Chapter Six
JULIAN
I can tell Mom is terrified to take me home. She asks me every minute of the drive how I’m feeling, and no matter how many times I assure her I’m fine, she asks me again.
The issue is that I feel unsure of whether I should tell her why I’m fine. Not because I don’t trust my mom, but because I don’t trust what my brain remembers during all that dying nonsense.
Clearly it was a fever dream, right? I didn’t really tell an ancient vampire to carve that he sniffed me into my headstone, did I?
Oh, and suck down as much of his blood as I could like I was starving to death.
What the hell is even happening?
While my brain keeps telling me it was a silver-induced fever dream, I can’t deny the way that I feel nearly back to normal.
My wounds are even healing faster than I feel like they should, and while I’m not one hundred percent yet, I’m doing far better than a werewolf who was shot with silver should be doing.
I actually don’t think I’ve ever heard of one even living when shot with a bullet like the one I was shot with—which is why it’s a death sentence to even be caught carrying one around.
Mom stops the car and looks over at me. “How are you feeling?”
“I… kind of feel like… chasing a ball,” I say.
Her eyes narrow, obviously not finding me funny in the slightest.
“Julian.” The tone itself tells me she’s definitely not finding me funny.
“I’m fine .”
She scrutinizes me for another long minute. “Yeah?”
“I feel like I could go for a run, I feel so good.”
“Please don’t.”
“I feel like I could brawl with Dad.”
“The last time you brawled with your father, you called me crying,” Mom says.
“Yeah, because I was a dumb child! I thought we were going to wrestle like the kids in the movies do with their loving fathers! I didn’t know I was going to end up running for my life .”
“Your father brought you a bunny home to slaughter, and you really thought you were just going to have a fun tussle?”
“Mom, I thought we already went over this. I was a dumb child!”
“You were like fifteen. Beyond child.”
“I was a dumb preadult too. Hell, I might still be dumb; I told the ancient vampire I wanted to con him some more!”
Mom stares at me in disbelief. “Why?”
“I thought we already went over this!”
She sighs. “You’re not dumb. Your father is dumb. Compared to him, you’re Einstein.”
“I’m… not sure if that was a compliment or not, but I’ll take it,” I say as I push open the car door. Mom rushes around to assist me, but I’m feeling just fine since I snacked on an ancient vampire.
The real question is how? Why? Did whatever happen to me in that alley lead me to needing blood? But after the vampire left, I tried licking a bit of the human blood he spilled on me and was instantly repulsed and horrified I’d done such a thing… and a little bit embarrassed.
So then… what is happening to me?
And better yet… will it happen again? Maybe it’d be best to make nice with the vampire in case it does. He really seems like the kind of guy who’d love to make some new friends, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind adding me to that list.
When I get into the house, I realize Mom is well prepared for me as she guides me over to the couch that has blankets and pillows oozing off it. As I try to find an actual place to sit, she rushes off to get me some water with ice.
“Mom, I’m fine.”
“You will sit here and let me pamper your ass, do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good.” She sinks down on the couch next to me. “Don’t do this to me again, kid.”
“I won’t.”
She won’t stop staring at me, like she’s waiting for me to keel over like the last time we arrived here, or maybe hoping I’ll do a magic trick. I know literally zero magic, so she’s going to be waiting a while.
“I’m good, Mom, I promise.”
“I will make the decision myself,” she says, but ten minutes later she’s passed out on the couch, leaving me to turn the TV up to drown out her snores.
She’d slept next to me every night I was in the care center, and even then, I don’t think she got much sleep, especially in the crappy chairs provided.
And even if she won’t let me go home, I’m happy to be somewhere familiar.
It takes two full days before I convince Mom that I will be fine alone and that she shouldn’t miss her dinner plans with a guy she’s gone on one date with because she “isn’t getting any younger.”
Even though it’s been two days since she brought me home, she’s refused to stop staring at me.
I’ve assured her that if I feel strange at all, I will contact her immediately.
So she’s agreed to go to her prescheduled dinner plans with her date who could be a cardboard cutout and still be superior to her ex-husband, aka my father.
I think at this point, she’s just left to find a new son.
The moment she leaves, I toss a text her way.
Me: Mom, it’s so creepy not having someone stare at me constantly. I feel afraid.
Mom: Don’t be a smart-ass.
Me: How am I going to get my own water? How do I open the lid? Do I turn on the faucet to the right or left?
Mom: I’m going to come home and kick your ass if you don’t stop sassing me.
Me: Mom, there’s a squirrel… I must… chase…
Mom: I will send your father to watch over you if you don’t quiet down.
Pleased with my tormenting, I settle down and watch a couple of shows before my phone rings again. This time, I see that it’s Dad and reluctantly answer.
“Hellllooo?”
“Hey, my car won’t start. Is there any way you could pick me up and just drive me to my place?” Dad asks. It’s already dark out and I honestly have little else to do.
“Will you talk during any part of it?” I ask. “Wait, you can talk about kittens. That’s it. Deal?”
“Deal,” Dad says.
“Send me the address.”
He sends the address to me and I quickly text Mom so if she comes home she doesn’t immediately assume I’ve keeled over somewhere. I know she won’t be happy, but I’m not even planning on getting out of my car that Rhett brought over for me yesterday.
I’m stiff and a bit achy, but it actually feels good to get up and stretch my legs.
Driving to the address Dad gave me, I find myself outside of the council hall…
as in the council hall for vampires and werewolves.
Which is fine. I’m sure my father constantly finds himself running headfirst into meetings where he can irritate the vampires.
What’s not fine is that it sure seems like people are going into the hall, not out of it.
I mean, it did just get dark enough for the vampires to emerge half an hour ago.
Dad comes to my window.
“Kittens only,” I growl.
“There’s a kitten in that hall there that you need to see,” he says. “It’s real cute. Fluffy.”
“Was this just a con to make me go to the meeting?” I grumble.
“The howling kittens would like to hear what happened to you so the fanged kittens can understand that they’re worthless pieces of lying shitty… kittens.”
I groan, prepared to throw the car into reverse and scoot my ass out of here, when I see everyone stop and stare as Casimir casually walks across the parking lot. You’d have thought he was a live bomb from the way they’re all acting. But… in a sexy way…
No time like the present to make a new friend, right?
“Alright,” I say.
Dad hesitates. “A… Alright?”
Clearly, I’ve inflicted confusion on the man as I get out of my car and head toward the building.
My father quickly rushes after me, and I realize that I really don’t want to be seen with him.
It’s like in middle school when you run into a group of classmates at the county fair and want to pretend you’re not hanging out with your parents.
But in my case, I’m thirty-one and my dad is sketchy at best.
I’ve never been to a council meeting before, but I see a single chair that will leave no room for my father to sit by me and head over to it before Dad grabs my wrist. “You can’t sit on that side.”
“Why?”
“The vampires sit on that side.”
“So? Isn’t this like a meeting so the two sides can get along?” I ask. Let’s be honest, I’d rather sit absolutely coated in bloodsuckers than have to sit next to my dad. But my father proceeds to body block me until I’m forced in a chair on the “werewolf side.”
Casimir is standing at the front of the room, and when he looks over at me, I smile and wave at him.
He does not, in fact, wave back.
“I was told there were kittens in here, but it just looks like a bunch of grumpy people,” I say to Dad as he sits next to me.
Casimir clears his throat and everyone, even the wolves, turns quiet.
“I’m aware there is some unrest over recent events, but the issue has been dealt with. That is all,” he says, like that’s going to be the end of the meeting.
Honestly… that’s my kind of meeting! I lift my hands and give him the best slow clap I can muster, although I quickly realize that no one else is clapping and stop.
“Wow, I didn’t know these would be so fu… n.” Of course it couldn’t be too fun because my dad stands up and it sure doesn’t seem like he’s standing up to leave.
“This city is getting out of control with vampires! You promised us that you’d keep vampires from coming here and not only did they invade our city, they attacked my son. Go on, Julian, tell them.”
“No, no, that’s okay,” I say. “I didn’t prepare a speech, but thank you.”
“Julian, tell them what happened,” Dad urges.
Casimir’s narrowed eyes fixate on my father. “As you’re well aware, Terrance , I know what happened,” he says. “The vampires who attacked your son are dead. I killed them myself, as you already know .”
“Why kill some vampires over a fucking dog?” one of the vampires asks.
Dad immediately looks prepared to punch the man’s face in.