by Donna Flynn
“You came,” I whispered, fighting back tears as my feet hit the ground, unwilling to move away from the shelter of his arms.
“I would never miss your birthday. It is far too special a day not to celebrate,” he answered, brushing his knuckles down the side of my face with a look of adoration.
“Where have you been?” I asked, wondering if he had suffered as I had. If he had missed me like I missed him.
“I am giving you the time you need,” he said, looking pained.
“Time is a funny thing, Aidan. For you it passes quickly, but for me our separation has been an eternity.”
“You are so wrong, my dear, sweet Katie. Never in my life I have waited for time to pass as I have this last year,”he assured me, wrapping his arms around me and lowering his head to mine.
The moment our lips met fireworks exploded inside of my head and my body began to tingle with awareness. His cool lips moved against my warm ones eagerly, and I was shameless in my response, pushing for more, needing his embrace more than anything I had ever needed in my life. When he pulled away, I was dizzy, breathless, and completely consumed by desire for the man in front of me.
“I have missed you,” I told him when I found my breath. He reached out, cradling my face in his hand, and I pressed a kiss against his palm. His hand shook slightly in response, and I savored the small sense of victory that I affected him in such a way.
“I have missed you too. More than you will ever know.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him, afraid to let go, but he pulled back and took my hand, led me to the bench seat, reached in his pocket, and took out a long, thin royal-blue box. “Happy birthday,” he said, as he placed it in my hands.
With trembling hands I slid off the beautiful white satin bow that held it closed and snapped open the lid, gasping when I saw that nestled inside was a gemstone bracelet unlike any I had ever seen. Large, twinkling sapphires were held in place by a platinum setting and between each one, there was a slightly smaller diamond that twinkled in the moonlight. It was a bracelet fit for royalty. I did not doubt for one second that the gems were real, since Aidan never did anything by halves, especially where I was concerned. He took the box from my hands, placed the bracelet on my wrist, and closed the latch, brushing the inside of my wrist with his finger. My body tingled in response to his slight touch, and I found myself moving closer to him.
“It’s beautiful, thank you.” I brushed his lips shyly with my own and returned to admiring the bracelet.
“I had it made for you. There is one sapphire for every year of your life,” he explained. “And there is one diamond for every year you have brought happiness to my life.” Since my parents had found me shortly after I turned one, sixteen of those sparkling gems graced the bracelet. I smiled, touched he put such thought into a gift for me, and threw myself against him, kissing him again. I felt his hesitation at first, but knew my appeal far better than I did at sixteen and used it to my advantage. He groaned low and deep, his hands moving around my waist, pulling me onto his lap as the kiss grew more frantic and out of control. Our tongues mingled and our bodies pressed ever closer. His taste and smell filled me, bringing with it a heat that crept over my body and had me feeling lustful sensations that I had never felt before. His hand moved up my leg, caressing my thigh, and I moaned, my head dropping back as he nibbled my collarbone.
“God help me, you are a temptation,” he groaned, before disappearing from under me.
I looked up to find him off in the distance, pacing furiously, obviously angry with himself for letting things get out of hand. I knew he needed time to calm, so I sat quietly and waited for him to come back.
“I’m sorry,” he told me as he approached the gazebo a few minutes later.
“It’s okay, I understand.”
“No, I don’t think you do,” he said, his voice strained. “It’s…hard for me to be with you like this. If I lost control even for a second, I could take away your right to choose your fate.”
“I trust you,” I assured, him positive he would never hurt me.
“That is the problem. You should never trust me. Your blood calls to me like the sweetest nectar. If I were to indulge myself, I couldn’t be sure I would stop. Then I would have no choice but to change you. I won’t do that to you. You deserve the right to choose the course your life will take, and I won’t take that from you so selfishly.”
I wanted to deny his words. To scream that I wanted him and I didn’t care what I had to do to have him, but I knew that wasn’t true. I wanted him, but I hadn’t really considered what I would be giving up to have him. Was I ready to give up my friends? My high school graduation or college? Was I ready to die?
My indecision must have shown on my face because he frowned. “This is the very reason why I stay away. You are not ready to choose yet, and I can’t take the chance of changing you by accident: something you might resent me for forever.” I could see the resigned look on his face just before he turned away and knew what was going to happen next.
“You’re going to leave again,” I whispered, walking behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist, laying my cheek against his back, hating the thought of another long absence.
“Yes, I must. It would best.” He turned and pulled me to him, hugging me close and pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Know, though, that I will miss you every moment I am gone, and that I long to hold you in my arms.”
“Please, don’t stay away too long. If I can’t have you all the time, I’ll take what I can get.” I pressed my lips to his once more and he groaned.
“I will try to get back soon.”
“Promise me,” I pleaded, unconcerned how desperate it sounded.
“I promise,” he said solemnly.
One last, lingering kiss and he walked me back to the patio, holding me close to his side, our fingers entwined.
“Are you coming in?” I asked as we reached the doorway.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. If I stay any longer I might never be able to leave you.” He reached down, giving me one last, lingering kiss before stepping back and disappearing into the night.
I walked back into the ballroom still dazed by his kisses, but happy he had come. His parting hurt, but I reminded myself that he would be back, and I managed to enjoy the rest of my party. It was well past midnight by the time everyone left and I hugged my parents, thanking them for another great party.
“I’m so glad you had a good time,” my mother told me.
“It was wonderful, Mom. Thank you.” I threw my arms around her neck and hugged her close.
My father snarled, grabbing my wrist and glaring angrily at the bracelet that hung there. “Where did this come from?”
“Aidan,” I said biting my lip, knowing he wouldn’t like my answer. They exchanged concerned glances, and I rushed to reassure them everything was fine. “He came to give me this for my birthday and then he left.”
“It’s beautiful, honey; those sapphires remind me of your eyes,” my mother, always the calm one, said.
My father said nothing, but the slight twitching of his cheek let me know he was holding back his anger. He kissed my forehead and bade me goodnight before walking out with his hands clenched at his sides.
“Do not worry, I will talk to him,” my mother whispered, before hugging me once more and hurrying after him.
*****
That night I dreamed of Aidan. We were walking in the forest holding hands as the sun shone through the trees and the birds sang around us. Everything seemed idyllic. I was laughing at something he whispered playfully in my ear when a drop of blood splattered on my shoulder from a tree limb overhead. Aidan’s arm snaked around me instantly, pulling me close as he scanned the trees overhead.
A tree limb above snapped, sending a wave of leaves fluttering down upon us, and he stiffened, his face hardening. “Run,” he ordered, but it was too late.
I screamed as a vampire landed on the ground in front of us, his f
angs bared, ready for battle. The vampire lunged for me, Aidan snarled, shoving me quickly behind him, his face morphing to that of his vampire form. The vampire launched himself at him, and my powerful vampire prince met him time and again, taking each blow he delivered then offering one of his own in return. I was so engrossed with their deadly dance I did not notice the vampire from my nightmares had snuck up behind me, until he wrapped his arms around me, his hand covering my mouth so I couldn’t scream for Aidan. He began pulling me away. I fought to get free, biting his fleshy hand hard enough that the vampire let go. It was long enough for me to let out one loud scream that drew Aidan’s attention. He scrambled to get to me, fighting off his attacker with renewed vigor, slicing his foe’s neck with his deadly talon-like nails, cleanly decapitating his head from his body before racing towards us.
The vampire holding me chuckled, piercing my neck with his razor-sharp teeth, tearing through my flesh with reckless abandon. Aidan bellowed in outrage and attacked. The vampire snarled and threw me to the ground, my blood running down his chin as he met Aidan’s vicious blows. Overcome with fury, Aidan quickly defeated the vampire and came to my side. I lay on the ground writhing in agony, my death imminent. I struggled to breathe, blood gurgling in my throat as he held me close, rocking me in his arms.
“No!” he roared, bending into the hollow of my neck and burying his sharp fangs deep within my flesh, draining me of the last of my blood before slicing his chest with a long nail and pressing my lips to the wound. “Drink,” he commanded.
*****
I woke with a start, covered in sweat, my hand immediately flying to my throbbing neck to reassure myself it had indeed been a dream. The dull throb slowly faded away, and after a few deep breaths I was able to get out of bed, and shower. I pulled on my favorite T-shirt and shorts before leaving my room and heading downstairs.
I walked downstairs to the foyer where the sun from an overhead skylight hit the bracelet on my wrist, making the gems sparkle and shine. I paused to admire the gift and reflect on the time I had spent with Aidan the night before. Although he hadn’t stayed as long as I would have liked, at least he had come and to me that meant everything. I would never forget how it felt to be in his arms or to feel his intoxicating kiss once again. For those few brief moments I had felt as if all was right in the world, as if I was where I belonged. I was pulled from my pleasant memories by the sound of my parents arguing from my father’s office.
“Katie is still too young for this, Anna! Aidan should have told us he was coming to see her. He knows how I feel about their relationship,” my father bellowed, his booming voice carrying from the office to where I stood.
“Duncan, you need to stop pushing his goodwill. If push comes to shove he will take action, and you might lose your daughter. Now, he didn’t stay long, and she was happier than I have seen her since he left last year. Let’s just let it go, okay?” my mother said tiredly.
“What if he would have lost control, Anna! What if he would have bitten her? Changed her? What then? Can you live with the consequence that would bring? Katie has no idea why she is so attracted to him, and I won’t have him using her lack of knowledge to get what he wants!”
“That’s not fair! This is Aidan we are talking about, Duncan. He isn’t going to willingly hurt Katie or make her choose something he knows he she isn’t ready for.”
“Part of me knows that but another part of me, the part that is her father, is worried. While I appreciate the fact he has been honest with us about the shift of emotions between them, I am now more concerned than ever about his control.”
“Maybe we need to tell Katie everything, and then she will understand why it is best for them to be apart right now.”
“Are you kidding me, Anna? She is drawn to him already, why give her any ammunition to fight us on this?” my father objected. “We have to insist she see other boys her own age. Maybe she will find one who can keep her occupied until…” He stopped and I could feel his unhappiness.
“I don’t see how that will matter in the end; you know as well as that I it won’t change anything. No other male will do now that she has recognized her feelings for Aidan.”
“When the time comes, I want her to be aware of all of her options so she can make the decision that is best for her,” he argued vehemently. “There is no way I want her to be limited by something she has no control over.”
“Duncan, she’s not six anymore. You have to start seeing her as the young woman she has become. Katie has already made her choice. I don’t think any amount of dating is going to change it.”
I wanted to confront them and demand they explain everything to me, but I was sure they wouldn’t tell me what I really wanted to know, so I walked back upstairs and sat on my bed thinking about what I heard. I understood my father’s fears. I had them too. I loved Aidan, I was positive of that; but maybe my father was right, maybe I was too young and just maybe I did need to explore all of my options before I could confidently make the decision whether or not I was ready for a relationship with a vampire. After all, to truly be his I would have to consider giving up my human life, and that was a lot to think about for someone who had barely begun to live.
Chapter Thirteen
“Katie, we are going to be late.” Paul complained Monday morning as he leaned against the wall, waiting for me to finish my breakfast. Beth captured his hand and shook her head, smiling at his usual teasing. Silence reigned as he stared down at her with such deep emotion shining in his eyes I almost choked on the piece of toast I was eating. The look was one I had seen my own parents share often in my lifetime, and I realized that at some point during my long hiatus from the world they must have bonded. How I had missed such an important thing in my brother’s life? Had I been so caught up in my own grief that I had missed Paul’s happiness, just as I had missed Jess’s and Chris’s? The answer was, to my shame, a resounding yes. I had been childish, selfish, and so caught up in my own grief over Aidan being gone that I hadn’t even comprehended my own brother’s feelings for the female who now held him enthralled, and I was ashamed.
I finished breakfast and picked up my bag, giving Paul a playful smile, hoping I could make it up to him. “You ready, or are you going to stand there all day ogling Beth?”
His cheeks flushed with embarrassment and he looked down at his feet in a shy, awkward way that was completely out of character for him. “Uh, yeah,” he mumbled, clenching Beth’s hand. “Let’s go.”
*****
When I arrived at the school Jess was waiting for me at our lockers with Josh standing next to her holding her hand, smiling happily as he devoured her with his warm chocolate eyes. They were so in love, so perfect for one another, and I hated that I had been so out of it that I had missed the journey they had taken to get to that point, but I was glad to be in a place now where I could witness their love for one another and rejoice with them.
“Hey, guys, did you enjoy the rest of your weekend?” I asked as I gathered books from my locker.
“Yeah, the party was great and we spent Sunday just being lazy and watching movies together,” Jess said, smiling shyly up at the guy who held her heart.
“Any time spent with you is amazing,” Josh said, kissing her nose playfully.
“Ugh, get a room,” I teased.
“You should try it. Being in love is wonderful,” Jess told me.
Maybe, if you were with the one you loved, I thought.
“Speaking of love, here comes Chad,” she added with a wink.
“Hey,” Chad said as he joined our group.
“Hi, Chad,” I answered politely, trying not to glare at Jess, who was grinning from ear to ear.
“Katie, can I walk you to class?” he said hopefully.
I opened my mouth to decline and let him down easily, but reminded myself I was going to try and explore all of the other options my family and Aidan wanted me to, and dating human males was one of those options.
“Sure,” I said, tr
ying to ignore Beth’s frown behind him and the little voice in my head that whispered it was wrong for me to be with him.
Chad smiled with genuine happiness but was quiet and seemed nervous as he walked me to class. At the door, he placed his hand on my arm to stop me before I went inside. “I was wondering…uh…do you think you might want to go out with me this weekend?”
It felt wrong, but if I had to date, Chad was a good choice. He was a nice guy, good- natured, and was raised to respect woman. “That sounds nice,” I murmured. This was what Aidan wanted me to do. To experience life as a normal any normal teenager would, including dating. Even if it felt wrong.
“We could go double on Saturday,” Jess said excitedly behind us, totally unashamed that she had been eavesdropping on our conversation. “Let’s go to the movies.”
“Would that be okay with you?” Chad asked, looking relieved that we wouldn’t be alone.
Jess grinned behind him, bobbing her head eagerly.
“That would be great,” I agreed.
“Let’s see that new vampire movie, “Forever My Love?” Jess said eagerly. “I’ve been dying to see it and it looks so romantic.”
I cringed inwardly. Josh, too, seemed uncomfortable with idea and offered another option, which was quickly vetoed by Jess.
The last thing I wanted to do was see a vampire love story, but I couldn’t back out without disappointing her. “Whatever you all want is fine with me,” I murmured, listening half heartedly as Jess and Chad planned our date while we took our seats.
I looked up once and caught Josh staring at me, his face revealing nothing but his eyes expressing sympathy. Somehow I had the feeling he understood exactly what I was going through, which was odd given we didn’t know each other all that well and he certainly didn’t know Aidan.