Crimson Sunrise

  “Why does it have to be Caleb? Can’t you call in another member of the pack that stayed behind? What about someone from the Pit?” I started grasping for straws, unwilling to call Caleb home from where he was needed most. Especially if it meant he might flip his lid.

  “I don’t trust anyone else. I want someone here who would put down their life for you. Not some random pack member. Sure, any of us would do it, but if I call Derek back then Caleb will come too. There is no way Caleb would sit back and let someone else protect you.”

  I started processing her requirements. I knew of one person who met the criteria, but contacting him wasn’t something I was excited about. Our final farewell came courtesy of his parting back as Caleb carried me into my parent’s manor following his fight with Decimus.

  “When we reach town, I want you to pull into the station we passed on the way in. You need to get gas, and I need to make a phone call.”

  “So you will call him?” Relief was evident in Sarah’s voice.

  “I will call him,” I repeated, carefully avoiding a direct lie.

  Within minutes, we arrived in town and pulled into the antique looking gas station with shiny old pumps and panels of glass encasing the front. The silver roofing shone brightly in the light, flashing in my eyes.

  “I’m going to fill it up. Do you want anything from inside?” She added teasingly, “Other than a coke?”

  “You know me so well.” I smiled, feeling queasy. That smile of hers would be gone when I told her about my phone call. “I’m going to the bathroom to call. I’ll be back.”

  My palms were sweaty and my heart was throbbing painfully as I clutched the phone in my hand. This was one call I didn’t anticipate making so soon, and it was one that was only slightly easier than calling Caleb home.

  When I made it to the restroom, I closed the door behind me and turned on the water for good measure. Werewolf hearing was amazing, even through walls. My fingers were trembling as I phoned my parents. I didn’t have to worry about time zones. They didn't sleep much anyway.

  “DeViard residence.” I recognized Keith’s voice immediately. His thick Scottish brogue was a welcome sound in my ear.

  “Keith!” I said more enthusiastically than I felt.

  “Miss Emma,” he responded cheerily. “Your parents were just asking about you. Give me a moment to connect you.”

  “Wait.” I stopped him quickly, my happy voice becoming reserved. “Is Trent home?”

  He hesitated. “Master Trent is here.”

  “Connect me to him please.”

  “Whatever you say, Miss Emma,” he demurred and clicked the line to hold.

  It felt like an eternity waiting on the cell phone, in a crusty bathroom, while my heart was lodged inside my throat. I had dreaded the day Trent and I finally had a conversation following all he had done for me. Not because it was wrong, or because I harbored a flame for him. Rather, a part of me knew that if nothing had transpired with Decimus, and if I hadn’t gone to the ascension to begin the process of becoming vampire like my parents, Trent would have been the person I would have shared my life with. What was even harder was the knowledge that Trent knew it too.

  It was wrong of me, but I closed my eyes and envisioned him the day he came into my bedroom closet and encouraged me to jump into a pile of jumbled shirts like raked fall leaves. I remembered his silky wheat blond hair and his teal blue eyes, so stark against the black he always seemed so prone to wear.

  The line clicked over and I heard him clear his throat before the voice I had listened to so often inside my head filled the line and purred in my ear.

  “Hello, Emma.”

  Chapter 8—Father Like Son

  “Please don’t be angry with me, Sarah,” I pleaded, begging for forgiveness for what was probably the millionth time since I’d escaped the bathroom, hopped into the car, and broke the terrible news to her.

  Trent was on his way.

  He had been different on the phone, listening dutifully without interrupting. He’d even said yes in the same breath I asked if he would come. But the tension was there, just as I worried it might be. There were no playful jests or jokes, none of the teasing lyrical tones to his voice I was so accustomed to.

  When I told her about my plan, Sarah acted as betrayed as I knew she would. It didn’t help that she had never liked Trent. She thought he was arrogant—which was true, a smartass—also true, and a blood sucking menace—okay, he did drink blood, but the menace part wasn’t exactly fair.

  “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t here with you right now.” I tried a different tactic since downright brown nosing wasn’t helping. She couldn’t dispute the facts. If Trent hadn’t reached out to Caleb, only God knows where I would have ended up.

  Sarah didn’t respond immediately. She gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. The bones of her delicate jaw clenched rapidly.

  “You lied to me.”

  “I didn’t lie,” I argued pathetically, knowing that even though I didn’t lie, I did trick her. “I just didn’t tell you who I was calling.”

  “You knew what I’d say about Trent coming here.” She gave me an angry look.

  “So you’ve already forgotten what he did for me and Caleb?” I narrowed my eyes in return, annoyed by petty differences that would cause her to react so negatively. Then a little light went off inside my head.

  Sarah was never this uptight—ever. When I really thought about it, I had never seen her so edgy and downright hateful before. She was the voice of reason, the calm one, and the peacekeeper. Since the incident at the cabin, she seemed to have transformed into some kind of mother-wolf, unable to be a friend instead of a parent.

  “What’s wrong with you, Sarah?” I asked suspiciously and watched her closely.

  She glanced at me, eyes darting to my face, and turned her attention back to the road. “Nothing’s wrong with me. Don’t change the subject.”

  “The subject is why I’m asking what’s wrong.” I took a closer look, leaning across the seat to study her face. She seemed the same, relaxed and calm, except for that crazy overzealous protectiveness she had acquired in the last few hours.

  Her voice returned to the silky and soothing tenor I recognized. “I’m upset because none of us want any truebloods near you. After we brought you home, we all decided it would be best to keep you in our circle, away from anything that would be a danger to you. Inviting a vampire to pay a visit isn’t what we had in mind.”

  “Trent isn’t a danger,” I corrected her. “He would never hurt me.”

  “It depends on your definition of danger.”

  “What is the problem?” I sighed. “You said you wanted someone here who would protect me and that we could trust. We can trust Trent as well as any of the pack.”

  “Why didn’t you just ask your mother and father to come? That would have been the smarter thing. Two for the price of one.”

  I didn’t bother explaining that my mother didn’t possess extra abilities and, while my father did, if they suspected anything was wrong, they’d come here trying to haul my ass off to a safe location. Truth be told, the pack and my parents had more in common than Sarah realized. Instead, my fuse shortened and became frayed along the edges. She was talking about my parents, after all. I was fairly certain the words that came so carelessly from her mouth were meant as an insult.

  “Okay, I’ve had enough of this with you.” I whipped around in my seat and glowered at her. “What is your problem? And don’t give me this ‘there is nothing wrong’ routine. I can’t smell emotions like you, but I can still read people.” When she didn’t respond, I tried again, reaching out to her. “Talk to me.”

  Her lithe shoulders relaxed into the seat, and her raven colored tresses fanned across the matching black leather behind her. Her beautiful face went from angry to crestfallen. Pain was etched across her features, the creases in her forehead and around her mouth so uncharacteristic of her.

  “It
’s Derek.”

  “Why, what happened?” I sat straight, worried and concerned.

  “Nothing has happened.” She whispered brokenly, “Yet.”

  I felt sick. My stomach became queasy as anxiety caused it to churn. Everything made sense now. Derek was in Florida, surrounded by unmated females, and he was un-bonded since his bastard wolf was still on the prowl. Just dig another notch into the why-didn’t-I-see-that-before column. I closed my eyes, angry for not thinking of it before.

  “You shouldn’t have stayed with me.”

  “Please don’t think that.” She chastised me with one single arched brow. “It wouldn’t matter if I was there or not. I could be standing directly next to Derek and if his wolf bonded with someone, there wouldn’t be anything either of us could do about it.”

  “I’m sorry.” The words felt inadequate. Not enough, not nearly enough. But I didn’t know what to do or what to say to comfort her.

  “It’s not your fault, so don’t apologize. An apology means you feel pity for me, and I don’t want pity.” Her jaw went taut again. “We knew when we decided to give this a shot it wouldn’t be easy. But the more time passes, and the longer we wait...it’s exhausting sometimes.”

  I nodded, the words “I’m sorry” already forming on my tongue again.

  “I’m the one who should say she’s sorry. I’ve been awful today by taking things out on you. I hope you can forgive me for that. This hasn’t been a good week for any of us.”

  “I’m not one to hold a grudge.” I laughed quietly. “Especially when we’re all tied for the worst week ever.”

  Putting her best smile forward, Sarah perked up. I couldn’t tell if it was real or forced, but it was still there. “If Mr. Balman is coming here, where do you propose he stay?”

  “I didn’t think about that,” I confessed as my face flushed pink in embarrassment. That was the great thing about flying by the seat of your pants. When those suckers got ripped off, your worthless behind would tumble into the atmosphere without a parachute. “You don’t think Beverly and Chris will mind, do you?”

  “Oh, I think they’ll mind, all right.” She gave me an odd look, frowning.

  “Why? They said my parents were welcome at any time.”

  “Your parents, not the vampire who still carries a torch for you,” she clarified. “I’m not even going into the ramifications of what you can expect when Caleb finds out what you’ve done. He’ll be livid.”

  She wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to think about what Caleb would have to say. He was grateful to Trent, but not grateful enough to hand me over to him. I intentionally returned to the original topic, avoiding that subject all together.

  “He could always stay at Haven’s cabin.”

  “Doesn’t Haven have to invite him inside,” she asked. She had experience with normal vampires—those without the special traits—but I was certain none had ever visited her personally. I was also certain she wasn’t too broken hearted about that.

  “Maybe”—I shrugged—“or maybe not. You and Derek have a room there, so technically you could invite him in.”

  Sarah’s answer to that possibility was to sigh loudly, close her eyes, and toss her head back. “Since you have everything figured out, how are you going to explain Trent’s unexpected visit to everyone?” She leaned her head on the headrest and looked at me, waiting.

  “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” I crossed my arms and concentrated on my strategy, formulating a plan.

  ****

  We arrived home before the sun was even close to disappearing below the horizon, the clouds streaming across the sky in multiple hues, bringing on the dusk. It hadn’t been easy to tell Chris and Beverly that Trent was coming to visit. They’d taken the news quietly, without voicing their opinions, although I was aware of their apprehension.

  At least the hard part was over.

  Standing on the porch, I gazed at the darkening sky. A battle was coming, and it would happen after I died.

  Maybe it was strange, but even if what the old woman said was true, I wasn’t afraid. The pain I felt came from the knowledge I would have to leave someone I loved behind, and the devastation it would cause when it happened. The vengeance Caleb would seek to exact would be enough to start a battle.

  I was certain of it.

  The front door cracked open, and I turned toward the sound, noting Chris’s massive bulk encompassing the frame. I smiled after the familiar shock wore off, momentarily distracted by his startling resemblance to his son. After pulling the door closed behind him, he stepped over to one of the whitewashed rocking chairs, lowered himself into the wood, and reclined into the slats.

  “Take a seat, Emma.”

  I smiled nervously, doing as he asked, and rocked in harmony with him as we studied the darkening sky. He didn’t look over as he spoke.

  “This isn’t your fault. You have to know that.”

  I nodded, but it was for show. The guilt I felt was immense. It was impossible not to think I was in some way responsible for what occurred with Sammie. If Caleb and I hadn’t made our trip, we would have been with his sister when she made the drive into town.

  “You’re as readable as my son.” He peered over at me. “And equally as guilt ridden.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing we’ve found each other,” I joked half-heartedly and smiled sheepishly. “Nothing screams compatibility like a good slathering of culpability.”

  He chuckled and cleared his throat. “Do you mind telling me the real reason Trent Balman is paying you a visit? And don’t go selling me any bullshit. I know he’s not coming here to pay a social call while he’s in the States. You have to admit that with everything that’s going on, it’s not the best timing in the world.”

  “It’s that obvious?”

  “I have a daughter your age”—he lowered his eyes, as if he’d forgotten for a moment about all the things that had triggered Caleb’s trip to Florida in the first place—“so I have some experience.”

  “It’s not what you think.”

  “And what do I think?”

  “I called him because Sarah was going to have Caleb come home, and he needs to be with the pack. Sammie needs him more than I do right now. I couldn’t have him leaving before they find something.”

  “And why would Sarah call Caleb?”

  “It’s nothing.” I laughed nervously. “Sarah let that old woman scare her just like she scared Haven. That’s all.”

  “If it’s nothing, then you won’t mind telling me about it.”

  Damn, Chris was like Caleb in that aspect too. He didn’t miss a beat. He kept rocking steadily in his chair, back and forth, appearing as calm as the breeze.

  I attempted to play off everything that had transpired, hoping it sounded as ridiculous as I intended. “The woman Haven sent us to meet was just an old lady suffering from a case of dementia. She jabbered incessantly in a language we couldn’t understand before trying her hand at being a prophet by warning me that a battle was on the way because I bite the bullet.”

  He stopped rocking, his legs going still.

  “Of course, Sarah didn’t want to hear that.” I hurried full steam ahead, words tumbling from my mouth in a rush. “Not with everything that has happened recently. She threatened to have Caleb come home unless someone else could come around to play bodyguard. The pack is with Sam, and I couldn’t think of anyone else, so I called Trent.”

  Chris rotated his head slowly in my direction. His eyes, just like Caleb’s, saw more than I wanted them to. “You didn’t think my son had the right to make that decision?”

  “Of course he does.” The painful ache in my chest returned. I cleared my throat before I said, “After last time, when Caleb lost control and sought comfort in the Pit, I thought it best not to add to the weight he’s already carrying.”

  “I agree with Sarah. I think you should call Caleb and give him the opportunity to decide where he wants to be. You two are bonded, and my son has made h
is intentions clear to the pack as far as you’re concerned. Since you can’t possibly understand the intricacy that entails, you’ll have to trust me when I say Caleb’s place is with you now.”

  “I’ll make you a deal. If anything else happens—anything—I will call him. But let’s not jump the gun over the rantings of a deranged old woman who could be reinventing some movie she watched on the boob tube. There is no reason to believe anything she said.”

  He didn’t appreciate my poor attempt at humor, narrowing his sapphire blue eyes at me. “The woman you met is like you. Sarah told me what she saw.”

  “Anyone unfortunate enough to be impregnated by one of my distant relatives could be like me.” I rolled my eyes. “It doesn’t mean anything. Think about the dozens of people Sam watches over at any given time. Unless someone lets them in on the family secret and brings them into the supernatural fold, they’ll never know.”

  “If anything else happens and you don’t call Caleb, I will.” Chris gave me a reproachful look, taking an extra moment to let it sink in, before he turned away. “Even if it’s just a case of an old woman raving, he has the right to chose if he wants to be here.”

  “Deal.”

  I exhaled in relief. Nothing else would happen. I would stay put, fly under the radar, and wait until the air cleared.

  “Now, since we have that settled.” Chris started rocking again. “Trent can stay in the guest bedroom. Sarah can bunk with you in Caleb’s room. She said Haven has an air mattress over at his place and she’ll swing by tomorrow to pick it up.”

  “Are you sure?” I glanced at him and asked, “You don’t mind?”

  “This is your home too,” he answered, staring out at the nearly purple sky. “If you want to have guests, they are welcome here.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled at his profile and settled back into my chair.

  We remained silent, enjoying the serenity offered by the ominous quiet of the night. I don’t know how long we sat together on the porch, watching stars lighting the sky, but for the first time in days, I felt at peace.