Unraveling Sarah Cresley by Marisa Maichel (best summer books .txt) 📕

"ALEXANDER!" Father cried out. "SHOW YOURSELF!" He started ravaging the van, tearing it apart.

"Father," I said. He paused and looked at me. Once again, his eyes were bloodred and had catlike slits. He resumed the destruction of the vehicle. I felt queasy and vomited into the grass.

"What the hell is going on?!" Uncle Soren said when he finally arrived with Grandfather. He noticed the dead human. "Reese, did your father do this?" I nodded and vomited again.

"Take him inside," Grandfather said. "He's too ill to be outside."

"What's wrong with him? Why does he keep throwing up?"

"I don't know, Soren."

"Father, you take care of Reese. I'll talk to Mordecai." Grandfather half-dragged half-carried me back inside. I flitted to the bathroom. I soon felt Father holding me and rocking.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry."

"Father-"

"Hush little one. I'm sorry if I frightened you. Why do you keep vomiting?"

"I have a theory about his stomach issues," Grandfather said, folding his arms over his chest. "Reese, how has your stress level been lately?"

"Higher than normal," I admitted. Grandfather nodded.

"I'd like you to take an anxiety test. Answer truthfully, or your father cannot help you. In the meantime, Mordecai, who is his physician?"

"His name is Gregori Dimitrov. Why, Father?"

"I think Reese is suffering from severe anxiety. He needs rest and medication, possibly seclusion." Father's grip tightened on me.

"I'm not leaving him!"

"I'm not saying you have to. Just be in another room. I can post Dimitri at his door." Dimitri is a royal guard, and has watched me on and off, even babysitting me when I was younger. Father growled at that idea.

"Do not growl at your father, Mordecai."

"I'm not a teenager anymore!"

"Then stop acting like one! Reese, do you know where you get your stubbornness from? Your father."

"Do not talk about me to him!"

"Stop this!" I cried. Then I buried my face in Father's chest, embarassed.

"Reese, tell me what's wrong," Father begged.

"I hate this. I hate it when you all fight, especially over me." Father kissed my eye.

"It's all right, little one. We're merely discussing what to do about the whole situation."

"I'm not a fucking baby!" Father looked hurt, and he looked at me with a confused look in his eyes.

"Reese, do not speak to your father like that," Grandfather said. Father growled at him.

"Get out," he snapped at his father. "You're only making things worse." Grandfather glared at both of us for a moment, then left reluctantly, closing the door behind him. "Reese, please talk to me. What did I do?"

"You treat me like a baby."

"You'll always be my baby, even when you reach my age."

"Father, I'm...I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Grab a book or pop in a movie. I will hold you for a while."

I took my father's advice and started reading a book. He held me for an hour before we heard a knock at the door. Father snarled and his grip tightened on me.

"Who is it?" he growled out.

"It's Soren. We've located Evan."

Father made a noise in his throat. "Daddy has to take care of this. Will you be fine on your own?"

"I'll be fine for a couple hours. No, on second thought, I'm coming with you."

"You most certainly will not!"

"Father, it's my fault he's a vampire. Let me help you." He paused, thinking it over.

"All right, if you insist. Stay by my side, though, unless I tell you otherwise. Deal?"

I hastily agreed to his plan and followed him out. When we got to the living room, I was hit with Evan's scent. Uncle Soren and Grandfather had a hold of him. He was dirty, and he looked like he had been crying.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I asked him. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?" He looked up at me in surprise.

"You...were worried about me?" he asked.

"Don't read much into it."

"Evan, why don't you take a shower?" Father said. "You can use Reese's bath." I gave Father a horrified look. "Or you can use mine. Or better yet, you can use the guest bathroom."

"I'll use the guest room," Evan said. He fought to get out of my uncle and grandfather's grasp and went upstairs to shower and bathe.

"He also needs clothes," I said.

"I took the liberty of buying him some new clothes," Uncle Soren said. He held up a large plastic bag. "I also got a toothbrush and deodorant. It's not much, but it'll keep him until we can buy more for him."

I heard the shower running.

"Knowing him, he'll be in there for at least an hour," I said.

"I will leave this bag on his bed then," Uncle Soren said. As Evan showered, I sat on the couch. My grandfather sat beside me and began scratching my back.

"You need to eat more," he said.

"I've been trying to get him to eat more," Father said.

"I can see his spine."

Father purred and nuzzled my neck.

"You worry me," he said.

"What did I do?"

"You smoke. You are obsessed with a girl. You nearly killed Evan. I'm worried that you may be a danger to yourself."

"Father, I'm not suicidal."

"That gladdens me to hear that. But you have thought suicidal thoughts in the past, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have," I admitted. "I'm not happy all the time."

"I don't expect you to be." He kissed my ear. "Mmm. You need a haircut."

"Your hair's longer than mine," I argued.

"Yes, but I keep it tied up and trimmed. I don't have split ends. You're starting to get them, plus your hair's drying out."

"Fine, I'll go see Shei." Shei was my regular hairdresser. Father adjusted both of us so that I was sitting on his lap. He purred again, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close to him. We laid on the couch and cuddled for about an hour.

"It's not your fault, Reese. These things happen. Better it was you than a rouge with less control." He turned me over and planted his nose in my belly. I pushed him away gently. We got onto the floor and crouched. We began circling each other.

I started toward my father, but he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Never attack your opponent too quickly," he said, grinning at me. I sat back on my haunches. Father circled me, his eyes never leaving mine. Then he leaped and pinned me, his teeth barely touching my throat. "Once he leaps at you, move out of the way. Let's try that again."

We went through it again, and this time I moved quickly. Father grabbed my leg. "If he grabs one of your limbs, kick him. Or roll until you're free." He released my leg. He crawled on top of me and pinned me down. "Try to move out from under me."

I did as he commanded me to do. He rolled me over and planted his nose in my belly again.

"Good boy. Now, try to pin my arms behind my back." I rolled over and slid behind him. I grabbed his arms and held them behind his back, tightening his arms. "Excellent, Reese. Are you hungry?"

"A little," I said, releasing my father's arms and crawling over. He flitted into the kitchen and brought back a warm bottle of blood. I gulped half of it down. Satisfied, I turned back toward my father. We circled each other again, both of us grinning playfully now. Playing releases pent-up energy, releases happiness endorphins, and teaches younger vampires how to hunt. Father leaped at me, pinning me to the floor.

"I win," he said triumphantly.

"Not quite," I replied, moving out from under him. I leaped onto his back and wrapped my arms around his waist. He reached around and pulled me up onto his shoulder like a deer.

"I win again," he crooned.

"I admit defeat," I said.

"Never admit defeat. Keep fighting until you can fight no longer. If he kills you, I'll kill him myself."

"Even if it's a she?"

"Even if it's a she." He released me and sat on the couch. I sat beside him, finishing the rest of my meal. Father studied me. "I think it's time I taught you how to hunt live prey, Reese. You'll be eighteen in another year. I want you to be prepared, especially since we will have to leave the country next month for the Holiday Ball."

"Father, I will gladly embrace whatever you decide to teach me."

"Good boy." He kissed my forehead. "I'm so proud of the young man you are becoming."

~~~~~~~~~~

I missed Sarah. She was the whole reason for my being, the other half to my duet. My stomach twisted and churned as I stared at the young man holding her hand and talking to her. I had decided to drive by her house to check on her, and now here she was with another male. A potential rival for me.

So far, I knew that his name was Eric Martin, and he was teaching her piano lessons. He was my age, one year older than her, and he was blond and French. I gazed at them, resisting the urge to get out and pull them apart. He was clearly flirting with her, going so far as to pretend there was a fluff in her hair so he touch it. I snarled at that. I felt my teeth grow. I tried to keep my mouth closed, which was painful.

My incisors poked my bottom lip, almost tearing a hole through it. My bottom incisors even grew, causing my teeth to bang uncomfortably. I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes, concentrating on sending my incisors back into my mouth.

This is one of her four potential soulmates. No, I couldn't think that way. Lots of guys would love to be Sarah's love interest. She was well-liked by many, even after Scarlett and Mike. She had me on her side. And Ariella. Between the two of us, plus her family, she would heal.

She finally noticed my van, excused herself, and went to talk to me. I rolled down the window.

"Hey, Reese. What're you doing here?" she asked.

"I missed you," I said honestly.

"Why didn't you just call me?"

"I had to see your face, not merely hear your voice, lovely as it is."

She grinned and stood on her toes to kiss me. I kissed her back quickly.

"Reese, this is Eric Martin," she said as Martin walked up to us, looking displeased. "Eric, this is Reese Emerson. He's my...um...friend."

"I'm her boyfriend," I corrected.

"Lucky you," Eric said in a snippy tone, glaring at me. I glared back.

"Sarah is mine," I said quietly.

"No, she's mine," he said below human hearing. My eyebrows shot up. He grinned at me. "I see you're one of the Nightchildren, Reese. As for me, I'm a Moonchild." Werewolf! Two of them in less than a week! Fuck!

"What's a Moonchild?" Sarah asked.

"A piece of garbage," I answered her. "Please get in, Sarah."

"Hold on, let me grab my purse," she replied.

"Who do you think you're playing?" Martin said. "Look at you! And look at me! What chance do you have compared with me?"

"I helped her," I replied.

"Yes, she told me all about that. She's a few weeks along, isn't she? She's starting to show, she's put on about ten pounds."

"I don't care, as long as she's healthy."

Sarah came out, carrying a brown handbag. I got out and helped her into my van. I made sure she was in completely and buckled up before shutting the door.

I drove until I reached a secluded park. There, I stopped the van and turned off the ignition.

"Reese, what are we doing here?" Sarah asked. I rested my head on my left palm.

"I need some time alone with you. I missed you," I told her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. The baby's getting stronger. She's always hungry."

"How do you know it's a she?"

"I don't. I think we've had this conversation before. I'm hoping it's a she. I'll name her Celina if it is a she. You once suggested the name Cirino, so that's what I'll name him if it's a boy." She rubbed her