The Next Generation (Conversion Book 4)

by S. C. Stephens

  I yawned. “Good mor…ning…”

  Dad and Julian chuckled at my answer, and I shook my head again. Normal families waited until they actually saw each other to talk to one other, right? My family had a lot of closed-doors conversations.

  And as I turned on the water to the shower, those conversations resumed. Dad switched from Julian’s comment yesterday to Julian’s fighting Friday. “If he comes up to you again, just walk away, okay? There’s too much at stake for you to start something with a human.”

  Julian sighed, his mood resigned. “Yeah, I know.”

  Dad added, “And please, try to stay away from his girlfriend. I know it’s hard, but if she’s with him, then she shouldn’t be with you.”

  Julian didn’t say anything to Dad’s comment, but I did. Under my breath, I murmured, “Amen to that.”

  Julian didn’t hear my barely-there speech with the noise from the water—our vampire ears just weren’t enhanced enough to pick up the slight sound amongst the noise. Dad heard me just fine, though. “Nika,” he warned.

  “Sorry.” I rolled my eyes as I washed my hair. Yeah, most families didn’t have conversations in the shower, I was sure.

  By the time I joined my family downstairs, it was nearly time to go. Mom shoved a piece of toast at me, telling me to, “Eat something,” while she sipped on her blood cocktail. I grudgingly took the toast, even though I really wanted a glass of what she had, instead of a hard piece of bread in my dry mouth.

  Mom’s brown eyes watched me as she tipped back her drink. After swallowing it, she examined how much was left in the glass, then handed it to me. My spirits brightened instantly as her chilly hand pressed the warm cup into mine. “Here, I’m full, you can have it.”

  As Mom wiped her mouth, I tipped the glass back. My fangs dropped as soon as the tangy goodness hit my tongue. It was fresh from the ranch, a new batch that we’d brought back with us, and it was incredible. I might not need it like my mom and dad, but I thoroughly enjoyed it when I got it.

  Having downed it too fast, I burped up an air bubble when I was done. Julian smirked at me. “Nice, Nick. Real ladylike.”

  Fangs still extended, I gave him a quick “bite me” hiss. Playing along, Julian dropped his fangs and growled at me. He’d been working on perfecting that deep, throaty growl that Dad had, the kind that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. He was getting pretty good at it, too, and a shiver went through me. Feeling a little out of my league, I pulled my fangs back up. Julian immediately started laughing.

  “Stop it, you two, we need to get going,” Mom scolded, zipping upstairs to get the rest of her stuff.

  Dad, casually sipping on his blood, watched her leave, then looked over at Julian. Baring his fangs in a terrifying, threatening way, Dad rumbled a low growl that vibrated deep inside my chest. It made my tiny hiss and Julian’s little rumble pale in comparison. I had to rub my arm to calm the goosebumps that popped up. Dad winked at us when he was done. “That’s how you do it, son.”

  Mom blurred back into the room and almost smacked Dad’s arm before stopping herself. “Quit teaching them bad manners.” She twisted back to me as Dad smiled and slid his arm around her waist. “You guys ready?”

  Shoving the toast into my mouth, I nodded. Julian stood up and looped his backpack over his shoulder. While his mood was mainly amused, thanks to Dad’s little display, he was also suffering from a mild case of nerves. Whether that was about seeing Russell at school or about seeing Raquel, I had no idea. I rubbed his back sympathetically either way.

  We all piled into Dad’s car, and he dropped us off at Starla’s house so she could take us to school and he could continue on to work with Mom. Starla opened the door wearing lounge pants and an almost see-through tank top. A part of me wanted to cover Julian’s eyes…and Dad’s. His gaze was staying firmly focused on her face though. “So, you’ll pick them up on time today…like we talked about?”

  Starla shrugged as she stretched, not seeming to care too much about what she and Dad had talked about over the weekend. “Sure thing, V.B.”

  Dad shook his head at Starla’s nickname for him, then turned to us. “Have a good day at school, kids.” He kissed my head. “Good luck on your homework, Nika.” Waving at Julian, he headed back to the car to Mom. She was leaning through the open window, watching him jog toward her. Dad slowed as he approached her, then ducked his head through the window to give her a quick kiss. Mom was giggling as he trotted around to the driver’s side.

  Starla groaned as she opened the front door for us to come inside. “God, those two are still sickeningly sappy.” Glancing back at my brother and me, she murmured, “I hope the two of you don’t end up like them. I might have to stake myself.”

  Julian looked over at me and rolled his eyes as Starla turned away from us. Striding into the living room, her walk sultry, Starla plopped down on the couch. Jacen walked into the room as she sat down. Glass of blood in hand, he looked between his girlfriend and us. Remembering that I saw him shirtless a few days ago made my face heat. Feeling my embarrassment, Julian grinned and looked away. Damn bond.

  “Uh, Starla, sweetheart…aren’t you forgetting something?” Jacen turned to Starla, who was examining her nails on the couch.

  She peeked up at him, flicked her eyes down his body, then smirked. “No, I’m pretty sure I took care of that this morning.”

  If an undead vampire could still blush, I was sure Jacen would have turned bright red. Instead, he immediately looked away from her and took a quick sip of blood. Starla chuckled, while Julian and I glanced at each other.

  Jacen was a lot more reserved than Starla, and her risqué comments usually made him seem mortified. But as he peeked back at her with the corner of his eye, I wondered if he actually enjoyed her provocative talk. I tried not to think too hard about it, since these two were sort of family to me.

  Swallowing his drink, Jacen glanced at us. “Shouldn’t you be getting them to school?” Fangs extended, he looked back at Starla. “They’ll be tardy again.”

  Starla rested her spiky hair back on the couch and sighed. While she seemed liked she’d just gotten out of bed, her hair and makeup were flawless. Of course, she hated not looking her best, so she’d probably slept that way. “They’ll be fine. I need to work on this hang nail.”

  She resumed working on her nails, and Julian and I both dropped our bags to the floor. Procrastinating was nothing new when it came to Starla. Jacen set down his glass and walked up behind her. It really seemed like Jacen was Starla’s brother. They looked so much alike, or had, at least, when Starla was a lot younger. But Jacen wasn’t related to her, and was, in fact, quite older than her, and his power and influence were clear when he approached her and put his hands on her shoulders. Leaning down, he whispered, “Gabriel wouldn’t want you to make them wait.”

  Starla glared up at him, annoyed. Jacen shrugged, and she sighed and stood up. “Fine,” she muttered, “I guess the nail problem can wait until I get back. I wouldn’t want to disappoint Father.” She strode over to us, snatching her keys from a table in the entryway. “You guys ready?” She didn’t even wait for our response before opening the door and heading outside.

  Used to Starla’s behavior, Julian and I immediately picked up our bags and followed her. Starla did have moments of warmth, but, much like Halina, they were few and far between. Nobody was about to tell either woman that they were similar in that regard though; they hated being compared to one another.

  Jacen waved as we left. “Have fun at school, guys.”

  Starla took us down side streets to get to school, so we ended up not driving past the hot neighbor’s house. It made me a little sad; I was dying to catch another glimpse of him. We’d driven past his house on the way home from the ranch last night, but we hadn’t seen anyone, and the moving truck had been gone. I had to believe he and his dad were busy putting everything they owned away. Moving sucked. Maybe he would venture outside when he was done unpacking, though,
and then I’d get another peek at him. One good thing about the weather here—it stayed decent well into the fall. That left a lot of time in the next few weeks for outdoor activities. And he’d seemed like the athletic type at first glance. He had a lean enough body anyway.

  I started to smile, thinking about that trim physique, imagining the tight lines that he surely had. I got carried away, thinking about those deep, dark eyes, and had to adjust how I was sitting. Julian, sitting behind me in the back seat, cleared his throat, his mood annoyed. He frowned at me at the same time I frowned at him, and, shaking my head, I tried to clear my mind…and my emotions. I should be more careful with my thoughts. They stirred feelings that I didn’t want to share with Julian, especially since I knew how awkward it was to feel those same feelings coming from him when he fantasized about Raquel. And I shouldn’t be fantasizing about a man who was a stranger anyway. That wasn’t like me.

  Starla pulled up to the front of our school, weaving her way in-between a couple of busses that were letting kids out. Mom and Dad had talked about us taking the bus, but we had begged them to not make us get on one; we’d rather walk. No kids our age used the bus system. Not if they could help it.

  Revving her engine, Starla glanced over at me, then back at Julian. “All right, we’re here…and right on time.” A few kids in the yard looked over at Starla and her flashy car, and some of the guys tossed playful smiles at the hot, older blonde who was playing our mom. Ugh.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, getting out of the car; Julian was a step behind me. Arianna appeared from somewhere inside the crowd and waggled her fingers at me…or at Julian, I really wasn’t sure.

  Looking through the glass at Starla, Arianna smiled and gave her a wave. “Hi, Mrs. Adams.”

  Starla gave her a half-grin and a tepid wave. “It’s Ms. Adams,” she murmured, a little sullenly.

  Once our doors were closed, Starla stepped on the gas and took off. A couple of kids had to back up to not get run over by her. Arianna stepped to my side, frowning. “Your mom is always in such a hurry…”

  Sighing, I looked back at my best friend. “It’s the plight of being a single mom.” Julian snorted, then sniffed to cover it.

  Arianna’s eyes immediately locked onto him. “Hey, Julian. Feeling better?” Her wide eyes drank in my brother as she pointed to the mostly healed line on his face, the last residual evidence of his fight on Friday.

  I was 100 percent certain that if Julian leaned over and decided to lock lips with Arianna right now, she’d let him. But, of course, Julian didn’t see Arianna that way, so he only shrugged as he looked over her shoulder, searching for Raquel. “Yeah, I’m fine…thanks.”

  I knew the second Julian spotted Raquel. Not only did his heartbeat triple, but his emotions swirled all over the place—happy, excited, sad, wistful. The flood gave me a bit of a stomachache and I pushed him away from me. Sometimes distance helped…a little. Julian looked back at me, understanding. “Sorry,” he murmured, embarrassment now joining the mix.

  I shook my head while Arianna asked, “Sorry for what?”

  Pushing Julian farther away from us, I told him, “Just go…even out. Please.”

  He sighed, then nodded and trotted off in the opposite direction of Raquel. I was glad for that; he really needed to keep his distance from the unavailable woman.

  “Why did you send him away?” Arianna asked. “I was just about to make my move,” she added, playfully wriggling her eyebrows.

  Her statement made me grin. Arianna had never openly made a move on Julian…just flirted with him at every opportunity. Not knowing how else to explain the weird exchange that had just happened, I told her, “Sorry, I just need some space from him.” I rolled my eyes and looped my arm around hers. “It was a long weekend.”

  Arianna laughed at my comment, like she understood sibling rivalry. I felt guilty for saying it though. I didn’t like making it seem as if Julian was an annoyance I wanted away from, but the real situation was too complicated to explain, and would be hurtful to Arianna. It was kinder to stay quiet and let her think she had a shot with Julian, because, who knows, maybe his obsession would stop one day and he would see Arianna in a different light. It would be pretty awesome if they ended up together—my two best friends. But with how Julian was feeling right now, that wish was a long-shot.

  I unintentionally kept tabs on Julian throughout my day. I tried to respect his privacy, but whenever there was a spike in his emotions, I catalogued it. For the most part, his day was pretty mellow, but there was an edge of sadness to him. I figured he was watching Raquel and Russell from a distance, like usual, and he was trying really hard to not interfere. I gave him as much sympathy and encouragement as I could whenever his mood shifted to the low side.

  Thinking about my emotive brother made me laugh out loud during a discussion in health class, when someone made the comment that boys were completely void of feelings. Several girls turned to stare at my outburst, and Arianna giggled as the teacher shushed me, but I couldn’t help it. I might only be attached to one teenage boy, so maybe I couldn’t speak for the entire gender, but I wanted to assure the sullen girl in my class that boys felt just as much turmoil as girls. They were just better at ignoring it. Usually.

  After English class, where I turned in my paper with a huge smile on my face, since my B.S. family story pretty much kicked ass, I trudged out to the football field to wait for my “mother” with Arianna. This time, Julian met up with us right away. I cringed when I noticed that his best friend had tagged along.

  Long and lanky, Trey was sort of an odd friend for Julian. He was outgoing and flirtatious where Julian was…quieter. By the way Trey amused Julian, though, I figured that was part of the reason they were bonded. Opposites attracted, even in friendships.

  Trey also liked to indulge in…all natural herbs. On a near-daily basis, he had a faint pot odor about him. Nothing normal humans would probably pick up on, but we sure did. My parents didn’t like that at all, but Julian defended him, saying pot wasn’t as bad as other drugs kids our age did, and Trey’s home life kind of sucked, so pot was how he dealt with it. But Julian’s most effective argument was the fact that Trey’s overabundant marijuana usage had made him dull enough that he probably wouldn’t notice if we “slipped up” and said or did something we shouldn’t around him. Mom and Dad had semi-okayed the friendship with Trey, but they were watchful of Julian. I’d caught mom sniffing his dirty laundry on more than one occasion. Gross.

  “Ladies.” Trey plopped down on the grass, wedging his way in-between Arianna and me, and tossed his arms around us both. Arianna rolled her eyes, but giggled too.

  “Trey…Julian…” Arianna’s face was turned toward Trey as she spoke, but her eyes were locked on my brother as he walked around behind us. Ignoring her stares, Julian sat down by me.

  Rolling my shoulders to dislodge Trey’s arm from my body, I looked over at the man now glued to my side. “There’s an entire football field to sit on. Why are you bruising my hip?”

  Trey laughed. “Because you two have the most beautiful hips in town.” He leaned into me until his face was about an inch away; the smell coming off him nearly gave me a buzz. “Why wouldn’t I want to get stuck between them?”

  Arianna scoffed and pushed Trey’s shoulder away. Julian groaned and tossed some grass at his friend. “Man, that’s my sister you’re talking about.”

  I took a more proactive approach to Trey’s comment. I yanked on his shirt with one hand and shoved on his back with the other—forcing him away from us. I used just a tiny bit of my extra strength and he rolled pretty far down the embankment. Julian stared at me wide-eyed, alarm streaking through him. I’d made it look as natural as possible, but it was still an impressive feat for a girl my size to physically remove a boy Trey’s size.

  Luckily for us, Trey was a natural clown and Arianna assumed that he’d done it on purpose. She laughed at Trey as he caught himself. “Dork.” Trey seemed a little caught off guard, bu
t since we were on a slope, he didn’t appear to put too much thought into how I’d done that. He laughed just as much as Arianna.

  Julian relaxed as he glanced between the two amused—and not suspicious—humans. He frowned at me, though, and I could see the disapproval in his eyes as much as I could feel it. Lifting one shoulder in apology, I murmured, “Sorry, used a little too much oomph.”

  Julian sniggered at my comment, shaking his head. “You could say that again,” he whispered, under the humans’ hearing.

  As Trey rejoined us, adjusting his stocking cap so that it covered most of his chin-length hair, a horn honked. We all turned to look at Starla’s shiny sports car waiting for us, surprisingly right on time. Trey whistled. “Damn, that car is just as hot as your mom, Julian.”

  Standing, Julian smacked his friend’s arm. “First my sister, now my mom?”

  Trey blinked at Julian’s expression. “What? Your family’s hot.” Arianna giggled, her eyes drifting over Julian’s face.

  Standing up, I grabbed Julian’s elbow. “Come on, we gotta go. It’s library day.”

  Waving to our friends, we jogged over to Starla’s car. Pulling down her bug-like sunglasses, Starla looked us over as we hopped in the car. “Make sure you tell Papa Adams that I was on time today.”

  Closing my door, I grinned ear-to-ear at her. “Library please.”

  Starla popped her glasses back up, then snapped a bubble with her gum. “Sure, it’s your afternoon to waste.”

  Starla sped over to the city library, dropping me off before zipping home with Julian. I spent every Monday afternoon there, checking out new books, returning old ones. Sure, I had amassed an obscene amount of electronic books on my tablet, but there was something about bound books—the slight smell of dust, the crinkle of the page as it turned, the yellowing of the paper as it aged, the stains, spills and tears, each one with a story that was completely aside from the book’s story. Sometimes I found that examining used books was nearly as interesting as reading them.