Chapter Thirty-two

Chapter Thirty-two

“You’re really going to do this?” Mum asked me. “Hans is going to turn you into a vampire tonight?”

I told her all about him. From how we met in the Regency bar, to how he’d pursued me in my dreams across the cobblestones. I recalled all the memories that had come back to me about the times I’d seen him in the grounds of Garway church when I was younger.

I shared with her how strongly I’d fallen for him, and how incredible it felt to be by his side. His fated mate across the centuries, returning to be his lover. This time for ever.

She finally listened to me without telling me I was a stupid girl.

It was as though a light had been flicked on inside her head, revealing her own truth to herself. But that shouldn’t have been much of a surprise to me, since I’d experienced the same thing for myself. It was just a shame she was a little bit older when the truth hit her.

So long after my father walked away…

I smiled at her, loving the closeness.

“Yeah, I’m going to become a vampire tonight, at least I hope so. Happy Halloween to me.”

I was looking through the clothes in my wardrobe for something suitable to wear. I came across one of my old white dresses – a really pretty one with a bow around the waist and a lace overskirt. I hadn’t worn it in years.

“Do you think it will still fit?” I asked Mum as I held it up to myself in front of the mirror.

She came over and took hold of the hem, running her thumb over the lace at the bottom.

“Yes, almost definitely. It’s a good choice. Quite fitting for someone being turned into an immortal on Samhain.”

My heart raced at her words. Spoken out loud, it all felt so real.

I still had no idea quite what was in store for the transition. Hans was keeping his thoughts to himself besides the instructions of head back to Edwin’s manor when your soul feels the calling.

Standing there, in my old family bedroom as the sky turned to dusk, there was no doubt about it. My soul was beginning to crave Hans.

Badly.

It wasn’t just his teeth in my throat, or in my breasts, or his cock buried deep, and not just his body next to mine. There was more to it than that. Longing for his blood in my mouth. Longing to feel what it felt like to be a vampire.

“Try it on,” Mum said, pulling my attention back to the dress I was holding. “Let’s see how it fits you.”

I was so relieved when I tugged the dress on in the bathroom. It fit like a glove in all the right places, albeit a little bit tighter. Maybe Hans had already seen me in it a few years ago.Maybe it wouldn’t surprise him in the slightest to see me returning to Edwin’s all in white.

One thing was for sure though, Mum would never have seen any vampire bites before. I flinched as I caught sight of my reflection. The wounds on me were fierce and deep. Definitely beyond a bit of a concealer to hide them from view.

Her voice was light when she knocked at the bathroom door. She sounded almost excited for me.

“Well? Does it fit?”

“Yeah,” I shouted back. “It fits well.”

I knew the inevitable would follow.

“Come on, then. Show me.”

Fuck. I pulled a face at my reflection as I gave my wounds another onceover. The neckline was low, and the sleeves were puffy but short, and it was obvious I’d been the victim of some serious bites. I’d totally understand if she freaked out up to the rafters at the sight.

I mean, it’s one thing someone explaining how amazing it feels to have blood sucked out of you by a vampire, but another thing altogether seeing the marks on their skin.

But. Here goes nothing…

I stepped out of the bathroom, giving her a little curtsy on the landing.

She clasped a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide as she looked me up and down.

“I know, I know,” I said. “They look bad, but they felt fine, I promise. Hans wouldn’t hurt me. I mean he hurt me, but not hurt me hurt me, you know?”

“No,” she said, and shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’ll take your word for it.”

I stared at her in shock, because that was probably the greatest thing she’d ever said to me in my life.

She’d take my word for it.

There was so much sentiment in those few words and in the calm expression she showed me.

She’d trust me and my judgement, and trust me to know myself and my own needs, and trust me to be making the decisions I wanted to be making – which was so much more than I’d ever been allowed as a child here at home.

Mum could read my mind – of course she could.

“You’re not a child anymore, Katherine. If anything, you should be judging me, not me judging you.”

I smiled at her. “Shame Grandma doesn’t feel the same.”

The wicked witch of Lyston Lane hadn’t returned yet. I almost laughed out loud at the thought of her in Garway church right now, still in her dressing gown, praying for the atonement of my sins at the place I’d be giving up my mortal life in, to the man she condemned as a sinner.

Mum shrugged. “Maybe she’ll be the next one to get her wake up call. She might be a little more entrenched in delusion than I was, but there is still a spark of her true self underneath, I’m sure.”

I smirked. “I don’t know, but I’ll take your word for it. How about that?”

“How about you take the same words for it from Grandad? Seems he had the same words for it, too.”

I remembered the love in his eyes as he’d talked about Grandma. His Rhona. His wife.

“Yeah. He did. He thinks she’s got a lovely soul under the surface.”

“Maybe one day she’ll show it. The people in the village will think she’s lost her mind.”

I laughed. “You’ll have to give me updates on the local post office gossip. It’s not as though I’ll be able to call in there myself anymore.”

The laughter eased off as we looked at each other, and with the resentment gone from Mum’s eyes she looked much more familiar to me. As though she was different. Seen through the lens of a family line gone by.

“Night’s coming soon,” Mum said, and gestured to the sun lowering into dusk outside the window. “No more sunshine for you.”

“It’s ok,” I replied, trying to stop the inevitable burst of nerves. “Hans is worth a lot more to me than daylight.”

I kept my white dress on as I brushed my hair in the bedroom. I put on a tiny bit of foundation, but kept my makeup minimal as usual. I wanted to be as bare for him as bare could be. Innocent and pure like the girl he’d watched grow up in front of him. A virgin whose love he’d taken as soon as it was morally right to take it, and a woman he was going to turn into an immortal partner on Halloween.

“What’s it going to be?” Mum asked me. “Some kind of formal service or something?”

“I have no idea,” I admitted. “Hans has been keeping his cards close to his chest on that score.”

“Yes, and his ideas cloaked up in a cloud of mystery from the sounds of it.”

He sure had. For hours now I’d been trying to hone in on his thoughts and visions, but he was still keeping me at arm’s length.

Head back to Edwin’s manor when your soul feels the calling.

Those are all the thoughts he’d had to say.

The calling was rising how, I could feel it. I could sense the rumble of the car outside, all set to deliver me to my fate.

“Go,” Mum said, and put her hand on my arm. “If it’s time, it’s time. Just please make sure you keep in touch and let me know how it goes for you.”

I got a lump in my throat at that, seeing the affection in her eyes. She mirrored me with a nod, and we both laughed to break the tension.

“I still can’t believe you’re such a big girl now,” she told me. “It’s crazy, just how fast time flies.”

“I’ll keep in touch, I promise. You’ll need to invite me over the threshold next time, though, and it’ll be a little bit later than a lunchtime eating jam sandwiches in the sun.”

“I can do that.”

I just hoped Grandma would let her.

“She will let me,” Mum voiced. “She won’t have any choice from now on. The secrets have come to light.”

“How do you feel about that? Do you think she’ll still be able to be your mum?”

“Yes,” she said. “The bond between us is too strong to break. It will have to twist and turn and take a new road, but it won’t be destroyed. I don’t think either of us will be pushing the other off the turrets of Garway church, given what happened last time.”

“Good,” I said. “Maybe one day she’ll be willing to speak to me again, too. Without cursing me for being a damned to Hell sinner.”

I walked down the stairs as Mum followed me. She watched as I fastened up my high heeled shoes.

Her arms were folded as she looked at me, and her thoughts were somewhere else, skirting around memories of the past.

“I’d better go,” I told her, because my soul was beginning to tingle. “I’m ready for my transition. I’m ready to be committed to Hans.”

She opened the front door for me, and I stepped out, but I couldn’t help turning back to face her, pulling her tight into my arms. Me and my mum. Close. Like I’d been crying out for since I was just a girl.

“Thanks,” I said. “It’s been amazing today.”

“Same for me,” she replied. “I’ll be thinking of you tonight.”

She put her hands on my cheeks as I pulled away, and planted a kiss on my forehead.

“Don’t wait too long before you come and ask permission to cross this threshold, Katherine. And next time, maybe you can bring Hans along with you? I’m sure he could bicker with your grandma if it comes to it.”

I was halfway down the garden path when she called after me. She was waving to get my attention.

“You said Hans knows of your father?” she asked.

“Yeah, he said so.”

Even in the dimming light of dusk I could tell she was blushing.

“And, um, do you think you’ll meet him one day? Will Hans be able to give you an introduction?”

I smiled. “I hope so, yeah.”

She grinned, blushing harder.

“Well, um… if you do… then please say hello from me. I hope he’s doing ok.”

My heart bloomed at the thought.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I will.”

The driver didn’t look frustrated in the slightest when I slipped into the back seat of the car.

“Thanks for waiting,” I said.

He tipped his hat at me. “You’re very welcome.”

There was still no sign of Grandma as we made our way from Orcop back towards Garway. I was expecting her to jump out of the hedge at any minute with a pitchfork armed ready, but there was nothing, just the dimming road up ahead.

It was almost dark when I saw the glow of Edwin’s manor in the distance.

My soul was screaming so hard for Hans that I could hardly bear it as we pulled up into the driveway. I was aching in my seat until the car parked up outside the main entrance and I dashed away with nothing more than a thank you.

It was Daniel who answered the door, still in an oversized long-sleeved t-shirt with an emo smile on his face.

“They’re waiting for you,” he told me, and closed the door behind us.

I nodded.

“This way,” he said, leading me through to the drawing room.

And there he was. My Hans. My beautiful vampire lover in an incredible black tuxedo, waiting for me with a beautiful, fanged smile.

He held out open arms and I dashed for him, feeling like I was coming back home after a long time away.

“You look beautiful,” he told me, easing me away by my shoulders.

“Yes, you do, sweet little Katherine,” agreed Edwin and appeared in my view from the right.

There were candles everywhere, and the chandelier was glowing, and it was obvious from the way they looked at each other that this was a major ritual. I got butterflies so strong they nearly had my legs wobbling.

I took a long sip of merlot along with Daniel as the two vampires watched alongside us, and we made a short social of it as the clock ticked away. Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick. And then – as midnight grew near – Hans gestured to the hallway.

It was time to go.

“Good luck,” Daniel said, and I felt sorry for him as I spotted the non-malicious envy in his eyes.

“Yes, indeed. Good luck and congratulations,” Edwin added.

Hans took my hand and led me back through the house as he had the night previous. We descended the steps until we arrived at the tunnel to the tomb, and he gave me the illuminated lantern, flickering brightly.

He pointed at the darkness of the tunnel.

“You have a head start, little one,” he whispered. “So use it. Let your body run free and your soul run free along with it, until it gives up the fight and lets me take you. I’ll be following. Closely.”

I nodded, taking a breath, his words prickling my skin.

“Go,” he said.

And I went for it, as quickly as my giddy legs would carry me, and charged through the tunnel like a girl possessed.