by Helen Bright
“She pushed up to grab her knees screaming as she went and I heard Anya the woman who kept house for my father say she needs to push, the baby is coming.”
“Freya was only five months along so I knew the child couldn’t survive but it seemed that her body was trying to birth the baby anyway. I removed her clothing and undergarments as quickly as I could, tears streaming down my face and in what seemed like no time at all Freya pushed the baby boy in to the world.”
“It was so heartbreaking to see......his skin was nearly see through although he was a perfectly formed yet tiny baby. Father could not hear any heart beating at all, but we wrapped him in a woollen cloak and handed him to Freya.”
“She said in a very weak voice that his name was Tobias like his father and that I was to make sure both he and she would be buried alongside her husband and Brisa in the same new Christian way that her husband had favoured.”
“My father pushed me aside, took hold of Freya, looked into her eyes and demanded that she live but her eyes closed and her head shook from side to side.”
“When the placenta came away it was in bits and Anya told us that she had seen this before and it was so bad that the mothers had never lived long afterwards. I kept telling Freya I loved her and that I would find her in the next life but she had lost consciousness by then and even though she was a born immortal with a quicker healing ability I knew this was too much for her to come back from because she didn’t even want life anymore.”
“In the next instant my father had grabbed Anya and sank his teeth into her wrist, savagely tearing a deep gash through her skin. I knew what he was about to do and I tried to stop him, but he threw me across the room with such force that I heard four of my ribs break as I hit the wall and my shoulder was dislocated. I looked over at Freya and saw that my father was forcing Anya’s wrist over her mouth and working her throat by rubbing and squeezing it forcing her to swallow. Anya was screaming but my father used mind control on her, telling her that she wanted to do this for Freya and that she felt no pain at this time, so she calmed down and immediately became quiet and compliant.”
“I struggled over to the bed but physically I was no match for my father even without my injuries. A born immortal has more strength than a normal human but when you take the blood and become a vampire the strength and power you gain is immense and I have yet to see it rivalled. So I just sat back and watched as he made Freya swallow this poor human woman’s blood.”
“Eventually Anya began to sway and that’s when Father removed her wrist from Freya’s mouth. He bit his own wrist and bid that Anya drink from him so that she would not feel the effects of the blood loss.”
“On this very night I saw my father for the monster that he truly was and I knew that I could feel no love for him anymore. But my sister was now to become a vampire and I hoped that she would be the same kind woman that she had been before she had all this loss, for I knew that whatever she became she would now be it forever.”
“She will sleep for a day and when she awakens she will be fully immortal, a vampire with the need to feed on blood as well as human food. Father spoke those words so normally. Like the scene of the last hour had not happened. ‘She will not want to do this on her own my son so will you take the blood and join her in this life everlasting’, my father questioned with hope in his voice.”
“Freya will never forgive you for this father. You have done a terrible thing this night; I said my voice laden with sorrow. ‘I will join Freya in this life but only she will ever have my loyalty for you do not deserve it.’
I left the room and went in search of Gamall to tell him all that had happened and ask his help in gaining my immortality.”
“The next day, with the help of the villagers I buried the baby, Brisa and Tobias as Freya had requested then went with Gamall to my home where I drank his blood and at thirty seven years old had my last human sleep.”
Chapter 8
Alex
Julia was sobbing quietly in my arms by the time I had finished my story and although I wanted to cry right along with her, instead I just held her to me and found comfort in her embrace.
“I am so sorry for all your family suffered Alex. How on earth did you carry on? How could Freya survive such an ordeal?” she questioned through her tears.
“Julia of the many things I have seen and known over the centuries, the very thing that stands out the most is that the inner strength and power that is within most females is something that will always prevail above all else. Even if it takes some time to emerge and show itself it will always be there.”
“Men will always have more physical strength and power than women of equal stature but that’s where it ends in respect of the dominant of the species. Human men are emotionally weaker than Human females and they find it harder to empathise with people than women do. That’s why I have a lot of respect for all of the women in my life.”
“All of the women?” Julia questioned, I could tell she was a little put out by this remark and maybe a little jealous too, hopefully.
“Yes all of them,” I answered without worry as I began to explain my statement.
“Freya of course, but I will tell you more of her story later. Then Maggie, well she is just an Angel really. She looks after Josh, Nik and myself like a mother hen always reminding us about things we forget and making sure we are ok. She’s done this for over thirty years, even whilst she was looking after her husband and three children, then Daniel and Keeley her nephew and niece when their mother passed away. And lately her elderly mum and in laws and holds down a full time job.”
“Then there is Gina, she’s in charge of our cafeteria and cleaning duties, even in mine Josh, and Nik’s cottages so you can see how much we trust her. She’s worked for us in different capacities for about fifteen years now. In that time she’s brought up two children, had a few health problems yet still kept going. She is unhappy but has stayed in a loveless marriage because she doesn’t want to be a failure by admitting that she’s spent all these years working at keeping her family together, but is unloved by her husband. I mean how many men would be so selfless as to stay with someone like that.”
“How do you know all this about her Alex?” “Gina is a lovely woman Julia, I’m sure you will become friends because everyone gets on really well with her, you just can’t help it. Anyway, I caught her and Nik arguing one day a few months back. He’s had a thing for her for a long time but she seemed to think he was just winding her up. She’s always carried a bit of extra weight and I know she’s been trying and failing over the years to get rid of it, but she hadn’t had much success until recently, and apparently Nik was telling her that she should stop losing weight and exercising because she was getting rid of all those curves he likes.” “Oh my god, Nik was so out of order, what did Gina do?” “Well to be honest she let rip about all she hated about him which apparently was a lot because she went on forever about him being a disgusting man whore who objectified women, loved himself more than others, threw his dirty clothes on the floor, unlike me and Josh who put them in baskets by the way, and that he told stupid jokes which people didn’t laugh at any more.” “What did Nik say to all that,” asked Julia.
“He didn’t say anything, he just grabbed her and kissed her in a full on Snog.” “What did Gina do when he kissed her? I thought you said she was married?” “She didn’t do anything other than kiss him back at first, but then she broke off the kiss and backed away. Then Nik said she should leave her husband and live with him, that he knew they would be good together and that her kids were older now so she didn’t have to stay for them anymore. Then Gina just burst into tears and ran over to the other building. I followed her, not wanting to see her upset and that’s when I heard her telling Maggie what had happened. She said that she knew Steve (her husband) didn’t love her and that she hadn’t loved him for years, but if she left him now she would be admitting that all she’s worked so hard for over the years had been for nothing a
nd that she was worried about what it would do to her children and her mum. She also said the only way that she would be with someone else would be for love, and that she didn’t think that Nik was capable of it.” “Do you think she’s right,” Julia asked hesitantly.
“Well you know Nik and how he is, but I’ve got to be honest Julia he was really shook up for a while, like he was lost or something and not himself. He said he knew I had heard everything and thought that I was about to warn him to keep away from the staff. But I didn’t, I just asked him if he loved her. He said he had loved her for many years now, so I asked him if she knew and he said she must do. So I just said that maybe he needed to prove it to her, and that she was right his jokes were stupid.”
“I hope whatever she decides to do she finds happiness,” said Julia as she began stroking my chest hair.
“I hope so too,” I replied looking into her eyes. “There is another strong woman in my life Julia and that’s you.”
“Me,” she said disbelievingly. “Why me, I’m not strong?” “Well I think you are. They way you demanded to see Megan even when the staff at the hospital told you no. The way you dealt with organising the funeral even when you were in so much physical pain.” “That wasn’t all me though was It Alex, you helped me get Megan in the hospital and both my parents and in laws helped with the funeral.” “Do you think it makes you less of a strong person to admit you needed help and to except the help that’s offered? I sometimes think that has to be harder than doing things yourself.” “Yeah well I wasn’t strong enough to stick it out in a loveless marriage like Gina has Alex, so you are definitely wrong on that score.” “Gina only stayed to begin with for the sake of her children, and although I am not condoning this as always the right action to take, I can see the strength someone would have to possess to make this kind of sacrifice. If Megan had lived would you have stayed with Gavin for her sake even if you were unhappy?” “Yes. I would.” She sighed looking down at her hands.
“I think always the right course of action is for someone to leave and not put up with any bullshit, no one should, male or female. But it isn’t easy for a woman because she has the desire to please and make things right for everyone. It’s deeply embedded into her feminine soul and that’s why women are the stronger sex, because most men only want to please themselves.”
“Does this include you Alex?”
I took a deep breath and looked away from her before saying “I am a little selfish Julia. I have wanted you since the moment I saw you with your father at that Christmas party fifteen years ago and although I know that you probably need to be by yourself for awhile before you jump into another relationship, I want you to be mine. I’m not just talking about sex and a few dates here and there, I’m talking commitment and feelings and eventually love. I’ve been on this earth for so long and in all that time I have never wanted to bond with a woman. Don’t get me wrong I have had relationships, some have lasted a number of years but I was never able to commit to them as my heart was never fully in it. But then one dance with you and I knew why in all those years I could never love another. You were meant to be with me Julia and to hear you say you are all mine, well, that moment can’t come soon enough for me.”
She was quiet for a long time and I wanted to break the silence but not overwhelm her, so I just said “come on its late now, let’s go to sleep.” And with that she rolled on to her side with me lying behind, my hand on her hip as close as we could be without being joined together.
Chapter 9
Julia
What am I supposed to think about all of tonight’s revelations? Alex has given me all this information to process, but I can’t seem to think clearly enough for my mind to work. All the information is now tumbling together and rolling around until my head hurts.
Ok Alex is a vampire, that I get and no I am not scared, I do believe him when he says he won’t hurt me. All the sorrow that he told me of, well I can relate to that somewhat and it makes him seem more human to know that he still feels hurt from it all. But to know that he wants a relationship with me and that relationship will require love and commitment, well I’m just not sure what to think about that.
He said something earlier about when a vampire falls in love, they love forever. Well I thought the love I had with Gavin was forever but look at us now, him god knows where with who knows whom and me laid in bed at the side of a vampire whom I had sex with twice. Great sex too. I haven’t had orgasms like that in years, if not ever in fact.
I thought that Gavin was good in bed because he nearly always made me come. Well at least in the early years he did, and because he was my first I had no one else to compare him too, but Alex, well he really knew how to play my body, kind of like he had played it before.
It felt so familiar being with him. I should have been shy or held back a little but instead I was begging him to get inside me. That’s just not like me to be so demanding, I never was with Gavin.
Maybe it’s a new me. A more improved version of me. A sexy, demanding throw caution to the wind and just go for it version of me.
Yes, I think I want to be that kind of person. Someone who gets what she wants in life, a strong woman like Alex said. Yeah I can definitely go with that. Maybe I should do something outrageous like bungee jumping or parachute out of a plane or something...... or perhaps not. Heights generally make me vomit and I wouldn’t want to catch that on the way down.
Still I suppose I can start slowly and build up to the new me. I have a new job now, I have money in the bank so could get some new clothes and maybe a new hairstyle too.
Alex turned on his back letting go of my hip pulling me out of my thoughts for a moment.
I had him too or I could have if I wanted. I rolled over to him and ran my fingers down his chest to where the sheet pooled at his waist. God he had such a great body. It was muscular without being too big or bulky and he was laid here in bed at the side of me naked apart from the boxers he had put on for my benefit. But he didn’t need to do that for the new me. So maybe I should help him off with them I thought.
“What do you need Julia?” Alex asked in that husky sexy voice of his. Now was the time for the new me to make a stand and tell him ‘you Alex naked and hard,’ but instead I just said “errm I haven’t brushed my teeth tonight.”
Damn, Damn, Damn. Where had the new me gone? It was there on the tip of my tongue to tell him exactly what I wanted but then it disappeared in favour of good oral hygiene.
Alex flicked a switch and turned on the light over my side of the bed and held out his hand.
“I think I have a spare toothbrush Gina got me for my travel bag, I will get you that.”
We began brushing our teeth together at his large bathroom sink, him with an electric toothbrush, me with the manual one. I couldn’t help but watch him to see if he brushed his fangs. He just smirked and said “yes I do brush my fangs but not all the time, only if they have been used.”
I nearly swallowed some of my toothpaste and instantly went to spit it out.
He means used them to drink blood I thought, those visions from earlier of him licking my neck creeping back into my mind and making me warm in some very rude places. His eyes seemed to bore right through me and his nostrils flared and I remember him telling me he could smell my arousal before, when I was fully clothed.
I wasn’t wearing any underwear at all now so he must really be able to sense my wicked thoughts this time.
I put the tooth brush down and he led me back to his bed. I went towards the side where I had laid before and he followed me with need and intent in his eyes but I stopped him and asked him to turn out the light. I was all for being the brave new me again but not with the light on, at least not yet.
As soon as the light went out however, all bets were off and I took hold of his boxers and pulled them off. Then I lifted the t shirt over my head and went towards him.
He seemed to know I needed to take the lead at this point and thankfully he let me.
I began by placing lazy kisses down his torso giving each nipple a quick flick with my tongue as I passed. I could hear his breathing getting heavy and this spurred me on. I could feel the muscles in his belly flex as I got lower and I kissed and licked all around his hip bones enjoying the feel of this man below me.
I moved slowly from one hip to the other but before I could get there his cock twitched at the side of my face, stopping me in my tracks. I took a deep breath in smelling his body wash from earlier, and a scent that was totally male and before I could think any more I took him into my mouth.
I was a little worried that he was too big and I wouldn’t be able to do this right but the sounds that were coming from Alex spurred me on, and honestly It was really turning me on to know he was getting so much pleasure from what I was doing.
I licked him from root to tip and back again stroking and licking his balls when I got near. Then I put my mouth back down on him again this time taking him as deep as I could go without gagging and he grabbed my hair thrusting gently into my mouth groaning loudly. To hear him like this, this powerful male giving up control to me, well to say I was turned on was an understatement.
I freed my hair from his grasp and straddled him as quickly as I could, taking his hard wet cock deep on the first slide. I rode him hard crying out nonsensical words until after a few short stokes I was coming hard and fast, both shocked and surprised as I had never found the act of giving oral sex such a turn on before. I slumped forward on his chest trying to catch my breath. I was aware that he was still hard inside me so hadn’t come yet. I started to move again so I could help him find his moment but he stilled my movements and kissed me.
It was slow and dreamy at first and I felt cherished and wanted, then the kiss changed and I felt my core start to throb around him and I moaned in to his mouth through his kiss.
Then as quick as a flash he rolled us over, pinned my arms above my head and hammered into me without stopping, hard, deep, fast and I felt my orgasm building again. I was nearly about to come when he flipped me over until I was on all fours and he fed his cock back into me, slowly this time and he began a rhythm that started to drive me mad with sheer frustration because my orgasm was so near yet he kept it purposely so far out of my grasp by changing the speed or angle of penetration, showing me he was in charge of my body. He pulled me upright so my back was to his front and he sat back on his heels his cock still inside me.