“And if Cecilia’s army attacks us?” another asked. Kalel had filled me in on the female vampire equivalent of my grandfather.
“Then it will be considered self-defense.” I frowned. It was as if these vampeens were looking for an excuse to fight, which didn’t sit well with me. “I want the oldest vampeen in this room to stand up.”
A blond male with ivory skin and deep brown eyes stood up. He crossed his arms in front of his chest; his feet were planted shoulder-width apart. He glowered at me.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“If you did your homework, then you’d know it.”
“How old are you?” I countered, ignoring his jab.
“Five hundred twenty-six.” His tone was anything but friendly, despite indulging me with an answer.
“Tell me, through your eyes, what have you seen over the years?”
“What’s your point?”
“How many times have you seen history repeat itself?” He stared at me, protecting his cards. “How many wars have been fought and won, yet the initiator, the prime reason for the war, still exists in some form today? For instance, the Civil War. It was a dirty war that began over slavery. Afterwards, slavery was no longer recognized; however, blacks were still treated the same. Fast-forward a hundred years, and slavery is still not recognized and you still have your core group of people who look down on the race over something they can’t change: their skin color. Am I correct in this assessment?”
He narrowed his eyes, rocking back on his heels. “I’ll agree.”
“Guess what, we’re no different. Vamps are suppressing other vamps over something they can’t change. You can’t change the family you were born into or the genes that created you. Likewise, they didn’t choose to be this way and can’t change it, either. We’re all attacking each other because of a title we didn’t ask for. Even worse, the rebels who hate on the African-American race most of the time have no personal reason to; instead, they are holding onto the same hatred their ancestors instilled in them. But this was their ancestors’ fight, not their own. This is Johanne Euskadi’s fight. This is his hatred, and his personal anguish traveling over generations.”
I scanned the crowd. “How many of you have had a negative personal encounter with a vampire? Raise your hand.” I waited patiently as six hands went up in the air. “Look around at the number of hands in the air: six. I would estimate there are about two thousand present, yet only six have raised their hand. Even if we bump the number up to ten, that is still only half a percent. So half of one percent of the people in this room have a personal reason to feel threatened or to threaten vampires. I’m looking for honesty and understanding here. Why are so many of you involved in this? Why did you join this group?”
“The money,” several offered.
“Hell, yeah. Money makes the world go around,” another added.
“Needed a job,” a couple blurted.
“My dad pushed for it.”
I zoned in on the area those words were spoken from. “Why did you choose to listen to him?”
“Family honor,” the young male admitted. He seemed so young, about the same age as me.
“Would you have chosen this if it wasn’t for his insistence?”
“Probably not.”
“Do you regret your decision?”
“I’m indifferent.” His answers were quick, as if he didn’t stop to think about what he said, which meant he probably hadn’t stopped and thought about what he was doing.
“So you accepted a mediocre position in an army whose mission you truly don’t believe in, but went along with in order to make your father proud?”
“A job’s a job. Money’s money.”
“Not if you sell your soul for it. You’re quick to reply and too nonchalant to have really thought through what you signed up for and what you’ve been doing. Someone once told me that a vampire will always have the upper hand because they act on instinct. Well, we have something that will always trump instinct: heart. Heart and passion go hand in hand. Instinct is irrational, rampant at times, but heart is consistent and focused. So I’m asking you all to figure out what you’ve always wanted to do, aside from murder a hotel full of vampires, and go after it.”
“What’s the catch?” a female threw out from the front row.
“That’s the beauty of it. There isn’t one. Make yourself available for business-related assignments from time to time, and as long as you don’t offensively engage a vampire in combat or conspire or support the revelation of our kind to humans in an effort to live openly among them, then you’re golden. Free to do as you please.”
“To clarify, you’re going to pay us to travel the world doing whatever we want to do as long as we follow those three rules?” The woman was scrutinizing me, trying to pick me apart from her position. It was expected that nothing in life was free. For me, this was a costly move, but one that was worth it if my goal of a peaceful existence could be cultivated.
“That’s correct.” The theatre filled with conversations that melted into one unified hum floating up towards me. “Auggy, a vampeen and member of the High Authorities, is going to take over from here. He’ll answer any further questions you may have. Over the next several days, we will be confirming all contact information. You are not permitted to leave this city until your information has been confirmed. Afterward, you may select direct deposit for ongoing paychecks or provide the address you would like your check to be mailed to once a month. Once you receive your confirmation contract, you’re free to pursue your dreams. I hope you all make your eternity worthwhile.”
I stepped away from the podium and nearly jumped at the applause that filled the room. Not everyone clapped enthusiastically. Many were still skeptical, and I was sure many more were mentally limited by their current craft. Change isn’t easy, but if we want a better life for ourselves, it’s necessary.
Kellan wrapped me into his arms the second I stepped out of view. He pressed his lips to mine, our minds easily meshing. “You’ve never been so sexy, and I’ve never been more proud to have you on my arm.”
I snaked my arms around his neck, hooking him to me. He slid one hand along my lower back, pulling me into him; his other entwined in my hair, angling my head so he could deepen our kiss. His lips caressed mine with confidence.
“Your parents would be so proud of you.”
“I’d like to think so. I just wish doing the right thing was easier.”
“It’s not supposed to be easy; it’s supposed to be rewarding.”
I smiled against him. I kissed a trail along his jawline and down his neck, nipping at his vein.
He groaned. “Not now, babe.” His hips pressed into me, warning me.
“Uh, hum.”
I spun on my heels. “O.M.G. Where? I mean, when did you… No, how did you get here?”
Mel and Craig walked to us, hand in hand. “Kai wouldn’t shut up about how epic this is for our kind and blah, blah, blah, all because of you. I’m mega-disappointed that I didn’t see any sexy gladiators in loincloths, though. I mean, there have to be a few of them out there from that era.” Her blond locks hung over her shoulders, framing her beautiful face. She smiled wide. “Bible, Lex, you did an amazing job. I don’t know of anyone who could have commanded that audience the way you did. You were born to do this, and I know that now better than ever.”
“Stop. You’re gonna make me cry, and I just fed this morning.”
She unlinked her hand from Craig’s and stretched out her arms towards me. I fell into her arms, squeezing her tight. She pressed with equal strength against me.
“Hey, mates. Don’t flatten each other out. We men like your curves.” Mel and I pulled back. She held onto one of my hands, swinging it like when we were younger. “Reality, Lex, you did a bomb stellar job out there. I’m proud of you, love.”
I felt my cheeks warm. “Thanks.”
“I have an idea. How about we celebrate with one your cakes, Lex?” Mel s
uggested, her eyes alight at the idea.
“How is that a celebration for me?”
“Beats me, but I sure as heck want some. I so don’t know what I was thinking as a human. I’m so glad you agreed to try the whole bakery business thing, Lex. You’re going to rake in millions from the vamp world. Gabi’s planning to call you about catering her and Jack’s official wedding; well, the wedding in front of their friends, anyway. She wants a huge array of desserts, and with Jack’s connections, you’re going to have a humongous customer base; I’m sure of it.”
She put her arm around my shoulder and led me towards the exit. I reached my hand back in search of Kellan. He slid his hand into mine, laughing as Mel continued to sell me on catering the wedding. She didn’t relent, either. I heard it the entire way home. Several thousand miles of nothing but her chitchatting about the same thing in circles. I thought Drexel was going to deck her at one point. Oh, Mel.
Chapter 35
2 months later…
The past two months had been nonstop. Running my grandfather’s three businesses plus my bakery while taking the GED prep course and managing an entire army of vamps was exhausting. The High Authorities took over the majority of the operational agendas for the vampeen guard, but I still had to sign off on everything and maintain a level of involvement. Thank God I was a vampeen because I wouldn’t have been able to keep up as a human.
For the businesses, luckily, I’d found some key people to step in as chiefs of operations, but that wasn’t until this past week. All the nonstop going had taken a toll on me. I was requiring beyond the usual couple hours a night of sleep most vampeens needed. When I slept a full eight hours one night, though, that’s when I knew I needed to see the doctor.
***
“Are you sure?” I wrung my hands, overwhelmed by the idea.
“Positive.” Dr. H continued making notes on my chart.
“I…I mean…” I sighed. “We were so careful.”
He stopped and looked up at me. His eyes held nothing but kindness, despite not understanding. “Lexi, I’ve been around for hundreds of years, and abstinence is the only concrete protection available. Coincidentally, I’ve also learned that there are no accidents.”
Tears finally welled up. I’d managed to hold back until this point. “What about my little electricity thing?”
“I’ll need to run some more tests. The protective barrier of the embryonic sac for a vamp is much stronger than for a pure human child, but I’m not certain of the limitations under the circumstances. My advice would be to avoid it, regardless of the effects it may possibly have.”
He handed me a black and white pamphlet containing a rundown of what to expect. “In the meantime, you may need to eat human food more regularly. In fact, it’s not uncommon for pregnant vampeens to give up their blood cravings while pregnant.” He stared at me, probably at the dumbfounded expression I knew was on my face. He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Take it day by day, and please take it easy on the vamp assignments. You know how to reach me if you need anything.”
I numbly shook my head. All I could think about was how I was going to explain this to Kellan. We had above-normal responsibilities and we had better-than-normal young adult financials, but we were still teens. We were still growing up ourselves. The last thing I’d expected was to become a teen mom. You read the statistics, hear the stories, but somehow feel invincible, like it’ll never happen to you.
“Lexi?” I glanced up at Dr. H. His brows were furrowed, his lips pursed as he watched me. “Are you alright?”
I nodded once. Tucking the paper in my pocket, I slid down off the table. “Um, thanks.”
He offered me a small smile before holding the door open for me. “I want you to come back in a week. We’ll do some scans to make sure everything is okay, and we’ll check on the sac at that time, too. I’m guessing by his absence, you’ll need the time to tell Kellan.”
“Yeah.” My voice was barely above a whisper.
“Marianne will set everything up for you. Take care, Lexi.” He passed my chart to the older woman.
I made the appointment, accepted the reminder card and a gift bag. I quickly escaped to Drexel’s car; he’d loaned it to me for the day. I sank into the front seat, punched the key in, and turned the ignition. I immediately switched on all the security functions to be protected as I sat there. I was awestruck. I’d expected a diet adjustment, an activity change, an explanation or solution to my extreme fatigue other than what I’d received. How was I going to explain this to Aunt Claire, to Kellan and his parents?
The tears that had welled up in the office finally cascaded down over my cheeks. I peered down at my stomach. It showed no signs of pregnancy…yet.
I sat silently with my thoughts. One thing I was certain of: I refused to bring my baby into this world as it was. I was young, but I wasn’t without power. I had the ability to change things, to make an impact, and I was on my way to doing just that already.
I drove back to the condo. Kellan was still out with Craig when I arrived. I walked around the house, stopping and staring into the bedroom that I was certain would become the nursery. It was directly next to the master bedroom and was labeled a bonus room. It was the only room we hadn’t touched. It was as if everyone had a sixth sense for what was coming.
The empty room allowed me to envision a design. The lone large window in the space would adorn curtains with a gliding rocker beside it. Next to the rocker, on the back wall, would be the crib with a changing table attached to it. A dresser or armoire and bookshelf would be on the opposite wall. I could picture a mix of cool colors and dark colors for a boy and warmer colors with pops of bright accents for a girl.
My phone ringing in the distance carried me back to the present. I checked the screen. It was Kellan.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey. My mom wants us to stop by later.” He sounded a bit hesitant.
“And?” I prompted.
He chuckled. “And she wanted to see if you would bring one of your desserts.”
I smiled. Bloody Bakes had really taken off. I’d already required a blood contract with the Bladangs. Drexel and Sanders had pitched in to help me keep up with orders at times. At least I had a valid career to pass on for the baby, and a bit more stability and purpose. It helped that I enjoyed doing it, too.
“Anything in particular?”
“Nope.”
“Okay. I’ll throw something together. Did you want me to pick you up or is Craig dropping you off?”
“He’ll drop me off at my parents.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you there later, then.”
“Sounds good. Be safe. I love you.”
“Love you, too.” My hand absently slid to my lower stomach, caressing what our love had created. Will! “And now you must move in, and you and Kellan create what you’re supposed to here.” He’s so sneaky! I chuckled to myself over the realization.
I hung up, placed my phone back on the counter, and stared at the kitchen. Recipe ideas flipped through my mind. Idly I wondered if I ought to tell them all tonight at the same time, or tell Kellan alone later. Was it a rule to tell the baby’s daddy before anyone else? I began pulling out ingredients for a devil’s food cake.
Drexel and Sanders came into the kitchen.
“Did you get a new order in already?” Drexel asked. I’d already baked before I left for my doctor’s appointment in the morning.
“I haven’t checked. This is for Kellan’s parents.”
“What are you making this time?” Sanders watched as I added the ingredients one by one into the mixer. I’d learned his first name was Samuel, but he practically chewed your head off if you called him by it.
“Devil’s food cake.”
Drexel studied me closely. We’d grown close over the past couple months. He was the first to tell me that I needed to rest, that I needed to slow down, and lastly that I needed to go to the doctor. He’d noticed a change in me that even Kellan hadn’t
yet, or at least he hadn’t voiced it.
I avoided eye contact with him, focusing on the ingredients blending in the bowl.
“Talk,” he ordered. “What did the doctor say?”
“I can’t tell you yet.”
“Want me to kick him out?” He nodded towards Sanders. Sanders punched Drexel’s upper arm.
I chuckled. “No. It’s not that. I’ll tell you when I get back tonight.”
“I’m holding you accountable.”
“I know,” I droned.
“We’re going to walk around downtown. You want to come with us?” Sanders sidled up to me.
“That’s okay. I’m just going to bake for now. Thanks for asking, though.”
“Sure thing, baby cakes.”
I burst into laughter. “You need to rein him in, Drex.”
“I’m trying. He’s not exactly easily controlled.” Drexel gazed at Sanders, emotions passing between them.
“Well, you two have fun on your walk. I’m leaving when I’m done, so don’t panic if I’m not here when you get back.”
“Call me if you need me.” Drexel kissed my cheek.
“Call me if you need me,” Sanders chimed in. He copied Drexel by kissing my other cheek.
I rolled my eyes. “’Bye, guys.”
An hour and a half later I stared down at my creation. I’d made a layered chocolate cake with raspberry blood between each thin sheet. The outside was covered in a bloody cream cheese frosting that carried hints of vanilla; the blood with the white cream cheese created a pretty pink coating. I added a bit of detail to the edges before I found myself mixing a batch of chocolate frosting. I was going to do it. Before I could second-guess myself, I wrote the words that would change all our lives.
***
Beth met me at the front door, greeting me with a hug after she secured the covered dessert. “How are you doing, sweetie?”
“Good.” I grinned, staring at the transport container.
“Good.” Her eyes went to the oversized Tupperware in her hand. “I can’t wait to break open this puppy. By the shape, I’m guessing it’s a cake.” She closed the door behind me.
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