I shifted my eyes to Jack, the one human who knew that something was up, and he looked peaceful sitting back in his chair and making polite conversation with Hot Ben on his left. I watched the middle-aged man, the graying hair and the warm brown eyes, but didn't see any stress in his features. Not until Alanna came up and put a hand on his shoulder as she set down his glass of water.
When she did that, he looked up at her, and a brief look passed between them. The look in his eye worried me some. It wasn't the nervous tension that I was feeling; no fear was in his face that they'd somehow be discovered. No, the look in his eye was one of deep sympathy. Like he knew she was about to do something that was going to be unpleasant for her, and he felt badly about it. She briefly smiled at him, leaning down to kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear.
Imogen and Teren looked at her, Teren taking a deep, calming breath, and I felt tears sting my eyes. Whatever they were going to do, was not going to be fun for them, and they were all still resigned to do it anyway. For me.
I wanted to stand up and beg them not to. I wanted to tell Alanna to bring out the carafe. I wanted them to feel comfortable in their own home. And I again debated moving this entire event somewhere else. I didn't want them hurting themselves for me.
As my hormonal eyes started to spill over, Teren turned my face to his and began kissing me. The humans at the table whistled encouragement, but I still felt like sobbing. His fingers discretely wiped away my tears as he whispered in-between our lips. "Don't stress. We do this for you willingly. We love you." He pulled back, his fingers once again sweeping dry my face. As Tracey hollered her approval, he leaned in and whispered in my ear. "We will be fine. Just enjoy your evening."
I gave him pleading eyes, wanting to know exactly what they were willingly doing for me, but I couldn't speak. He sighed at the look on my face and leaned over to kiss the other side, whispering in my other ear, "Please, make what we're about to do...worth it."
He pulled back, giving me a pointed look and raising an eyebrow. I swallowed and nodded, looking at him and then Imogen and finally Alanna, as she and Mom finally finished setting the table. I suddenly realized why Halina was really skipping this meal. She didn't want to partake in whatever they were about to do.
My mom chuckled as she sat down beside me and I slapped on a bright, fake smile. She patted my knee and looked over me to Teren. "Just can't keep your hands off each other, can you?" She sighed a little dreamily. "It was like that for me and your father before our wedding too."
Imogen perked up and gave my mom a sympathetic glance. She didn't mention her own husband's death, her "character" never having been married, but encouraged my mom to talk about her long lost husband, maybe living vicariously through her grief. Mom did, and the entire table shifted to follow the conversation.
My eyes drifted around everyone at this mammoth, elaborate table, the platters of steaks, freshly caught fish, mashed potatoes and green beans, slightly separating everyone. And then, during a pause in the story, Alanna began dishing up plates of food, brushing aside my mom's attempts to continue helping her.
My mouth dropped open as every vampire in the room was given a plate of food...human food. I couldn't even conceal my astonishment as I watched them in horror. They were all given a steak, a spoonful of potatoes, a small helping of the fish Ben and Teren had caught earlier, and a forkful of beans. Once they were all served and Alanna had seated herself at the other end of the table, they all began cutting their food. My eyes were as wide as saucers as Teren grabbed a fork loaded with a hunk of meat and held it in front of his lips. His eyes looking nervous, but his voice steady, he told me, "Eat up, Emma." He popped the food in his mouth and gave me a quavering smile. "It's delicious."
He pointedly glanced at the plate of food Alanna had set in front of me when I still hadn't done anything. I tore my eyes away from the sight of him eating, and made myself concentrate on my plate. My mom and Tracey talked obliviously while Jack watched his wife with worried eyes. Ben went on and on about how good the fish was, and Ashley looked around at all the eating vampires with a look of puzzled amazement that probably matched mine. But unlike me, she shrugged, assuming it was just something they could do, and joined in a conversation with Mom.
I cut my food and woodenly popped some in my mouth. I really wasn't sure if it was something they could do or not. I watched Teren and the girls eat, and felt a knot of apprehension at the look of near disgust on their faces. I wasn't sure what human food tasted like anymore to him, but I knew he had no desire for it, and I imagined it was much like eating a plate of dog food, or maybe worse, dog vomit or something.
Tears stung my eyes again, but I pushed it back. They seemed to be eating fine and if it really was only that it tasted badly, well, they could handle that for one night, right?
As the meal progressed, and eventually everyone finished their wonderful food, a light and happy feeling fell upon the table. It would seem that dinner had successfully gone by with no one the wiser to my new family's situation. I relaxed back into Teren's side, but he held himself rigidly in his chair. Alarmed at the tension in his body, I subtly turned to watch him. His face was trying to stay smooth, but I could see the way he clenched his jaw, the way his eyes winced every once and awhile. He was in pain. He was sitting there, calmly having a conversation with Ben, in pain. I clenched his hand, but he didn't look at me.
That was when I noticed the faces on the other vampires. They were all in pain, horrible, horrible pain. I could see it in their body language. To me, it was written all over their faces. Seeing the look on Jack's face, his eyes overly moist, I could see he clearly saw it too. It was a little miraculous to me that the rest of the room couldn't tell.
As Alanna hadn't moved to clear the table - a startling indicator all by itself, my mom offered, and began clearing things away. Alanna smiled softly and thanked her. At this point, Imogen stood and politely excused herself. No human took notice of her leaving, but my eyes couldn't stay off of her. She walked slowly and stiffly from the room, sort of resembling the way Ash walked. She was gone for just a few moments before Alanna and Teren closed their eyes at the same time, a look of compassion passing their faces.
That look terrified me. They were hearing something I probably wouldn't want to hear, something Imogen was doing that they would each have to do. I suddenly closed my eyes, understanding. The vampires could eat food, obviously, they still had mouths and stomachs after all, but they couldn't digest it. So...the food had to come out. The same way it came in.
I squeezed Teren's hand, my eyes watering. He opened his and looked down on me, giving me a tight smile. He nodded and I nodded back. We both knew now, we were both on the same page.
Alanna excused herself as Mom started bringing in pie. I wanted to cry at the sight, tell Mom that no more food was needed, but I made myself smile and thank her. Made their sacrifice worth it.
Teren sat there the entire time we ate, no longer talking, his brow scrunched in un-disguisable pain. I wanted to scream at him to just go, get rid of it, since it was hurting him, but no one else would understand that, and I was way too riled up to secretly whisper it to him. Finally, Hot Ben seemed to notice his discomfort. "You alright, Teren?" He raised an eyebrow at him and tilted his head. I could have kissed Ben.
Teren cracked open his eyes. "Actually...I feel a little odd. I think I'll turn in." He slowly stood and calmly said goodnight to everyone. I watched him leave the room and had to force myself to not run upstairs to be with him. I looked over at Jack and saw the same level of restraint on his face.
None of the vampires returned to the table after that.
As Mom and Ashley and Tracey cleared the dishes and made some coffee for Ben and Jack, I excused myself to check on Teren. Jack gave me a sympathetic look and briefly nodded at me. He apparently knew what I'd find, and knew it would be bad.
My stomach clenched with each step up to our room. I hated what he'd done to himself, all to maintain the image of humanity. I hated that he had to hide, but at the same time, understood it. As I reached the top of the dual staircase, I put a hand on my stomach, wondering if this was the future I was condemning our children too. I suddenly understood one of the reasons why Teren hadn't wanted to continue this...trait.
Softly and cautiously, I opened the door. I wasn't sure what to expect. Looking around our opulent guest room here at the ranch, I blinked in the soft light of the lamps, surprised. It was empty. Just as I was wondering if maybe he went somewhere else, I heard him.
It wasn't hard. I could clearly hear him cry out, although it was coming out muffled, like he was screaming into a pillow or something. It was coming from the bathroom, so I ran in there. My mouth dropped open and my heart leapt into my throat when I saw him. He was covered in blood. Panic seized me, until I watched him heave a pile of blood onto the tile floor. It wasn't coming from a wound, it was coming...from him. My panic tripled as I knelt beside him. I wanted to yell for help, but there was no one to yell for. All the vamps were going through this, and the humans that knew the secret, were entertaining the humans who didn't. There was no one to help Teren, but me.
He was curled into a fetal position and clutching his stomach, groaning into a blood soaked towel, in-between vomiting up more blood. His fangs were extended, having dropped down at the presence of blood, even his own. I'd never imagined so much blood could leave a person's body. I started crying and shaking as I held him. He was so out of it he couldn't speak, only continued screaming into anything that would muffle the noise, and heaving up more blood, food having long ago left his system.
His body apparently had had a severe reaction to the food being put inside it. His sickness was about quadruple what my morning sickness was. As blood ruined his clothes and mine, I held him tight, stroking his back and murmuring that I loved him, and everything would be okay. I wasn't even sure if he heard me. I wasn't even sure if everything was okay. I had no idea how to help him.
Worrying that my family would come check on us, and then understanding why Jack wasn't immediately at Alanna's side - someone had to run interference - I cried lightly into Teren's back as he continued his muffled screaming and heaving, not knowing what else to do.
Shaking near uncontrollably, the vomiting eventually stopped. A while later, the cries stopped as well. I held him in my arms, our bodies coated in the blood he'd released - it was cold and sticky, and smelled awful, all pooled together like it was. I fought down my own nausea as I stroked back his hair and kissed his temples. I don't know how much longer I held him in that chilly, bloody bathroom, as he shook in my arms, but eventually a body breezed into the room.
"Teren...how long did you let it go?" I startled as Halina knelt beside him, her face both irritated and worried. She lifted his weak head and his eyes lolled back before he could focus on her, his fangs red from his own blood.
"Will he be okay?" I whispered, hope filling me that someone who understood what was happening to him, could help him.
She muttered something in Russian as she examined him. "Yes," she looked back at me, "We're harder than that to kill." Running her hand over his face, she muttered, "But he didn't have to let it get this bad." With a wry look, she added, "And he could have made this mess in the toilet."