Conversion Book Three: 'Til Death Read online

  Teren’s deep voice filled the room as I left it, and looking back at the trio, I smiled at Nika and Julian holding hands across the short distance between their beds. It wasn’t unusual for them to fall asleep that way and on occasion, they were still like that when they woke up.

  After giving myself my daily shot, a sting that I was completely used to now, I got ready for bed. Sliding under our cool covers, I kept my seductive promise and didn’t bother with any pajamas. Teren and I didn’t get to have “snuggle” time as often as I’d have preferred, but we tried to make it work. Having children with super hearing could put a damper on your love life. Now that they were more aware, we generally avoided doing anything while they were awake.

  Especially after a particularly embarrassing time when they had heard us…

  They had been about two and a half, and we hadn’t thought much about plopping in a movie for them and disappearing into for bedroom for a little…reconnecting. We thought about it after the movie though, when Nika and Julian both had concerned and slightly scared looks on their faces. They’d run up to me after I’d gone in to check on them, and wouldn’t let me go. It had taken some deciphering of their disjointed language, but I’d finally understood that they’d heard everything, and they’d thought I was in pain.

  Yeah, that sort of killed the mood for me for a long time. Of course, Teren thought it was hilarious, and didn’t see a problem with just explaining to them what we’d been doing. I…just could not do that yet.

  We eventually came up with the compromise to at least hold off on being intimate until they were sleeping. And really, since their language skills had improved dramatically in the year since that encounter, I really didn’t need them telling any of our family members that Mommy made funny noises in the bedroom with Daddy. Just the thought of them saying that to Halina made my cheeks heat.

  A cool body blurred into bed with me, chilly arms wrapping around my waist as a stubbled jaw nestled in my throat. I sighed contently, twisting my legs up with his; he was just as bare as I was. Knowing where this was going, the anticipation of it started surging through me, but the two toddlers talking through the walls helped to contain my fire.

  Teren’s cool palms slid over my skin, sending a trail of goose bumps across my flesh. “We could try being quiet,” he murmured in my ear, his voice low and husky.

  I knew by “we,” he meant me. I bit my lip and considered it. Silent lovemaking wasn’t impossible, just really, really difficult, especially when the object of your affection was a super hot vampire. There was just something about that combination that evaporated any thought of holding back. Plus, I had my own vampiric impulses to consider. I didn’t think I could keep a low growl from rumbling up my chest, and who knows what the kids would think about that.

  Sighing, I pushed him back. “They’ll fall asleep soon,” I whispered, my hand cupping his cheek.

  He grinned at me crookedly and shook his head. “While I wish we had more time together like this…I do love that you know you’ll be uncontainable.” He raised his eyebrows. “Knowing that makes the wait worthwhile.”

  I giggled and squeezed him tight, pressing my lips softly to his…softly and carefully. The boy was a fabulous kisser and I didn’t want to get carried away with that just yet. “Well, I’ll try not to fall asleep before they do,” I murmured against his lips.

  He chuckled in his throat, his hands running over my hips, teasingly refraining from pulling us together.

  Sighing as his chest against mine started to warm, I pulled back to gaze at him. “Do you have to keep telling them that story?”

  He smiled and relaxed back on the pillows. “It’s a good story, they love it.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s embarrassing.”

  He twisted back to me, a finger running through a long strand of my dark hair. “Nothing about you is embarrassing.” His eyes flicked down the silhouette of my body under the sheets, the phosphorescent glow of the whites of his eyes highlighting every contour of my body. It made my heart beat faster, made my skin ignite.

  Hearing me, he brought those glowing orbs back to mine. He’d told me once that the vampiric glowing eyes were to help subdue prey, as if they needed the extra help, but staring into his, there was a calming, almost hypnotic aspect to them. Watching his face being highlighted by the glow of my own eyes, I wondered if he felt that too.

  I’d been worried at first about the glow. It’s not something you can shut off, and I’d inherited it along with my teeth, hearing and speed. But it was only evident in perfectly dark places, like our bedroom. In the outside world, it was masked by the light pollution in the sky. It was the only time, I’m sure, that pollution of any kind came in handy.

  I smiled as I let his peace absorb into me. Hearing the children repeat Teren’s tale with the own twists to the story, mainly a dog that could fly and a mailbox that talked, I considered the fact that their eyes hadn’t shown any trace of a glow yet.

  We’d tested them nearly instantly, walking them into the darkest room in the house. I’d felt like I was nine again, testing out my glow-in-the-dark t-shirt, but as we’d stared down at them with our own headlights, nothing had shown back. The women all assured me that Teren’s was instant, and that the trait must not have carried over to them. They were all extremely excited to see an aspect of the vampirism fade in the lineage. It was what they were striving for – full humans. We knew that was a goal that would probably take several generations, but just the fact that my children’s eyes were perfectly normal, made it seem like an obtainable one. But really, as a mother, I was just grateful that they had one less thing to worry about in their lives.

  Cocking his head at me, Teren leaned in to restart the soft kissing. “You’re beautiful, Emma. I want our kids to know how I see you.” His speech against my lips vibrated into my sensitive skin. I nearly tasted the words.

  Running my hands through his hair, the sound of the sliding strands apparent, even under our quickening breaths, I murmured, “You amaze me, how you see me.”

  Into my ear he breathed, “And I see better than almost everyone, Emma.”

  I bit my lip as I contained a groan. Pushing him back so I could stare at his calm-inducing eyes again, I listened for the telltale sounds of sleep from down the hall – all I heard was a chorus of ABCs. Sighing, I ran my finger across his lips. “Well, I at least appreciate how romantic you make the story.” I smiled and shook my head. “It’s not nearly that romantic in my memory.”

  He sat back on his elbow, smiling over at me. “Nearly every memory I have of you is romantic, in some way.”

  I laughed lightly, sitting back as well. “Even when I’m chucking things at you?”

  He grinned and leaned in to kiss my collar bone. “Especially when you’re chucking things at me.” He raised an eyebrow before trailing his lips up my neck. “You’re hot when you’re feisty.”

  I exhaled in a way I shouldn’t as his cool breath washed along the vein in my throat. “You make me feel like the most beautiful woman on earth,” I whispered.

  He stopped sucking on my earlobe to look at me. “Good, because you are.” I leaned over to kiss him, nearly not caring that my kids had moved on to practicing their numbers, but he spoke before I could make the connection. “Well, almost.”

  I pulled back and cocked an eyebrow at him. He laughed at the look on my face and then shook his head. “I think our daughter may surpass even you one day.” He smiled warmly at the thought, a look of pride on his face.

  A sudden rush of emotion hit me and I felt my eyes sting. “Not surprising…since she’s half you.”

  I swallowed back the sudden lump in my throat while he cupped my cheek. “I love you, Emma…for always.”

  I could only nod and find his mouth, needing that connection to temper the overwhelming love that I felt for him. Some couples claimed that having children dampened the love they felt for their spouse, but it had had the opposite effect for Teren and I. If possible, I loved him
even more now. So much so, that I couldn’t believe I’d ever been okay with his one day living without me. Maybe it was selfish of me, but I didn’t ever want him to be without me.

  As I melted into his arms, I finally heard loud yawns coming from the twins’ room. I smiled into Teren's skin, his body nearly lukewarm from so much exposure to mine. Yawning was the precursor to sleep for our children. And their sleep was the precursor to our awakening.

  As Teren rolled me to my back, propping himself on top of me, I heard a sound that I heard every night. And every night, it made my heart expand in a way that seemed physically impossible, like surely that frail organ should have busted wide open from the level of warmth and tenderness that rushed into it on a daily basis.

  From across the hall, my vampiric ears clearly heard my children saying goodbye to the day, saying goodbye to each other. As always, it brought tears to my eyes.

  “Night, Nick, love you.”

  “Night, Julie, love you too.”

  Chapter 2

  Supernaturally Normal

  I dreamt of my children as I slept, of what their future might be like. I imagined the partners that they’d meet and fall in love with. I imagined Gabriel supplying them with as much life-suspending juice as was necessary for them to live as mostly humans for as long as they wanted. Unlike us, our children could take their time having their own kids. It delighted me endlessly that there were no biological alarm clocks hovering over their heads. They could have children whenever they wanted, or never at all. I was fine with that too. Just so long as they were happy…and safe.

  I was just picturing an adult Julian standing beside an adult Nika, on what looked like her wedding day, when a harsh scraping along my neck started bringing me back to awareness. Groaning as my body fought against stirring, I brushed the irritant away.

  Teren laughed in my ear. “Wake up, Emma. Time to start your day.”

  I flung an arm over my head, sort of hating my husband at the moment, even though he was nicer to wake up to than an alarm clock. He laughed again at my displeasure, the back of his finger running down my cheek. “You’re going to be late, sweetheart.”

  I peeked an eye open, cringing at the bathroom light he’d left on for me. “Tell me again, why I went back to work?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “Glutton for punishment?” He shrugged. I twisted my lips at him and narrowed my eyes. Chuckling, he shook his head again. “Because you are an intelligent, beautiful, confident business woman, who loves her job and loves to feel good at it.” He raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to object to his summation. When I didn’t, he added, “And you like turning me on in those amazingly hot, little lacy camisole things you wear.”

  I moved to smack his chest but he’d already blurred away from me. Smartass. At least that was one thing that hadn’t changed since the very beginning. Teren was still a playful little tease.

  Sighing, I tossed off the covers and stood up. As I still wasn’t wearing anything, having fallen sleep immediately after our session last night, his eyes widened and he stopped smiling. Loving that my body still affected him, even after carrying and passing two children through me, I sashayed in front of him. Loving that he wasn’t even bothering to pretend that he was interested in my face, I huskily said, “Fine, I’m up.”

  He peeked up at me then, the grin on his mouth devilish. “I think I’d prefer it if you were back down.”

  His hands ran over my flat stomach and for a moment, I felt worshipped by his caress. I’d worked hard after the twins to get my regular body shape back, hitting the gym every chance I got. And having vampiric speed and strength, let me tell you, getting in shape is harder than it seems. I had to constantly remind myself to run at a normal pace. And since weights did nothing for my enhanced muscles, I’d had to do yoga and Pilates to firm myself back up. But eventually, all of the effort had paid off and my curves were even tighter than before. I loved knowing that if and when I ever decided to stop taking Gabriel’s shot, my body would be fit for eternity, much like Teren’s.

  As his hand on my stomach delved lower, I blurred into the bathroom. Turning the water on, I clearly heard, “Hey, I wasn’t done!”

  Laughing, I muttered, “Yes, you were. I don’t want to be late, remember?”

  Hearing that, even over the forceful flow of water beside me, he stepped into the room, leaning on the doorframe. “I believe I’ve told you this before…but, I can be really fast.”

  I threw him a smirk and shook my head again. Men. Even though Teren was more romantic than most, he’d still chuck it all out the window for a quickie, a super quickie, no less.

  “Tempting…but no.” I opened the door and quickly stepped into it before he decided to throw the charm back on. If he really wanted to, he could have me laid across our mammoth bed with just a few whispers of devotion, both of our jobs be damned. He grinned as he watched me through the glass, like he was well aware of the power he held.

  Shaking his head, he sighed dramatically. “Fine. I’ll see you tonight. Tuesday dinner, right?” He cocked an eyebrow and I paused in wetting my hair. It was so sexy when he did that. Clearing my head, I nodded. “Yep. Mom will bring the kids.”

  He nodded and waved goodbye, then headed downstairs. I tracked him while I went about washing my hair. Long ago ditching the too fragrant shampoos, I’d gotten one that was technically considered unscented, by human standards anyway. To me, it just smelled like a fresh sea breeze. It was a soothing scent, having lived near the ocean my whole life, so I’d readily adapted to it.

  As I scrubbed up some bubbles, I felt Teren leave the house. A slight pull of sadness swept through me as he engaged the tension in our bond. As creator and child, although I hated thinking of myself as Teren’s child, we had a bond that was unique to us. In the beginning, it had been a nearly primal need to be together. Embarrassingly strong, and at times, inappropriately graphic, it was designed to keep sires near their newly created vampires. The intensity of it varied, depending on what the connection was before the turning, and since Teren and I had been married…well, it was like a four alarm fire being kindled every time we started coming towards each other.

  Luckily for us, the bond had eased up considerably over the years. Now, it was more a feeling of warmth and love, and less a feeling of, ‘oh God, I need in your pants right now.’

  I smiled as I rinsed away the lightly scented suds. I did sort of miss the passion, but I definitely didn’t miss ripping off my shirt in front of Hot Ben. On my top ten list of the most embarrassing moments in my life, that one was right up there.

  It had happened not too long after the twins had been born, when Teren had been spending the day with Ben. They’d gone fishing together and when Teren had tried to return Ben to his car, our bodies had had other plans. We’d ended up having sex in the front of Ben’s SUV. He’d barely run out of there in time to not accidentally witness the whole show. He had not been happy with us, although, months later he’d confessed, to my horror, that he had liked the peep show.

  Shaking my head at how crazy that intense pull had been, I stepped away from the shower and turned the water off. I heard each lingering drop fall as I wrapped a warm, plush towel around me. I also heard the beginnings of rustling, as the other two members of the house also started stirring.

  After drying and curling my hair, I dressed in my favorite work outfit, and apparently Teren’s as well. Adjusting my trim pantsuit and the clingy, plunging camisole underneath my jacket, I felt my husband’s presence stop its movement away from me. He was at work, probably sitting down at his desk to pop out another fantastic article on the highs and lows of city life in beautiful San Francisco. If only Gate Magazine was aware of how undead their life and style writer was. The irony of it always brought a smile to my face.

  After I fixed my shoes and made last minute adjustments to my hair, I put on the locket that I always wore to work with me. Teren had gotten it for me for my birthday, right after we’d learned that I’d
survive long enough for the twins to be born. The gold heart folded out into four pictures, the two of us and our two children. I loved having the reminder of my family around my neck during the times when we were apart. A visual reminder to go with the physical reminder constantly binging their position to me in my head.

  As I smiled at the tiny, sleeping infants in the locket, I heard Nika yawn and say to her twin, “Morning, Julie.”

  He in turn, yawned as well. “Morning, Nick.”

  I smiled at the nicknames they’d given each other. They’d started doing that nearly from the first time they’d started speaking. It was such a personal thing between the two of them, that no one else in the family used the shortened names. That was something just between them.

  Standing in my empty room, I said, “Good morning, children. Hurry and get up so we can go to Grandma’s.”

  There were excited squeals and a flurry of movement as they rushed to do what I’d asked. They loved visiting my mom and she insisted on having them. Since a traditional daycare was sort of out for us, since they were still learning to hamper their abilities, my mom had completely stepped up. Teren and I both told her repeatedly that Alanna and the girls would watch them, but she’d bristled at the idea of us driving so far each day out to the ranch, when she was right here in town. And since she’d retired, just so she could be available to watch them, it sort of made it hard to say no to her offer.