Imogen asked Teren about work, and they talked pleasantly back and forth for a few minutes, with Jack and Halina interjecting now and then. Alanna blurred back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room, bringing out warm platters piled high with mashed potatoes, green beans, broccoli crowns with almond slivers, and lastly, a tray of perfectly just-cooked enough steaks. I wondered briefly if the steaks were from one of their cows, but then decided that they must be; they seemed the self sufficient lot. After she blindingly fast brought out salt, pepper and full water glasses, she started preparing plates for everyone.
I felt a little guilty watching her, knowing that I was perfectly capable of making a plate for myself, but everyone else was letting her serve them without comment or complaint, so I figured it was something she just liked to do. Not wanting to be rude, I kept my mouth shut and waited patiently. It smelled incredible and I prayed my stomach didn’t rumble while I waited; even if my gurgling tummy was virtually silent, I knew almost every ear in the room would hear it. Alanna handed her husband a heaping plate of food and gave him a warm kiss.
“Thank you, dear.”
Jack started eating his meal as Alanna blurred to Teren’s plate and prepared his. Her speed making me a little nauseous, she in record time set a heaping plate in front of Teren and gave him a warm kiss on the cheek while rumpling his hair.
"Thank you, Mom,” he said, rolling his eyes a little as he looked over at me.
I smiled at his embarrassment as Alanna prepared a plate for me blazingly fast. I barely had time to hope she didn’t pile my plate as high as the boys’, before she was done. She placed a more respectable sized plate in front of me and gave me a quick, cool kiss on the cheek as well.
“Thank you, Alann…Mom.” It felt so weird to say that, but she smiled widely when I did and Teren squeezed my hand affectionately.
She blurred into the kitchen and I wondered if she’d forgotten something. Teren dug into his food, elbowing me and nodding at my plate. It felt weird to start eating, when only half the table had food, so I picked up my fork and waited for Alanna to come back. She was back in seconds with a stainless steel coffee carafe. I looked over at Teren, but he was focused on his plate and ignoring his mother; almost studiously ignoring his mother.
I watched Alanna stop at Halina’s side and pour coffee into her goblet, which I thought was odd, until I realised that the coffee was red…and that it wasn’t coffee. Her goblet quickly filled with thick, deep-red blood that steamed a little, and my mouth dropped and my stomach tightened. Halina sniffed at it, frowned and then took a large gulp. Alanna filled Imogen’s glass next. Imogen smiled warmly at her daughter and took a more reserved sip of her steaming beverage. Alanna then turned to Teren and filled one for him. He finally looked up at her and nodded a brief thanks, making her smile widely. She poured a glass for herself, and set the carafe down by Halina, before sitting at the foot of the table, on Teren’s right.
My stomach clenched even tighter. No food then for the vampire women…just deep-red plasma that even I could smell. It turned my stomach a bit. I watched Teren eye his still steaming glass. He seemed to be debating whether or not he should drink it with me sitting right beside him. I had no idea if I wanted him to or not. Watching him drain a chicken was one thing (and that had been pretty bloodless). This, watching him down a clear glass of viscous cow blood (and I was really hoping that that was what it was) was quite another thing. He finally cast a quick glance in my direction and reached across his plate for his drink. It did unpleasant things to my already tight stomach, watching him tilt the goblet back to his lips. He took a long draw, and I watched his throat swallow a couple times before he pulled the glass away.
His fangs had distended when the blood hit his mouth and they were clearly visible as he closed his eyes and made a deep, soft noise – almost a purr. I tore my eyes away from him and finally noticed the other vampires at the table. Every mouth had fangs. Every face looked elated. Every tongue was red. Halina was licking her lips and pouring another glass of steaming liquid from the carafe.
I’m not sure what happened to me next, it wasn’t voluntary – it was pure instinct. Fear surged through my body and I could not stay seated calmly at that table, surrounded by creatures higher up on the food chain than me. A tiny part of my brain knew I wasn’t in danger, but every other single impulse in my head was screaming at me to get the hell out of that house! I felt like the dumb, busty chick in the horror flick that runs up the stairs, instead of running outside, but I wasn’t going to be the dumb girl any longer. I was getting out of here. I would run the 60 miles home if need be, but I was finally leaving this family of monsters.
I was just about to bolt for the door, and wondering if I could make it against four super-speedies, when a light touch on my arm startled me and I jumped nearly a foot.
“I just about peed my pants, the first time I sat down and ate with them. You’re doing very well.” I looked over at my saving grace, the only other human in the room and currently, the only other person without fangs – Teren’s dad. “What?” I squeaked.
He nodded over to the vampires watching me curiously. I flinched when Teren grabbed my hand. “It’s instinct…the desire to run. It’s perfectly normal, so don’t feel embarrassed. Your body’s just telling you that they’re dangerous.” He laughed while I tried to swallow with my dry throat. “Which is pretty humorous, since they’re all basically giant kitty cats.”
I gaped at him and then laughed, feeling the knot in my stomach start to loosen and the fear, slowly start to leech from my system. Teren put his arm around me and kissed my cheek, his fangs were still out.
Halina scoffed at Jack. “Kitty cats?” She hissed at him, baring her sharp teeth.
Jack laughed at her and I stared at him with a surely bewildered look on my face. That was one woman I would never laugh at. “Don’t even bother you old bat. You don’t scare me anymore.”
She twisted her lips and pointed a finger at him, while looking at me. “Don’t let his bravado fool you. He nearly fainted when he watched how we really feed.” She flicked her crystal glass with her fingernail, making it clink musically. “Not this dainty, eating at the table crap.”
"Grandma,” Alanna scolded her. “Manners. Emma is our guest this weekend and we would like her to visit again sometime.”
Halina raised her glass in answer and downed it in one long gulp. She immediately smiled and her fangs were tainted red.
To Be Continued in Next Chapter....