Unraveling Soren by Marisa Maichel (books under 200 pages txt) 📕

she knew you’re a vampire.”

“Well, this is the perfect opportunity to get to know me.”

“I’ll ask her, but I doubt she’ll say yes. And, you know, Coffee doesn’t like you much. I mean, not just you, but men in general.”

“Spunk likes me, though. And they’re dogs. Her teeth would break if she tried to bite me, even if she is a demon in disguise.”

“A tiny demon in disguise with short brown fur and four paws? Sounds more like one of your cats.”

“Hey, my cats are familiars, not demons.”

“You have a familiar?” Samantha asked. I jumped; I’d forgotten she and Chris were there.

“Yes, his name is Shadowfang, and he’s a big black cat.”

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

 

“I thought I heard your dulcet tones, Mordecai,” he said, rolling around on his back. “My litterbox is getting full. Care to assist?”

“I’ll have someone clean it out, Shadowfang,” he said.

“I’ll do it,” I offered. “He’s my cat.”

“Thank you, Reese. Of course, you could use the toilet,” Father suggested to Shadowfang.

“And risk falling into the water?! Not likely!”

“You’re big enough that you probably wouldn’t fall in, and you could teach the other cats to do it. You could even flush.”

“Flush? Risk getting splashed by the filthy clean water?! You jest!”

“No, I’m serious. Learn to use the toilet, or you clean your own litterbox. Your choice.”

Shadowfang gave Father a look of deep disgust. Then he walked out of the room, fluffy tail high in the air, as haughty as a cat could be.

Father sighed, then he looked over at me.

“Well, that’s that. I’m going to take a nap now. I’m still suffering from jetlag. Good night, everyone.”

Sarah looked back at me.

“Sarah, want to come upstairs?”

“Sure.”

A minute later, we were in my room. Sarah kicked off her shoes and sat on my large bed.

“Did you get a new bed?” she asked.

“Well, yes. My old mattress was getting, well, old. So I bought a new one and donated the old one.”

“I got a new bed, too. Mom bought it for me.”

“Mom?”

“Your mom. I call her Mom now, and so does Sabine. It just feels right. She’s acted more like a mother to me than Alicia ever did. All our debts are paid, and Mom’s life insurance just came through. We divided it up between me and Sabine. I can access it, since I’m eighteen, but Sabine has to wait until she’s eighteen. I’m going to invest my half. Make millions by the time I’m fifty.”

“When do you want to become a vampire?”

“After we’re married. I want the human experience. I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you.”

She leaned over and kissed me. I grabbed two water bottles from the new minifridge, and handed one to her.

“When did you get a minifridge?”

“It’s for you. To keep drinks and snacks, and of course, my snacks.”

“Reese, you’re amazing.”

CHAPTER TEN – SARAH’S POV

He leaned toward me and kissed me. I felt his cool lips on mine. His muscles bulging under his black shirt. His long black hair, touching my curly brown locks. I moved my hand under his shirt, and he growled. This was a sex growl, though. I’ve learned to recognize the different hisses and growls he makes. Right now, he was making a sex growl and pushing me onto the new bedcovers.

He was always careful. He often stressed how fragile I was, and how careful he had to be. He took his shirt off, and I admired his Adonis body. A perfect V around his abdomen, a bulging six-pack, pectorals to die for. He was both hard and soft; his muscles hard, but his skin was surprisingly soft.

He took his belt off, then undid his button and zipper. His yellow eyes were hungry; needy. He needed me, even more than I needed him. I thought about our future children. Life would not be complete without them. I couldn’t wait to meet them. Little Joseph, the first boy and second-born child. Caitlin, who would be a natural leader in all she did. Little Enna, who would be the cutest baby ever. Cynthia, named after Artemis. Little Beckett, named after my father. Juniper, after my second aunt. And another baby, although we had yet to name him.

So many babies. So much joy. Before I saw them in my dreams, I didn’t care if I couldn’t give birth to them. Now without them, life would not be complete. I already had Cirino.

“What are you thinking about?” Reese asked.

“The babies.”

“Our babies? I can think of one who will be conceived tonight.”

My eyes widened, and I almost jumped off the bed, but he was restraining me by the wrists.

“Reese, no. Not tonight. We’re not ready for them, and they’re not ready for us. I need to be a vampire and married to you first.”

He pouted, but he knew I was right. Then he smiled.

“I can’t wait to meet my sons.”

“Or my daughters. All of them. They’ll be perfect.”

“Yes, sugarplum, they will be.”

“Sugarplum?”

“Because you’re so sweet. I’m so hard.”

“Hush, you.”

“Oh, all right. I can’t wait to be a father. I’m going to be a father. Me. The ugly one. The screw-up.”

“Don’t be silly; you’re beyond gorgeous. You’re like Adonis.”

“That’s funny, because I was thinking that you’re like Aphrodite. More beautiful, actually.”

Reese

I kissed her softly. And then I ravished her for some time. And then she left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

School was nearing to a close, but I still had two months to go before I graduated. It was only April, after all. I’d already taken all the tests, the SAT and ACT.

That morning dawned chilly and foggy. Clouds surrounded the parking lot as I got out of my GT-R and started walking up to the school. I heard a screeching noise. I turned to see the source of the commotion-heading straight for Sarah. She looked up, panicked…before I could think, I was rushing toward her, holding my hands out.

The metal crunched under my hands, the palms making two perfect handprints in the astonishingly dirty car. And then a girl screamed.

I wiped my hands on my jeans and turned back to Sarah. She just stared at me, mouth open.

“I got it on video!”

“Did you see that?”

“How did he do that?”

“Is Sarah okay?”

I went around to the driver’s side of the car and wrenched the door open. Ariella was sitting there, unconscious. Shocked, I pulled her out of the car as two police cars and an ambulance appeared.

The EMTs took Ariella from me, I was also checked for injuries. My hands were bruised and cut from the sharp metal from the car. Sarah, of course, was okay, just shocked. One of the cafeteria ladies came out with three bottles of water.

Sarah was softly crying. One of the EMTs, a woman, gave her a tissue and held her.

“My babies!”

I looked up at the sound of my mother’s voice. She hugged me, then Sarah, and gave Ariella, who was still unconscious, an extremely dirty look.

“Mom,” Sarah whimpered.

“I’m here, baby. Mommy’s here.” She looked at me. “Reese, your hands.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“He saved my life,” Sarah said. “He stopped the car from hitting me.”

Mother let go of Sarah and hugged me instead. “My brave boy. Thank you for saving her.”

“I couldn’t just let it squish her like a bug. I didn’t even think. I just reacted.”

“You saved her life.”

“Of course I did. I love her.”

“Without regard to your own.”

“Well, yes. It’s not a big deal, Mom-“

“NOT A BIG DEAL?! YOU COULD HAVE DIED! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED! SHE COULD HAVE DIED!”

“Mom, stop shouting!”

“Sorry, but…I always knew you were brave, Reese.”

“Mom, stop. I’m fine. She’s fine. Ari will be fine.”

“I don’t care about that bitch; I just care about you!”

“Mom! She’s not a bitch!”

“She almost squashed Sarah!”

“I don’t think she did it on purpose, Mother. I think it was an accident.”

“You are so noble, my son. Chivalrous. You care about your friends.”

“Mom, I don’t think she almost ran over Sarah deliberately. She’s her friend, too.”

Mom seemed embarrassed after that.

“Ma’am?” The female EMT tapped Mother on the shoulder. “We’re ready to take your daughter to the hospital.”

“Yes…do that. I will follow along.”

I followed in my GT-R.

Sarah and Ari were taken to separate rooms. Ari had some skull damage, possibly with pieces of her skull in her brain. Sarah was taken to a recovery bay. A nun was next to her, separated by a thin pink curtain. When the nun saw me, she held her rosary and began praying

“Our Father, who Art in Heaven…”

Sarah complained loudly when they wanted to take her for an MRI.

“I didn’t even hit my head,” she said. “Reese is hurt worse than I am. Look at his hands.”

My hands were laced with antibiotic ointment and bandaged.

I saw Ari’s parents-Anna and Alan Spears. They were a clean-cut couple, with clear Christian values and rules for Ari to follow. They didn’t much like me-they thought I could be a bad influence because of the way I dress and look. They insisted that my yellow eyes must be contacts, and not the product of my father’s dominant traits.

I was sitting in the recovery bed, not looking at anyone.

“According to her, he saved her life,” said a nurse. “Two perfect handprints in the vehicle.”

I noticed a goth girl with space buns looking intrigued. The nun was looking at me nervously.

Ethan Potter appeared, looking frazzled.

“I came as soon as I could,” he told me. “What’s the damage?”

“Already been taken care of,” I said, holding up my hands. He looked astonished. “Like I told Mother, I couldn’t just let it squish her.”

“No, I understand that,” he said, running a hand over his short brown hair. “Your father’s not going to be happy with me.”

“Tell him it was all my fault.”

I noticed the goth girl inching closer to me.

Ethan sighed.

“How is Spencer?” I asked him.

“Still weak. The stake went through his stomach. Toby’s been by his side twenty-four-seven.”

“My father needs to give you a raise.”

“I asked for one, and he agreed to raise my pay. Let me see your hands.”

He took each hand and felt around.

“Shallow cuts,” he said. “I think you’ll survive.”

“Is that crazy half-Elf nurse still here?”

“Uriah? No, he left. He works for Fowley now.”

I looked up and noticed a dark-haired news reporter talking to one of the nurses.

“A reporter? Not just any reporter, Kate Un from North Hampton Local.”

“Shit,” Ethan swore. “She’s probably here about the accident.” He bit his bottom lip. “Does your father care if they know the truth?” he asked below human hearing.

“He’s wary, but it’s not illegal to tell humans we exist. After all, most of us still drink human blood. And I’ve hunted before.”

He paled, if that was possible, and turned to look at Kate Un, who was now talking to Sarah, the cameraman training his camera on her.

After a few minutes, she pointed me out, and Kate came to talk to me.

“You’re Reese Emerson? Do you mind if I ask a couple questions?”

“Not at all. Go ahead.”

Kate gestured for her cameraman to focus on me.

“First of all, why did you try to stop the car?”

“Because I love Sarah. I couldn’t just let it squash her.” I was saying that a lot lately.

“Are you and Sarah in a relationship?”

“Yes-we have been for over a year. She’s my world.”

“Did you sustain any injuries?”

I held up my hands. “Cuts and bruises on my hands and wrists. I’ll heal quickly and move on.”

“Did you know the person behind the wheel?”

“Yes-she’s my friend, too. Ariella Spears.”

“Do you think there was jealousy involved?”

“Oh no, nothing of the sort. It was an accident, plain and simple.”

“So there’s no hint of a rivalry between the victim and the driver?” She sounded disappointed. “Maybe a fight over you or another boy?”

“No. They’re friends. No fight, no rivalries, no bitterness.”

“Enough.”

My mother’s voice cut through the building tension.

The cameraman turned to focus on Mother, and his jaw dropped. He’d probably never seen any woman so beautiful as my mother.

“I am the mother of Reese,” she said. “And the adopted mother of Sarah Cresley.”

“Adopted mother?” Kate Un was intrigued.