Strigoi Redemption

by Hall, K R

  ~ ~ ~

  Alana left Victor’s office after their enjoyable lunch together. She felt a cold chill shiver down her spine and she stepped forward. A brick from above came crashing down. Alana jumped back, dropping her car keys. If she hadn’t moved when she did, it was a foregone conclusion that the brick would have been the last thing she ever felt.

  Victor had finally successfully negotiated the sale of the two buildings next door to his offices. He was having them torn down to build a new hospital with a special wing dedicated to cancer research.

  It had to be an accident, as she looked up to the construction site where the new hospital was being built, she was half-expecting to see someone up there smiling, ready to do it again. There was nothing there. Alana picked up her fallen car keys and walked briskly toward her car.

  Alana had a key fob with a remote start for her car. Pushing the remote start button, her car exploded in a billion little bits and pieces. The pillar of fiery smoke, boiling up from where the bomb had gone off under her car, went soaring away to dissipate in the upper atmosphere.

  The force of the blast sent Alana flying into the fence surrounding the construction site. Victor came running out of his office the same time the construction foreman came running with a fire extinguisher, attempting to put out the flames. Alana watched as Victor scanned the crowd looking for her with a hint of panic on his face. She knew the moment he spotted her when his eyes held a hint of recognition.

  “An ambulance and the fire department are on the way,” the construction foreman said to no one in particular.

  The paramedics made small talk while one checked Alana’s vitals, occasionally shooting her a tempered smile. One of the paramedics glanced up when he heard Victor growl. After the ambulance driver checked her over, Alana could leave with Victor. They rode in silence all the way home.

  Victor was afraid for Alana. She was human and was vulnerable until they were mated and she shared his strength. He would have loved nothing better than to take her now, but he knew it was poor timing. Besides, he wanted it to be special.

  Yes, we need to make it special. We need to show her that we love her because she loves us. We need to deserve her, Victor’s inner beast said.

  “I am not worthy of her. Those men I killed during the wars, the people I accidentally killed when I first came to America with the plague,” Victor inwardly replied. “So many men, women, and children died because I didn’t know.”

  To you redeem yourself, you make up for wrongs by doing something that makes you good again, like when after being irritable and snappy with your grandmother, you redeem yourself by bringing her flowers and apologizing, his strigoi said. Remember that Magnus is here to help with your redemption. Soon, we will be honorable and can mate with Alana.

  ~ ~ ~

  Alana spent most of the night checking and rechecking the doors and windows were secured. Her legs felt like Jell-O. Every little noise startled her and had to be investigated. Someone was trying to kill her and she had no clue why.

  Alana sat up with a start. She thought she heard a voice outside. Shadows crossed the moonlight streaming in the window. Fear ripped through her. She stepped out of bed, inching her way to the window, her heart beating against her ribs.

  There it is again. Someone’s shouting something.

  Alana waited next to the window, her back pressed against the wall. The shouting sounded closer this time.

  What are they saying?

  Clutching her nightgown around her neck, Alana snuck a peek through the curtains. A man passed by under her window. He turned and she caught a glimpse of his face in the moonlight.

  She heard the shouting again, this time she understood it. “Get away from the house!”

  Security was after him. For a split second, she felt relief, until she saw the look on the man’s face. It was a look of pure fury. The man picked up a large rock and hurled it toward her bedroom window. She threw herself to the floor. Glass shattered and fell around her.

  A dark shape loomed in the doorway and Alana screamed

  “It’s okay, Alana, it’s me,” Victor said in a hushed tone as he entered her room. “Are you alright?”

  “Yes, I think so,” Alana said, shaking. She heard a gunshot and her blood froze. She heard more shouting.

  “My men have captured him. It’s safe now,” Victor said, trying to reassure her.

  Alana tried to move her legs, but they were shaking too much. Her throat constricted and she couldn’t breathe.

  “Alana, honey, it’s all over,” Victor said as he helped her stand. Slowly, the panic attack subsided as she was held in Victor’s embrace.

  “Who was it?” Alana asked.

  “A man who has a misguided sense of right and wrong,” Victor said. “The police should be here any moment. While we wait, I will get a piece of wood to nail over your window until we can get it fixed in the morning.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  ~ ~ ~

  Just as Alana bent down to tie her shoe, there was a loud noise. She was startled and bolted upright, forgetting the shoe. The recognizable sound of a gun being cocked behind her had been bone-chilling.

  “Die, Alana, you little bitch,” an odd-sounding, distorted voice said. Without hesitation, Alana clocked the person with her purse and the gunshot missed. Alana tried to run, but tripped over her shoelace, causing her to fall the ground. Alana heard someone yelling and running behind her. She looked around and saw the backside of a figure dressed in all black running around the corner.

  A dark shadow loomed over Alana. Swallowing her fear, Alana looked up and up, past the denim-clad legs past the plaid flannel shirt, finally reaching the bemused face of Victor’s brother, Simion.

  “Would you like me to help you up?” Simion asked with a chuckle.

  “Yes, please,” Alana said. “I was shot at.”

  “What do you mean you were shot at?” Simion asked as he helped Alana up. He had been inside the bank a few doors down and hadn’t heard any gunfire.

  “I squatted down to tie my shoelace and, as I was starting to tie it, I heard a noise,” Alana began. “When I stood, someone said my name and told me to die. When I heard the gun cock, I slammed my purse behind me and knocked the gun, so the shot missed me. I saw someone dressed in black running around the corner of the building.”

  “Were you able to recognize the voice? Could you see anything that would help us identify the person?” Simion asked.

  “The voice was odd— kind of mechanical like. It all happened so fast that I couldn’t see anything,” Alana said sadly.

  “It’s okay. We will figure out who this is. I will follow you home to make sure you arrive safely,” Simion said.

  Alana got a feel of Simion’s biceps under the shirt he was wearing and was mildly surprised. Lots of firm, bulking muscle there. Not like Victor’s, but nice. Simion made arrangements for the detective to come to Victor’s home.

  “Well, he had a gun. He cocked the gun and said ‘Die, Alana, you bitch.’ He shot at me but missed because I fell,” Alana said to police detective Charlie Feeney.

  “Are you certain ‘he’ was a he?” asked Detective Feeney.

  “Well, I think so. I can’t be sure,” Alana confessed.

  The questioning went on and on. Detective Feeney asked about enemies, ex-lovers, ex-boyfriends, vindictive co-workers. Alana explained that there were no ex-lovers, ex-boyfriends, and she left her old job on good terms with everyone.

  “The only person that has been bothering me recently is Chloe Wilbourne,” Alana said thoughtfully.

  “Tell me about her,” said Detective Feeney.

  Between Alana and Victor, the detective got a full description, Chloe’s address, and the story of all she had done to Alana.

  ~ ~ ~

  Happy was Alana’s usual state, even in those first few weeks after the attacks began. Now, though, Alana had all the emotion of a wet noodle, her facial muscles just as loose. There was no anger, no
sadness, no joy or resentment. She felt her spirit sink into nothingness and her aura turn monochrome. She never even appeared bored as she sat in a chair near the garden window, that at least would have been something. For all the presence she brought to the room, she might as well have been a store mannequin. Alana was compliant, almost robotic. Everyone said it was shock for the first little while, but there was no improvement. The emotionless state remained until her mom arrived.

  Edith’s eyes showed the kind of gentle concern that Alana remembered her grandmother used to have. She laid her hand lightly on Alana’s shoulder and, instead of flinching like she usually did, she was soothed by it. Edith left her hand there and spoke with such a soft voice Alana felt her words calming her more by the way they were said than the actual words. It felt as if Alana were wrapped in a blanket of her mom’s caring. Alan’s mother kissed her.

  “Mom...” her voice cracked. She leaned against her mother and burst into tears. “Why is someone trying to kill me?”

  “Shh… it’s okay,” Edith soothed as she gathered Alana in her arms. She cried like a child. They swayed until Alana stopped crying. Her mom handed her a tissue, waiting for her to finish blowing her nose.

  Edith put an arm around Alana's shoulders and spoke in a soothing, calm voice as she guided her to the small sofa in her suite.

  “Now, tell me, Alana, why have you given up? It sounds like you are letting this person control you,” Edith said.

  “It… it’s been one thing after another. Every time I turn around, someone is trying to kill me. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

  “Someone wants to kill you. It’s personal and there can’t be that many people who have a personal vendetta against you. It must be someone close to you and it must be someone you know. It’s only a matter of time before Victor and the police figure out who and put them away for a very long time,” Edith said. “Have you explained all of this to Victor?”

  “Yes, Mom. He knows everything that has happened,” she replied.

  “That being so, let him take care of it. That’s his responsibility,” Edith said.

  “Yes, but—” she began.

  “But nothing, Alana,” her mom said firmly. “Now go clean your face and put on a cheerful outfit. We will go take a walk in the gardens.”

  She strolled in the garden with her mom, enjoying the early evening. The sun was just beginning to set. Her mom was right, as always. Alana just needed to put her trust into Victor’s capable hands. He would figure out who was behind the attempts on her life. At first, she thought it may have been Chloe, but after Victor announced that she was his fated mate and not Chloe in front of everyone, it couldn’t be her.

  ~ ~ ~

  Victor was watching Alana and Edith stroll in the gardens when he saw that Alana was about to trip, but she was not aware of it. As she began to fall, he raced to catch her. She seemed somewhat surprised by the speed he possessed. He caught her safely in his arms, her hands landing on his biceps and her head finding refuge on his chest. She glanced up, and, for a moment, he saw a woman; not an angel, but a conflicted woman. Once again, that emotional feeling began to surge and before he knew what he was doing, he leaned into her for a kiss. Taking her face gently in one hand, Victor very tenderly began to tug at her lips. Her hands moved from his arms to his neck, where she pulled him in closer, tighter. Her tongue pried his lips apart and began devouring him. It felt so intensely good. Thoughts of pleasure began to race through Victor’s head.

  Edith cleared her throat, causing Victor and Alana to break off the kiss and step back from each other. Alana blushed and Edith chuckled.

  “Sorry about that, Edith,” Victor said. “I got carried away.”

  “I could tell,” Edith chuckled.

  The three of them stood in awkwardness for a moment. Victor cleared his throat.

  “Would you care to stay for dinner, Edith?” he asked finally, breaking the awkward silence.

  “Thank you, but no. I must get home to Walter,” Edith said. “He is taking me out to dinner tonight.”

  Edith hugged Alana and headed back to her car. Victor reached for Alana’s hand and they strolled back inside.

  Once inside, they headed to the living room where Victor guided Alana to the sofa and he began to pace.

  “I think it’s time to explain mating and everything it adds to our relationship,” Victor said.

  Alana nodded.

  “Well, umm… okay. Where to begin?”

  “I always find the best place to start is with simple basics and then you can answer any questions,” Alana replied.

  “Okay. Basically, mating is done in stages. To begin with, I will bite you three times during three separate times we have sex. After the first time I bite you, we will begin to feel each other’s emotions and we can communicate telepathically. This will happen immediately after the bite.”

  “Will the biting hurt?”

  “It will sting, but as I will bite you during the height of climax, the pain will be gone quickly as pleasure takes over.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  “After the second mating bite, you will heal quicker and become stronger. Once the third and final bite is done, your life span and that of your family will equal mine. Our souls will merge and nothing will be able to separate us.”

  “I’m relieved that my family will have a long life with us. I would hate to watch them all grow old and die.”

  “It’s all a little overwhelming. I’m sure I will have questions later.”

  “You can ask me anything anytime.” Victor was pleased that Alana was taking this so well. She was raised to be his mate, but the reality could be shocking.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Did you know it’s a hundred feet from the edge of the cliff out there down to the water? Did you also know that three people have killed themselves by jumping off that cliff?” They taunted her.

  They chased her through the fog. She was terrified. She couldn’t see where she was and she ran right off the edge of the cliff surrounded by fog.

  Alana woke, sitting up in her bed with a scream dying in her throat. “It was just a dream,” she repeated to herself.

  Victor came bursting into her room, looking around for danger. At last, his eyes settled on her.

  “I… I’m sorry to have woken you, Victor. I had a nightmare,” Alana whispered. She knew he would be able to hear her clearly.

  He slowly walked closer, trying not to startle her. He sank onto the edge of her bed with his arms open to her. She threw herself into his comforting embrace. They sat holding onto each other in silence until Alana fell asleep. Victor gently laid her back down to her pillow and tucked the blankets around her before quietly heading back to his room.

  Chapter 12

  Magnus’s words about how he’d been watching him for weeks returned to Victor’s mind. He knew Magnus could not have lied about his identity with any sort of malicious intent. Victor still wanted more answers, though.

  “So, you were following me because you were sent here to help me?” Victor asked.

  “Yes, it’s how I get to know my missions better before we officially meet. Plus, I needed to be sure I wasn’t too late. I needed to see for myself that you could still be redeemed,” Magnus said.

  “But why after so many years?” Victor asked.

  “Because of all the good you’ve done in the world, they wanted you to have another chance. So, the powers that be sent me to help you, and it was also a chance for me to redeem myself,” Magnus explained.

  “Why would you need to redeem yourself?” Victor asked.

  Magnus sighed heavily, looking to the floor. “Because I wasn’t able to save my last mission. It is still unbelievably hard on me. You are my chance to redeem myself after disappointing my regent so much.”

  “Who is the regent?” Victor asked.

  “Sunat Kumara is an ‘Enlightened Being,’ regarded as the Ambassador of Earth,” Magnus explained.

  “
Wow, that’s impressive,” Victor said. “I think I’m in shock.”

  “That makes two of us,” Magnus said.

  “Is Sunat Kumara a god?” Victor asked.

  “Some people believe he is a god and some don’t. He is, in reality, an ambassador of God,” Magnus said.

  It was starting to make sense. Victor’s head began to spin, the room closing around him.

  “Here, let me help you,” Magnus said as he grabbed for Victor’s arm. “Sit down before you pass out. I know this is a lot to take in at once. It was for me, too.”

  Magnus helped him over to the chair by his desk and gently lowered him to the seat.

  “I don’t know what to say.” Victor couldn’t stop shaking his head; the whole thing felt like the wildest dream. He never believed in divine intervention.

  Two hours later, after many explanations, Victor was finally able to stop feeling responsible for the deaths he had no control over. He could finally stop torturing himself for something he didn’t intentionally do.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Happy Saint Andrew's Day,” Simion shouted as Nicolae answered the door.

  “Happy Saint Andrew’s Day to you as well,” Nicolae smiled.

  November 30th was the feast day of Saint Andrew. Old Romanian folklore says that all precautions must be taken on St. Andrew’s night since this evening belongs to the strigoi. They are apt to dance wildly while wreaking terror throughout your village. Men should sprinkle water on young women to prevent them from being harmed by the strigoi. Victor and his family often laughed over the old legends and stories. They were not even close to the truth.

  In this modern age, many people in Romania have the day off work and school on St. Andrew’s Day. Carver was heavy into celebrating the Romanian customs for Victor’s sake. There were various activities that people engaged in as a way of having some fun with old Romanian superstition associated with the feast of Saint Andrew. For example, some bring out garlic to ward off ghosts, as it is believed that souls of the dead come back in the evening of November 30th. Others eat salty bread in the hope of dreaming of the person they will marry.