Family is Forever

by Stephens, S. C.

  After he pulled my dress down my legs, I pushed him to his back and ripped off his jeans. Seeing how much he wanted me bumped my frenzy up a notch. My fangs dropped as I grabbed the waistband of his underwear. I needed him. Now.

  After I pulled them off, Hunter flipped me to my back and ripped the rest of my clothes away. My body was pounding with desire I wanted him so badly. He moved into position and I nearly screamed at him to take me. It had been so long since our one time together. Just as he started, headlights flashed over our bare bodies. I instantly snapped out of my daze, and remembered where I was and what I was doing.

  Pushing Hunter off of me, I grabbed my dress, holding it against me like a shield. Hunter grabbed his pants and placed them over his privates, just as a SUV rolled passed the gates. It jerked to a stop when the occupants noticed us huddled in the dark grass. Ben opened the driver’s side door and ran around to where we were sitting. I groaned, mortified, and made sure everything on me was as hidden as possible.

  “Nika! Hunter! Are you okay? What’s…?” Ben slowed to a walk when he finally understood just what he’d stumbled across. His hands went to his hips as his eyes narrowed at Hunter. “What’s going on here?”

  Oh, God…if he’d been just a little later, if we’d reacted just a little slower…

  As if my night couldn’t get any worse, the rear passenger door closest to us opened. A youthful blonde jumped out, and her pale eyes widened by a foot. “Whoa! You’re naked!” Ben’s preteen daughter, Olivia.

  I laid back in the grass, wanting to die.

  BEN TRIED TO shove Olivia back in the car while covering her eyes at the same time. It was a losing battle, since Olivia could bob and weave like a professional boxer. I covered my eyes instead, wishing my life away and willing the tears to stay in my body. The last thing Olivia needed right now was to see blood-red streaks down my cheeks. She’d never understand what was happening, and thanks to her DNA, we couldn’t compel her to forget.

  Ben gave up on Olivia and tried his wife instead. “Trace, can you take Olivia and continue up to the house? I need a minute to talk to Hunter and Nika alone.”

  Tracey had been watching us with an open mouth the entire time, but she snapped her jaw shut and looked back at her husband, then her daughter. “Olivia! Sit down and buckle up!” Olivia obeyed her mom, but she asked questions the entire time. “Why are they naked? Were they having sex? Isn’t Nika kind of young? I mean, don’t you have to be old and married? That’s what Ms. Wilson said, but I don’t know if I believe her. Johnny told me anybody can do it. Can anybody do it, Mom? Do you and Dad do it? Am I going to have a brother or sister soon?”

  Tracey was bright red by the time she scooted over to the driver’s side and stomped on the gas.

  When they were gone, Ben crossed his arms over his chest and glared at us. “Sex Ed was not a lesson I wanted to teach her about tonight.” He turned around so we could get dressed. “What were the two of you thinking?”

  Hunter had a scowl on his face as he yanked his underwear back on. “We weren’t. It was the bond. It got kicked into overdrive.”

  I frowned at the look on his face, the harsh way he was getting dressed. Yeah, it was embarrassing getting caught, but…up until then, it had been amazing. Feeling strange, I timidly tried to put my underwear back on. I couldn’t. They were ripped beyond the point that I could wear them, and the hooks for my bra were completely torn off. Hunter had been a little impatient there at the end. A fact that saddened me now. We’d been so close.

  “Sorry, Uncle Ben,” I muttered, tossing aside my undergarments and slipping on my dress. There were slight tears and wrinkles in the fabric, and it was covered in grass and dirt, but at least it hid my nakedness for the time being. I could change once we got to the ranch. Great. How would I explain that to Dad? Oh well, Ben would probably tell him what happened anyway. Or Liv. She’d probably tell the entire house what had happened. Wonderful.

  When I stood up, Ben risked a glance over his shoulder. Seeing we were dressed, he turned around. Hunter had his pants and shirt on, but he couldn’t button his shirt and it hung open. He was scowling at the ground where my ruined undergarments were resting. I picked them up so he’d stop staring. So far, Ben hadn’t noticed them, and I’d prefer it if it stayed that way.

  Ben sighed and shook his head. Raking a hand through his blonde, highlighted hair, he told us, “I know it’s not your fault. I remember what it was like when Teren and Emma went through it.” He frowned, and a brief shudder went through him. “Anyway, we should probably get to the house. I’m assuming your parents are on their way?”

  I nodded. Yeah, they were moving again, inching their way to the ranch at a moderate, human pace. Ben nodded and looked me over. Barefoot, rumpled, and covered in grass, I was sure I was quite a sight. With a smile and a shake of his head, he told me, “Happy Birthday, Nika. I’ll hug you a little later, if you don’t mind.”

  I managed a weak laugh. “Thanks.”

  As we trudged along to the house, Hunter’s mood darkened even more. I grabbed his hand, trying to lighten his emotions, but it didn’t help. Irritated, he muttered, “I shouldn’t have left Jake alone in there.”

  I bit my cheek, but it wasn’t enough to bite back the comment I felt coming. “He’s not alone. He’s with Gabriel, Rory, Cleo, and my grandparents. You’re not his only bodyguard, you know.”

  Hunter’s dark eyes swung down to me. “I know, but I still should have stayed close to him.” His eyes returned to the gravel beneath our feet; the glow of his eyes highlighted every pebble. “This bond is getting ridiculous. It’s distracting me from what I need to do.”

  Stopping on the driveway, I glared at him. “So, I’m a distraction now? Being bonded to me is annoying you? Are you wishing you’d left me for dead?”

  I knew he didn’t mean it like that, but his “duty” superseding me yet again was frustrating as hell. Plus I was doing the walk of shame barefoot and braless on my birthday! Holding my tongue was beyond me at this point. I jerked my hand away from his.

  Hunter stopped with me and Ben slowed, but kept walking to give us some privacy. “No…I didn’t mean it like that.” He cupped my cheeks. “You’re everything to me. You’re my number one priority, don’t ever think you’re not. It’s not the bond I dislike, it’s this obsessive…pull…that clouds my mind, makes me do rash, careless things, makes me…lose control.” He indicated the remains of my underwear in my hand. “I don’t like losing control.”

  Hunter gave me a kiss on the cheek to take the sting out of his words, and we continued walking hand in hand. Ben looked back at us, saw we were following, and then turned back around. When the main home at the ranch came into view—the steepled points of the roof, the smooth, circular driveway with the massive fountain of a woman crying in the center of it—Hunter sighed.

  “I don’t like you being here. As I’ve told Teren and Halina multiple times, this party is a bad idea. They seem to think it will be fine with how many of us there are tonight, and they assigned Rory and Cleo to watch Jake like a hawk, but still…this isn’t the time to let our guard down. Not with Jake free from his room, walking around like he’s one of us. He’s a loose cannon. There’s no telling what he’ll do given the right circumstances.” He looked back at me with a frown. “But we have to let him be free otherwise he’ll never accept us, and Teren thinks a birthday party is the perfect way to show him how normal we are. I don’t like it though. We’re stuck in a damn catch 22. Damned if we do, damned if we don’t. You and your brother shouldn’t be here tonight.”

  We’d held hands again during our walk, and I squeezed his hard. I was still embarrassed, frustrated and sore, and the last thing I wanted to hear about was Jake the vampire hunter. An irritated huff escaped me. “Hunter, you’re seriously getting on my nerves. First, you want me at the ranch so our bond doesn’t kick in, and then you say I shouldn’t be here because Jake is too much of a threat. Which is it?” I glared up at his sullen face. “Bec
ause it can’t be both of those things.”

  Frowning, he released my hand and ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know, Nika. I don’t have all the answers. I’m not perfect,” he muttered.

  “Oh, I know that,” I retorted. “I’m going upstairs to change.” After that, I stormed off to the house at a fast walk that was nearly a jog. When I breezed by Ben, he glanced back at Hunter. I saw Ben give Hunter a sympathetic smile, and I nearly snapped at him too. I didn’t need to see male camaraderie right now either. I wished I could blur and get away from both of them fast, but I knew I couldn’t. Ben’s car was parked right outside the triple front doors, and I could hear Olivia in the entryway, asking where Julian was, and regaling Alanna with her story about coming across Hunter and I in our birthday suits.

  I gritted my teeth and walked around to the back of the house. I didn’t feel like seeing anybody yet. Once I was sure I was away from prying eyes, I zoomed up to my room faster than light. In my frustration, I slammed the door shut. I knew Olivia wouldn’t hear me, but Hunter and the rest of my family would. Good…I wanted Hunter to know I was irritated with him.

  I changed into fresh clothes—jeans and a T-shirt—then sat on my bed and waited for Julian and my parents to get here. Safety in numbers. I felt them in the driveway, so I cracked open my bedroom door. When I walked out into the hallway, just that brief step toward Hunter made the bond kick in. We weren’t nearly as far apart as we usually were, so the pull wasn’t nearly as strong, but it was enough to make me close my eyes and breathe heavier.

  I tried walking to him at a human pace, but I couldn’t. When I got to the nearest set of stairs, I blurred down them. I heard Olivia ask Hunter, “What’s wrong with you?” and I knew he was feeling this too. I heard Hunter excuse himself, then felt his presence rushing toward me. We collided at the base of the staircase. Hunter shoved me against the wall, his lips on my neck. I hooked a leg around him and murmured, “I’m sorry. I know you’re just looking out for me.” I hadn’t meant to apologize, but the glorious relief of joining up with him brought it out of me.

  Panting, Hunter pulled backed to stare into my eyes. “I’m sorry things are so complicated right now. It won’t always be like this, I promise. Someday we’ll be together, and nothing will be able to keep us apart.”

  I cupped his cheek, wishing that day was today. “I can’t wait.”

  “Me either.” Just as he lowered his lips to mine, someone behind Hunter coughed. We both directed our attention that way, and I saw Jake standing a few feet away, watching us with his arms crossed over his chest. He was alone, unsupervised. He raised a hand in greeting when he saw that we’d spotted him spying on us.

  “The sooner we get rid of him, the better,” Hunter sighed under his breath. Hunter looked around for Rory and Cleo, but Jake’s human bodyguards were nowhere around.

  Jake understood what Hunter was searching for and pointed toward the entryway. “Your minions are greeting the new arrivals. I was too, but I slipped out.” He crooked a grin. “Needed air.”

  Hunter’s expression darkened. He looked about to zip off to collect Rory and Cleo, but just then they appeared. Rory’s face was bright red, and Cleo looked frantic. They froze when they saw Hunter. Hunter pointed at Jake. “Lose something?” he asked, venom in his voice.

  Rory grabbed Jake and pinned his arms behind him. “There was a moment of chaos when the young girl spotted Julian, and he got away from us. It won’t happen again.”

  Hunter raised an eyebrow in warning. “It better not. He could have done a lot worse than run in here. Everything I hold of value is under this roof. Try and keep that in mind.”

  Rory and Cleo both nodded. Hunter indicated with his head for them to bring Jake back into the entryway, and the group of us went to meet up with everyone else. The room was packed when I got there, and I could easily see how Jake had managed to sneak away.

  Julian was near the doors, trying to detach himself from Olivia, who had clamped onto his side like a barnacle. Christian was hugging his wife, Ashley. Christian was quite a few years older than Ashley, and in an ironic twist of fate, he had lost almost all of his hair while Ashley had gained hers. Grandma Linda was by Christian’s side, ready to hug her daughter when her husband was through with her. Halina was standing by Ben and Tracey. Tracey’s eyes were wide as Halina played with a long strand of her golden hair. Halina was laughing. I think she enjoyed making Tracey squirm. Intimidating people was a favorite pastime of hers, one she didn’t get to partake in much anymore.

  Trey was looking around the home slack-jawed. It was an expression I remembered seeing on him the first time he came here. If it wasn’t already so late in the evening, I’d take him upstairs and show him the sauna, since he’d been so impressed with it before. “Whoa, dude…why don’t you live here all the time?”

  Good question, Trey. For me at least anyway. Maybe curious to see how I was doing, Dad turned his head from where he was greeting Alanna and Grandpa Jack, and locked gazes with me. His pleasant smile leveled as he noticed my outfit. It was much plainer than the fancy dress I’d arrived in. I glanced at Hunter, but he’d changed his shirt, and from what I could tell, there weren’t any noticeable strands of grass in his hair. There wasn’t any physical evidence of our romp, but Dad knew, regardless.

  I shifted my focus from him to Mom. Dad was partly to blame for the strength of the bond by keeping us apart. If he didn’t like it, then he should let us live together. Mom was hugging Imogen, while Starla was throwing her arms around Gabriel. Jacen was standing by Starla’s side, smiling up at his leader. Everyone important in my life was here. Everyone but Arianna. She was the only one missing, and her absence stung me as much as it stung my brother.

  Hunter kept his eyes glued on Jake, but he didn’t seem to be doing much of anything other than watching. I was sure his mind was going a mile a minute with plans of escape though. Or maybe he was planning an attack. That seemed foolish to me. There were too many of us, he’d never make it out alive. Someone I loved would probably get hurt if that happened though, so I prayed Jake was a smart, life-loving man.

  After everyone was greeted, and Olivia was detached from Julian’s body, we all headed outside, to the patio. There were pink and blue streamers around every piece of furniture, clumps of pastel balloons around the base of every flowerpot, and Happy Birthday confetti strewn about the tables, and the cement floor. Everyone’s shoes were covered with the shiny metallic lettering in no time. It was a gorgeous night, the moon was full and bright, and there was a breeze that warmed my chilly skin. Citronella candles kept the bugs at bay, while recessed lighting around the deck kept the glow of our vampire eyes at bay. Popular music that Julian and I liked was streaming through outdoor speakers shaped like rocks. Aside from the lack of my best friend, and Rory and Cleo physically keeping a hold of the family prisoner, it was a perfect party.

  Grandpa Jack made burgers for anyone who might be hungry, while Imogen set out a pyramid of pink and blue cupcakes. There was sherbet punch available for the humans and a “special” drink available for the vampires. That one was left simmering in the kitchen, since not every human in attendance knew our little secret.

  When the party was in full swing, Alanna and Grandma Linda brought out armfuls of presents. I groaned as I looked at them all. I had practically everything I wanted already; I really didn’t need anything else. Hunter’s expression turned guilty as he eyed the gifts being put on the table. “I…uh…with your conversion and Jake…I didn’t have time to shop. I’m sorry, I didn’t get you anything for your birthday. Is there something special you’d like?”

  As I eyed a pink and white polka-dotted oblong box, I instantly thought of something he could give me that no one else could. It was something I really wanted too, and he didn’t even have to shop for it. He had it with him everywhere he went. Turning to Hunter, I slung my arms around his waist. “As it turns out, there is something I want from you.”

  Hunter’s eyes briefly
flashed to Jake sitting on a bench with Rory and Cleo. “Oh? And what’s that? Because if this is about earlier, I don’t think—”

  I cut him off before he could finish that thought. “No, it’s not. It’s something else.”

  I looked around the backyard, hoping no one was paying us too close attention. Starla and Jacen had already vanished. Trey was trying to convince Julian to talk “Teren and Emma” into going into the hot tub with them, because he wanted to see Emma in a bathing suit. Julian was trying not to gag, while my dad was trying not to laugh. Halina and Gabriel were having an argument, while Imogen, Alanna, and my mom were in the kitchen having refreshments. The rest of the guests were human and couldn’t hear Hunter and me talking. And of them, only Jake was paying attention to us.

  Leaning up to Hunter’s ear, I whispered, “I want your blood. I want to share with you again.”

  When I pulled away to look at his face, I saw the conflict there—the desire, the uncertainty. “Nika, I don’t…”

  I cupped his cheek. “You wanted to know what I want, and that’s it. If we can’t…go all the way yet, and I really don’t understand why we can’t, then at least we can share that intimacy.” He still seemed unsure, so I leaned up and kissed him. “Please,” I murmured between our lips, “I want you so much.”

  Hunter’s hand on my waist slipped just a bit lower to rest on my hip. As tightly pressed against him as I was, I could feel him stirring, hardening. He wanted me there was no denying that, it was just a matter of him giving into it. I was just about to kiss him again, maybe lower my fangs and let them graze his neck, when a young voice broke through my moment. “Are you going to get naked again?”