Chapter 18: Chapter 18 EASING IN

“Whatever, I better get more information about Jade from Kayla.” Scarlet left the room and went out back to the pond where Kayla sat.

“She’s beautiful,” Kayla said.

“When do I get to meet my niece?” Scarlet wanted to support her in any way that she could. She had her child so how could she be against her friend’s desire to be a mother.

“Tonight. I’m going to get her. She isn’t used to her new life and I constantly have to make sure she doesn’t come across any humans.”

“Then let’s go get her.”

Scarlet and Kayla ran into the woods to a little rundown shack, a few yards from the house.

“This is where you keep her?” Scarlet carefully stepped around the twigs and branches around it.

“We spend a lot of time together here. She’s a good girl. She was very relieved when I told her that she wouldn’t need the drugs anymore.”

Kayla pulled open the tattered door, “Jade.”

“I’m here.” A voice came from one of the dark corners.

Scarlet followed the sweet voice, it was a clear contrast to its dark and moldy surroundings.

“I want you to meet someone.”

Jade stepped out of the shadows and walked to the door where Scarlet and Kayla stood.

“Hi.”

Scarlet gazed at her in awe, her smooth sweet voice resembled her face. She couldn’t believe that someone had chosen to abandon and abuse the beautiful girl that stood before her. Her short hair fell over her perfect brown skin, hiding half her face. Her hair cut reminded her that of SJ’s except he didn’t have white streaks in his hair.

Apart from the nose ring and the studs on her left eyelid and chin, her face was flawless. She had six black studs in each ear and bracelets that went up to her elbows.

“She’s beautiful Kayla.”

“Isn’t she?”

She stepped out of the shack and Scarlet was able to get a better look at her under the sunlight that streamed in through the forest cover.

“How old are you?” Scarlet knew she was a teenager but didn’t know her exact age. She was as tall as she was and could be anything between fifteen and seventeen.

“Sixteen, but Kayla says I should start counting fresh considering I’m not human anymore.”

“You seem very at ease with being a vampire.” Scarlet was surprised. She was sure that if it was her in that situation she would lose her mind.

“I would be dead if it wasn’t for Kayla, and I guess there isn’t anything worse than that.” Jade shrugged her shoulders.

“You are dead Jade. You do know what that means. Everything changes now, you can’t go back to your life. You’ll never see your friends again. And you know you are going to be feeding on human and animal blood.”

“I was sucking on a cocaine pipe miss, a little blood doesn’t scare me. Besides I have been doing it for the past three weeks, I’m slowly getting a handle on my thirst.”

“Three weeks. Kayla, you kept this from me for three weeks?” Scarlet asked in disbelief.

“How about we focus on what is important.” Kayla turned the conversation back to Jade. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with any accusations.

“Jade, Scarlet, and I are going to take you to our house, where our family lives. You remember I told you about them.”

“Yes. What if they don’t like me or don’t want me.” Jade had faced rejection plenty of times in her human life and was always afraid of meeting new people.

“They will. They all know how life is when you are alone. We are all from different backgrounds and places, we aren’t connected by blood in any way but loyalty. You are my child now, and I will protect you.” Kayla took Jade’s hand and pulled her away from the shack.

“Loyalty. Trust. I don’t know the meaning of those words, but you saved my life so I will trust you.”

“Thank you.”

They stood outside the house for a few minutes, Jade had gotten nervous and frightened. She was relaxing her shocked nerves before stepping into her new world that she hoped to have forever.

Guys

Kayla called them and they all poured into the living room, all except Solara. One by one she introduced Jade to her family.

“...and this is Stephan and SJ, Scarlet’s husband and son.”

“Oh, pleased to meet you. You have a beautiful home.”

“Thank you, Jade.” Stephan already liked her, and although her face didn’t show it, he could see the pain in her eyes.

“Now I see why Kayla brought me here, she needed to try and dilute all the male testosterone in this house.” Jade looked around the room.

“Yep, we are outnumbered.” Scarlet chortled.

“I like your highlights.” Vincent put in, pleased that there was finally someone with his sense of style.

“Uh, thanks.” Jade bit her lower lip and nodded. “Where is your husband Kayla?”

“Behind you.”

Jade turned towards the direction where the bass came from. She looked up at Solara as he stood with his arms across his chest.

“Good evening Sir.” She greeted him formally, she could sense the tension between him and Kayla.

“You don’t need to be so formal, I am your father now.” His eyes were fixed on Kayla as he spoke.

“Thank you.” Jade wasn’t sure how to react to the tension.

“Let me show you to your room Jade.” Kayla walked her out of the living room to one of the empty bedrooms. “You can decorate it how you like, it’s yours now. I’ll leave you to it.”

“Kayla, thank you for everything.”

“You are welcome.”

***

It took Solara a couple of days to get used to Kayla’s new addition to their family. He wasn’t completely against it, and he tried to make the most of the situation. Unlike him, the other boys had taken to her immediately. They were each competing for her attention, and even when she wanted to, she was never alone.

Kayla was happier than she had ever been, she now had a new daughter in addition to her new husband. She sat on the porch swing as she watched the four boys fight over who was going to take Jade on her first run.

“I think I should do it. I’m much stronger than all of you and I’ll be able to protect her.”

“Don’t pull the superior being card infant. By the way Jade, he is three years old.” Vincent put in.

“He’s what?” Jade was confused. SJ was an inch taller than her and the other boys there.

“He’s got a growth spurt gene. A year ago he was in diapers.” Vincent snickered.

“I may be three years old but I’m more mature than you’ll ever be.”

“Mature? Ha! I’m mature.”

“I would just say old. Old man.”

Jade slipped away with Victor and Eric and they headed back to the house leaving the two arguings. She wasn’t used to such attention.

“Kayla, before I came here no even cared if I was dead or alive, and now guys are arguing about who’s going to stand next to me.” She sat on the swing with her adopted mother.

“That is what family is about.”

“I don’t think they see me as their sister anymore. I can sense how I make them all feel when I’m around them.”

“What do you mean?” Kayla had not developed any abilities ever since she changed her, and she wasn’t worried about that because Scarlet didn’t have one either.

“I feel them like right now I can feel how happy you are. There is a bright color around you, you are happy. Around Solara, I see a dull shade of color around him like he is upset.”

“Don’t worry about Solara. He is mad at me and not you. He is worried that I only brought you here to replace my grandmother.”

Kayla had told Jade about her grandmother and how she died, and she also thought that Kayla was trying to replace her grandmother but never asked her directly. Not until now.

“Are you? Are you trying to replace your grandmother?”

“Not entirely. When my Nana died a hole was left in my heart, and when I found you, I felt whole again. Like I had a purpose. Besides, I have always wanted children but I can’t have any of my own, so now I have you.”

Kayla pulled Jade closer to her and kissed her temple. “Solara will be fine in a while.”

“I am.” Solara stepped outside. He had been listening to their conversation from the TV room, and he thought it was time to break the stalemate. “I have been trying to get Kayla to apologize, I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s never going to happen.”

“I’m glad you realized that.” Kayla grinned at him.

“So I am going to do for you what Stephan did for his son, I am going to take you hunting and in the process, we can get to know each other better.” He offered.

“Umm-ok. I guess we could do that.” Jade shrugged.

“Ok, and no Vincent you can’t come, neither can you SJ.”

“But-,” Vincent and SJ protested in unison.

“Shall we?” he held out his hand to his new daughter.

Confused Jade accepted his invitation, and they went off racing into the forest.