Tainted Blood (4 page)

I was able to get
ahold
of my mom,
and after
a few days of hiding out, Felix took me back into town to meet with Mom and Harrison at a playground. I introduced Felix to them. Mom hugged Felix and thanked him for taking me in. I got all weepy-eyed, again, and it kinda pissed me off.

After I played with Harrison for a little while and evaded his questions about Kiera and her whereabouts—that boy had a serious thing for her—Felix, who had been conversing with Mom, swapped places with me so that I could have some time with my mom.

We sat on a bench, and she hugged on me and kissed me on the head and kissed my scar and then she held my hand. I loved the way she babied me. I always had, even if I did act like it was gross at times. I loved the way she loved me.

We watched Felix and Harrison chase each other through the play structure. Felix was such a big guy it was funny to watch him playing tag with my little eleven-year-old brother.

My mom patted my hand. “What are you going to do about Kiera, honey?”

I shrugged, and she squeezed my hand.

“You can’t let that one get away,” she said, and I knew she was right. I’d known all along, but it scared me, and I hated that feeling. I knew Kiera was “the one” for me, and that I’d totally screwed up. It also terrified me that I knew she was “the one” because I was afraid I would never be enough for her.

“I think I really screwed up, momma,” I told her, and it actually choked me up to say it out loud.

“Carter, you listen to me.” She held my face so that I would look into her caring brown eyes. “That girl loves you, and I can’t imagine anything you could do that would change that.”

I took her hands from my face and held them so that I didn’t have to see her reaction when I told her what I’d done. I didn’t give her exact details. In fact, I left quite a bit out, giving her just the gist of the situation.

She squeezed my hands, and when I finally gave in and looked at her, she said, “You will do the right thing, honey. You always do.” She kissed my cheek, and I smiled and fought back my emotions.

Then I heard Dad say, “That boy has never done anything right in his life.”

At first I just thought it was that constant disappointed voice in the back of my mind, and when Mom squeezed my hand and I saw her reaction, I realized he was actually there.

I was too slow to react. He jerked me off the bench and out of Mom’s grip before I could think. Then he decked me. I stumbled back, lost my balance, I think I might’ve tripped, but it
doesn’t matter
, I landed on my ass as I usually did when Dad and I “talked.”

“I told you to stay away from
my
family!” he shouted and came after me again.

Mom was crying for him to stop, just as she always did, but this was the first time he’d touched me in public, and I was thankful, for Mom and Harrison’s sake, that the park was empty of others.

He pounced on me before I could scramble away. I’d never hit him back, only blocked and protected myself. I refused to stoop to his level. He hit me again, and I felt my lip split.

Next thing I knew he was off of me.

Felix didn’t feel the same way about hitting my dad, and he’d kicked him off me. A swift, massive foot to the ribs and gut, and Dad was rolling around in agony beside me. I scrambled to my feet and spit a mouthful of blood onto the grass. Felix jerked Dad to his feet with one hand, and I searched for Mom and my brother. Harrison was in Mom’s arms with his face buried in her chest, and my Mom was watching the scene closely.

Harrison had seen too much in his eleven years, but I was thankful he’d never had to experience what I did. I’d take it double as long as it kept Dad from touching my little brother, or even Mom. I’d take it all to keep them safe. So far, he’d never touched them. He never hesitated to put me in my place though, and today, on this great sunny day, Felix was returning the favor.

“You lay your hands on that boy
ever
again; it will be the last thing you do,” Felix’s deep voice growled. “You understand me?” He was hunched over so that his big, blonde head was only inches from Dad’s round, thinning, dark-haired head. I saw Dad quiver, and I got an inner joy from it. “And,” Felix added in that terrifyingly deep, rumbly voice, “same applies if you ever lay a hand on your wife or young son.”

Felix let go of the front of Dad’s jacket, and Dad sank to his knees. Felix walked away and got into his car, leaving my messed up family there, alone.

I stood there, waiting. For what, I didn’t know.

Dad got to his feet in silence, and without looking at me, he said, “You are dead to me.” He left after that. Didn’t say a word to my mom or my brother, just left.

I was afraid for them. I was afraid that, when they were home alone with him, he would turn on them for meeting with me. So, before we parted ways, I told Felix my concern, and he gave my mom his number.

He later told me that he would have someone (a vampire) stationed outside my parents’ house to make sure everything stayed calm, and that if it didn’t, he’d take care of it. In my head, I hugged him and sobbed like a damn baby. He nodded at me, and I knew he’d seen it. I was embarrassed, but as long as Mom and my brother were safe I didn’t care.

I hugged my mom and brother before we left. While Mom was holding me tight, Harrison wrapped his arms around the both of us, and I choked back a sob. It made Mom hug me tighter. My brother and I were only related because of that bastard, but it was our mom, Harrison’s mom, that kept us sane and feeling loved. She was the greatest mom in the world and it hurt to tell them good-bye, not knowing if the full moon would bring my death. It was hard to let them go.

Felix took me to the brewery for dinner, after I finally let go of my family. It cheered me up, a little. I’d only known the guy for a short time, but he felt more like family than my dad ever had, and I thanked him for that. I think he liked having me around, especially now that his bud, Oliver, was so wrapped up in Laney. I think before she was in the picture they were pretty inseparable. After dinner, we went back to Felix’s place. He kicked my ass at
Guitar Hero
,
again, and his cat scared the crap out of me in the middle of the night, again.

Felix took me home when I finally felt brave enough to face Oliver and Laney. Plus, I had to work, and my chicken suit was in my closet.

Laney was still recovering, which was
slightly amusing, and after
I sucked up my pride and admitted my stupidity to Oliver, I got a few minutes to talk to her before heading to work.

Felix got a damn good laugh out of the chicken suit, as everyone but me did, and I swore that the first chance I got, I was burning that sucker.

When the full moon arrived Oliver reluctantly
let
Laney be there with me. “With me” was stretching it considering he really wouldn’t let her within five feet of me. But she was there and so were Oliver and Felix. I felt fine. I watched TV while the others played a board game, and then something strange happened. It felt like my stomach cramped, then it spread up through my chest and out through my extremities. It fucking hurt, but I refused to scream, I refused to let it win. I fought to keep coherent and trusted Felix to get me through this.

I heard their voices, concerned, as I fell
on my
side. I focused on the sweet sound of Laney’s voice and pictured her smiling at me like she did when we were drunk and she was putting Band-Aids on my face. If it was the last image I ever saw then at least it was a good one.

Then, through the pain that radiated through me, she was there, in front of me. I focused on her face, her perfect lips that I’d kissed more than once, her deep, dark brown eyes, her dark hair pulled back from her face. A face that was keeping me going, a face that was pulling away. I reached for her. I needed her to stay in my line of sight. I needed to see her. There was a commotion that distracted me, too many voices at once, then my grip was released of her. I don’t think it was because I’d let go.

I kept my eyes on her. I knew Felix was poking at me, but I stayed in that moment. I focused on only her, not the pain of my body altering, and I survived. I survived because she was there.

I’d survived, and I felt awesome! I had weird grayish-blue hair everywhere, and I mean
everywhere
. I started my day, the first day of my new life, with a jog, and it was exhilarating. I felt stronger and faster. Felix had told me that he thinks I went through my vampire transition overnight, something that takes people with a vampire line weeks, if not months, to go through. He told me I’d even produced fangs, although they were gone by morning. He also told me that I had some sort of werewolf line mixed in me, and that the fangs might be related to that and not my vampire lineage, just like the new fancy grayish-blue tinge of color my hair now had. The hair wasn’t overly noticeable, thankfully.

It was like I was some sort of hybrid. Felix also told me that just because I felt great didn’t mean the coast was clear. He said that the next full moon should be my real test, and if I survived it then all should be well. Should be…

I wasn’t going to let my life pass me by. If I only had another month to make life right, to be happy, I was going to do it! And I wasn’t going to lose the greatest person I’d ever loved.

I’d already asked Kiera to meet me at Shakes later that day. I’d do whatever it took to get her back. Or I’d at least take the fall so that she’d take Laney back. I’d called Mom and told her what had happened. She wanted to see me and told me she’d meet me for lunch. Already, this was a better life.

I ran into Laney on way home from my jog, and after a quick conversation, I kissed her on the cheek with a silent thank you. She’d unknowingly saved my life and helped put things into perspective. As much as I loved Laney, it wasn’t
that
kind of love.

When I got back to the apartment, I talked to Felix some more then hopped into the shower. After the shower, I ran out to meet my mom.

Mom picked me up and Harrison was with her. Harrison made a comment about my hair being longer, and Mom noticed the hint of color that was now a part of my life. She ruffled my hair from the driver’s seat and smiled at me. She’d accept me no matter what.

Mom had made lunch for us which included her homemade chocolate chip cookies. Those were the best! She took us to that same park, and we laid out a blanket to have a picnic. Once we’d finished eating and I’d played with Harrison for a while, she encouraged my little brother to go swing on his own for a bit so that she could have some time with me. He ran off, happy that I was even around, and belly-flopped onto the swing, pretending to be a superhero.

“I have something for you,” Mom told me. She handed me a small, dark velvet bag that closed with the pull of a small cord attached to it. I opened the bag and looked inside.

“What is this,” I asked in confusion.

“They were your mother’s. Your father thought he buried her with her wedding set, but I saved it for you. The other ring is her class ring from high school and there are some earrings, a bracelet and a few pendants. Just some of her favorites that I’ve held for you.”

My vision blurred. Mom pulled me closer and kissed the side of my head. I squeezed the little bag tightly in my hand.

“When your mother was pregnant with you I made a promise to her that if anything ever happened to her, I would look out for you. Your mom had no idea that your dad would change like he did.” She took a breath then added softly, “Neither did I.” I clutched the little bag to my chest and fought back tears as she held me. “I have kept my promise, Carter.
I regret nothing in my life, especially you.” I choked on a sob, and she held me tighter. “You are
my
son, and you never forget that.” I put my head in her lap, and she brushed her fingers through my hair. “You, my son, are the greatest man I have ever known. I know that you will do what is right.” She leaned down, kissed my head, and whispered, “Don’t let her get away.”

Mom was the most unselfish person I’d ever known, and I wouldn’t let her down. I wouldn’t let myself down or anyone else from here on out. She took me back home and dropped me off in the parking lot.

To my surprise, I found Kiera waiting on the top step outside of her apartment.
“Hi,” I said as I stuffed the little bag of jewelry into my front pocket. She didn’t really smile at me, but she also didn’t tell me she hated me. I figured that was a good sign. “I thought you were meeting me at Shakes later.”

“I came to find Laney,” she said. “We had a fight, and I feel bad.” I saw tears swimming in her beautiful golden-specked blue eyes.

I took a seat beside her, and she didn’t scoot away, so I took this as another good sign. She turned to me for a moment and then looked away. She wanted to say something.

“What is it?” I asked.

She fiddled with the keys in her hands. “Tell me the truth, Carter.”

“About what?” I asked. I already knew what she wanted to know.

She glanced at me then said, “Did you and Laney sleep together?”

“No.” Now technically, we’d slept together, but I knew Kiera wanted to know if I’d had sex with her best friend. I was almost positive I hadn’t.
If I had
, nobody seemed to know or remember, so to me, it made it null and void.