Eclipsed by Midnight (2 page)

“What, like he was a werewolf or something?” Aiden smugly scoffs as he clears his throat.

“Not quite. I had to leave you to keep you safe as my father’s genetic… gift decided to kick in and change me.”

“Oh, Mom, it’s a little late for April Fool’s Day.” Ethan chuckles and goes for another square to relieve his overburdened nose.

“The jokes on me, son.” I sadly smile as I fuss over the nearest quilt and pull it around him. He sighs in defeat, knowing full well that no matter how old or big he gets, I am still his mom.

“Can you just spit it out, Mom? Not be rude, but you have me on edge about this,” Aiden’s hoarse voices demands.

Signaling Etienne to apply his gift, I feel it seep into the room just enough to reduce the tension. Knowing whom I am dealing with, I opt for more show than tell. With a large smile, I allow my fangs to drop in a dramatic fashion, which is met with startled gasps.

“What the fuck?” Aiden yells and stands up, arms over chest as his brother hastily follows.

“Aiden, watch your mouth!” I reprimand.

“Who are you and what have you done with our mother?” his deep voice bellows as he intimidatingly attempts to tower over me, meeting the threat head-on.

I sigh an exasperated whoosh and sit in the rolling desk chair away from him. Etienne continues to lounge in front of the door, blocking the escape and observing.

“Son, I am still your mother. I was before I transitioned, and I remained once it was safe for me to come home.” Crossing one ankle over another, I wring my hands as I meet his gaze with unwavering determination to get them to understand. Anger and fear emanate from my boys, and it damn near suffocates me.

“Transitioned? What the hell do you mean?” His tone comes down a notch under the effect of Etienne’s influence, but the seething rage and disbelief do not change.

“My birth father was apparently a vampire—”

Aiden cuts me off with a snort. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Get the hell out of here, you creep!” He spits vehemently and advances toward me. Ethan mimics his brother’s intimidating pose with wordless fortitude, backing him up. It is easy to see how they might scare the shit out of someone with this routine; it is the first glimpse into their manhood I have had. Until now, they have always been my boys. One had to respect that. Perhaps, if I hadn’t become accustomed to taking down males the size of trees or not had my mate close, the charade would have worked on me.

“Sit down!” My voice booms in an unnatural manner, echoing in a haunting fashion around us as I tap into my power to secure the room from prying ears. Placing an incantation around the tiny space allows this to stay a private conversation, and the tone in my voice leaves no room for refusal. Looks like Koray’s lessons are paying off already. The boys promptly stop in their tracks and turn to take their seats in a startled motion of bumps and graceless hurry.

“Now, I
am
your mother. If you would like proof, I can go down the list of things that only I would know. Like the time, Aiden, that you got detention for looking up your teacher’s dress in fourth grade, or the time Ethan thought it would be a brilliant idea to spell his name out in pee on my living room wall when he was five and oh so proud he could write his name. Or how about in high school when you both went through a period where I frequently had to nonchalantly whisk away conspicuously balled-up sheets, soiled from naughty dreams, and promptly launder them so that you could come home and fall back into bed after grueling days at practice? Should I get more graphic and personal?” I cock a brow and welcome the chance to continue just to prove a point. Etienne shakes his head at my lack of tact as the boys simultaneously blush and shake their heads.

“Good, now that is settled, let’s move on. I know this is all hard to believe. Trust me—I went through the same thing. Although, my learning curve was much more abrupt and quite a bit steeper than yours was. You can ask Etienne if you like. I pissed and moaned the entire way and only partially believed it, even after I transitioned and was past the point of no return. I didn’t want it, nor did I want to believe it. Vampires exist and I have been one for almost nine years now.” All I get in return is blank stares with slack jaws. After a few minutes, I begin to worry I have sent them into a severe state of shock, until Aiden finally resumes his mouthpiece role.

“And is that the real way you met him?” Aiden jerks his thumb at Etienne.

“Yes, he saved my life. Multiple times, actually. First was at the time of my transition and multiple times since then.”

“So, you fell for the hero complex? Is he one too?” Aiden can never give it a rest.

“Please watch how you speak of my husband. Yes, he is one too.”

“Shit. Did Dad know?” Ethan adds, dumbfounded.

“Of course, I told him from the beginning and gave him plenty of opportunities to leave. He swore up and down that it didn’t matter, that he loved me and that we would work it out together. We stayed together for as long as we did because I believed him, initially. Then, his actions began to lay down distance between us, and that is when the lies started. I never wanted to hurt you two or him. You all were my life, and I did everything that I could to keep your lives as normal as possible.” My voice is cut off by my own strangled sob as I blab the truth to them.

It is freeing and terrifying all in the same. I tell them all about how it all started eight years ago with my terrifying transition, training, subsequent heartache and loss when I chose their dad and our family over Etienne, dismissing my vampire side and locking it down cold. Tissue after tissue, they learned why I had to become a detached, wisp of a wife just to survive and not let my nature take over. And, toward the end, I finally reveal to them how Etienne and I reconnected in Belize, my supposed girls’ only trip, just after their father dropped the bombshell on me that he was leaving me to marry someone else. I left out my powers and many other details of the story, keeping the focus on the main points. It is not my intention to keep everything from them still, simply a way for me to ease them into this nonsense. I am already going overboard with inundating them with the truth. After a few minutes of unwavering glares from them, and more saturated tissues from me, the truth is laid out and the room falls silent once more.

“Let me guess, this affects us somehow. That is why you showed up out of nowhere and told us all of this?” Aiden tests the waters, his anger, grief, and fear not far away as he mulls it over. All that I can do is pray that my personal, emotion manipulator is working his magic to pull at any thread of acceptance these boys may have to the forefront of their brains.

“Yes.” I sniff, guilt slamming the breath right out of me.

“How?” Ethan asks with a pained look, not really wanting to know the answer.

“We don’t have the flu, do we, Mom?” Aiden interrupts as his hand hurriedly moves up through his hair.

“No, son, you do not.” My head hangs in shame.

“Fuck,” Aiden breathes as he falls back on the twin bed he and his brother have been crouched on. Ethan stares dumbfounded off into space. “I don’t believe any of this, but you have fucking fangs, Mom!” Aiden hollers.

“Does he have fangs too?” Ethan finally speaks up. Etienne opens his mouth and allows them to extend. As he is a male, he gives the boys more of an eyeful as his fangs are larger, almost twice the size of mine. It is then that Ethan’s eyes roll back into his head. He falls forward with a heavy thud on the floor before any of us can reach him. I hadn’t expected that.

“Oh no! Damn it, Ethan, speak to me, baby!” I cry as I move faster than the human eye can comprehend to cradle his head in my lap.

“How the hell did you just do that?” Aiden demands. I look up to find him up from the bunk and flattened against the wall, fearful at having witnessed my inhuman speed. Ignoring him, I use my super-human strength and begin to lift Ethan from the floor to place him back on the bed, much to Etienne’s dismay.

“Sasha, what have I told you about asking for help?” Etienne warns as he flashes to my side and takes over. Once Ethan is safely in bed and I have assured myself that he is still breathing, I meet Aiden’s fearful stare.

“You have always been intuitive beyond what is normal for a human. I can feel your psyche in overdrive because now all the puzzle pieces are falling into place. There is finally rationale behind your speculative, nagging thought process. Am I correct?”

“Yes,” he says in a manner that questions the sincerity of his answer, as if another part of his brain answered for him before he could comprehend the gravity.

“Son, this fucking kills me. All of it. I didn’t want this for you; this alone should be my burden to bear. It is part of my role to play in the scheme of things, and I never imagined it would somehow impact you.”

“What role?”

“We will get to that in time. Right now, we need to get you home. Etienne and Erik will see to your affairs here, but you will be absent for a while.”

“We can’t leave, not yet. We have a couple of more weeks of practice, and then Dad’s wedding.”

Like a knife in the side, the reminder cuts deep. “I am not sure you will be well enough to make it to his wedding. We will do everything we can to see that you do, but I cannot make promises.”

“This is insane,” Aiden mutters to himself as he begins to pace the room.

“Insane, unfair—you name it. It sucks. I know,” I attempt to commiserate. Etienne’s gift fluctuates, which tells me he has baited something within my son’s head and is reeling it in.

“I hate that I know that you are right somehow—that none of this is as made up as it sounds.”
Bingo
. A sigh of relief escapes me as I wrap my arms around him once more, and he allows it, thank goddess. “I believe you, Mom.” Being the more cynical of my two boys, that means a lot to hear.

“Thank Goddess for that, son.”

Chapter 2

“Fully embrace your destiny and magic will unfold in unexpected ways faster than you can imagine.” ~Sheri Fink

Sasha

The plane ride goes by in a flash. Before I know it, we are settled back into Etienne’s beautifully renovated brick home nestled in the mile-high city. It is a century old and rather large. It feels like a lifetime ago since we were last here but, in reality, it has only been about four months. Goddess, reflecting back through all that has transpired in that short amount of time is a frightening path that I quickly have to pull myself from before the darkness makes good on its threat and takes hold.

The boys sat in shocked silence as Naveed and his merry men swept in and packed up their dorm room. They didn’t breathe a peep when Erik picked us up in a convoy of black SUVs that seemed to be in limitless supply to this group, nor did they make a sound as we rounded them up and into the plane. Gabriel and the rest of our entourage were waiting patiently in quiet solidarity on the private airstrip, ready to help at a moment’s notice. My cocky son deftly nodded and followed orders issued by the taxiarchos and my more reserved one followed suit. It pains me to see them out of sorts, a far cry from my witty and rambunctious kids. Ethan may be a bit more sensitive and quiet, but he has kept me on my toes all the same, if not more so.

Now, a day later, they sit a short distance away, just across a beautiful meal that Molly has so graciously prepared, like two zombies. Their energy is solemn and grey. There is hardly a spark of the more familiar emotions I would expect, such as anger or fear, under such revelations. Thankfully, everyone else left so that we could have a private evening.

“Boys, your things have been settled into your rooms. If you’d rather me bring some soup up to you so that you can eat in private, we understand.” I try once more to draw them out.

“Do you? Do you really understand? At least you had already had a chance to live your life before you were ripped away.” Anger rips through Aiden, lighting up his energy field as his dark eyes narrow to mine. Finally! Some emotion I can work with.

“Aiden, son, your mother does understand, more than you know.” Etienne attempts to field the expected onslaught as he slowly lowers this fork down to the bone china plate he had been scraping clean.

“No offense, E, but we were studying for some pretty big exams, have a team that needs us for practice, not to mention all the upcoming Halloween parties we are now missing. We have a life we need to get back to!” Aiden snaps.

Guilt pummels me again, and I inwardly cringe. I know all too well what they must be feeling. Sure, I had babes on hip and a job when I finished college, so I never had the social calendar that they may have, but I can empathize. My eyes drift from his to trace the light patterning on the cream tablecloth.

“Your life is not as over as you may think. It is just beginning. That is not clear for you to see now, but it will be sooner than you wish. Why don’t we all retire and get a fresh start when the sun goes down?” Etienne tries again, managing a level of patience I didn’t think possible for him.

“So the vamp hours begin before we even change? What if we don’t want to?” Ethan pipes in, hot on his brother’s tail.

“That is our schedule. Keep it if you choose—or don’t. It doesn’t make a difference to me. However, I thought you might like to see your mom in action. We have a training session this evening, and she needs to rest,” he says, baiting their interest.

My eyes bulge. I start to sputter on the glass of Pinot I’d started to gingerly sip in order to take the edge off. Grabbing a linen napkin, I quickly cover my mouth as I begin to hack on aspirating fermented grape juice. Blinking a few stinging tears away as I recover my airway, I realize they are all staring at me now, causing my heart rate to thrum in my ears and heat to rush to my cheeks.

“What does he mean, Mom?” Ethan questions, sounding much like his brother for a moment.

“Um, can we talk about this tomorrow?” I grit out, my tone warning Etienne he crossed yet another line. They don’t need to know about this part so soon; they are already trying to process the validity of everything.

“Mom, I’d rather have it all up front now so that I can deal,” Ethan states with more compassion in his tone than I expected, sounding way more mature than I am ready for.

“I spar with the taxi—er… men, I mean—males, that are in Etienne’s arm—er… that work for him. You met Gabriel and Erik. Oh, and Emile, his brother,” I stutter out, nervously tucking back my hair.

“You
spar
with them? Those dudes are huge!” Aiden exclaims in horror.

“And scary,” Ethan shudders at the same time.

“What does that even mean?” Aiden pushes, a protective energy emanating from him. Awe, he’s worried about dear old mom—and he’s not letting me out of this one.

“Aren’t you hungry?” His crossed arms and narrowed glower answer for him. Well, knowing better didn’t stop me from trying. Issuing a heavy sigh, I set down my wine and clasp my hands.

“Sometimes, when vampires transition into their full form, they gain special abilities. I happened into a few of those.” Wringing my fingers together, I silently look up to the plaster ceiling and pray to Nannau for guidance.

“Like superpowers?” Their interest is suddenly piqued, disbelief at bay—true boys at heart. Perhaps that is what Etienne was going for?

“Kind of. It’s easier to show you. How about you get some sleep and we will talk more tonight? My boys look rather worn and ghastly.” I try to chuckle it off and divert their attention again, but I am not succeeding judging by the serious sets of chocolate eyes still glaring back. They are not going to rest until I give them something—anything at all—to help them grasp the reality of the fantastical they are being asked to believe on blind faith. The fang reveal wasn’t convincing enough. Blowing out through pursed lips, I focus my essence on a dinner roll, levitate it, and hurl it at Etienne—who happens to catch it in a fluid motion faster than a human could comprehend. He holds up the offending roll and gives me a warning look. The danger etched there lights a bit of fire within me despite the dire situation. Leave it to me to find an inappropriate time to somehow find a way to get… excited over my man.

“Nice try, mon amour, but I learned the first time.” He takes a bite of the bread, and my eyes are immediately drawn to his sensual mouth. God, I can already feel those velvety lips on me. It is all I can do to tear myself away and focus on the matter at hand, which happens to be two faces with eyebrows raised to the ceiling.

“Did that just happen?” Aiden asks in disbelief, to no one in particular.

“Yup, bro, it sure did. Mom has Jedi mind tricks going on,” Ethan answers him as he stares at me in wonder. An interesting thing begins to take place. I can feel them subconsciously prodding me and seeking the truth with their vampire instincts. How is that even possible? They aren’t in transition. Is it twin power? Are they closer than we thought?

“Wow.” Aiden shakes his head.

“Alright, off to bed with you two.” I set the napkin I had been grasping for dear life down and stretch out my hands.

“How long?” Ethan stops my attempt to rush them from the dining room.

“For what?”

“Until we turn into what you are?” Aiden finishes for him. Their internal struggle and fear over the uncertainty of everything pulsates in their energy field.

“Um…” I struggle for an answer; I have no idea. I can smell the change on them in a weird way. It is hovering like an impending doom that hasn’t quite landed. Looking to Lil, I nod toward the boys, hoping he will take the hint and step in.

“It is hard to say. There is not an exact science to this as it makes up its own mind. It appears by your current state that it should start within the next few weeks. We need to keep you close, just in case it decides to make an appearance sooner.”

“We will stay sick like this for a few more weeks?” Aiden’s voice rises, telling me this has been affecting him worse than he’s been letting on.

“There will be good days and bad. It will get worse the closer you get to the day.”

Actually, they’ve seemed a little better since they’ve been around us. I can tell they still hurt and don’t feel good, but they no longer look like walking death.

“Jesus Christ. Well, brother, I think I finally hit my daily limit for crazy. I am headed to bed.” Aiden gets up, comes to kiss the top of my head, and then promptly slumps off to his room. Ethan stays and sips his custom soup that Molly made, the first thing he’s been able to stomach since yesterday when we landed. That female has a culinary gift if I have ever seen one. After Aiden’s door shuts with soft click in the distance, Ethan pins me with his dissecting eyes.

“There’s more, isn’t there?”

“What do you mean?”

“We are in danger somehow. What are you not telling us?”

Fuck, how does he know that? “Ethan, yes, transition is dangerous. Can we talk more after you’ve rested, please?”

“You wouldn’t have uprooted us like this if it wasn’t serious. There is no chance in hell that I will be sleeping for a while. Please, don’t keep anything from us. I am having a hard enough time accepting this,” Ethan pleads, his compassion and need to understand speaking volumes.

“Son, anything I have ever kept from you was for your safety. I now plan to be completely upfront about this in due time, for your safety. Please, trust me when I tell you that there is nothing else you need to know right this minute.” We didn’t need them worrying about the possibility of death on top of it all.

“I do need to know more, and I don’t trust you. Everything feels like a lie, and I am having a difficult time deciphering which end is up at the moment.” His unexpected maturity returns to the moment. My little boy is gone.

The idea of his wavering trust in me proves more than I can handle. What little control and resolve I had been managing falters. Jumping to my feet, my hand comes down hard on the table, our meal rattling in response. “I have done everything, and I mean
everything
, to protect you, love you, and shield you from this so that you can live your lives in as much happiness as possible and not be burdened whatsoever. It is the promise I made to you while in womb, when we were struggling college students suddenly about to be parents. It is the promise I have held sacred over any and everything else. You have no idea the hell I have walked through to keep that promise—what I have endured and how I let what I am change me for the worse over numerous occasions through the years because it was the only way I thought I could keep it together to be there for you. I fucking let a piece of myself rot for years and became a shell of a person, a horribly selfish bitch outside of where you were concerned, because it allowed me to hang on to the fringes of sanity so that I could uphold that promise! For the last eight plus years, I sacrificed all that I was, for the two of you, so that you could have your human lives untainted by this—” I motion at myself in disgust. “Not because anyone asked me to and not because I expected or wanted anything in return. I did it because I wanted the best for the two of you and you deserved more than I could possibly give. I wouldn’t change it for anything. I would walk through the fiery pits of hell and back, over and over, if it meant that you could happily live your lives as you see fit. This situation sucks ass. I feel as if I have been robbed of my ability to protect you and that I have failed you on an epic level as a parent!” Anger floods me so quickly that a slight tremble vibrates underfoot before I snap my control back in place. Etienne reaches for me, but I push him away as I gather up my wineglass… and the bottle. Who am I kidding? “As I was saying, I hope you can rest for a few hours. Goodnight.”

Etienne stays behind as I trump downstairs and head straight for the bath. Their voices pick up as they engage in another conversation that I quickly tune out. I have been in the same clothes for almost twenty-four hours straight, and I cannot even stand the sight or the ripe smell of myself. Stress, tears, and grief cling to me like a stagnate blanket.

Rushing into the crisp, clean sanctuary, I silently shut the world out with the clasp of the lock. Stripping down, I ball my skirt and blouse up, tossing them into the wicker hamper. Now void of the offending articles, I sit naked on the edge of the tub, prepping the bath and absently letting my fingers hang under the faucet, awaiting the right temperature. Finally happy with as hot as I can stand, I set the stopper in place with a low, muffled thud and add my favorite mix. As the water level rises, I slip within the folds of its warm embrace and sink low until my jaw grazes bubbles. Before I know it, my head tilts back and I fall into a meditative state. The luring sound of my breaths and crinkling of bubbles as they slowly pop and fizzle pull me deeper. There are no outside sounds; in here, there is nothing else. Random footfalls or slamming of doors can’t reach the cavernous confines. Occasionally, one might hear a running pipe, but that is all.

Etienne has never been a noisy individual, more like a soundless shadow, unless we are making love. It took a while to get used to, hell, still trying to get used to as he continues to scare the crap out of me most days. It is easy to get wrapped up in your own thoughts and not pay attention to your surroundings with all that has been transpiring. Add a stealthy, mostly reserved male to that mix and one is bound to get the piss startled out of them. I swear he needs a bell or something.