Alexander can’t read my mind now?”

“Not unless you want him to,” I confirm.

Nathanial puts the watch on his left wrist.

“Okay, Alexander. Try it out.” I order.

Alexander tries to see what Nathanial is thinking, and he trying to show him what he is thinking. The rest of us can see his frustration, and we laugh.

“Nothing. I can’t get a thing.” Alexander says with frustration.

“Okay. Now Nate, do you want him to see what you are thinking?” I suggest.

“There we go. I got it. Yeah, it is pretty cool,” Alexander agrees with what Nathanial is thinking.

“Now just a second. I know you told me about witches, but Ebony?” Nathanial seems a little surprised.

“Sorry. Ebony and her sister are two of the most powerful witches in the world, but things shouldn’t surprise you anymore. Anything is possible, and at this rate, I am not sure how much more you can take,” I reply.

“Yeah, I am starting to see that now. It is all very surprising though. I guess all that talk about her around school is true then”

“Yes, it is all true, but some students paint her being a witch as a bad thing. Her family is very amazing, and I promise you will learn more about them soon.”

He moves closer to me and gives me the sweetest, softest kiss ever. “This watch is amazing, just what I wanted. I love you, sweetie.”

“I love you too!” I sneak another kiss.

“I guess it is time for your gift now.” He smiles excitedly as he walks to the tree and pulls out a small box wrapped in shiny red paper.

I rip the paper off in excitement. I examine the small wooden box. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Two colors of wood blend together, intertwined like two folded hands, to make the creation. It looks handmade, sculpted from the finest wood. I can even smell the fresh woody scent of the timber. One side has our names engraved in to it: SOPHIA AND NATHANIAL. The other side two words perfectly inscribed: FOR ETERNITY. After admiring the box for a moment, I open the lid. Inside is a small red gem shaped like a heart, a ruby, placed delicately in the center of a white gold setting, just like my necklace and day crystal, but a ring. The gold wraps around into two half circles as if hugging the heart forming the setting of the ring. In the lid of the box is a small note that reads, “I give you my heart to have and protect. All my love, Nate.” I am completely speechless. It is amazing, just like Nathanial.

“Alexander helped my vision come to life. May I help you put it on?” Nathanial asks.

I nod, and Nathanial takes the ring and places it on my left ring finger.

“This is my promise to you forever,” he says with a smile.

“Nate, it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!”

“Then I guess you have never looked in a mirror.”

“I love it, and I love you! Thank you so much.”

Nathanial brushes the ring on my finger with his thumb and then brushes my cheek, running his fingers through my hair.

“I love you more than life itself.” he whispers and leans in to kiss me.

I pull him closer for another. How could things get better than this? I now understand why people wait their whole lives to find that perfect one. It has taken me many lifetimes to find mine.

I am so caught up in the moment that the full meaning of the words Nathanial spoke, “This is my promise to you of forever,” didn’t register in my mind at first, but now all I can think of is only a vampire can love you forever. I’m just so full of emotion, so full of happiness that I never experienced before nor ever thought I would. Moving to Wenham has fulfilled every dream I’ve ever had. I have a great best friend, the most incredible man ever, and accepting family members on both sides. Who could ask for more?

Chapter Forty

Bonding

It’s only two o’clock, and it’s already the best Christmas ever. Nathanial and I pack up all the gifts for his family and place them in the trunk of his new car.

“I can’t wait to show my brother everything. He is going to be so jealous. I got all this great stuff, and the best part is I got the girl.”

“I think our families will enjoy each other,” I assume.

“Who couldn’t love your family? Plus, this is just the first of many more celebrations together.” He seems so enthusiastic.

My family brings some gifts for the McCord family and some wine to go with dinner. Both families greet each other with open arms.

“Please come in. Thank you for joining us,” Mrs. McCord says. “My name is Nikole.

This is my husband Arthur and our eldest son Luke. It is a pleasure to meet the family of the young girl who has stolen my son’s heart.”

Nathanial grabs Luke and they head outside to check out his new car. “Dude, you have got to see this.” The rest of us kids join them. Alexander begins telling them all the vehicle specs and all the car talk. The adults stay inside to become acquainted with one another. Although I notice them peeking outside at us from time to time with smiles on their faces.

“I don’t believe this. Are you sure you don’t have an older sister for me? How about it, Mati? Want to go out on a date?” Luke jokes.

“I would be honored, but I am spoken for!” She winks at Alexander.

“Yeah, I know. I am just teasing, Nate told me you and Alexander are a couple and not actually siblings. Alexander, you are a lucky man.”

“Yeah, I am. Thanks, man.” Alexander pats Luke on the shoulder, and Nathanial shakes his head.

“Bro, you are such a player!” Nathanial punches Luke in the shoulder.

“No, man. I am just jealous. I would give anything to find the right girl. Don’t get me wrong, I have had fun, but you found what Mom and Dad have, and I can only hope I will find it someday too,” Luke admits, hopping into the passenger seat.

“You will. I can feel it. You have a great soul.” Matilda offers.

“So are you gonna let me take it for a test drive?” Luke requests.

“Sure. Why don’t you go with Alexander? He can tell you all about it! We’ll wait out here for you to go around the block,” Nate agrees.

“The block? I want to open this puppy up.”

“Another day. It’s Christmas, and we have guests!” Nate argues.

“So right, little brother. Excuse my rudeness,” Luke agrees, and the two older brothers leave for a quick test drive.

While waiting for them to return, I can overhear the conversation going on inside the house.

“Florence, Elijah, it is way too much. We will never be able to repay you for the car,”

Arthur says.

“There is no need to worry. Our family is extremely privileged, and we enjoy sharing with those who come into our lives. This is a gift from our family, and if there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask. Sophia is happier than we have ever seen her. She has come out of her shell, and it is all thanks to your son. We can never repay you for that,” Elijah insists. “Our families are now joined by love, and to us, that is as good as blood,” he adds.

“Thank you. Our children have fallen fast for each other, but we believe it to be true, Nikole and I fell in love at first sight and have been together ever since,” Arthur admits.

“We completely agree. It has all happened very fast, but we believe in true love as well. Our kids are soul mates, meant to be together, and it will only improve with our support,” Elijah encourages.

Constance and Florence help Mrs. McCord put the finishing touches on dinner. By the time they finish, every counter in the kitchen, as well as the table, is filled with delicious-smelling food.

“Please fill your plates and have a seat wherever you can find room. It is a little snug, but try to make yourselves comfortable,” Nikole encourages.

I love this, even more perfection to the perfect day, I think as I take a seat next to Nate on the floor in the family room.

We enjoy the evening, opening yet more gifts, talking, and playing games. I will remember this day for all eternity. Not only do I love Nathanial, but I am falling in love with his family almost as fast as I did with him. Our two families seem to fit so nicely together, I hope to have at least a few more Christmases like this before having to move on.

“Thank you so much for a beautiful evening. I trust you will all be joining us for New Years?” Isaac asks.

“Yes of course. We would not miss it. Is there anything we can do to help?” Nikole responds.

“Not at all. Just the pleasure of your company again will be enough. Please do not hesitate to bring any guests of your own. We have more than enough room and would enjoy meeting any of the townspeople,” Constance adds.

Nathanial and I just look at one another without saying a word. I know we share the same thought: elation that our families fit so well together. I am now not only protective of Nathanial, but also of his entire family, and they all mean so much to me. It is very overwhelming. To fall in love at first sight with my soul mate was one thing, but his family is even more unexpected!

We exchange hugs with the McCord family and thank them again for a wonderful evening.

Nathanial sees us to our cars. “I promise to be over in the morning to finish with the party plans.” He reaches out to me, and we share a small kiss. “Sweet dreams, my love.” He closes the car door, only to stand and watch us drive away.

Back at home, my family raves about the wonderful family we just got to know. I think this could be a wonderful union between mortal and immortal. This may work out better than I ever expected, I thought to myself.

Chapter Forty One

Revisiting

We are having a little down time, and I think maybe this is the right time to talk to my family about Caspian again. I just don’t know how to bring him up. It has only been a week or so since the last time I spoke to them about him and how I want to find him.

“What about Caspian?”

“Alexander! Sometimes I really hate it when you do that. You do know that don’t you?”

“Sorry. I can’t help it.”

“What is it, though, Sophia? What about Caspian? We know he has been on your mind lately,” Florence asks.

“I have wanted to tell you for a few days now. Nathanial and I saw Caspian in the park the other night when we here delivering the New Year’s party invitations,” I begin to explain.

“What do you mean you saw him?” Constance questions.

“Caspian was the in the park, close enough for me to know without a doubt that it was him. I called to him, but he ran off. He is here. Caspian is in Wenham!” I announce excitedly.

“He’s here? He came back?” Matilda shouts.

“I didn’t see this! I must not be connected to him anymore. He has been gone too long. Maybe, if I had touched something that was his.” Constance lowers her head with disappointment.

“Constance, you can’t see it all. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Let’s leave his return up to him,” Isaac wisely suggests.

“So he ran off when you called to him?” Elijah confirms.

“Yes. I started toward him and called his name. He turned and ran into the woods.”

I explain.

“Well, we will have to keep an eye out for him. This is the closest he has gotten.

Maybe he is as ready to come home as we are to have him home. That said, I do not want to push him.” Elijah reaches for my hand to comfort me.

“That’s it? We just watch for him?” I question.

“My dear that is all we can do. It is up to him when he comes home. All we can do is make it known that he is welcome back,” Florence adds.

“What if I try to approach him? He doesn’t know me and might not run off,” Danika suggests.

“That may work, but I still do not want to push him. If he is watching us, I am sure he’s aware that you are a member of this family. That may intimidate him more, since he does not know you,” Elijah explains.

“I understand. I just want to help. I hate seeing the sadness it brings you to not have him here,” Danika says, showing some understanding.

I’m shocked that Danika wants to help us. She is becoming a more trustworthy member of the family. Still, I have that odd gut feeling about her, as if something is amiss. My feelings for her are just as torn as they were for Nathanial before I let him in.

Alexander interrupts my thoughts, privately between us. “I can feel how concerned you are about Danika, but she really hasn’t done anything to warrant your concern.”

”I understand that. It’s just a feeling I’ve always had, like she is going to be trouble for our family.”

“Sophia, we’re all here to support her, and she has been very successful so far. Just try to forget about it. I will keep an eye on her.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“What secrets are you two sharing?” Matilda jokes.

“Just talking about how bad your hair looks tonight,” I answer with a smile.

“What? Are you kidding?” Matilda jumps out of her seat and runs to the restroom to check, then yells, “You’re so funny, Sophia. I’m gonna get you for that.”

The entire family bursts out laughing. Poor Matilda thought she did not look perfect for a moment.

We continue to speak about Caspian for a while and decide there’s not much more we can do.

Alexander adds, “I will try to connect with him so he knows he is welcome.”

“And I will try to search my visions for him some more,” Constance announces.

After we finish, I go to my room and listen to my new music collection. Sitting in the chair in my room with my legs draped over the arm, I start to relax. I could sit here for hours, thinking about my brother and admiring my new ring. It is so beautiful, just like what Nathanial and I share. I think this is the best Christmas I have ever had. At the very least, this is more meaningful than any past Christmases. After over a century, I finally feel at peace, and this feeling confuses me. I’m meant to be tormented for the rest of eternity. I guess that will come when I finally lose Nathanial. I can’t think of that. I need to enjoy this feeling while I still can. Today, I’m the luckiest being on Earth.

Chapter Forty Two

New Years

The day we have been planning for is finally here. It is time for our big New Years Eve party. Everything looks excellent. The decorations are amazing. We added fresh white roses around the house. The family ensures the finishing touches are complete, and Florence even added a WELCOME mat to the front step. The kitchen is filled with enough food to feed all of New England. We even have kid-friendly food for all the little ones that might be joining us. The hired staff members are starting to arrive, from a bartender and wait staff to the nanny and clowns for the kids. The DJ begins setting up in the family room, and the valets are outside, ready to park the cars.

As I peer out my bedroom window, I notice Nathanial and his family are the first to arrive. Everyone is dressed so dazzling. I’ve just finished dressing and start walking down the grand staircase toward Nathanial. I am wearing the cocktail dress Matilda gave me for Christmas. The white bustier and black above-the-knee skirt with crinoline is very retro! I finished it with a black pashmina and black heels. The low ponytail I have in my hair is tickling my back, and I smile. I feel stunning.

By the look on Nathanial’s face, my guess is that he’s in full agreement. My guess is confirmed when he says, “Well there is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!”

Nathanial smiles, and his brother and father both nudge him in my direction, as if he was frozen in place.

“Now this party is going to be fun. I am glad you are here.” I greet my love with a kiss and proceed to his family. I smooch each one of them on the cheek. “I’m happy you could all make it. Please come in.”

“Thank you so much for inviting us. You have a marvelous home,” Mrs. McCord replies.

“It would not be the same without you,” Florence interjects.

“May I help you with anything?” Nikole offers.

“I would love it if you help me have a good time. We have finished everything, and the staff will take care of the rest.” Florence smiles.

Our guests are beginning to arrive. The house is filling quickly with the town residents, and everyone is mingling, telling each other about their Christmas. The wait staff is busy serving drinks from the bar, including any kind of cocktails, beer, champagne, juice, soda, and Shirley Temples that someone might want to order.

Everyone will be taken care of and able to enjoy the party.

This is a great opportunity to meet and get to know the townspeople, especially since there are over a hundred guests. I’m enjoying talking with some of Nathanial’s friends from football and school, along with their girlfriends. I glance around to see what my family members are all doing. Constance and Isaac are visiting with coworkers, and Florence and Elijah are meeting all the parents. Everything is going great. People are dancing to the music, and the kids are enjoying all the crafts and games we have set up for them. It seems to be a typical mortal party.

Nathanial starts to introduce my siblings and me to the students from school that made it to the party. Over the past weeks, we had met a few, but no one really wanted to interrupt us at the lunch table at school. We have a tight group the six of us along with Danika, and she is always around somewhere, which isn’t too bad. I’m beginning to feel like I am truly experiencing high school for the first time. I am even able to talk to some of the football team members and their girlfriends; they are a lot less judgmental than I first assumed.

Ebony and Matt finally arrive and join in on the conversation.

“Hey, Ebony! I am so glad you are here,” I say with a hug.

“Hi, Ebony,” a few of the girls say. I am glad we didn’t invite Mel; the girl Ebony had the run-in with at school. I would have ended up ripping what she has of a heart out of her chest.

“Hey, everyone! How are things going, Sophia? Sorry, but we got a little held up.

Eliza had an outfit meltdown,” Ebony explains with a chuckle.

“Well, she looks great. Crisis averted, I see.” I wink at her.

A group of us head to the dance floor and start dancing the night away, laughing and having fun without a care in the world. The DJ is playing an array of music, but everyone seems to really get into things once he starts to play the top hits from the eighties. Who doesn’t love Duran Duran and Michael Jackson?

Some of the girls from school notice my ring that Nathanial strategically placed on my left hand ring finger, causing more than a few questions.

“Oh my! Your ring is beautiful! Is it from Nate?” asks a pretty, petite girl whose name I don’t recall.

“Yes. It was my Christmas gift. It really is lovely, isn’t it?” I reply.

A girl named Paige, who I remember as the girlfriend of one of the football players, asks, “Wow! Does it mean—?”

I stop her mid sentence. “It’s just a gift from my boyfriend that I am wearing on my ring finger, it even matches my necklace.” I point out.

“Sorry. We didn’t intend to pry.”

“You did, but it is alright, and I’m sorry for my rudeness!” And we giggle.

Everyone is warming up to me, and I am warming up to them as well. I will admit there is more than one teenage girl whose head I’d love to rip off. I can hear a few of them whispering and such. I guess I’m no different than other high school girls, and we can’t all get along. It’s getting more and more like real life every day.

“Are you alright, Sophia? You look like you could use a drink,” Nathanial says.

“I think you’re right. Please excuse me for a moment.”

“Do you mind if I join you?” Nathanial politely requests.

“Hey, can I come too?” Ebony asks.

“Sure, I...um, I guess so,” I agree reluctantly.

I lead the two downstairs to the cellar, where we have a hidden room to store all our blood products.

“Why is it you keep all food, per se, down here?” Ebony asks.

“We only moved our supplies to this room because of the party. We did not want any wondering eyes finding it,” I reply.

“Your family thinks of everything,” Nathanial says with a chuckle.

“So Nate, I am just curious, how did you know I needed to get away and have a snack?”

“I could feel the frustration you’re feeling, and I know every laugh line and freckle on your face. When I saw your eyes turn a darker shade of green, I knew it was time to get you out of there.”

Ebony holds up a bottle. “Is this the one you need, Sophia, from the juice jug?”

“Yeah. Just a small glass would be great. Are you both sure you want to stay here?

Neither of you have seen me feed or drink before,” I say nervously.

“Really, how bad can it be? We pour you a glass, and you drink it like any other beverage,” Ebony says with a hint of sarcasm.

“It is not really that simple. If I am able to control the features like my fangs and eyes with the smell, once I taste the blood, I will not be able to control it anymore. Are you sure you are both ready to see me…the real me?”

“Sweetie, we know the real you and look at the real you every day,” my beloved reassures.

With a slight reluctance, I take the glass of blood that Ebony pours for me. I turn my head away from the two of them and take a small sip. I feel the ache as my fangs come out and the burn of my eyes as they go black.

Nathanial turns my head back to them. “Sweetie, please. You don’t need to be ashamed, and we accept you for everything you are. We are bound to see this more than once in a while, and I must say you look beautiful.”

I quickly finish the rest of my drink and relax myself to return to the party. I slip in to the restroom and brush my teeth.

“I just want to thank you both for being so supportive of me. I could never ask for better people around me than the two of you. I love you both. Are you sure you can both handle seeing me like that?’

“Nate is right, Sophia. We are fine. We are here for you, which is why we came with you. Now let’s get back to the party.”

They both put their arms around my shoulders, and we returned to the festivities and celebrations once I relax enough and my features return to normal.

Chapter Forty Three

Tribulations

Ebony and I continue dancing the night away and making a few new friends until Alexander summons us to the library telepathically. He also asks for Ebony and her sister to join us. I’m concerned that this must be something big to call us away from the party. We sneak in one by one, trying to be discreet. Constance and Alexander are intent in their conversation, and it looks serious.

“What happened?” Isaac inquires.

“Alexander, Constance, we are all here. What is it?” Elijah demands to know.

Constance begins, “I was outside for some air and went for a quick run. I brushed by a tree and started having a vision that Alexander intercepted. It is bad, real bad! The decedents of the Cerberus cult have risen from their lairs in the wastelands and are on the hunt. Many mortals have been killed in the New York area, and they have moved south to the Boston area. This could turn into another war, a repeat of Tansy the Vampire War when the groups took sides.” She looks terrified.

“I think we need to be careful. We should also contact the Renata leaders to notify them of the Cerberus presence,” Isaac adds.

We all agree. Elijah and Isaac will stay behind to discuss the details, and the rest of us will return to the party. We do not all want to be absent at the same time or it may look suspicious. We will discuss everything after the party.

“I’m confused. What is the Tansy, Renata and the Cerberus?” Eliza asks.

“Back in the fifth century, a war called Tansy broke out, separating the vampiric clans. A group came together to create an organization called the Renata. They suppressed the anarchs and agreed to exist behind a façade called ‘The conspiracy of silence.’ The leaders, or ‘Lords’, of the Renata decreed ‘Never more shall vampires kill freely and openly, and they must hide amongst the mortals and conceal our true natures,” Elijah explains and adds, “Thus came the six laws, a sort of Vampire Bible.

Those who did not join the Renata were driven into the wastelands–that is, until they attacked the leaders for power, most recently, in 1882, when the vampire riots broke in New York and their numbers decreased once again. The Cerberus went into hiding again so as to increase their numbers. Because of the similarities to the original war, these riots are referred to as the ‘Wars of Tansy.’”

“Well okay then. I guess that explains a little, where is this Renata located are they worldwide or just here?” Eliza says with a little surprise.

“They are from Transylvania; you know some of the myths about us are real.” Isaac chuckles.

“Okay that is kinda funny but on the same note this might explain the bad feeling I have been having,” Ebony suggests.

“What bad feeling?” Elijah asks.

“I have had this awful feeling that something bad was going to happen, something evil. I told Sophia about it the other night when we went shopping.”

“Did I forget to mention it? Maybe seeing Caspian that night just overwhelmed me and took precedence. I am so sorry.”

“No worries. We know now and need to figure out some details. Knowing last week without any details would not have meant much. Now we know to trust Ebony’s feelings, as they may have more to them,” Elijah says in his comforting voice.

We need to hide our concerns for now and continue with our own façade, starting with returning to the party. It is almost midnight now, and everyone is preparing to ring in the New Year. The wait staff assures us that our guests all have champagne, with sparkling cider for the underaged guests.

The music stops, and everyone gathers around for the countdown.“Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one... HAPPY NEW

YEAR!” Balloons, streamers and confetti fall from the ceiling above, right on cue; Constance rigged it perfectly to fall in sync with the clock striking twelve. Everyone in attendance starts shouting, cheering, and singing off-key versions of “Auld Lang Syne.”

Then each guest turns to kiss the one they wish to spend the next year with. Of course Alexander and Matilda are hiding around the corner for a small kiss; they don’t want to raise any questions.

This tradition means so much more to me now. I have waited over a century to find someone special, someone worth a New Years kiss. I never expected to find him, and for once I feel extremely lucky, standing here in the moment of a new year, with the most amazing man I have ever known and completely in love. Nathanial takes me in his arms, and we kiss, sharing the perfection of the moment.

“Sophia, let’s go upstairs for some privacy and to talk. The party is winding down, and I don’t think anyone will notice us missing.” He knows me so well that he can tell something is bothering me.

“I think you’re right. Let’s go.”

Chapter Forty Four

Connections

“So I think the party is a success. What do you think?” Nathanial inquires.

“Yes, it is all very nice. I enjoyed meeting your friends instead of them just gawking at us,” I reply.

“So what is going on? You seem preoccupied,” he inquires with genuine concern.

“You can tell?” I ask.

“I feel like we have known each other forever, and I can sense when something is bothering you, I told you so earlier. Relax and tell me what is going on and what I can do to make it go away, sweetie.” He places his arm around my shoulder and gives me a little squeeze.

“I will, but tonight is not the night. Let’s enjoy our first New Year’s celebration together. I promise to tell you later,” I insist. I make an X over my heart with my index finger and smile.

“Alright, but only because you are so breathtaking that I can’t possibly argue with you,” he says with his goofy little crooked grin that I so adore.

“So then why don’t you come closer and give me another kiss?” He pulls me closer, and I allow it.

He pulls me right onto his lap. Now up on my knees with one on either side of his lap, straddling him. I begin pressing my hands against his perfectly shaped pectorals and lean in closer. I kiss his soft, gentle lips. Our lips moving together in perfect sync, becoming more and more passionate. He softly runs his hands down my sides and rests them on my hips. Things are getting intense. I have never felt passion like this before. It is obvious we have both forgotten about the house full of guests. It is as though only the two of us exist. Nathanial’s hands move around the back of my hips, gently caressing my buttocks. I press in even closer, and he grabs even harder. He turns me so that my back is flat on the couch and he’s half on top of me. Still kissing, I never imagined passion like this existed.

Just then, we hear a knock at the door, and we both jump to our feet. I answer the door, and it is Luke.

“Hey, bro. Sorry to interrupt, but Mom and Dad are ready to go. Can I catch a ride home with you? I’m kinda digging this girl named Eliza.” He winks at Nathanial.

“Sure, no problem. Whenever you are ready.” He laughs.

The three of us go back downstairs and say our goodbyes. This is yet another amazing evening spent with Nathanial McCord that I shall never forget! I’m so excited to see what the following months shall bring us. I only hope it is half as good as Christmas and New Years has been. This is better than any dream or movie, I think to myself. I know it’s not movie though, because this will not have a happy ending, but for now, I’ve decided to just go with it and enjoy it while I can. I don’t ever want this to end, but I do not ever want anything to harm Nathanial. I vow to protect him for as long as I am near, for as long as he will allow me continue to be a part of his life.

***

“Luke and Eliza really are growing close. They have been talking for hours,”

Nathanial notes.

“I know. Everyone else has left. They’re locked eye to eye and don’t even notice the cleaning crew working around them,” I reply.

Matilda gives me a look that I know; they have a special bond. I only wonder if things can continue to grow once Luke returns to school this week.

“I’ve never seen my brother this interested in anyone before.”

“Do you think it could go somewhere? Mati believes they are a perfect match,” I whisper.

“It could. Luke is very dedicated to everything he’s passionate about, and he looks pretty passionate to me.”

I watch the two kindred spirits bond. “I hope he can handle her secret as well as you’ve handled mine.”

“I think he will. Mom and Dad always raised us to not judge others based on their circumstances, race, or beliefs. Luke is the fairest person I know, always ready to stand up for the outcast.”

After a little longer, Nathanial interrupts Luke and Eliza’s conversation. “Luke, I’m sorry, man, but even the staff has left. I think it may be time to let Eliza go home with her sister. I bet Mom and Dad are wondering what’s taking us so long.”

“You’re probably right.” Luke turns back to Eliza. “I am so glad we met tonight. I hope we can spend more time together before I go back to school.”

“I would like that. Thank you for keeping me company.” Eliza smiles and Luke leans in for a small kiss on the cheek before leaving.

The boys are the last of the mortals to leave. The family invites the sisters to stay and brush up on our vampire history. We get our journals out and look for all notes regarding the Cerberus.

Elijah has spent most of the night researching the murders from the New York area and trying to figure out which ones and how many could be attributed to the Cerberus.

He also spoke at length to the Renata. Elijah has agreed to work with them to keep the peace and protect the secret. He explains to us, “Isaac, Florence, Constance, and I have faced them before in the previous New York riots, before we found you kids. When we found you, everything changed for us. We were living differently than most of our kind, but with you came responsibilities. You have heard some of the stories, but you have never been involved firsthand before. This is not the kind of fight our family is used to. Our fights are usually within ourselves, fighting our natural urges to feed off the mortals. Our biggest fight has always been our civility. Now we were opening up things that have been dormant in us for over a century. We must all be prepared.”

We all agree that something needs to be done to stop the Cerberus; for human sacrifice is not something we can just sit idly by and watch. We’ve only been in Wenham for less than six months but have never had such a life before. We have never found so many mortals to care about. The townspeople are not only the civilians of Wenham, but they are also our friends, and some are like family to us.

We decide in this moment that it’s not an option to allow the Cerberus to come anywhere near Wenham on their killing spree. We know the only option is to prepare for battle, fight them, and win. This will be difficult and training needs to begin immediately. We’ll need help, but we may not be lucky enough to find it. When things become difficult like this is when I miss Caspian the most. He was always a great fighter and protector. I can feel our entire family longing for him now. I possibly yearn for his return even more since I saw him in the area only a few short days ago. I just don’t believe anything can bring him back, not even the danger that is upon his family.

We are his family and will always be. I hope one day soon he will realize we can help him and that he will join us again.

“We must begin training and preparing. I think Danika is in the most danger here.

Wait...where is she? Does anyone know where Danika is?” Isaac questions.

“Now that you mention it, I don’t recall seeing her when we gathered in the library before midnight. Actually, the last I remember seeing her was when she was greeting our guests,” Matilda says with a hint of panic.

“I cannot reach her. I do not sense her anywhere near us. She must be far if I am not able to link with her mind,” Alexander confirms.

“You don’t think….?” Florence begins to panic.

Once again that girl is driving me batty. We need to find her and begin our training, to ensure our battle is won and Wenham remains safe forever. We finally have a life and I intend on living it to the fullest, for as long as I can. After more than a century, I have found friendship, and love. I have found my other half and am finally complete.

Coming September 2011

Book Two of the Embrace Series

Forbidden Embrace

Sneak Preview

Forbidden Embrace

Chapter One

Clubbing

I decide to do a quick journal entry before leaving for the big New Year’s party at Club VC. It has been a very eventful week. I have been spotted by at least two of my former family members. While doing a checkup on my family, I noticed Danika, the newest member of the family, conversing with a member of the Cerberus. They were making plans to celebrate the New Year at Club VC together. Young Danika still remains unaware of who she is dealing with. It appears the family is unaware of her power to block others. This is how Danika is able to keep her secrets. This is only a little tidbit I learned at the club. I’m not even sure if she is aware of her power yet.

I am concerned about Sophia seeing me in the park a little more than a week ago. I know that girl. She is as stubborn as a mule, and she will not give up on me. I need to be more careful now that Sophia is aware of my presence. I am sure she has divulged the information to the family by now. I expect her to look for me.

It’s getting late. I should get ready and head for the club, in case Danika does go there. I want to keep an eye on her and keep her out of too much trouble. I have been attempting to disguise myself so Danika will not recognize me from pictures and the Cerberus will not recognize me if they have seen me around.

***

Walking into the club, I look around for familiar faces–either Danika or the guy she has been meeting with. I find a few of the cult members I met during my previous visit here.

“Hey, Caspian. It’s nice to see you back here,” greets Cyrus.

I look at the older vampire who had welcomed me nights earlier. “Hi, Cyrus.

Thanks. It is good to be back. Please call my Cas. I feel so free here, no hiding,” I respond with little truth.

“Are you up for a drink?” He points to the bar.

“Sure. That’s why I am here. I am always up for a little fun.”

He leads me through the thick crowd of dancing vampires to the pounding tunes blaring from the speakers. Hundreds of rebellious vampires fill the club; some appear to be fresh out of the wastelands. I notice cages occupied by very attractive young vampires, scantily dressed. Tight leather and small tops appear to be the ensemble of choice. I could never understand how women can walk in heels that high. Many of the patrons are very interesting to look at, especially the ones with crazy hairstyles in an array of odd and unnatural colors. I start to think how much fun the club seems to be.

Unfortunately, I know what types of vampires the owners are.

“You wanna tap or shot?” Cyrus asks when we reach the bar.

I look at the bar and see a young woman lying there. The vampires walk up to her and bite her in various spots, enjoying a drink from the poor soul that is barely alive.

“Let’s try a shot,” I respond, attempting to remain collected.

“Hey bartender, two shots please!” Cyrus shouts.

The bartender turns to the back of the bar, where a man lies motionless except for the shallow breathing movements of his chest. There is a type of intravenous needle in his carotid artery. The bartender grabs two shot glass in one hand and holds them to the needle cap. He opens the cap and drains the man’s blood into the glasses, which he then hands to us. “Here you go boys. Enjoy.”

“Cheers!” We clang glasses and take the shot.

I can’t help but wonder what happens to the “donors.” “I have to ask, how on Earth do you get the donors, and what do you do with them once they are drained?”

“We find transients, homeless people, addicts, and prostitutes. They are promised a good meal and a night of partying at a hot V.I.P club. Once we get them here, we clean them up and feed them. We use a sedative so they do not fight us. Some we Embrace, and others we throw back in the streets. The ones we Embrace become our cage dancers. This is our way of keeping control of them until they learn some discipline and won’t get themselves destroyed,” Cyrus explains. “You should go mingle with some of the others a little. We are always looking for new members that have eternal experience.”

“Thank you. I will,” I reply before I begin to roam the club.

I continue to look around and inspect the place. I did not get to see much last time I was here, so tonight is the time to familiarize myself. As I look up to the balconies above, I see Danika, the little brat. She is with the same vampire that has been trying so hard to recruit her. It looks as if the upstairs area is where the top cult members party.

Even with my impeccable hearing, I cannot zone in on what they are talking about over the crowd and music. I need to find a way to get invited upstairs. At least now I know where she is so I can keep an eye on her for my family’s sake.

***

Danika has been here for a while now, and I continue to mingle as I keep a watchful eye on her. I notice her walking down the stairs and decide to test my disguise. I walk toward her and advertently collide with her, making it look like an accident. “Oh!

Please excuse me.”

“No worries. My name is Danika, this is my first time here,” she replies, proving she does not recognize me.

“Nice to meet you. I am Cas.”

“Well, Cas, I hope to see you again. It is time for me to leave. I have a little travel ahead of me,” she explains.

“I understand. Sunrise will be upon us soon. I think they’ll be clearing the place out soon. Have a great rest. Maybe we will run into each other again,” I say as we both leave the club.

Raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Charlotte enjoyed swimming, singing (although not so great at it) and writing her thoughts down. She never shared her passion for writing with anyone, and it got put on the back burner. As Charlotte grew, she found a new passion in medicine; she became the athletic trainer for her high school men's basketball team. Helping the team through their injuries are some of her best memories as a teen.

Charlotte has a strong passion for young adult novel especially those in the paranormal or dark fantasy genres.

http://charlotteblackwell.blogspot.com/

Look for the next two releases in the Embrace Series Forbidden Embrace

Mystic Embrace

September 1, 2011

November 1, 2011