Conversion Book Two: Bloodlines

by S. C. Stephens

  She was still smiling at me as Teren came back, dressed in gray lounge pants and a basic white tee. She glanced at him as he slid back into bed with me. Straightening, she said to Teren, “Interesting house of vampires down there.” She raised one corner of her lip. “I may need to visit again.”

  Teren slid his arms around me, covering my bare body more with the sheets. “Yes, I hear you and Gabriel…got along well.”

  She grinned and sat back on a hip. “Repeatedly.”

  I groaned and lowered my head to my hands while Teren chuckled and kissed my head. “Can we go back to bed now, Halina?” I peeked up at her through my fingers. “You can ream Teren out tomorrow night, okay?”

  She smirked at me, then frowned and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t think I won’t.” Abruptly her frown shifted to a soft smile. “I’m really glad you are okay, Emma.” Then she blurred from the room. I heard her swish into her daughter’s room, waking her up. Then the giggling started as she relayed her trip to the woman that seemed more a best friend to Halina, than her flesh and blood. Both of them were laughing as Halina went over horribly graphic details of her encounter with Gabriel. They had apparently spent several hours of the dawn in a lightproof room downstairs, “getting to know each other”. I groaned, holding my hands over my ears and wishing that I hadn’t inherited Teren’s super sense of hearing.

  Teren chuckled again and whispered into my hair, “Welcome to my world.”

  We celebrated my birthday with gusto. Mom and my sister, Hot Ben and Tracey, all came out to help the poor, pregnant, bed-ridden woman celebrate turning twenty-six. We laughed and talked around my bed while they showered me with gifts, many mainly for the upcoming babies, although, Teren did surprise me with a beautiful, antique heart locket. The intricately detailed gold pendant folded out into four small pictures, and he’d already placed tiny ones of him and myself inside. He’d left the other two blank and my eyes watered at the thought of filling them. Kissing him thoroughly, I marveled at how amazing my man was at jewelry shopping. Again, the benefit of being raised by three strong women.

  Mom massaged my swollen feet while Ash laid her head on my stomach, trying to hear the beats I could hear more clearly all the time. Alanna brought us some cake and everyone still eating enjoyed the rich, chocolate dessert.

  As Mom stuck a large forkful of cake in her mouth, she indicated where Teren was sitting, and not eating, and asked how Teren’s allergies were going. Immediately after the wedding, we’d convinced my mom that he’d developed a severe allergic reaction to certain foods, and, until we could narrow down which foods were toxic to him, he was staying to a strict home-based diet. But he’d joined us for meals anyway, scoring great husband points with my mom. Whenever we’d eaten and he hadn’t, merely holding my hand while he watched me eat, Mom had questioned him repeatedly on what foods he thought might be causing the problem, and Teren, having researched it, gave her thoughtful and insightful answers. It had made me grin every time I’d listened to them talk about it, since every answer he gave her was correct – every food was toxic to him.

  That cover story had played off better than we’d hoped and Mom had never thought it odd whenever he didn’t share meals with us. Smiling at her concern, even after all this time, he assured her that his doctors were still narrowing it down, but she shouldn’t worry, he was getting enough to eat. Hot Ben laughed when he said that, earning himself a strange look from Tracey.

  Halina and my sister went over Russian baby names while I relaxed in my mammoth bed, warmed that everything really was going to be okay. I wasn’t sure how I felt about not entirely being human anymore, but at the moment, it didn’t matter. Our kids were going to have a shot at making it full term, that’s all that mattered. Of course, I still wasn’t excited over the whole “exiting” process, but I pushed it out of my mind, for now.

  When my friends and family grudgingly left me, the vampires broke out some fresh blood and we had a celebratory toast to me successfully getting older than Teren. I reminded them that technically he would always be older, even if he had stopped “aging”. They all thought that was funny, and we all laughed away the last few months of tension.

  When weeks started going by, my body started doubling, and I swear, tripling. I went past the cute, ‘obviously pregnant’ stage, straight to the ‘I swallowed a house’ stage. Teren told me I was adorable, and I tried to feel that way, but mainly, I felt stretched. My vampire sensitivity felt every centimeter of my tight skin. But I relished the life inside of me, and didn’t begrudge the loss of my trim figure. Teren could help me get that back anyway.

  He injected me with Gabriel’s formula every day. We did it right before bed, and he watched me anxiously for a few minutes, every time he did it. After the third straight week, I tried to ease his mind, telling him that it was working and my heart wasn’t going to suddenly stop, but he worried anyway. Worry was a big part of love.

  Gabriel checked on my progress, calling me on his cell phone. That was shocking to me at first. He was so old, it was a little startling that he’d adapted to technology; I couldn’t even get my grandmother to use an answering machine when she’d been alive. But he had a vampiric mind, self healing, and surging with a free-flowing supply of brain cell enriching blood. I suppose he’d always have his mental faculties, and he’d already proven he was smart. Me just being alive, proved that.

  He was always interested in the state of the twins when he called. I had a feeling he was keeping notes on me and my progress, and we were being studied discreetly. I hoped his inquisitiveness didn’t become a problem after they were born. Teren didn’t want them treated as science experiments. Neither did I.

  After a month of injections, Teren finally let me leave the ranch again. Feeling assured that I wouldn’t convert during dinner, he took me out to a nice restaurant, ordering a plate for himself for show, but letting me snack off it. We stayed out of San Francisco, just in case we ran into someone that we’d told my cover story to – I shouldn’t exactly be out and about if I was on bed rest. He took me to a small town nearby the ranch and we ate, went for a short stroll, talked about trivial things, and seemed like a normal couple again.

  With no more fear over their fate, we finalized our baby names and guessed what sexes we thought they’d be. We discussed what we thought they’d look like, Teren assuring me that they wouldn’t necessarily be carbon copies of him. We laughed and flirted and kissed softly in the moonlight. It was disgustingly romantic, and I cherished it.

  Not being able to see doctors anymore, I relied on the women of the house, who had all successfully carried children before. They listened and felt my body, assuring me that everything was going just as it should. I smiled, trusting their abilities and experience, but still wishing I could have another ultrasound, just so I could see for myself. I even considered asking one of them to steal a machine for me. I didn’t though.

  Mid-May, I was done with being pregnant. I was done with being huger than really seemed physically possible. I was done with my back aching. I was done with not being able to get truly comfortable at night, even with Teren’s cooling arms. I wanted to be able to bend over again. I was tired of aching, swollen feet. I was tired of not being able to go home. I was anxious to see our creations and I was ready to be a mom.

  I may have started to get a little snippy. I really don’t think I could have been faulted for that, I had so many hormones flooding my mixed blood, but even so, after snapping at Imogen for waking me up in the middle of the night, when she and Halina were laughing downstairs about another rendezvous Halina had had with Gabriel, I cried afterwards, I felt so bad. And of course, Halina found my emotional mood swings hilarious.

  By the end of May, I started cursing Teren and his defying the odds super sperm. I let him know on several occasions that my physical torture was completely all his fault. He would smile at me, a little smugly, a look of pride on his face. He only once replied with, “It takes two, you know.” I pelted him with every ob
ject I could find after he said that, so he never said it again.

  He started appeasing me with ice cream drizzled with blood. I know that sounds disgusting, but trust me, it’s unbelievable. It worked miraculously well, and my moods started calming back down with the cold, creamy treat.

  When June started, I was sure I was going to be pregnant forever. It was the second week in, when I started to think that maybe being pregnant forever was okay. Because, in the second week of June, I started having contractions. At first it was mild, just an ache in my low back, not much different than the aches I’d been having for the last few weeks, maybe just a little stronger. Then those started shifting into painful throbs that had me sitting down and breathing steadily through my mouth. It first happened when Teren was at work. I’d wanted to call him, to have him rush home so he wouldn’t miss it, but Alanna waived her hand at me and assured me that they weren’t consistent enough to be the real thing.

  With my blank look, she explained that when I was truly in labor, the pain would be longer, stronger and closer together. With a smile, she patted my belly and assured me that I would have no doubt when those started. I was not in the least happy that I was being treated to fake labor pains. The universe has a twisted sense of humor.

  But she was right. They lasted on and off for a few more days. And when they were over, I would have given anything to have felt them again.

  It was morning, one week before my due date, when the first true contraction hit me. I was in bed, kissing Teren goodbye for work, when the pain wrapped around my entire abdomen. I breathed through it while Teren asked me what was wrong. Shaking my head, I told him it was another fake contraction. Sensing something that maybe I couldn’t, he called into work, letting them know that he was staying by my side today. I tried to convince him that that wasn’t necessary, but then another one hit me. Clenching his hand, I decided he was right, he should stay.

  Those uncomfortable squeezing sensations lasted all afternoon long. At first I thought it was just another false alarm, but right around dusk, I knew my body wasn’t joking. The vampires could sense it to, and before I had much say in the matter, I was in a loose nightshirt, propped up in my bed while Imogen felt around my lady parts. Caring more about the approaching event than my modesty, she assured me that I was nearly ready and the babies were in the right position. Trusting her, I laid back in the bed, Teren’s cool arm around my shoulders, and waited for the next round of pain.

  Alanna gave me a cup of small cubes of blood that she’d frozen. I sucked on those, grateful for the way my body felt slightly relieved, like blood was a natural vampiric endorphin releaser; even the tiniest amount, somewhat relieved my pain. The coolness on my scorching mouth helped too. My fangs dropped down, but I ignored it, another burst of pain taking my focus instead.

  As the rounds started coming closer together, and even my inexperienced mind knew I was really, really close, I asked Teren to call my mother and sister. He looked over my pained face, my forehead already slick with sweat, and nodded. I was a little surprised; I thought he’d argue.

  I heard him calling them in the hallway, heard my mom’s excited reaction and her oath that I’d better wait until she got there. I laughed at that, until more pain hit me. Then I stopped laughing, focusing on breathing through the pain condensing in my core.

  Teren came back a moment later, crawling into bed with me. He scooted behind me, placing his knees on either side. I clutched them, grateful for something to hold on to. Placing a light kiss on the back of my neck, he began rubbing my lower back. His cool hands combined with his vampiric strength, was a godsend. I nearly wept with relief.

  My water broke about twenty minutes later, making me panic at first. There’s nothing like that feeling, to let you know that this is absolutely happening – there is no going back. Alanna assured me it was alright and Teren rubbed my shoulders, soothing me. I felt a little bad for getting their bed all messy, but none of the vampires seemed to care as they went about prepping for the delivery. Halina and Imogen began setting up an area for the newborns, to clean and examine them. The smell of antiseptic hit me.

  I dropped my head back on Teren’s shoulder behind me and prayed for strength.

  I felt something deep in my body, just as I heard the tires of my mother’s car in the driveway. Every vampire turned to look at the door. My mom had just shown up. I started to hyperventilate. My fangs were out; I was too distracted to keep them in. I just couldn’t do it and she’d see.

  Alanna swished to my side. “Jack will let them in, dear. You focus on the babies. That’s all you need to care about right now.”

  She stroked her hand down my cheek and I nodded.

  Imogen checked me again as I heard excited exclamations from downstairs. I pushed aside my fear at Mom seeing me like this, and struggled with the new sensation in my body. Under my breath, I muttered, “I want to push.”

  I felt Imogen’s cool hands, checking internally to see if my body was ready for what it wanted. Pulling back, she smiled up at me. “Go ahead, Emma. If you want to, you’re ready.”

  Teren squeezed me, whispering encouragement. “You can do this, Emma.” I hesitated, fighting the building sensation. I could hear my mom approaching; I could hear her fast footsteps. I didn’t know what to do, but the choice wasn’t really up to me. My body was going to push, whether I wanted it to or not.

  Leaning back into Teren, a contraction hit me and the desire was irresistible. Using every muscle in my core, I pushed down as hard as I could. I could feel the movement, and I could feel the pain. Babies weren’t exactly the same size as the area they came out of. I squeezed Teren’s arm and paused, momentarily spent. Imogen encouraged me to try again, right as my mom walked into the room.

  I was tired, but fear made me look over at her. Her eyes were wide and shiny, excited for her daughter birthing her first grandchild. Then her eyes locked onto my mouth. They widened as she took in the new, unnatural element on me. I wanted to cry and explain, but the urge to push hit me again and I bared down. Ashley went to wait patiently in the corner, being respectfully quiet. My mom rushed up to my side.

  “What’s wrong with her?” As I ignored her, focusing on pushing, I heard her address Teren. “What’s going on? Why are her teeth like that?”

  Teren sputtered and could only say, “We’ll explain later.”

  A cry escaped me as the baby shifted positions. Imogen called for another push and I ignored my mother asking for more details. As the baby was squeezed farther down, the head nearly ready to come out, the pain intensified. I contained a scream as the pain ripped right through me. Nothing could possibly hurt this bad. I’d rather be knocked out again. I’d rather have my neck ripped open again. I’d rather be doing almost anything, than having my body torn from the inside out. Teren brought his arms around me in an attempt to sooth me. It didn’t help, it was excruciating, and I needed relief.

  Since the thing I really needed was right there, I instinctually made myself forget that my mother was standing a foot away from me. I grabbed Teren’s arm and clamped down on the tender, inner area, my extended fangs slicing right through his skin. He flinched as my teeth tore through his flesh. He hissed, but didn’t remove his arm from my teeth. The blood welled in my mouth, heavy and heavenly. I sucked down the tangy coolness, letting the almost heady feeling of drinking steal my mind away from the pain ripping through me. Teren didn’t pull away from my attack; he let me drink as long as I needed. In fact, he let me drink so long that his arm started trembling. He still didn’t pull away though and I didn’t stop. He left his arm in front of my face and let me drain him. He even whispered encouragement into my ear as I began the final push.

  My mother, on the other hand, went ballistic. She grabbed his arm and tried to pry it from my mouth. I think I may have growled at her, but before either Teren or I could do anything about it, Halina pushed her way from us.

  “She is vampire, as are we all, and she needs this. Either deal with it, ri
ght now, or leave this room.” Her voice was commanding and intimidating. I had to image that she’d dropped her fangs as well, to emphasize her point. Even in my turmoil, I was a little surprised that Halina was giving her a choice. If she truly wished, the pureblood vampire could compel my mother to sit quietly in a corner, or quack like a duck. Sometimes it was intimidating to think of just how much power that teenage vamp had.

  I heard my mother sputter a few times and then she came around and sat next to me, holding my free hand.

  I didn’t have any more time to worry about it though, the baby was coming out. I sucked deep on the already free-flowing blood as I pushed hard. Imogen’s cool hands pried the shoulders loose and Alanna helped slide the baby out the rest of the way. Teren’s arm started to obviously shake, but he still left it in my mouth, letting me take in his cool, endorphin releasing blood. I wasn’t too worried about harming him. He was already dead; I couldn’t kill him by overdrinking. It would really only make him a little weak, and if my southern “area” had to be ripped to shreds, then he could suffer through a little bit of weakness.

  I smelled the baby first. Something unmistakable hit the air. The scent of new life. The scent of me, mixed with Teren, even under a haze of all the blood in the room and in my mouth. I released Teren’s arm as the relief of not having to push anymore hit me. He shook his arm out, the skin healing right before my eyes, since my teeth were no longer in the way, and kissed my head, laughing in happy relief. I ignored the sensation of blood dribbling down my chin, ignored my mother mutter, “My god, Emma.” Instead my tired eyes watched the bundle in Alanna’s arms as she and Halina cleaned up the child. A tiny, insistent cry filled my ears, doing odd, protective things to my body. I could just make out a thick patch of dark hair on a small, blood-smeared body, and that was it. Just when I was going to ask to see, another round of instinct hit me.