Immortal Consequences Read online

  “We need somewhere with very few people. Somewhere we can see this vampire coming. It’s perfect,” Kal urged her.

  “But then I’ll have to talk to her,” Bree argued.

  “Is that such a bad thing?” Kal asked.

  “She tried to sleep with my fiancé. What if she tries that with you?” Bree asked with a smirk. She didn’t look serious but Kal knew better than to pass it off as a joke. Bree’s deep seated fears were no laughing matter.

  “I’ll turn her down,” Kal replied with all seriousness.

  “You obviously haven’t met my sister,” Bree replied with a laugh that hid her pain.

  “Your sister never met me,” Kal replied.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Bree said with a sadness in her voice that tore at Kal’s heart.

  Chapter 7

  Back at their apartment, while Bree was packing, Kal called his sister’s phone. Although he had never called her, he had known her phone number all along. It wasn’t opportunity that kept him from calling, it was regret.

  After a few rings Elyssa picked up.

  “Kal?” she asked and it was clear she had been crying.

  “What’s wrong?” Kal asked.

  “Mom’s dead,” Elyssa replied.

  “What?!” Kal shouted.

  “What’s wrong?” Bree asked impatiently as she rushed from the bedroom.

  “It’s my mother,” Kal replied. Bree put her arm around him and hugged him while he continued to speak to his sister.

  “That means there’s more than one of them,” Kal said. His tone was emotionless but Bree could see it on his face. The news hit him harder than he was letting on.

  “No it doesn’t,” Elyssa said. “Mom died last week while I was searching for you. I called to tell her I was coming home but I had to leave a message. I told her about you, Bree and the baby. I thought surely she would call back. When she didn’t I knew something was wrong so I tried again before I caught my flight. This time one of the council answered.” Elyssa started sobbing and Kal struggled to hold back his own tears.

  “We’re heading to North Dakota to a bed and breakfast Bree’s sister runs. Why don’t you come with us?” Kal asked. His voice was cracking so Bree squeezed him tighter which only made things worse.

  “I have to return home. My flight is in twenty minutes. I need to get mom’s affairs in order. Then I’ll join you. Text me the address. I won’t be more than three or four days,” Bree said. She was no longer sobbing but Kal could hear the grief.

  “Before you go,” Kal said then waited for the response.

  “Yes?” Elyssa asked.

  “Who is going to take mom’s place?” Kal asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ll be in charge temporarily, until another vote can be held. After that who knows?” Elyssa replied. “See you in a few days.”

  Kal hung up the phone and just stared at the wall blankly. Bree didn’t move and clung to him. After a few moments she spoke.

  “Take your mom’s place as what?” Bree asked.

  Kal wiped the tears from his eyes then looked at Bree and smiled.

  “Mom was the president of the vampire council,” Kal explained.

  “Sounds important,” Bree said.

  “Yeah. They make the rules we live by. Without mom Elyssa will have to step in until there can be another election. Not easy when we’re spread all over the world. There hasn’t been a vote since…well, since my dad was murdered.” Kal stared at the wall once more and new tears formed.

  “So it’s for life?” Bree asked, trying to keep her husband talking.

  “No. Just until someone opposes her, which no one ever did,” Kal explained.

  “Why?” Bree asked.

  Kal smiled at Bree, he knew what she was doing but he answered anyway.

  “Because she was fair. She wasn’t nice but she listened and she was fair,” Kal replied then hugged Bree back. “I just wish I’d gone home to see her.”

  “Yeah, would have been nice to introduce her to her grandchild someday.” Bree put her arms around Kal’s head and pulled it onto her chest. They were in a hurry to leave the city but they could take a moment for Kal to grieve.

  Chapter 8

  It took Kal and Bree nearly a week to drive from Salvon Iowa to Malone North Dakota. They could have taken a plane but Kal didn’t trust his wife and child to the whims of a metal tube flying that high in the air. All it would take was a suicidal vampire or a very smart one to send it crashing to the ground. Kal could protect Bree from a lot of things but gravity was not one of them. Their leisurely drive took them through tourist attractions and many thematic hotels. During the trip Kal got the distinct impression that Bree was wasting time. Having not spoken to her sister in eight years, she was in no hurry to stir up the painful memories.

  As they pulled up to the small town where her sister lived Kal was taken in by the town’s massive population of twenty seven people. He had not been in a town this small since he was a child. His smiles and excitement were not shared by Bree. She had dozed off a few miles ago and when he turned to wake her, to let her know they had arrived, he saw that she was no longer asleep and she wasn’t happy.

  “Maybe we should just keep going. We could go to Canada. It’s what fifty miles? Canada is nice this time of year isn’t it?” she asked. Her expression was not quite what Kal expected. He assumed she would be angry but it was fear that he saw.

  “What’s wrong?” Kal asked. He could see the bed and breakfast in the distance.

  It wasn’t large, it looked like it could house ten couples at most. Its position along a highway, just shy of the Canadian border was probably its biggest draw. The place didn’t look very modern. Smoke billowed from what Kal took as a wood burning stove. The massive forest behind it looked serene and peaceful. The more Kal looked at it, the more he understood. Not being modern was also one of the draws for this place. There were no signs which said ‘Pay Per View’ nor a sign touting ‘Free Wi-Fi’. At the ‘Lazy Inn’, another cute quality of this place, all you had was the partner you brought with you.

  “Umm. I’ve changed my mind. This is a bad idea,” Bree said and she squirmed in her seat. “Let’s go home. I miss home.” Her eyes begged Kal to turn around.

  “Is it really that bad?” Kal asked. He slowed the car and pulled over on the side of the road maybe seventy five feet from the entrance to the Lazy Inn.

  “I told her I wished she’d never been born. I told her I hoped mom and dad would say I was adopted so I wouldn’t be related to her.” Bree paused and Kal knew the worst was still coming. “I told her the next time we would be in the same room would be at her funeral.” She paused again and Kal’s eyebrows raised. What could be worse? “Then I told her I would be counting the days.”

  Kal didn’t say a word at first. This was delicate. Then he found something that was diplomatic yet reassuring.

  “Your sister have a temper like yours?” Kal asked.

  “Yes. That’s how it got so out of hand. Why?” Bree answered.

  “Maybe she understands. You were mad, and rightfully so. Maybe she’s been waiting for you to make the first move. She’s the one who messed up. Maybe she wants you to come,” Kal offered.

  Bree’s fear eased and she smiled at Kal.

  “Don’t talk like that to her or you’ll be sleeping out in the snow,” Bree warned but Kal could tell she was teasing. Still, he decided not to test it. She was pregnant. Her emotions could turn on a dime and it would be his fault.

  “I’ll be polite but I have no desire to freeze my nuts off tonight,” Kal joked. Internally he cringed as he waited.

  “Ok. Mr. Peptalk. Let’s get this over with.” Bree grabbed the dashboard like they were going to go slamming into the place. Kal almost laughed at the way she looked, almost, but he knew better.

  Kal eased back onto the highway and continued the short distance until he reached the driveway. Bree’s knuckles were going white and she looked like she might change
her mind at any second. Kal pictured her jumping and rolling away from the car then making a mad dash to Canada. When Kal parked the car Bree didn’t move until Kal walked around to her door and opened it for her. Her gaze was fixated on the entrance to the Lazy Inn. There were four other cars there so it was possible they wouldn’t be completely alone with Leanne but four couples were not much of a buffer. Inevitably, the two of them would have to speak.

  Kal held out his hand and Bree took it. He helped her out of the car then grabbed their bags from the trunk and Bree followed him inside. After they went through the front doors Kal spotted a woman who looked very similar to Bree. She was a little taller, a little bustier but the hair color and the face were too similar for her to be anyone but Leanne.

  When Bree stepped through the door she froze at the sight of her sister. Kal found it strange but there was no fear on the woman, who he assumed was Leanne. In fact, she seemed angry. This was a horrible idea and it was all his. If it went as badly as it appeared to be heading, Kal was in big trouble.

  The woman walked around the counter with her hands and her arms stiff at her sides. Kal wanted to say she was stomping but there was no sound. Either way, it was clear that she was angry and heading straight at Bree. Instinct kicked in and Kal side stepped. He put himself between Bree and the woman then dropped one bag and held his hand out.

  “I’m Kal. You must be Leanne?” Kal asked. The woman stared back at him, her concentration broken, then she smiled, assuming he was just another customer.

  “Yes. How are you today sir?” Leanne asked with a smile she had probably practiced. One that wasn’t creepy to customers but was hard for them to see as a fake, which it was.

  “I’m your sister’s husband,” he said as Leanne grabbed his hand. She immediately pulled it away and the anger returned.

  “Tell your wife we’re full!” Leanne shouted then headed back toward the counter.

  “Are you really going to turn out a pregnant woman when you’re clearly not full?” Kal asked. Bree punched him in the arm and stepped around him then crossed her arms and stared at Leanne.

  Leanne stopped before reaching the counter and turned. This time it wasn’t anger Kal saw. It was sadness and regret.

  “Is that true?” Leanne asked.

  “Yes. It’s true and my husband has a big mouth.” Bree gave Kal a stare that was both appreciative and angry. He hoped the appreciation would win in the end. “I came to see if we can’t work this through.”

  Kal was shocked. His wife, the most stubborn woman he had ever met, making the first move? She was the one who was wronged. This took guts. It took more than guts, it took humility. Kal stared back at her, full of pride. She really was the most amazing woman he had ever met.

  Leanne looked at her sister skeptically. She raised one corner of her mouth then pushed the smile away and tried to look angry again. Kal could see the tears forming in her eyes but Leanne was just about as stubborn as Bree. But not quite.

  “I suppose we have a room,” Leanne said then turned and continued her walk to the counter. “King size bed?”

  “Yes, please,” Bree answered and headed toward the desk.

  Now Kal was lost. He expected fighting or crying, maybe both but not this. They acted like they barely knew each other. Was this how normal siblings fought? His family fights usually ended up in bloodshed, but then again, it was no more serious to his family than humans having a fist fight. Still, this was very bizarre.

  “Name, driver’s license and five hundred dollar deposit,” Leanne said coldly.

  Bree pulled out her driver’s license and slammed it on the counter. Then held out her hand toward Kal, without looking at him, for the five hundred dollars. Kal quickly pulled out his wallet then handed her the money. This Bree also slammed on the counter then leaned forward with a huge grin and said her name slowly.

  “Brianna Natalie Johnson.” After her show of pride she held out her hand for the keys.

  “Mrs. Johnson. I hope you have a nice stay,” Leanne said then dropped the keys into Bree’s waiting hands. “Oh and by the way,” Leanne said with a smug look. “Dinner is served at six o’clock sharp. There is no room service. Eat in the dining room or fend for yourself.”

  “I’ll be here with bells on,” Bree said and Kal could hear the anger returning. Bree made a show of snapping up the keys in her hand then turned on her heels and walked with her head high. She walked right by Kal, who was still waiting for something else to happen, then turned around and gave him an angry stare.

  “You coming Kal?” Bree asked impatiently.

  “Yes, dear,” he replied and followed her up to their room.

  Chapter 9

  Once they were in the privacy of their own room Bree quit her act. As soon as the door was shut she turned to Kal with fury.

  “Who the hell does she think she is?!” Bree asked. She didn’t wait for an answer. She kicked off her shoes and started pacing. “Acting like she isn’t the one who tried to steal my fiancé! What nerve! If we weren’t in the middle of a public place I’d slap that silly grin off her smug face!”

  While Bree stormed around the room Kal carefully set the bags on the bed then sat down. He wanted to say something helpful but every time he opened his mouth to speak Bree looked at him and he changed his mind.

  “Oh ‘dinner’ is going to be fun.” The way she mocked Leanne’s use of the word dinner nearly made Kal laugh but he caught himself just in time. “Did you see the look on her face when I said my name?” Bree asked but she didn’t want an answer and Kal knew it. “Oh I could have just punched her. Ha! She didn’t have a chance to steal you at least!”

  Kal was starting to feel like a trophy. At first it was a little emasculating then he actually thought about it. Being a trophy wasn’t so bad. At least he had value. Value to Bree.

  “You just wait til ‘dinner’ Kal.” Again she mocked Leanne’s use of the word. “You just wait and see. She’ll make some offhand remark that is supposed to sound all innocent but it won’t be!” When she stopped she was staring at Kal, only inches from his face. He wasn’t sure how to react so he smiled.

  “Are you ok?” he asked while he stared at her.

  Apparently it wasn’t the worst way he could have responded. She didn’t hit him and didn’t yell at him, but it did send her back to her ranting.

  “I’m fine! I just can’t help myself! Every time I see her face I want to slap it! My own sister! How could she do that?!” Apparently stomping around the room was wearing her out, and unlike Leanne, Bree was actually stomping. Bree flopped onto the bed and let out a sigh.

  “Feel better?” Kal asked with a grin.

  Bree grinned up at him.

  “Much better.” She grabbed his shoulders, pulled him in and kissed him on the lips. “Don’t worry. I’m not nuts. I’m just working my way through it.”

  “Yelling about her, not at her. Right?” Kal asked. He saw the grin on her face grow wider so he leaned in and kissed her once more.

  “You’re a good husband…” the devilish grin on her face warned him that something was coming. “When you’re not accusing me of cheating on you.”

  Kal smirked. He knew she wasn’t serious this time.

  “What can I do to make it up to you?” he asked playfully.

  She cringed and closed her eyes then opened one of them.

  “Foot massage? My feet shouldn’t be swelling this soon should they?” Bree asked and quit with her fake cringing.

  Kal got down on his knees and grabbed one of her feet then started massaging it.

  “You’re asking me? I’ve never been pregnant,” Kal said with a laugh.

  “I wish I could call mom,” Bree whined.

  “Not yet. Give me a week or so to find out what’s really going on. Ok?” Kal pleaded.

  “I know. I know. They live in Salvon. The vampire will listen in to our calls. I get it. It’s just frustrating. And why the hell do I suddenly want pickles? I’m not that far along. T
he doctor said six weeks, at most.” Bree huffed and sounded perplexed.

  “You’re asking the wrong guy.” Kal stopped massaging and pointed at his chest. “Guy who thought he couldn’t have children remember?”

  Bree lifted her head up, laughed then let it flop back down.

  “Get back to the massaging mister. This is all your fault,” Bree said while she grinned at the ceiling.

  Chapter 10

  Dinner went surprisingly well. Kal and Bree met three of the other couples at the bed and breakfast but, strangely, Leanne was absent. Perhaps it was why dinner went so well. Without her sister present Bree was relaxed and kept bugging the other couple’s wives about pregnancy. The one she asked the most questions of was an elderly woman, probably in her late sixties. This woman was not only the mother of four, she had three grandchildren and one on the way. By the time dinner was over Bree was quite content with staying at the inn. After dropping Bree off at their room Kal decided he needed to take a look around for security purposes and, although Bree wasn’t entirely happy with the idea, she did understand the reasons why.

  Kal walked casually around the outside of the building and noticed it had decent security. Not that this would stop a vampire. None of the second story windows had locks, but then again, no one expected someone to leap that far up. Kal knew better but there was little he could do about it. He made a mental note to put a dresser or maybe pile the chairs in front of the window then went on with his inspection.

  When he came around the back he noticed a sunken hot tub. In the twenty degree weather the tub produced quite a lot of steam. With a smile on his face he walked up to it. He pictured how pleased Bree would be to find out that she could soak in here. Then he remembered reading something that said pregnant women shouldn’t be in hot tubs. His hopes sank then his musings were broken as someone pulled themselves out of the hot tub, completely naked. He had been so preoccupied with thoughts of Bree and the baby that he hadn’t noticed Leanne.

  “Care to join me Kal?” she said in a seductive tone.