Conversion (Page 35)

He was starting to pull me away from the pool, away from the conversation that he could probably feel coming. I knew I felt it. The anticipation of it was making the hairs stick up on the back of my neck. How could he not have told me…?

I jerked my hands away from him and held my ground. I cut off his pointless, distracting chatter by shoving my finger in his chest. "Halina killed her husband, because she was so hungry after the change, she couldn’t stop herself. A change that you’re about to go through. A hunger that you’re about to face. A hunger that your family thinks will end in my death."

He closed his eyes and for a second, I thought steam might come out of his ears. When he reopened them, he turned his body to the wall of windows that led back into the house. "I cannot believe you. After I specifically told you last night not to tell her, you go and tell her anyway?" He was speaking to his mother, his mother tucked away in the house somewhere, quite possibly still on the second story with Imogen. He was speaking to her with the exact same volume that he’d used when he’d spoken to me, right beside him. She apparently heard and responded, because after a brief pause, he added, "We’ll discuss this later."

He turned back to me and his face seemed to age by years. My face was tight with irritation…if not pure anger. His eyes took in my stance-hands on hips, feet braced for a fight-not a picture of pleasantness at all. He sighed. "That won’t happen, Emma. I promise." He looked back at the house again and sullenly muttered, "Unbelievable. They never listen to me."

He promises? That was his heartfelt assurance that he wouldn’t rip out my throat and swim in the pleasure that was my blood…a promise? Well, I felt better already. As long as there was a "promise" in place, then I was practically drenched in a silver suit of impenetrability. But, oh yeah, silver didn’t affect him, and promises meant nothing when put up against raw, animal instinct.

"Teren."

Still staring back at the house, he ignored me. "It’s like talking to a wall…three pious, we-know-what’s-best-for-you walls." He shrugged his shoulders. "It’s like I’m invisible."

"Teren…" My tone clearly indicated that I wanted his attention, but now I was invisible-he was completely ignoring me in his little pity party.

"It’s like I don’t even-"

He wasn’t able to finish whatever sulking thought he’d been absorbed in. Wanting his attention, I pushed him, fully clothed, into the massive swimming pool. I half expected him to bounce off the water and start walking on top of it. He didn’t. Shocked, he sputtered and flailed around in the water, until he realized we were near the shallow end and he could stand. He stood in the waist-deep water, and beads of it ran down his hair and face. He gaped at me with his mouth wide open.

"What the hell?"

He was rather adorable, angry and soaking wet, staring at me like I’d just slapped him for no apparent reason, but the cuteness of it instantly dissolved in the heat of my own anger. "Is there ever going to be a time when I hear these monumental events from you first, and not your family? Don’t you trust me?"

He walked to the edge of the pool. His shirt clung to his chest and water droplets flew from his lips as he spoke. "Of course I trust you…more than anyone." He shook his wet head and furrowed his brow. "I don’t want to scare you with things that aren’t important."

Now I gaped at him. I sort of wished we were upstairs and I had some decorative pillows to chuck at him. I didn’t, so I clenched my fists instead. "Aren’t important? That you may kill me isn’t important? Seriously?"

He raised his sopping hands. "I won’t. I have a plan…"

I cut him off before he could break out his, I’m sure, brilliant plan. "Tell me things first! Important or not! Let me decide what I should or shouldn’t be worried about! Stop keeping me in the dark!"

Still looking to be in absolute shock, he stared at me in silence. Then, slowly, he nodded. "All right. Yes, my mother is right. I’ll be thirsty, extremely thirsty…but I’d never hurt you." He shook his head, like he could simply shake away my concern. "There will be time anyway…time to get me here."

I relaxed my stance. "What do you mean?"

He hopped up on the edge of the pool, his jeans clinging to him as much as his shirt. I cringed at the soggy boots I could see below the water; they were probably ruined. I carefully sat beside him, dipping my legs back into the coolness. Teren placed his hands over the sides of the pool and looked at me. "It’s not instantaneous. I’ll know it’s happening. I’ll tell you it’s happening. Instead of driving the man having a heart attack to a hospital…" he shrugged, "you’ll drive me here. Then I’ll be out of the city and around lots of food…and everything will be fine."

I absorbed that for a second, and then I smacked him across the chest, making him grunt. "That’s your plan? Good Lord, Teren. Were you ever going to fill me in on this little scenario of yours? One that I play a rather huge part in!"

He cringed back when I smacked him again. "Yes…eventually, when I felt it getting closer."

I dramatically sighed and shoved him back into the water. He was more prepared this time and at the last moment, he grabbed my leg and pulled me in with him. I screamed as I was suddenly surrounded by frigid water. I clutched at his warmth, momentarily forgetting that he was the one I was angry with. I remembered my irritation, the moment he started laughing.

"Halina loved her husband and killed him anyway!" I snapped. Then, as the realization of what that statement truly meant for us hit me, I softly said, "What if there isn’t time? What if you…?"

Teren shook his head as he held us close together under the water. His knees rested on the floor of the pool and my legs wrapped around his body. I clung to him tighter as his pale eyes searched my face. "There will be time…and I won’t. I’d rather die than hurt you."

I rested my head against his and words failed me. I couldn’t speak what was flying through my mind. I couldn’t put vocals to the thoughts, like saying it out loud would make it so horrifyingly real, that the simple act of speaking the words would somehow damage us both. Pulling back, I stared into his eyes and felt the same haunted restraint from him. He wouldn’t say the words either. Even if we didn’t speak them…they were all I heard as we tightly clutched each other in that pool.

If it came down to that scenario and he didn’t kill me…he really would die.

We stayed in that pool, holding each other, for a peaceful eternity. Eventually he grabbed the back of my head and gently brought me to his shoulder. "I really should help my dad," he whispered.

I nodded against the cold, wet fabric of his shirt, and we both stood, dripping and freezing, and exited the pool. At the edge, he faced the windows and simply said, "Mom." Instantly, Alanna was there with towels for us. Teren thanked her but didn’t look at her. I watched Alanna eye him with the guilt-filled, tired eyes of someone who had betrayed someone else’s trust for their own good.

I sighed, hating the tension between these two people who obviously loved each other. "This is ridiculous," I muttered, as I scrubbed my hair dry. Both vampires turned their downcast heads to me. Teren stopped squeezing the water out of his jeans as I continued. "You both love each other. You both want the best for each other." Alanna looked at him hopefully; Teren eyed her uneasily. I smacked his shoulder. "Get over it and give your mom a hug." He looked back at me, surprised at my tone, and then chuckled. Alanna’s musical laugh joined his, and she flung her arms around his wet body.

"Okay, Mom…" He hugged her warmly and then pushed his wetness away from her. He looked at her with a serious expression. "I will do what’s best for me. Please respect that…and please, stop telling my girlfriend things that I should be telling her." He smiled lamely at the end.

Alanna ran her fingers back through his wet hair. "You know I love you, Teren. I’m sorry I worry so much. I just remember what it was like…it’s harder than you think it is. I eventually had to send Jack away to protect him from me, just in case…" She let out a sad sigh. "It was the longest separation of our marriage."

"I know, Mom…" he said softly.

She sighed again. "All right…" She grabbed his chin and looked him over. "We’re always here for you." She seemed about to cry again, but instead, she quickly kissed his cheek and fled back to the house.

I smiled at him as we both finished toweling off. He smiled back and shook his head. "You’re better at this than you realize, Emma."

"Better at what?" I indicated the water behind me. "Better at dumping you in the pool?"

He shook his head and pulled my damp body into his damp body. "At being a part of my world. You don’t know how rare you are." He kissed me and whispered, "I won’t keep anything else from you…I promise."

I kissed him back. "That’s all I ask…thank you."

When we were dry enough that we were at least not dripping too badly, Teren scooped me up into his arms and sped me upstairs. Once we were in our room, we both changed into clean, dry clothes. Teren frowned as he stared at his sopping work boots, the only shoes he had with him for this trip. I looked away and got really busy putting my completely dry shoes back on.

While I went to freshen up in the bathroom, a still scowling and shoeless Teren excused himself to go find a pair of boots to wear. Even though I shouldn’t have found it entertaining, I smiled the entire time I dried and styled my hair, thinking of him plodding around the house in only his socks. Served the secretive vampire right.

When I was finished with my loose, bouncy hair, I redid my makeup essentials. My mascara had run down my cheeks so badly that I’d had to wash my face and start all over. I’d have to remember to pack the waterproof kind, the next time my vampire decided to drag me into the pool. Afterwards, I exited the bedroom to go find Teren. I didn’t have to search too hard. He was stepping off the final stair, just as I approached them.

I smiled and peeked at his feet. He was wearing black, men’s work boots that had seen much better days. One of the toes had a worn spot that was going to eventually be a large hole, and a seam along the side of the other one had come apart; the shoe made a flopping noise whenever he walked. I bit my lip to not laugh. He frowned as he followed my gaze to his feet.

"One of the hands was my size. These are his backup boots." He sounded about as pleased with the situation as he looked.

I did chuckle then at his sullen explanation. Walking over to him, I laced my arms around his neck. He ran his hands around my waist but didn’t stop frowning at me. I lightly kissed him. He still frowned. I kissed him longer. He kissed back, but as we pulled apart, his frown returned. Determined, I grabbed his face and kissed him hard and deep. I felt it throughout my entire body-felt the closeness and intimacy, felt the rush of desire. As I pulled away, just slightly breathless, it pleased me to see that he was breathing faster as well…then the damn frown came back. Stubborn indeed.

Not one to give up quite so easily, I remembered this morning and his clear infatuation. I moved the hair away from my neck, exposing the still pink wounds. Then I grabbed him and pulled his mouth down to the area. That worked. My vamp’s tongue started running over the spot where he’d bitten me last night. A deep noise rumbled in his chest and his hands pulled me into his body. His breath became even heavier, as the pressure of his mouth against my skin increased. Not wanting to be any more obvious than we were already being, I suppressed a groan and clutched his head even closer to me.