AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Grace had also mentioned pregnancy. “What if I don’t want to get pregnant?”
She cocked her head. “How would you do that? Can you resist your mate? I couldn’t.”
Anna bit her lip. “I...” The thought of abstaining refused to enter her head. “What about birth control?”
Rachel shook her head. “It won’t work. Their seed’s too strong for any barrier, medicinal or otherwise. Do you not want children?”
“Eventually. But I had other plans.”
She chuckled. “Looks like your plans weren’t God’s.”
She ignored the God comment. “Was the transition hard? I don’t know how I feel about the whole blood and vampire thing.”
Her eyes flashed and she glanced at the door. “We prefer the term immortal. Vampires are ... unruly.”
Annalise leveled her with a skeptical look. “But they’re pretty much the same. The night vision. The speed. The ... diet.”
“Blood’s only unappealing to you because you’re not reliant on it for survival. As soon as that changes, you won’t mind it at all. Your body will need the additional iron.”
She was probably right. Besides, she loved when Adam drank her blood. “I believe that. And honestly, it’s more the Amish thing that’s holding me up.”
Rachel smiled and whispered, “I get it. I still have my prom dress. Sometimes I wear it around the house. Samuel rolls his eyes, but it always ends up in a pile on the floor, so I know he likes when I wear it.”
“What about other stuff? Can you read thoughts or move things with your mind?”
“No, but telekinesis takes time and practice. I’m still very young.”
She glanced to the window, not seeing any sign of the men.
Rachel leaned forward and pressed a hand to her knee. “They’re in the barn. I can hear them.” She winked and tapped a finger to her ear.
Annalise smiled. “So cool. I wouldn’t mind the superpower stuff, but the transition scares me. Does it hurt?”
“If it does, I do not remember any pain. When the body dies our pain receptors die with it, and the cells regenerated have such enhanced sensory, I can only recall waking in a state of awe. It was as if I’d been reborn into a brand-new world.”
Clouds shifted, stealing the light from the moon as a breeze cut through the den. Rain spattered against the glass, the curtain lifting off the sill as the wind picked up.
“A storm’s coming.” Rachel lowered the window as thunder rolled in the distance. “Your man is returning. We should go.”
Annalise stood, wishing they could talk longer. “Can we do this again? I still have so many questions.”
“Of course.” Rachel pulled her into a hug. “I think we will be wonderful friends, Annalise. I look forward to many more chats after you’ve changed.”
“I’d like that.” She released her and followed her to the porch.
The rain pounded on the tin roof as Grace wrestled with drenched laundry whipping on the line. The trees waved toward the east as the wind kicked up.
“It’s really coming down. You should stay.”
Rachel jumped off the lowest step, her bare feet landing in a puddle and her arms spreading wide. “I love the rain,” she yelled, tipping her face to the sky. “The nights are already cooling down.”
Anna supposed she didn’t have to worry about getting struck by lightning or catching her death. While she shivered and tried to stay dry, Rachel looked to be having the time of her life.
“Thanks again.”
She smiled up at her. “I’ll see you soon.” In a flash of splashed puddles and soggy grass, she disappeared.
Annalise glanced back at Grace, who also didn’t seem to mind the rain. Then glanced at the darkening sky. Adam was staring at her from the front walk and she smiled. “There you are.”
He held out a hand. “Come play in the rain.”
She shook her head. “No way. You’re soaked to the bone. Aren’t you freezing?”
He shrugged and tipped his head back. More thunder rolled and the sky flashed white. When he looked at her again, he asked, “You don’t like the rain?”
“Not particularly.”
He nodded as if this somehow disappointed him.
“You’re soaked. Come in.”
Holding her stare, he climbed the porch steps and followed her in the house. He lifted his face and sniffed the air. “Celery.”
His feet left puddles on the floor. Anna reached for a towel. “They’ve been at it all day. It’s all I can smell.”
She mopped up his tracks. He watched her with a peculiar set to his eyes.
Wondering why he was staring at her like that, she said, “You’re dripping all over your mother’s clean floor.”
“Celery’s a main ingredient in Amish wedding dishes, Annalise.”
She stilled from wiping the floor and glanced up at him. Rising to her full height, she glanced toward the kitchen and noted the stalks covering every surface. She swallowed. “Who’s getting married?”
His brow creased then smoothed. “No wedding?”
He was playing with her. “Ha ha. You’re very funny. Come on. Get out of those wet clothes before you flood the kitchen.” She reached for the top button of his shirt and stilled, her fingers turning to ice. “Where’s Adam?”
