Bite Me! (18 page)

“W
ait a minute,” Ryan said. “Chosen what? You don't even seemed surprised that we're, um, not normal.”

I laughed so hard that my belly hurt. Not normal? That was rich. I'd give anything to be a witch. People were much more accepting of witches. But vampires? Who wanted a bloodsucking fiend as their BFF? Or girlfriend? Or stepsister?

“Of course I'm not surprised, after your little fireworks display earlier. The fact that you're Frieceadan explains everything—hang on a second,” I said. “Didn't you see me bite Mr. Charles?”

“You bit Mr. Charles?” My mom gasped.

“Yeah. I did. I was totally freaked and he was trying to drug me. I didn't do anything else,” I said, trying to reassure her that I had not sucked his body dry and therefore was sure I hadn't turned him. Well, mostly sure.

“I saw you bite him,” Ryan said. “I probably would've bitten him to get away, too.”

“But you didn't see my—” My what? Fang-bearing levitation? My knife-throwing midair fight against the undead Noah?

Suddenly I had restless leg syndrome as adrenaline and anxiety shot through me. I stood and paced while everyone watched me with cautious interest. I thought he had seen me as Vampira and accepted that about me. But I had been wrong. Telling him was going to be harder than I thought.

“See, I've been doing some family research this week. I wasn't calling it family research, but that's what it was,” I said.

“Mr. Charles isn't a genealogy expert. Why would you go to him for help?” Ryan asked.

I looked over at Mom. “Go ahead,” she said. “It will probably be better coming from you, anyway.”

“Mr. Charles is an expert in occult mythology. And that's what I was researching. I was using my thesis as the
reason, but really it was to find out more about my family history because after Noah died, I thought maybe I had killed him.”

Oz and Rayden were staring at me in open-mouthed wonder, but Ryan was still confused. “You couldn't have killed Noah—unless you're a snake,” Ryan said.

I raised my eyebrows and just looked at him.

“You made the snake bite him?” Ryan asked. “I must be really thick, because I'm just not getting it.”

“No. I thought
I
bit him. I was so angry that night, and I woke up with no memory and covered in blood. I thought maybe I had blacked out and gone back to Noah and lost control…”

The boys all silently stared as I paced. I closed my eyes and sighed.

“What I'm trying to say is, I'm,
we're
vampires. And I found out this week that my backward-S birthmark is actually a mark of our clan. We're not just vampires, we're Serpentines.”

“
Whoa
. And I thought
we
were freaks,” Rayden said.

“Totally cool,” Oz added. “Can y'all show me your fangs?” he asked the twins.

Ana and Ainsley looked at each other with a twinkle in their eyes. They smiled a big toothy grin for their
stepbrothers, showing all their teeth…including their fangs.

“Awesome,” Oz and Rayden both said.

“Can we go outside and show them some of our tricks?” Rayden asked.

“Yes, that's fine. Just don't be careless. The family rules don't change, okay?” Rick said.

The kids left and Aunt Doreen packed up her knitting and followed them. “I think it might be best if I keep an eye on the weans. We canna leave them unsupervised for too long. Rayden tends to get a little slipshod when he's showin' off.” She turned to me and winked. “I knew ye were special, lass.”

Ryan sat stiff and stoic. He hadn't looked at me since I confessed my secret. It was like I had just sliced open a vein and was waiting to see if he would save me or leave me to die. And the waiting made my heart hurt. It had been easier when I thought he'd seen me in vampire mode and accepted me despite my fangs.

“AJ, you said something about me being the chosen one. What did you mean?” Mom asked, cutting through the thick silence in the room.

“Mr. Charles thought I was a key holder. The prophecy said that a child would be born to a Frieceadan Warlock
and a former member of the Serpentine Clan. That child would bear the marks of both clans and the baby's blood would be the anti-serum to the Serpentine Venom. That child would render the Serpentines powerless, which is why they tried to eradicate the Frieceadans all those years ago.

“I'd assumed the prophecy meant a pure-blooded Serpentine. But I don't think that's the case. You bear the mark of the clan and you're pregnant by a Frieceadan Warlock. Momma, I think your baby is the prophesied child.”

Momma looked at Rick, and he wrapped her into a hug. “What did Mr. Charles want from you exactly?” Mom asked.

“I'm not sure. He called me a key holder. He said the clan elders needed me to get their hands on the runes. They believe the runes can be used to time travel.”

“If what you say is true, then fate really did bring our families together,” Rick said, planting a light kiss on Mom's forehead. “I knew we were connected.”

I glanced over at Ryan to gauge his reaction. He stood, walked over to me, and pulled my hair away from my neck to inspect my birthmark.

“What do you think they wanted to do with the runes?” he asked.

Chills followed the path his finger traced along my birthmark. “I think they planned to go back in time and change the future. They crave power and domination. They want to rule the world,” I said, taking his hand in mine. “But we have a distinct advantage. They don't know you're Frieceadan. And we have to keep it that way.”

“I guess we were fated to be together, too. Just not like we had once thought,” Ryan said.

“We have to protect the family, Ryan. We could all be in a lot of danger,” I said. “Mom, I left something out that you need to know.”

“What's that?”

“Mr. Charles said that Dad is the one behind all of this. I'm afraid since Mr. Charles is no longer around to do his dirty work—”

“That Clive Ashe will come to take care of things himself,” Mom said.

“That's not all. There's another vampire out there. I know you said it was a snakebite that killed Noah, but Mom”—I hesitated—“Noah was turned into a dichamp. He was after me. Stalked me. Threatened to feed on you and the twins if I told anyone. He couldn't touch me, thanks to the amulet Aunt D gave me, but I didn't know that at the time and I was terrified that if I came to you,
I'd be signing your death warrant. I'm sorry.”

“Oh, honey.” Momma pulled away from Rick and hugged me. “I'm sorry, too. I can't imagine how scary that was for you. And to handle it all by yourself.” She choked up a little. “This was such a stressful week. What a way to start out as a family,” she said, releasing me from her death-grip hug. “If we can survive this week, I think we can survive anything.”

“Now what?” Ryan asked.

“We need to find out everything we can about our two families. The Serpentines want those runes, which means either they know or suspect that the Frieceadans are still around. They have to make sure that the chosen one and a Frieceadan don't hook up, which has already happened, but they don't know that,” I said.

“They also think you can give them something—you being a key holder and all,” Ryan said.

My heart shifted and kicked up a notch. “You're okay with me being a vampire?” I asked.

“You're family,” he said. “And in our world, family is everything.”

“We'll call Tave tomorrow. I have a feeling we're going to need her help,” Mom said.

“You won't have to call her. Somehow we're still
connected. She'll be here for breakfast.” I grinned.

Mom and Rick both smiled. “That went much better than we expected,” Momma said.

“Well, it helps that you guys are much freakier than we are,” Rick said.

“I'll show you freak,” Mom replied with a wink.

“Ew. Yuck. Y'all go somewhere else with that, please,” I said. “And Momma, be careful. We don't want them figuring this stuff out before my baby sister is born.”

“Brother. Your mom's a Fraser now and we only have boys,” Ryan said.

Our parents left the room, holding hands and being generally too cute to stomach.

I watched them leave, envious of their affection. I wanted that back. With Ryan. But that wasn't going to happen. And I had to learn to live with it.

This had been the longest week ever. I had given up my boyfriend for a new brother. I had been stalked by a dichamp, been chased by a crazy teacher, and discovered I'm a descendant of an evil clan of vampires. And let's not forget that I am apparently some sort of key to a time-traveling device.

Not to mention my two best friends are still at odds with each other and I'm stuck in the middle. Being the
duct tape holding our tripod together wasn't going to be easy. Especially since I have to keep even more secrets from them.

I sighed, and Ryan wrapped me up in a hug. For a moment, I let myself forget everything and just feel. I still wanted him, and everything in my soul ached for his touch.

But that wasn't our destiny.

“We can do this,” he said. “In twenty years, we'll be spending Christmas with our families and we'll all laugh about the time we were almost a Mississippi cliché,” Ryan said.

“Do you think so? Really?” I asked, wanting to believe him but not sure I could.

“I know so, because we don't have a choice. Fate has something else in mind for us. It won't be easy, but this is bigger than we are. Now, come on, Sis. Let me show you how I managed to create and hang all those campaign posters in one night.”

“That explains it! And you used your ninja stork ju-ju to remove them, too, didn't you?”

“Guilty.”

“I think I'm gonna like this brother with benefits thing.”

“Okay, that sounded a little incestuous and creepy. How about we just call me Captain Awesome and move on.”

“Captain Ego is more like it. You keep that up and getting over you will be a painless snap.”

Okay, maybe not painless, but now that I knew we were meant to protect our family together, maybe it would make it easier to move on. Because it was for the greater good and all that. It was fate.

Ryan smiled at me again, and my heart flipped, just as it always did. Okay, so maybe bowing to our destinies was going to be a little harder than I thought.

I grimaced.

Bite me, Fate. You suck.

M
y mother's baby shower.

Okay, this is horrifying news on many levels. First of all, I'm seventeen. I know how she got pregnant. And let me just say—ew. Seriously, ew.

It's been five months since the big baby announcement. Five long months. In that time, I've managed to discover a lot more about the warlock side of my blended family, thanks to Ryan's aunt Doreen. Though I still have a lot to learn about both the Frieceadan warlocks as well as the Serpentine vampires. I'm deathly afraid that if the Serpentines realize my mom is pregnant with a warlock's child, all undead hell is going to break loose.

And let me just say, I'm in no mood for vampire wars.

So as I sit in the living room with two dozen of Valley Springs' finest women, oohing and ahhing over the sweetest little baby gifts you could ever imagine, all I seem to think about is evil vampires, good warlocks, and a possible paranormal apocalypse.

Something is
really
not right with this picture.

Aunt Doreen passed me the latest opened gift—a lovely little layette in mint green with a fuzzy baby bunny on the breast. When would my hell be over?

The ladies all stood and I realized the shower was coming to an end. Finally.

As the crew of crooning women stood to start their farewells, a storm of testosterone entered the room and headed straight for the remainder of the pretty lemon cake. My stepdad, Rick, and my two younger stepbrothers, Oz and Rayden, each cut themselves a slice big enough to feed a third-world country. Ryan came in shortly after and did the same.

We made eye contact and I fought the old squiggly feeling in my belly when his dark-chocolate gaze caught mine.

Suddenly the kitchen door slammed open and Ainsley called my name as she rushed into the house. Her voice was panicked.

“AJ!”

“Living room,” I said.

Ainsley's long, wheat-colored ponytail swung like a mane behind her head as she rushed into the room.

“Something's not right with Ana,” she said in a panic.

Oz and Rayden stopped midchew.

“We didn't do anything,” Rayden said, his eyes wide. “I swear.”

Ainsley turned toward them. “This isn't about your sad spell-casting attempt to turn her into a Sasquatch. When she woke up this morning with pit hair longer than her ponytail, Aunt D fixed her right up. But don't think she won't get y'all back. If we can find her again.”

“Find her? What's going on?” I asked.

“Tryouts were today, right?” Ainsley said in a rush. “Well, we were doing the routine we always do with the gymnastics bit? You know, with the midair acrobatics that impress everyone?”

I nodded. She and Ana had no issues using their super skills to jump just a little bit higher than everyone else and add one extra twist or flip to their routine.

“Well, something went wrong. Ana didn't land well—which just isn't possible. Seriously, she's like a cat. She never misses her landings. Ever!” Ainsley said.

“Then what happened?” I asked.

“Her ankle snapped. I heard it. Of course, it was
already starting to heal by the time everyone got over to her. But the damage was already done. She had fallen. During
tryouts
. And everyone heard her bone crack.”

“Well, Malia knows what kind of cheerleader Ana is. She'll make the team.”

“That's just it—she didn't. They wrapped her ankle, and she faked a call to Mom to take her to the doctor. But they all think her ankle is broken, which means she'd have to sit out the season. So she didn't make the team. And, of course, she's totally pouting and blaming Malia,” Ainsley said. “She took off after tryouts.”

I sighed. “Where is she?” I asked. “Listen, I know you're communicating with her right now. Tell me where she is and I'll go get her.”

“Hang on, let me see if I can get her to tell me.”

Ainsley closed her eyes and concentrated. Then her eyes went wide. “She's running. Something isn't right. Oh my God.” Ainsley gasped. “She's broken our connection.”

A familiar sense of dread tickled my spine. “There's more. What is it?”

Ainsley looked into my eyes and, with a shaky voice, said, “Right before she vanished, her last thought was,
Oh my God! Mr. Charles
.”