Page 7 of New Nebraska Home

“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.

Liz

HATE IS UNIVERSAL

When the changes started happening several months ago, and the community was shifting from the Nebraska I grew up into the ‘new’ Nebraska, I didn’t think it would be that different.

But it certainly didn’t feel like my hometown anymore. I barely recognized my neighbors or anyone I ran into. Worse, the glares Leif and I got seemed somehow more hostile. Before when people around town looked at me—around the time it became clear Leif was half-Fae—there was a mix of hostility, judgment and pity. Now it was just open hostility.I didn’t know these paranormals, but they could somehow sense I was human and most of them seemed to carry a bitterness from the recent re-homing. I understood, to some degree, but not why their bitterness should be directed at me.

At first, I thought it had to be in my mind, maybe all the post-apocalyptic and zombie romances I read were playing tricks on me. But the way Leif came to my side every time we went out, his fingers never leaving mine, told me it wasn’t just in my head. Even when he’d gotten the glares and people had mumbled things near him, he never clung to me like this. He might have stayed close, but this was definitely a shift for him.

Today, I was determined to just pick up the few groceries I needed, grab Leif’s favorite cereal, a few boxes because Brock loved it too, coffee creamer and maybe a rotisserie chicken for dinner. That was it. I just needed to grab my groceries and Leif and I could be back in the safety of our home in a jiff.

“Just five more minutes,” I promised Leif as he pressed closer to me as I pushed the grocery cart, already filled with a few of our items. “We’ll be home soon.” I didn’t know if I said that more for my benefit or his. Either way, it was true. Just five more minutes, and we’d be out of here. I was so focused on repeating that over and over in my mind that I didn’t see Karen waiting at the end of the aisle.

“Well, if it isn’t the human whore and her little mutt brother,” she sneered. “You really ought to have taken my advice.”

“Karen, you didn’t give me any advice. You spouted nonsense and hate. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get my groceries and go back home.”

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