Bound to a Bloodsucker

chapter six

"Butterfly!"
"Bird!"
"Airplane?"
"Fairy?"
"You guys are clueless!" April shouts at us, flapping her arms up and down.
"Angel!" I scream, noticing her "wings."
"Yes!" April points at me, finally giving up on flapping her limbs. "Thank God. One smart person in the family." I can't help the smile that appears on my face. I'm part of the family.
"I told you that you were part of the family. You didn't believe me?" Peter wraps an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him on the couch.
"I believe everything you tell me. But it's different coming from you than it is coming from April," I explain. He smiles, kissing the side of my head before nodding towards the other side of the room.
"It's your turn to act out."
Shyly, I take a deep breath and stand up. As I begin to walk forward, I feel a hand slap my ass. I whip around to let Peter have a piece of my mind, but his face looks so cute and innocent. I just glare, hating that I can't hate him or anything he does. He smirks, reading my thoughts and then I realize something.
"You can't play this round, Peter!" I exclaim.
"Why?" April questions.
"Because she hasn't learned to block me out of her thoughts yet. As soon as she thinks of something to act out, I'll know what it is," Peter explains my thoughts before I can manage to get one word out. April nods.
"Oh. Peter, you need to teach her that. How else is she going to surprise you for your upcoming birthday?" She smirks. My eyes widen. Peter's birthday is coming up? He didn't tell me. Although we haven't been together that long.
"Just play the game, Jasey. We will talk about that later," Peter laughs.
Okay. Right. Something to act out. What am I good at acting as?
A child.
Peter's thought slips into my mind as he lets it, and I pout at him, folding my arms.
"See? Told you," Peter laughs at my childish actions.
"Man. I never realized how weird it is to see two soulmates communicate. Is this what Scott and I do?" April asks. Peter nods.
"Yeah. It is."
They laugh, and I smile. Okay. Focus.
Oh! I can be a vampire!
"No," Peter tells me. "You would butcher it. You don't know enough about that yet." Once again, I pout.
"Peter, you are no fun to play with," I scowl. He smirks.
"Oh, I am very fun to play with," he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Peter, keep it PG-13," Scott reprimands. I giggle. Peter rolls his eyes.
"Yes, father," he mocks. Scott shakes his head, but I see the hint of a smile on his face.
"Okay. I got it," I state, the idea popping into my head.
"Oh, my God," Peter mumbles. I giggle, standing up straight. I adjust the invisible crown on my head and pretend to hold up my dress as I take a few slow steps forward. I raise my hand, waving it back and forth lightly.
"I have no idea," Scott says. April smirks.
"A princess," she blurts, her eyes twinkling. I nod, giggling.
"You can be my princess," Isaac appears beside me in a split second, grabbing me by the hips and pulling me flush against him. He was in the kitchen, scarfing down pizza. Vampires don't need to eat, but Isaac claims it "tastes too good to just not eat human food."
"Isaac," Scott warns, glancing at Peter's angry eyes. "You know better than that. Step away."
Isaac rolls his eyes and takes a seat on the couch beside Scott.
"You guys have no humor," he mumbles.
"You'll understand when you find your soulmate, kid," April smiles at him. "Trust me. Peter doesn't want any guys touching Jasey, no matter who they are." My cheeks heat.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. She's precious and valuable and human," Isaac grumbles and folds his arms across his chest. Why is he so upset he can't touch me?
"It's not because she's human. It's because she's bound," Scott explains. "She's Peter's. Not yours or anyone else's." I'm just a piece of land, huh? People have to put a claim on me.
"Jasey," Peter's eyes soften. "It's not like that." I nod, not wanting to draw attention from the rest of the family.
My phone buzzes in the back pocket of my jeans, and I pull it out.
"Excuse me," I mumble as I see Jack's name on the screen. I take a few steps into the foyer even though they can still hear me with their vampire ears. "Hello?"
"Where are you?" Jack sounds worried.
"I'm at a friend's house. You told me to make friends didn't you?"
"I need your help."
"Why?"
"Dad's back."
"What?" My heart races. "How do you know?" Did he come to the house?
"He called. Jasey, he took Jenny," Jack's voice cracks. My eyes widen. In a rush, I shove my feet into my converse. "I'll be at the house in a few minutes." I hang up and start to walk towards the living room, but Peter stands in front of me in half a second. Keys are already in his hand, and he grabs me by the waist and pulls me to the front door. I am so thankful for his reading my mind trick in this moment because there is no time to explain. Peter and I begin to walk through the door until I realize how rude it is to just leave.
"It was nice meeting you all!" I yell over Peter's shoulder. I hear voices and then the door shuts behind me.
"They understand. Get in," Peter says, opening the passenger door open on the white Corvette. I slide into the seat, my legs shaking as I buckle. What's he going to do to Jenny? He walked out before she was even born. Why would he take her from a friend's house and call Jack? Did Jack tell Mom? Does she know or is she oblivious? "Jasey. Please stop freaking out."
I realize my heart is beating faster than ever and my head is spinning from lack of oxygen. I've been holding my breath. I look up and see that we are already on the road, on the way to my house. Peter drops his strong, pale hand to my upper thigh. He gently strokes it, calming me.
When we reach my house, Peter is already holding open my door before I have even unbuckled my seatbelt. I step out and walk inside my house. I don't even realize that Jack has never met Peter- who stands right behind me as I give Jack a hug. Jack doesn't get burned because Peter is here with me, but I can feel Peter tense at the sight of another male touching me.
"What did he say when he called?" I inquire, stepping out of Jack's hold.
"He said he was back in town and that he picked up Jenny from her friend's house. He said he would have her back by 9," Jack explains. We both glance at the clock. 8:54.
"Well, he has six minutes. Let's wait until 9. Then I'm calling the police," I take a seat at the old wooden kitchen table.
"While we wait, wanna introduce me to your 'friend?'" Jack takes a seat across from me and Peter sits beside me. My cheeks heat.
"This is Peter. Peter, this is Jack." But you already knew that.
"Where'd you meet him?" Jack demands. In a dream.
"School. I'm a new student. I start next week. Jasey was my chauffeur this week," Peter lies smoothly.
Not completely a lie. I do start school next week. Still haven't graduated.
My eyes widen. He's going to my school?
I have to. I can't let you out of my sight. If you are more than 100 feet away, withdrawals start.
I wince, remembering that pain. Peter winces, too.
"Mhm. How old are you?" Jack asks. Technically 42.
"I turn 18 in a few weeks," Peter answers, grabbing my hand under the table.
"Are you an only child?" Jack interrogates.
"Jack, stop. He didn't come here to be interrogated. He came to help with Dad," I remind him.
"Answer the question," Jack glared at Peter.
"I'm not an only child. I have an older brother and a younger brother, but we all live with my aunt and uncle," Peter lies once again. Jack's features remain unmoving.
Before he can ask anymore questions, a knock on the front door sounds and I'm the first to reach it. Opening it, I see Jenny and a tall man with light brown hair and blue eyes.
"John."
"Jasey."
I look at the clock. 9:01.
"You're late," I note. He smiles.
"It's good to see you too, kiddo," my father reaches for me but I take a step back, running into Peter. I feel his cool body behind my heated, angry one. His hand rests on my hip as I reach for Jenny. She walks forward with a handful of candy.
"Look. Daddy gave me candy," she grins.
"Don't eat that. It might be poisoned. Go give it to Jack," I tell her, giving her a hug and nudging her in Jack's direction.
"Yeah because I just love poisoning my children," my dad rolls his eyes as he says this. I fold my arms across my chest.
"Well how am I supposed to know? I don't know who you are. I haven't seen you in eight years," I remind him. "Thanks for bringing Jenny back." I grab the door and start to shut it before I hear his words.
"I had to go, Jasey. I couldn't guarantee your safety anymore," his voice cracks.
"What?" I demand. Peter tenses.
He's a vampire.
My eyes widen and I turn to Peter. How can he tell?
Vampires can smell better than humans. We can smell other vampires. He's a vampire. And he probably knows I am, too.
I turn to face my father. He glances between Peter and me.
"Jack, go put Jenny to bed. I'll be fine," I say.
"Jasey-" Jack hesitates.
"Go."
He picks Jenny up and carries her to the back of the house. I step out on the porch, leading Peter by the hand. Dad takes a seat on the wicker bench and Peter and I share a spot on the railing.
"Who turned you?" I question.
"My soulmate," he whispers, his eyes lighting up. Well it was obvious that Mom wasn't his soulmate, but it's still weird to think that I could have a step mom-vamp-thing.
Peter chuckles beside me, scratching my back. I smile at him because I know he heard that thought. "Just like you, Jasey, I was human and my soulmate was a vampire. I saw her once. Your mom flipped out. She kicked me out of the house because I had to bring the woman home with me. It hurt to much to be away from her. As I'm sure you both understand." Peter and I nod. "Your mother kicked my out of the house and filed for divorce in the same night. It took two years for the divorce to go through. By that time, I was already turned. I couldn't come back. I was controlling my hunger. I was new to it. I... killed a lot of humans before I finally controlled the thirst." As he speaks, I focus on his appearance. He is pale but he's always been pale. His eyes are blue- but no longer the dull blue that he passed on to me. They're bright and breathtaking. Almost surreal. His hair is light brown- the same light brown that all of us kids share. His once broken nose now looks perfectly straight and slim. The gut from too many beers that he used to carry is now gone. A slim waist is in its place.
"So, you can control it now?" I question, snapping out of my focus. He nods.
"That's why I came back. I want to be in your lives. I knew talking to you would be most simple because you already know about creatures like me," Dad explains. I glance at Peter from the corner of my eye. "If you'll allow me, I would like to be around more. I'll even bring my wife, Gina, over. She's dying to meet you all."
She can't be dying. She's already dead.
Peter chuckles again at my thoughts. "I can tell you two are communicating. I would like to talk with Peter for a few moments. Could I?"
I look at Peter who nods.
I jump down from the unstable porch railing and make my way inside, trying to push my ear against the wooden door to listen in.
"What are you doing?" Jack questions. "Where's Dad?" He looks around the living room and kitchen. "Where's Peter?"
"Sh, chill out. They're outside talking," I tell him. Jack rolls his eyes and then raises an eyebrow.
"You trust Dad with your new boyfriend? he will scare him away, you know," Jack leans against the wall beside the couch. I roll my eyes.
"Peter doesn't scare easy," I defend, trying to pick up words from Peter or my dad.
"I bet he will be running for the hills any second n-"
Before Jack can finish, the door is being pulled open and I turn around, trying to look casual as I pick my nail polish off of my brittle nails.
"I know you were trying to listen," Peter whispers in my ear as he and my father step back into the house. What did they have to talk about?
I'll tell you later.
I nod at Peter's thought and walk with the rest of them back into the kitchen where the back door is.
"Jack, can I have a few minutes with you?" Dad questions.
"What, are you taking turns with us? Telling us all some different story about why you left and giving reasons why you should come back in and ruin our lives again?" Jack folds his arms in defiance against Dad. Jack took Dad's leaving the hardest. He was Dad's shadow. He was always helping out in the garage and riding with my dad to work. When he left, Jack cried for weeks before realizing he needed to be the older brother and "act like a man." That's what Dad used to say.
"Jack, just hear him out," I plead. Jack looks at me and his face softens.
"Fine." He faces Dad. "You have two minutes."