The Turning (37 page)

“Hello, my dear Kelly,” Julie greeted as she gave me a bear hug. “Are you holding up okay?”

“I’m fine, brushing up with some of my med school texts before the big first day tomorrow,” I answered as I led her into my bedroom. “Can I offer you a drink?”

“Yes, actually, that would be wonderful, thank you. I am glad you are still on track for tomorrow. You seem to be handling all this very well,” Julies praised as I went and grabbed some blood. “I mean, I know you are a very strong woman, you handle things better than most—” I was almost out already. I’d have to ask Julie about getting more because I didn’t want Brian bringing me a couple dozen pints every week. Or more if I was stress or tired… Which seemed to be always.

“Jules, it’s fine. I know what you are getting at. I’m trying.” I cut off her ramble as I handed her the blood. “It’s going to take me awhile to process all this. Everything is just going too fast. Three weeks ago my life was normal and on the way to better. Then it’s been like this whirlwind. Every time I start to catch my breath it’s like another tornado hits.”

“I understand. Well I do not know what you are going through, but I know how men can hurt you. I had a long talk with Brian about limits and partnerships. I assume very similar to the talk you had with him. Sorry, I did not mean to eavesdrop, but the older you get the sharper your hearing will become. I added a few words about looking at things from your perspective before doing anything,” she informed me.

“It’s not just that, Jules,” I sighed as I plopped down on the bed next to her. “He kept things from me. I mean how could he not tell me that he was on the board of the hospital I have my internship with? We talked a good chunk of the time about my job when you were here. It’s not like he didn’t have a chance to bring it up, and it makes me worry what else he’s keeping from me.”

“That would be something you would have to ask Brian. I wish I knew if he was for you, but the answers must come from Brian.”

“I know. I appreciate you coming out here and helping. It’s just something we are going to have to figure out. I’m actually surprised he went running to you. I mean it seems kind of childish.”

“Well he
is
a man,” Julie chuckled. “He thought he was right and you were overreacting. But you have other questions, am I right?”

“How did you know?” I asked, doing a double take.

“It is my gift, Kelly. I get glimpses of when people’s emotions change. Yours went from sad to inquisitive, which means you want to ask me something.”

“I’ve got a few actually. I hope you have the time?”

She smiled and patted my hand. “Kelly, for you, I do.”

“How many vampires have you made?”

“I have made three, two are still alive. Brian and Charles were both made by me, the other died tragically. He did not have the mental capacity to be a vampire and I turned him when I was still young. I felt guilty, but my maker was killed right after I was made and I was not taught properly about being a vampire.”

“I’m sorry, at least you turned out well and learned from your mistake,” I replied, trying to comfort her. “You offered to adopt me as my maker. How does that work? And does that offer stand?”

“It is as simple as sending a memo out to all the elders, and yes, the offer does still stand. I care about you very much, Kelly. If you need me, I am here.”

“Thanks, Jules, I know. You really are a great friend to me, even though we haven’t known each other long.” I took a deep breath, knowing what I needed to do for several reasons… All involving Brian. “I would like you to adopt me, please.”

She nodded and gave me a hug. “I will send out the memo from the plane. I am honored to be your new maker, my dear.”

“I’m privileged that you would do this for me. Please let me know if there is any instance it would not be appropriate to call you Jules. I know we see better, move faster, but how do our brains work? Do we absorb information faster? I mean will being a vampire help me at the hospital?” I looked down at my hands like a little kid asking for a toy for Christmas.

That and I felt bad asking as if trying to search for a perk in this
gift
they felt they gave me by making me a vampire. I just wasn’t there yet and I needed something tangible.

“Yes, we have amazing photographic memories. On top of that, we retain information at an accelerated rate. You will find you read faster. Is that what you had in mind?” Julie asked with a smirk.

I tried to hold back my smile a little. “That’s pretty cool. I like your answer. I’m going to rock my internship! This is the best unexpected news I’ve gotten in a while.”

“I am glad you are happy, my dear. If you have no other questions, I suggest you give Brian a call. It would be wise to let him know of our change before I send out a memo. I know you are upset with him, but that would hurt him in a way you cannot imagine.” She waited for me to think that over. “There are a few things you do need to know. By me adopting you, for lack of a better term, brings a different set of rules that apply to you.”

“I will call Brian, but I’m a little worried that I’m not going to like these rules,” I hedged, trying to keep my smile.

“You will be happy with the new rules that apply to you, I promise. Other than having to attend a few events a year that I would have requested you to be at anyways, your rank will be elevated. Although you are not an elder and I am not your maker, because I am the head of North America you are now of the same rank as the elders of the metropolitan areas.

“In other words, you are now Brian’s equal,” she explained and laughed when my face lit up with a smile at that last part. “Oh, Kelly, you are so precious. I love how such little things in life make you so happy. As my adopted you will also have access to my corporate accounts and certain amenities at your disposal.

“We can go over what that all entails another time and I will have your card sent to you. I know how you feel about accepting money and things from people. You have to put that aside because it is a matter of my image.”

“So you adopting me, makes me have to live a certain way? Almost like I have to be worthy of the role, the way I live, dress, etcetera?” I questioned, choosing my words carefully.

“Yes, that is exactly it. Is that acceptable to you?”

“I think I’m okay with you being my sugar mama,” I teased. “All I ask is maybe you email me the list of rules. I’m not ignoring what you are saying, I’m paying attention. It’s just been a lot lately and I don’t want to do anything to embarrass you.”

“I appreciate that is your primary concern. It is getting late, and you have a big day tomorrow. If there are no other questions right now, I will leave you to get some rest,” Julie replied.

“No, thank you, I’m all questioned out for now. Jules, I’m so grateful that you are doing this for me.”

“Have a drink from me,” Julie instructed, offering me her wrist. “It will help you for tomorrow.”

“Whatever you say, vampire mommy.” I brought her wrist to my mouth and bit as gently as I could, letting her pear tasting blood fill my mouth. It was so refreshing it sent chills down my back. I missed real food, but considering all I got in return it was worth the sacrifice. I lifted my head from her wrist. “I don’t want to sound weird, but you taste so good. It’s the closest thing to real fruit I get to taste anymore.”

“I am glad you are happy, my dear. May I ask you a question now?”

“Of course.”

“Well, I am not sure how to broach the topic. It is something very personal,” she said slowly. I gave her a smile and a nod to continue. “I had never had sex as a human since it just was not done in my day. I was unmarried, not a spinster since I was a woman of wealth and I was regarded differently. I have had sex with vampires. I figured you have had both. If it is okay, I want to know if sex with a vampire is the same as your first time having sex as a human?”

I started laughing. Jules asking me about sex, also my first time having sex ever, was going to be an answer she wouldn’t be ready for. “My first time wasn’t so great, but no, having sex with a vampire is nothing like your first time with a human. It’s more like when you’re experienced and comfortable with yourself to the tenth degree.”

“What do you mean your first time was not so great?”

“It’s a little complicated. I knew a guy from the Air Force ROTC when I was in the Navy ROTC. He was cute and flirted with me for a few months, and then finally asked me out. We went out almost a dozen times, nothing heavy, keeping it pretty casual.

“Then one of my friends had this big wine and cheese party, almost like a wine tasting. We made out at the party and finally went back to his place. I was going to be twenty in a few months and thought I really liked him. I saw a future with him.

“He knew it was my first time and was very sweet with me. He was so loving and gentle with me, and yes it hurt like everyone tells you. But I thought it was worth it. I thought he was worth it as I lay there in his arms.

“Until the phone rang. He answered, and it was his fiancée coming back early from somewhere, and he had to hurry and drive me home. I never knew about her, and needless to say, I felt horrible. My first time and I was the other woman! I didn’t say a word to him as he drove me to my dorm, and I spent the whole next day sobbing.”

“Oh, my dear, that had to be horrible for you,” Jules comforted sympathetically.

“It was. Nicole didn’t know what was going on and she couldn’t get me to talk or stop crying. So she called my best friend James. He had been at the party and saw me leave with the guy. He figured out what happened, told Nicole, and came over. Nicole threw me in the shower and helped me because I had been crying all day. I could barely stand.

“I remember her and James trying to dress me and dry my hair. It was all a daze for me. She filled James in that it had been my first time and they decided to get me utterly and completely drunk. They took me to a bar down the block from campus, and my other friend, Ian, met us there.

“It was infamous for this drink called the Shark Bowl. It came in this huge pitcher with about a dozen straws and this plastic squeaky shark.

“It was expensive, but I mean we were in college. It’s cheap compared to drinks in the city. They set it in front of me, while the other three shared a pitcher of beer. I got about halfway through when this pretty brunette walks up to us, asking if we know the guy I had been with the night before. It ended up being his fiancée. She saw our Navy shirts and wanted to know if we were all pals.

“I was so shocked, I couldn’t even speak. James answered for me that we knew him in passing, but not very well. She went back to her friends, but first told us her name was Denise. Ian went to the bathroom while James and Nicole were in some deep debate. So I staggered off towards Denise and just started tearing up. I told her I was so sorry and I needed to tell her something.

“Her friends left us, and James came running up as I was in the middle of telling her everything. She started crying when I finished telling her what happened. I just kept repeating over and over that I was so sorry and I didn’t know. She said she believed me, no one would be so upset if they had known he was engaged.

“If that wasn’t bad enough, the guy was coming to meet her that night. He walked in as I was sitting with his fiancée, saw her crying and me with tears in my eyes. He started screaming and came at me, but before he even reached me. James slugged him. Two seconds later Ian was back from the bathroom fighting with the guy’s buddies.

“I even threw a few drunken punches, and it turned into this huge bar brawl. The bouncers came and broke it up. They kicked us out, of course. Before I could even fall down with how drunk I was, James swung me up into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried against him.

“He carried me all the way back to my dorm from the bar. They all tucked me in, refusing to leave my side. I woke up sore from the fight, Ian had a black eye, and James had pretty much busted his hand on the guy’s face.

“I never talked to the guy again. He stayed very far away from me and graduated that year. I never saw him again, and none of us ever talked about what had happened or that I had cried. We laughed a few times about the bar brawl and that none of us got arrested.”

I was smiling when I wrapped up the story, knowing that wasn’t the only time we got in trouble like that.

“That is quite a story, Kelly…” Julie trailed off until she saw I was smiling. “I am sorry that happened to you. That’s not how women dream about losing their virginity. I appreciate you sharing this with me because it makes me see how much you trust me. Sleep well, my dear, dear Kelly. I will show myself out,”

Julie gave me another hug and like the busy woman she was, rushed on to her next task.

After she left I felt better until I thought about the phone call I had to make. I really didn’t want to do this but even more than that… I didn’t want to deal with the fallout if he heard it from someone else first. It sucked being an adult sometimes.

I picked up my cell and dialed Brian’s number.

“Kelly, my love, you called!” Brian exclaimed on the other end of the line.

“Yes, hi, Brian. Thank you for all the gifts and of course the cars. It was a
little
much
, though,” I drawled.

“I realized that later, and even more so, after I talked to Julie.”

“That’s actually the reason I’m calling.” I took a deep breath and told my stomach to settle down. “I asked Julie to adopt me, to be my maker.”

“But, Kelly—” he gasped, choking up. “I made you. Why would you want to break that bond?”

“Because I need to be your equal. You could not keep our dating and being my maker separate. Both roles kept getting muddled, Brian. We needed clearer guidelines as to what we are. We could never have a real relationship the way things are going.”

“So you want a relationship with me again?” I could hear the hope in his voice.

“Yes,” I sighed, realizing it was what I wanted even if it was going to complicate the fuck out of my life. He was worth it. “I need some time to get settled in my new job and work through all my feelings. I don’t want to start over, but I want us to have a normal relationship. Everything was just going too fast and was confusing, do you understand?”