Page 3 of New Nebraska Home (New Nebraska)

Liz

IT’S SO LOVELY WHEN THE KARENS ARE LABELED…

“S o how much money do blood servers make at the feeding dens?” I asked, sitting at the kitchen table staring at the classified ads, looking for something to bring in money. Internet was of course established in the area, but with the service providers all changing to paranormal-owned companies, some things went back to ‘old-fashioned’ ways.

Callum, or Cal, as he asked me to call him, nearly spat out the coffee he’d just made with a little o-neg. He coughed over the sink, trying to catch his breath.

I couldn’t tell if I’d just caught him off-guard or he had some moral objection to drinking direct from humans. I’d only seen him use the supplies he kept in the fridge. I didn’t find the idea of serving blood or offering up myself as a blood-source appealing, but it was a job and I supposed it wouldn’t be too different from being any other waitress. As long as I didn’t think about what I was serving too hard.

To give him a few moments to compose himself, I looked out the large glass sliding door to the pool.

Brock and Leif had been in the pool all morning playing. It was so fun to see Brock’s deeply tanned skin popping up out of the clear water, grabbing Leif and tossing him in the air, then diving back under before Leif could come after him. It was just as cute when Brock made rain fall over Leif’s head with his water powers, and Leif screamed and giggled. Then Brock’s magic would turn on him and squirt him in the face. I was pretty sure he was doing it on purpose, and it warmed my heart.

Leif hadn’t had many people in his life he got along with. He was usually shy and reserved, untrusting. Something I think Gen had engrained into him with her hatred. And of course, the suspicious looks people gave him when we all found out that humans weren’t the only people occupying our planet.

There was more than once I’d heard someone whisper something like ‘His ears. That kid must be one of them,’ or ‘I knew there was something not right with that thing.’

Thankfully, those types of people were the first ones to cash in the checks the government gave them as they moved to ‘greener pastures.’

Good riddance to bad people.

Watching the way Leif played with Brock, so openly giggling and laughing and so comfortable, so soon, gave me hope maybe things would be different for him now.

Though I had to admit it wasn’t just Leif who had taken to Brock and Cal so quickly. They hadn’t even been here a week, but I felt as if they’d been here for months. The way we settled into a comfortable routine right away, I felt like I’d known them for years. But there was still so much about them I had to learn.

The biggest question that had been bothering me was: what were they?

Not what species they were. I knew Cal was a vampire, and a pretty powerful one at that, though I had no idea what that meant. I also knew Brock was a water elemental, but a special kind known as a siren. He told me that meant he had a deeper connection with water and could do things other water elementals couldn’t, like pull humidity from the air—maybe that would save me money in air conditioning costs! He could also make it rain, which was simply incredible. He already had my garden looking three times better.

That wasn’t what I didn’t understand, or at least understand as much as I could. What I wanted to know was what were they to each other? Were they a couple? Before most of my old neighbors left and the borders closed, they would have gotten some looks around here, and from some, more hate than a Yankees fan. Not that I had any problem with it if they were a couple. Honestly, that mental image would probably fuel more Kindle-inspired fantasies than was healthy for me.

Or were they just friends like they said they were? There were two separate bedrooms downstairs. I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure how to politely ask.

“So, how’s the job search going?” Callum asked, taking a seat in front of me, having recovered from his little choking episode.

“Bad enough. I’m reading an ad looking for a ‘blood minx,’ and actually trying to figure out what it means instead of just flipping the page.”

“Yeah, give me that.” Callum took the paper, grabbed my red pen and scribbled over that ad, even scratching out the number so I couldn’t call even if I wanted to. “Trust me, that’s not what you’re looking for.”

“What about you?” I snatched the paper back—before he could cross out anything else—and took a sip of my o-neg free coffee. “What’s your plan?”

“I don’t know. This is the first time in a long time I haven’t had a plan and I’m kind of enjoying it. With things as they stand, Brock and I both have enough money in savings that neither of us need to work, and we are both getting out of long-term… situations. I think for a while we’re just going to play it by ear.”

“What kind of situations?” As comfortable as I felt around him, sometimes I completely forgot I barely knew this man.

Cal raised an eyebrow at me, and a wave of warmth colored my cheeks.

“If you don’t mind me my asking, that is,” I said, trying to cover up my rudeness.

“I was in a relationship not too long ago. With a woman whose family headed up one of the most powerful covens in North America.” He shrugged his shoulders as if that was no big deal. “The breakup was amicable, but still a little…”

“Messy?” I prompted, but wasn’t sure what a vampire breakup might involve.

“Something like that. She and I are fine, but her family is very opinionated.”

That I understood, so I gave him a nod as I took a sip from my drink. Then what he said sank in.

“Her?”

“Yes? Does that surprise you?”

For just the flash of a second, I swore I could see amusement cross his eyes before his attention went back to his coffee. I was thankfully saved from answering by a knock at the front door.

“I’m just going to—” I got up from the table and practically ran to the living room. I opened the door to see a pretty woman with a white headband in her straight blonde hair wearing a pink sweater set, despite it being August and unbelievably hot outside. She looked like she was supposed to be a homemaker in a 1950s movie. I half expected her to be wearing a pink hoop skirt, though I supposed the bright white slacks were close enough.

Brock’s power obviously had limits, because the second I opened up the front door, I was hit with a wave of humidity that made my stomach roll.

“Are you okay, sugar?” she asked as I took a deep breath.

“Yeah, sorry, just a humid one today. Can I help you?” I asked.

“Well, I sure hope so.” She gave me a sugary sweet smile that showed a slight sharpness to her bright white teeth. “My name’s Karen, and I’m going around to all the newcomers in the neighborhood to see if they want to join a picnic.”

“A picnic?” I repeated, not even remembering when the last time we had a town event like that. They happened all the time when I was a kid, but it’d been a while.

“Yeah, in the town square. It’s nothing fancy, just a get to know you for all the new members and a chance for people to find out more about the Temple and join up. Building a strong close-knit community is so important, don’t you think?”

Her smile was going to give me diabetes. It would be one thing if it wasn’t so fake that it set me on edge, but something about this woman made me want to run. Too bad for her cornhuskers didn’t run.

“It is,” I agreed, trying to get a read on her.

“What’s the Temple?” Cal’s voice came from behind me and a moment later Brock was there, too, dripping wet. I was going to say something until I noticed the water puddling mid-air about a foot off the hardwood floors.

“Oh, it’s kind of new. Just a place for like-minded individuals to congregate and talk about issues facing our community. All are welcome.” She tapped the button on her blouse. It read, ‘The Temple, the home of purity and prosperity.’

She took another long look at the men behind me and then back at me, her smile faltering a little.

“I’m so sorry to be nosy, but I just have to ask, what are you exactly? I know you’re not a wolf. Are you some type of other shifter or…”

“No,” I said, smiling. “I’m human.”

“Really? And you moved here after the re-homing because….”

“I didn’t. I stayed. My family’s owned this home for generations.”

“Interesting.” She plastered a fake smile on her face. “And you two are her… brothers?”

“Nope.” Brock put his warm, very muscular, but still very wet arm around my shoulders. “I’m a water elemental, and Cal here is a vampire.”

“Oh, I see.” Her friendly demeanor was falling a little, and I got the feeling that Brock had his arm around my shoulder to pull me back if he needed to. Something about this woman was just off.

“What’s going on?” Leif stuck his head out from my other side.

“Oh, and who’s this?”

“My brother,” I said.

“Right.” her smile faltered as she took him in, focusing on what I can only assume were his pointed ears. That was where most people stared, but I had hoped that would change. “I see. You know maybe the Temple and its activities aren’t necessarily the right place for such a… complicated home.”

“Oh, and why’s that?” Cal said, stepping out onto the porch. “I thought you said all were welcome.”

“Um, we stand for purity and prosperity. I think those values are needed more than ever now. After discovery then discord with humans. And I’m not alone.” She cleared her throat. “So you might want to consider finding a different part of Nebraska to live in. I hear Bellevue is full of… well, maybe you’ll find a more welcoming community there.” Her smile was truly gone now, replaced with a scowl full of elongating teeth.

“This is my home, and I was here long before you got here.” I was not about to back down from another bully. “You’re new here, so let me give you a bit of advice. Here in Nebraska, we know the difference between thoughts we should share with the world and ones we should keep in our heads.”

I’d already had to deal with my sister for years. Her bullying I put up with because she was family. This bitch, I didn’t know her from Adam, and I wouldn’t take kindly to someone insulting my brother in his home. I wasn’t looking to replace my sister’s ignorance with a different type of hate built on some better-than-me attitude. I didn’t care how big her fangs were.

“You should leave,” she snarled.

“This is my property. You leave.” I left no room for argument in my voice.

Brock and Callum both stepped in front of me. Pushing me and Leif into the house, Brock reached for the door, like he intended on closing us in the house, but I wasn’t about to stand down. I would stand behind him. I was sure they were much more equipped to deal with her, but that didn’t mean I was going to run.

It seemed our interactions had only strengthened Karen’s resolve. “Half-breeds are abominations, and we will not stand for it in our community. We will also not turn a blind eye to whatever sinful activities the three of you are no doubt up to in this den of Immoral wickedness.” She stomped her pumps on the floor hard enough to make a dent in the wood on my porch. I wanted to say something about damaging my property, but Brock reached back and put his hand on my stomach, holding me back. I could have knocked his arm away and pushed myself around him. But the way he touched me felt protective, and I don’t think I had ever felt that before. It was nice to have someone looking after me for a change.

“Ma’am, I think it’s time for you to leave,” Cal said.

“Oh, I agree. I suggest you leave as well because I’ll be back. This will not stand.” She turned around and marched down my stairs. We watched her get into her baby blue sedan, stomp on the gas and pull into the driveway on the other side of my next-door neighbor. She was only maybe a quarter of a mile away. That was absolutely not far enough.

“So, I guess we met the new neighbors,” Brock quipped. “I vote no on inviting her to taco night.”

“I don’t think people like that wait for an invitation,” Cal said, and an icy shiver ran down my spine.