by Amanda Carol
“I don’t sense any more vampires,” I tell him.
He shoots me a look. “And I don’t either. I’ve got this, baby. Go.”
Hunter pecks my lips and goes back to handling the dead vampire bodies.
I feel an arm around my shoulders and look to find Dani standing next to me. She gives me a small smile and we pile into the Jeep.
We all ate and took turns showering. Since I was the last one, I took a little longer than everyone else. I forgot how chilly it could get at night on the east coast. It’s closer to autumn, and while it may still feel like summer during the day, at night the temperature drops drastically. So I’m glad that I packed leggings and long-sleeved shirts. Well, Abby packed while I sulked.
When I walk down the steps, I see pictures hanging on the wall. Family photos and pictures of Dani and Zach as kids. A prom photo with a blonde-haired boy and Dani. There’s a high school graduation picture of that same boy with Haylee, Dani, Zach, and what I assume to be their parents. There’s one of Kyler and Dani and then another with the four of them together. They all look happy and loved. I start to feel a sadness creep in, an emotion I haven’t let myself feel in over three years.
I miss my parents, and I’d give anything to feel their arms wrapped around me, even if it’s just one more time. I rub my arms as I make my way down into the kitchen. Hunter is sitting on a stool at the counter laughing with everyone. All eyes turn to me as I walk into the room.
“Hey, baby.” Hunter opens his arms and I go into them willingly.
I kiss his cheek and rest my head on his shoulder.
“Feeling better?” he asks.
I nod my head, then glance out the sliding glass door and see a pool with some lounge chairs. I feel like being alone for a few minutes to gather myself. Grieving for my parents isn’t something that I’m used to. Whenever I felt the sadness from losing them start to wash over me before, I always took a run or lost myself in something other than my own thoughts.
“Would it be okay if I went outside?” I ask out loud to no one in particular.
“Sure. Make yourself at home,” Dani answers.
She tilts her head to the side as she watches me open the screen door and close it behind me. I walk across the deck and down the steps to the pool area and sit on a lounge chair, bringing my knees to my chest. I’ve always liked being around water. I find it soothing.
I lift my hand up and use my power to play with the pool water. I raise my hand and little droplets of water rise into the air; the pool light makes them sparkle.
“Whoa, that’s so cool.”
I jump at the sound of Dani’s voice, and the water rains back into the pool.
“Sorry. We didn’t mean to scare you,” Haylee says, coming over and taking a seat on the chair at my left side.
Dani takes the one on the right, and we sit in silence for a few moments. The only noise is the sound of the pool water lapping up against the walls.
“How are you doing?” Haylee breaks the silence. “Benny told us that something bad happened to you. He said you were having a hard time with it, and that’s what brought you guys here.”
“Oh, did he now?” I reply, a little harsher than I intended.
“Don’t be mad at him. He cares a lot about you. He’s just trying to help,” Dani says.
I tug my knees closer, feeling the tears welling up in my eyes. No matter how much I try to fight it, some just slip free.
I suck in a calming breath. “I know.” I lift my head up and wipe away a stray tear. “I was tortured by this vampire, the original vampire. Her name is Isabella.”
The girls gasp, but wait for me to continue.
“The vampire she’s working with, Ronan, killed my parents. Declan and I always thought it was a random attack, but now I’m not so sure.”
The girls don’t say anything. They just sit there and patiently wait for me to keep going.
“Isabella told me something before she left me bleeding in that warehouse. And I don’t know what to do with that information, because it affects everyone I love. How do you tell people that the person that they thought they knew turns out to be a villain instead of a hero?”
I watch as Haylee and Dani exchange a look, then Dani moves to sit in front of me on the lounge chair.
“I can’t even begin to imagine what you went through in that warehouse. But I can tell you this.” She pauses and takes in a deep breath as she reaches for Haylee’s hand. “A few years ago, I lost my first love in a car accident. We had been together since we were kids and we planned on forever together. That night, we were going to celebrate my early acceptance into UPenn, but he never made it home.”
I stare at her and hear Haylee sniffle next to me.
“I pushed everyone away. My brother, my best friend…everyone.” She gives Haylee’s hand a gentle squeeze as she continues. “I failed to realize that it wasn’t just me who lost Emmett. Zach lost his best friend, Haylee lost her brother, and both of our parents lost a son. I didn’t talk to anyone about anything, and I ran. I couldn’t handle that pain, and I left everyone behind.” Her eyes flick to the house, and she smiles to herself. “Finally, I came home, and that’s when I met Kyler. It took me a while, but I finally opened up, and I told him everything. It felt good. It wasn’t just that I got it off my chest, but I also learned that sometimes it’s okay to ask for help.”
I gape at her. I’m doing exactly what she did. I’m shutting everyone out. And I don’t want to do that anymore.
“Aria, can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer. Just something to think about," Haylee asks.
I watch as she wipes tears from her eyes before nodding for her to continue.
“You said that Isabella told you something that could affect everyone you love, but what happens to them if you don’t say anything?” Haylee stands and stretches. “I’m sorry, but if you’ll excuse me, ladies, I really have to pee.” She places her hand on my shoulder. “It hurts like hell now, but trust us, it does get better.”
She gives me a small smile before walking back up into the house.
“She’s right, you know,” Dani says, placing her hand over mine. “Losing Em, it wrecked me. There was a time that I thought things weren’t going to get better, that I wasn’t going to move on and be happy. But one day, something came over me and I made that phone call to my brother, and the rest is history.”
Tears start to fill in my eyes again. “I feel like I’ve been broken ever since my parents died. Isabella just shattered what was already cracked.”
Dani leans forward and wraps her arms around me. “Listen, Aria, there is no timetable for your stages of grief. We all deal with it differently, but don’t make the same mistakes I made.” She pulls away. “I should’ve leaned on the people who were there for me trying to help instead of pushing them away. Talk to Hunter. I can tell he cares deeply for you. Let him help you.”
I blink away the tears. Just then, I hear the sliding door open. I don’t need to turn around to know that it’s Hunter. I can sense his presence whenever he’s near.
Dani looks up, and a smile forms on her lips as she lowers her voice. “Maybe if I had done that, I wouldn’t have missed out on time with my brother, Haylee, and my family. Nothing is promised. I think we both know that after what we have been through. Don’t waste it.”
“Sorry to interrupt, ladies,” Hunter says as he approaches us.
Dani gets up from the lounge chair and starts to walk back inside.
“Dani,” I call out to her and she turns to look at me. “Thank you.”
She nods, then continues back up into the house.
“Aria, Declan is on the phone for you,” Hunter says.
I give him a small smile as I take the phone from him. I feel the familiar tug in my mind, and I open the link.
You okay? he asks.
I nod. He kisses my head, and I put the phone up to my ear as he walks back into the house.
“Hello?” I ask.
Hearing Declan’s voice causes me to sag back into the lounge chair. A sense of relief washes over me and causes me to tear up again.
“Hey, big brother,” I reply.
We’re twins, but he was born a minute before me, a fact he never lets me forget. As much as the nickname bugs me sometimes, it’s our thing.
“Hunter told me you guys had a run-in with some vamps earlier,” Declan says, and I hear a door open and close on his end. “Sorry. Ciera and Bennett are here. We were about to start watching a movie. It’s Ciera’s night to pick, and she chose Lion King.” He chuckles into the phone. “That girl really loves Disney.”
I laugh. “Didn’t you cry during that movie?”
I recall that every time that movie would play, he would sneak off during the scene where Scar kills Mufasa. He hates that scene.
“I did no such thing,” he says.
I chuckle.
“So, how are you doing? Still mad at me?” he asks.
When he told me how they planned to drug me yesterday, I was furious with him. But, thinking back, I realize that he made the decision that he thought was best. Even though I had already decided to open up, this gave me the push I needed, because I don’t think I would have told anyone yet if I was still back in New Orleans.
“No. I’m not mad at you. I mean, I get why you did it,” I say. “How are things back in New Orleans? How is everyone?”
“Everyone is good. Abby and Luna wish you well.”
Declan also told me that Luna and Abby went to the coast for a few days on their annual beach trip before the summer ended. When we still lived here in Maryland, we would always take the trip together. Declan had to stay home for football practice because they started that up before the school year.
“I forgot to mention that Zayne went with them to the beach by the way. Abby and Z are a thing now,” he tells me.
I listen as my brother fills me in on everything that’s going on back home.
“Bennett is annoying the shit out of me and keeps interrupting me and Ciera.”
I scrunch my nose. I’m all too familiar with Bennett’s awful timing.
“I won’t go into detail—”
“Please don’t,” I interrupt.
He laughs. “Ah, there she is. Anyway, life is pretty boring down in the bayou without you. Kat and Grace were here last night. They were trying to teach us how to play Dungeons and Dragons. It’s actually a pretty fun game. Benny hates it, which gives me great joy.”
I lean back and smile as I listen to him ramble.
“It should ease that mind of yours that there is nothing going on at the moment.”
“That’s good. I’m sure we would have known if anything had happened. I do have a direct line with the pack.” I smile.
“Yeah, yeah, rub it in. Alright, I’m going to get off here before Ciera comes out and drags me back inside by the ear.” He pauses. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I say, wiping a tear from my eye. “Declan?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
If it weren’t for him sending me away, I wouldn’t have learned what I did about myself. Holding things in, keeping it bottled up, doesn’t help anyone. I would have lost so much if he hadn’t done what he did, when he did it.
“I’ll see you soon, little sis,” is all he says in response.
And with that, he hangs up the phone.
I bite my bottom lip as I stare into the water again. This trip has helped me overcome the darkness that’s built itself inside me ever since the night my parents died. Getting up from the chair, I make my way back inside.
Hunter looks over at me from the stool in the kitchen. “Everything okay?”
I look around and notice that the room is empty.
“Everyone went to bed. It’s been a long night for all of us,” he explains.
“Oh, okay. Yeah, everything is fine. Can we go to bed?” I ask, suddenly feeling extremely tired.
Hunter stands up, pushes the chair in, and holds his hand out for me. I take it, and he leads me upstairs to the guest room. We crawl into bed and I snuggle up next to him, resting my head on his chest.
“Hunter?” I say into the darkness. “I know you have the key to my old house. Can you take me home?”
I feel his fingers on my chin, and he tilts my face up, brushing his lips against mine.
“If that’s what you want,” he whispers. His eyes glow softly in the dark room.
“It is,” I whisper back.
He kisses me once more, then pulls the blanket up over us. And for the first night since I was captured, I drift off to a peaceful sleep.
The smell of coffee and cinnamon pull me from my sleep. I open my eyes, and the clock on the nightstand reads twelve in the afternoon. I roll over to find that the spot next to me is empty. But before I start to wonder where Hunter is, the door opens and he walks in the room.
“Good morning, baby.” He sits on the bed in front of me.
“Technically, it’s the afternoon,” I reply.
He laughs. “Touché.”
He reaches out and cups my cheek. Leaning into his touch, I close my eyes, realizing what today is, and what it means for me. And there’s no one else that I would want by my side as I do this.
“You don’t have to do this,” he murmurs. “We’re here, but the decision is yours.”
“I know.”
I remember our earlier conversation. I agreed that I would come back, but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go back home, to remember our last moment as a family. The thing is, though, if I don’t do it now, I know I never will.
“Everyone is downstairs. Come down when you’re ready.” Hunter gets up, but I grab his arm and pull him to me.
His eyes flash a brilliant blue as I grab his face and kiss him. I deepen the kiss and taste cinnamon. My eyes pop open and I pull away from him, quirking a brow.
“Why do you taste like cinnamon?” I ask.
He smirks, flashing me his dimples. “Dani made cinnamon rolls. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but they are so much better than my mom’s chocolate chip cookies. And you know how I feel about chocolate chip cookies.” He closes his eyes and has a dreamy look on his face. “Seriously. I'm going to ask her if she’ll make me some for the drive home.”
“Hunter!” I laugh and shove him off me, grabbing my suitcase. I open it up and pull out skinny jeans, a tank and a cardigan.
“What? I love sweets.” His eyes flash again as he slowly checks me out.
I flush, feeling that look all the way down to my core. Hunter blinks, and the moment’s over.
“I’ll let you get dressed.” He gets up from the bed and leaves me alone in the room.
I let out a harsh breath, and quickly change into my clothes. I fold my sleep clothes up, place them in my suitcase, and walk down to the kitchen.
“Morning, Aria,” Dani chirps from the stove. “Would you like a cinnamon roll?”
“If she doesn’t want it, I’ll eat it for her.” Hunter winks at me.
“You’ve already had four,” Kyler says from the table.
“He’s a wolf, Ky. He needs the sustenance.” Haylee fluffs Hunter’s hair, and he swats her hand away.
If I didn’t know she was engaged to Zach and having a baby, I might have been slightly annoyed that she touched my man’s hair.
“Is that true?” Zach asks.
“We do have a much bigger appetite than humans. I’ve eaten two ribeye steaks and a burger in one sitting before.” Hunter laughs, patting his stomach.
I’m amazed that he can eat that much and still look like a god.
“That’s it?” Dani asks, eyebrows raised.
Hunter shrugs. “I had a small salad before that.”
“When I first met them, I watched Bennett eat two full plates of food,” I say, and all eyes turn to me.
“Now that doesn’t surprise me,” Kyler says. “You remember
that day in the Quarter when we met up with you guys for lunch? I swear he ordered the whole menu.”
“Yeah, and who was it that dared him to eat the super-hot wings?” Haylee asks, walking over and sitting on Zach’s lap at the table.
Zach raises his hand. “That would be me.”
“Yeah, thanks for that by the way,” Hunter chuckles. “I had to deal with that when we got back to the Compound.”
“I would say I’m sorry, but—” Zach drawls.
Everyone laughs. I look over at Dani, and we both shrug.
“One of these days, babe, we will take a trip back to New Orleans, and you can meet Benny,” Kyler says to Dani.
“But if he hits on you, we can sic Haylee on him,” Zach says as Haylee lifts her arm up and flexes.
“I got you, babe.” Haylee winks at Dani.
“I can’t wait,” Dani laughs, but the smile doesn’t reach her eyes.
They must have taken the trip without her. Now that I think about it, she did say she ran away. They must have visited when she was away.
“Yeah, and you guys can meet my brother, Declan,” I say, trying to lift her spirits up.
“Sounds like a good plan to me.” Haylee springs up from Zach’s lap. “Crap, we have to go! We have that…thing to get to.”
Kyler raises a curious brow at them as they rush out the door.
I feel the tug and open the link.
Doctor’s appointment for the baby, Hunter tells me.
“They are probably rushing to have sex,” Kyler says as the front door shuts.
I giggle.
“Gah!” Dani covers her ears, making Kyler chuckle. “Anyway, what are you guys up to today?”
Hunter looks at me. “We are going to go to Frederick in a bit.”
Dani looks between me and Hunter and nods, as if understanding what that means. “Okay, cool. Are you guys coming back here tonight?”
“Not sure yet, but we’ll text you,” Hunter responds.
“Sounds good. Ky and I will be here. It’s movie night, and since it’s his turn to pick, he’s making me suffer through Office Space again.” Dani smiles.
Hunter nods his head in approval. “Good movie.”
