A Shade of Halloween

by Robin Todd

  Ros laughed and pulled me into his arms. He looked deep into my eyes for a few minutes before speaking again.

  “I know I was. I doubt if I’m any different now, but I guess I’ve learned quite a few things over the years. Your actions tonight have made me see you in a completely different light. You had the chance to get your revenge but you chose to help me. I’m sorry I killed you all those times. I was hurt... very hurt. I’m still hurt you’re in love with him and not me, but I guess I’ll have to suck it up.”

  He pulled my body closer to his and for a brief second, I thought he was going to kiss me.

  “Shame on you, Selena.” I mentally scolded myself when he only gave me a tight hug.

  “Thank you again.” He whispered.

  He turned and began walking away from me.

  “Ros.” I called out to him.

  “Yeah.” He turned around with a raised eyebrow.

  “Thank you.” I said.

  He smiled and disappeared into the night. I walked back to Ryan and Trina and hugged them both once again.

  “Now that everything is over, I’ll like to go and say goodbye to my mum.” I said to Ryan. “Can you take me there?”

  “Of course.” He smiled.

  “It’s fine. You guys go ahead. I’ll see you back in Ryan’s mansion.” Trina disappeared into the night just like the other vampires.

  Ryan picked me up and raced back to the Duck-Ville private cemetery. It only took him a couple of seconds to locate the grave.

  “I’ll give you a moment alone.” He said, gently putting me down and walking off.

  Once he was gone, I sat on the grass and pulled my knees up towards my chest.

  “Hey, mum...” I started.

  Tears began to flow down my cheeks, as images from her horrible murder resurfaced in my mind.

  “I’m sorry. It was all my fault and I’m so sorry...”

  “Freeze!!!” I heard a loud voice behind me.

  I was surprised to see several torches being flashed in my direction, guns pointed at me and a couple of police offers running towards me. I had completely forgotten that I was on their WANTED list, and it was normal for them to set up watch around places I was likely to show up.

  “Just great!”

  I didn’t bother to run or argue. I was ready to deal with this part of my life once and for all, so I could move on from it.

  “You’re under arrest for the murder of Lilian Ryder.” One of the officers yelled.

  I remained silent as they rounded me up and led me towards a waiting car.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Ryan’s POV

  I dropped Selena off at the cemetery to say goodbye to her mum. I knew it was going to be an emotional time for her and decided to give her all the privacy she needed. I was sure there were a thousand things she had to say and knew how hard it must have been for her to deal with the loss without getting any form of closure. I took the time away to feed. It had been a while since I had a drink and my body was craving the precious liquid especially after the events of the night. After feeding and walking around a bit to kill time, I decided to go back to the Duck-Ville cemetery and get Selena. I went right back to her mum’s tomb stone and was surprised to see the surroundings empty. Selena was gone and I had no idea where to.

  “Did she get emotional and run off? Is she grieving somewhere else silently? Did someone take her?”

  The last thought gave me an uneasy feeling and I decided to take the chance and find out. I told myself that if it turned out she was taking some time alone, I was going to apologize and wait for her to come to me. I focused my energy and projected my thoughts to her.

  “Where are you? I’m worried.” I spoke into her consciousness.

  I should have been relieved when she replied but what she said completely surprised me.

  “I’ve been arrested for my mum’s murder. I should go to jail. This is all my fault.”

  “No, Selena. Don’t do this. None of this is your fault. You can walk away right now if you want. Leave a replica to go through the questioning if you feel someone should. Come to me... please!”

  My desperate plea did absolutely nothing to weaken her resolve.

  “No. She died because of me and I need to pay!” She replied.

  “She died because Ros killed her. If anyone has to pay, let him do it.”

  “Ros only killed her because I hurt him. I have to do this.”

  “Selena!” I yelled into her head.

  There was no reply.

  “Selena!!!”

  Nothing.

  I had hit a brick wall. She had shut me out and there was little or nothing I could do about it.

  I had no idea why or how she came up with such a preposterous theory. Was this her way of dealing with the grief? Was she hitting the self-destruct button? Had her powers become too strong for her mortal mind and overwhelmed her? I was beginning to come up with preposterous theories of my own. I knew I had to do something about it quickly. There was no way I was going to let her accept the punishment for a crime she didn’t commit. I had just reunited with her. Why in the world would she want to go away again? Didn’t she love me as much as she did in 1889 anymore?

  I activated my enhanced speed and raced back to Ros’s mansion. He was the one who compelled the police to go after Selena in the first place. I couldn’t break them out of his compulsion, even if I wanted to. This was his mess and he was sure as hell going to fix it!

  Trina’s POV

  I heard boredom made the mind go numb. Whoever said that clearly didn’t consider the effects of pressure on the mind. A lot of things had happened to me in the past few months, including dying but none of those experiences numbed my mind as much as seeing my family again. It was clear I would never really be a part of them anymore. I had to disappear at some point because they would realize something was wrong with me especially when everyone else got older. I considered just disappearing now but I couldn’t do it. I had to see them again. I had to see my dad’s kind eyes, hear my mum’s warm laughter and hold my little brother again even if it was for the last time. I planned to go home in the morning and that simple plan freaked me out like crazy.

  “Will they notice anything now?”

  I knew the only way to know for sure was to see them but that didn’t help with my nerves. Ryan had taken Selena out to say goodbye to her mum and I was sure they weren’t going to be back in a while. I probably wouldn’t have taken this decision on any other day but my mind was probably already fried. I decided to go to the other Soille mansion to escape my thoughts, at least for the moment. I raced all the way there and when I didn’t meet any house staff at the door, I walked right in.

  “Ros!” I yelled. “Are you in here?”

  I heard the crashing sound of something breakable hitting a solid object, perhaps a wall, and ran towards it. To my utmost surprise, Ros was standing behind his desk, throwing plates at the opposite wall.

  “Are you okay? What the hell?” I yelled.

  I saw the nearly empty bottle of Whiskey on the table in front of him and knew exactly what this was - a classic case of frustration.

  “What are you doing here?” He frowned.

  “Trying to escape my demons but you clearly have legions of your own.” I replied.

  He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and smiled.

  “You sure that’s your only reason for coming over here, Blondie?” He asked.

  “Um... um... yeah...” I stammered.

  Why did he ask me that? What other reason could I possibly have?

  Ros was in front of me before I could blink. He backed me up into a wall and looked really deep into my eyes. His dark green eyes burned holes into my skin and I wondered why I felt so nervous all of a sudden.

  “I don’t believe you.” He said. “Tell me you don’t want this.”

  He crashed his lips into mine ferociously, claiming them like a wild beast in the heat of passion. I froze on the spot for sev
eral reasons, the biggest being how his savage actions aroused every part of my body.

  “This is not happening. I’m so not locking lips with Ros Soille right now!”

  I felt like Ros awoke an inner tigress I didn’t know lived in me. My knees turned to jelly and I wondered how I was still standing. I leaned my body into him as his hand moved up my side, approaching my yearning twins and sending my body into joyful explosions of anticipated pleasure.

  “What the hell?”

  I heard the voice and froze on the spot. Ros broke off the kiss and moved his hand away, turning around to meet the stunned gaze of a clearly shocked Ryan. It was a terribly awkward moment. I felt like shriveling into dust and disappearing right into the ground.

  “Whatever, Ry. What do you want?” Ros asked.

  “How long have you two been...” Ryan started, and I moved my hands to cover my face.

  I knew he wasn’t going to believe me even if I told the truth. I couldn’t even find the voice to say anything. Embarrassment made my words collide at the back of my throat.

  “I’m serious, Ry. What do you want?” Ros totally bailed me out.

  “Well, if you can manage to peel yourself away from this very serious situation, I’ll like you to uncompel the police.” Ryan taunted. “They’ve taken Selena.”

  The minute I heard Selena had been taken, I wanted to know why and what I could do to help get her back.

  “How do you mean?” I asked.

  “I think she’s having a meltdown. I left her at her mum’s grave and by the time I got back, she was gone. I reached her thoughts and she told me she’d been arrested for her mum’s murder. She thinks she deserves to pay for the crime, wants to serve the time, yadi, yadi, yada... You know how meltdowns go.” Ryan replied.

  “That’s insane! She didn’t murder her mum.” I exclaimed.

  “Well, if Mr. ‘I’m so hurt I have to kill Selena’ over here didn’t compel the police to hunt her down in the first place, none of this would have happened.” I replied.

  “Hey! You shouldn’t be yelling at me right now. I just saved your ass!” Ros snapped.

  “Well, so did Selena. Just uncompel them already... and don’t you dare think I’m going to let you two live this down.” Ryan countered, referring to our little explosive moment earlier.

  “Whatever! Let’s go.” Ros replied, totally ignoring Ryan’s taunt.

  We all activated our enhanced speed and raced off to the Duck-Ville police station.

  Selena’s POV

  I sat in the interrogation room, just staring at the detective who was questioning me. I really cared less about the things he said to me and all I could focus on was the deep sense of loss and regret I felt. Seeing my mum’s grave made something snap in me. I felt like I had failed her and nothing was worth it. The door to the interrogation room opened and another police officer walked in. He whispered something in the ear of the officer interrogating me, before walking out again.

  “Your lawyer is here.” The interrogator said.

  “Hopefully he’ll tell you silence won’t do you any good.”

  I knew I didn’t contact any lawyer and was sure the state had assigned someone to my case. I didn’t need a defense really and wished they hadn’t bothered. The door opened once again and my eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise. Ros walked into the interrogation room and placed a briefcase on the table... just like a real lawyer.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “Dragging you out of here kicking and screaming if I have to.” He smirked.

  “I want to be here, Ros. This is my decision.” I replied.

  “No it’s not. He countered. “You’re hurt and I’m sorry. I know how it feels to lose a loved one. I’ll always regret the fact that I put you through this but please. Staying in here is not going to make a difference. You know you didn’t do it. There’s no evidence against you. They only came for you in the first place because I compelled them to. Allow me take it back, Selena. Come back to Ryan. You two need each other.”

  I hadn’t said anything when the door opened again. The interrogator walked into the room and approached us.

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Davenport but there must have been a misunderstanding somewhere. Someone erroneously issued an arrest warrant for your client and we brought her in for questioning. We sincerely apologize for the embarrassment and have cleared all records of this arrest to make it up to your client. Please pardon our mistake.” He said.

  “Mr. Davenport?”

  I was surprised for a fraction of a split second before it hit me. Ros must have uncompelled them from his lies.

  “It’s alright, officer. I know mistakes happen. I’ll be taking my client home now.” He said, giving the interrogator a professional smile.

  Ros picked his briefcase back up and we both walked out to the waiting area. Ryan and Trina were there, giving me pitiful but understanding looks.

  “I’ll take it from here.” Ryan said, pulling me into his arms.

  I buried my head in his chest and balled my eyes out.

  “You don’t have to deal with this alone, okay? I’m here.” He whispered.

  I nodded, sniffing back my tears.

  “Guys, I’ll be taking Selena home now.” He said, picking me up and walking out of the police station.

  Once we were out of sight, he activated his enhanced speed and took me straight into his brown themed master bedroom. He placed me underneath soft comfortable sheets and cradled me lovingly in his arms. He planted gentle kisses on my forehead and cheeks, before stopping to look deep into my eyes.

  “You know, everything that has happened in the past few months have served to amplify what I already know.” He smiled.

  “And what’s that?” I asked.

  “I love you with all of me, Selena. I never want to be apart from you. You’re my always and my forever.” He whispered. “I know how down you feel right now, but please allow me reach you. Let me help you feel better again. That’s what will make my life worth living.”

  His face came down towards me and his lips claimed mine before I got a chance to reply. I knew my heart belonged to him and I loved him with every part of me. Since I couldn’t exactly reply with words, I closed my eyes and yielded my lips to him. I inhaled his minty breath and took in the fragrance of his cologne. He nibbled, licked and teased on my lips, making me gasp whenever his fangs bit lightly and pleasurably on my lips. The sensual encounter quickly intensified, and our hands explored each other’s bodies in search of pleasures we knew we wanted to willingly give. Our clothes gave way and our bodies collided in a sensual embrace. My arms moved up and down his toned abs, feeling his rock solid packs and perfectly sculpted chest. He traced short sharp lines along my body, causing all the parts he made contact with to explode with pleasure. Ryan pulled back for a second and looked into my eyes once again, while I took deep breaths that betrayed my underlying emotions.

  “I know the last time I tried this, it freaked you out. That’s not my intention and I completely understand if you’re not ready. But do I have your permission to make you mine?” He asked in a low, husky, and overly sexy voice.

  I nodded my consent, still looking deep into his green eyes. He pulled me close and crashed his lips into mine once more. This time, his kiss was not the slow sensual one he started with. It was hungry, searching, a little forceful and oh so explosive. I was lost in his hunger for a few seconds and when he aligned his frame on top of mine, my breath got caught in my throat. His hips stopped right on top of mine, teasing me with the pleasure I knew he was sure to give. I couldn’t help myself. My body was exploding and he hadn’t even started with me. I could see the passion and hunger that laid behind his dark green eyes and wondered if he could tell how much I wanted him too.

  “My body will forever be yours alone.” He whispered, making a slow, deep plunge into me.

  In that moment, time stopped. All I felt was bliss. Waves of pleasure crashed against my walls from eve
ry side, and I knew we were completely and wholly one. Our bodies rose and fell to our rhythm, and we danced passionately to our song. My heart rate soared, countless moans escaped my lips and I lost track of time. The drums of pleasure beat loudly around me, taking me to crescendo after crescendo until my body reached unbelievable heights. I shuddered and held on to him, burying my face in his chest as I floated back down slowly. I cherished every blissful moment until all I could hear was panting.... my panting.

  “My heart will forever be yours and no other man will ever have what’s yours.” I promised, kissing his beautiful lips once more.

  He pulled me close and I snuggled even closer. I hadn’t forgotten about my mum but I felt surprisingly calmer. My eyelids slid closed and before long, I fell into the warm embrace of blissful sleep.

  A Shade of Halloween 4: Reunion

  Chapter One

  Selena’s POV

  A cool breeze blew from all sides, gently swaying the long drapes that shielded the tent-like structure from the rest of woods. I ran my fingers along the sides of the tent to feel the smooth texture of the pale yellow and white drapes. Today was a beautiful day. One that would stay etched in my memory for the rest of my life. The first rays of dawn were just breaking through the night’s sky, casting a golden glow around my surroundings. I smiled at the ambience of the tent and my smile broadened when I saw his handsome face. He sped into the tent with cheerful green eyes that looked like they could light up the woods around me and when combined with the victorious smile on his face, I knew I had found my definition of perfection.

  “I’ve seen the priest safely across the borders.” He said, sweeping me into his arms.

  “I’m so proud of you.” I beamed.

  Our frames drew closer together like two magnets. When his lips met mine, it felt like the explosion of a thousand fireworks across the beautiful night sky.