M.O. Kenyan's Blog, page 5

Chapter 10- STAR BRIGHT

Scarlet had slept in the next morning, it was Sunday her day off. Stephan didn’t work much lately and since it was Sunday he was sure the garage was closed. So he continued watching her as she slept, not growing tired of her little snore or the gentle beat of her heart. 

When Kayla came in she wasn’t alone, Solara was with her. She walked into her friend’s bedroom but this time he didn’t feign to be asleep. He just put his finger on his lips for her to be quiet. She walked around to the head of the bed, Kayla smiled as she watched her best friend sleep soundly snuggled up against Stephan. She hadn’t seen her friend this content in a long time, she closed the door behind her before heading to her room.

When Scarlet woke up she was still in Stephan’s arms. “Finally you’re awake, I thought we were going to spend the whole day here.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. She lifted her head from his chest and ran her fingers through her hair.

 “Why didn’t you get something to eat, I bet you were hungry.” 

“You asked me to hold you as you slept.” He had an amused smirk on his face. It was a better answer than I don’t need to eat. But being around regular food had made the beast inside him hungry for solid food.  “Kayla is here and I think Solara is with her.”

“They make such a cute couple. And she is happy.”

“I wanted to rush home for a while.” 

She walked back into the room, a toothbrush in her mouth. “What why?” her question was barely audible. Realizing how ridiculous she must have looked, she rushed back into her private bathroom to rinse out her mouth. “Why are you going I thought we could hang out here, spend the day together?”

“Don’t worry I will come back, just need to change my clothes, someone’s been drooling on it the whole night.”  

Scarlet frowned.

He laughed at her expression, then he took her in his arms, “I will be back my love, where else would I go. Is that okay?” 

He tucked her under his arm as they walked to the door. “I will be back in a while.”  

On his way out he ran into Kayla and Solara, they stood together staring at him, an amused look on their faces. 

“Hi.” He mumbled then ran out the door.

***

Stephan walked up the stairs that led to his apartment, and then paused at the door. Something wasn’t right. He looked around the garage and the street but he couldn’t see anyone or anything. When he opened the door he felt a huge weight push him from behind. Stephan spun around to see his attacker.

 A man in dark leather stood at his door. His hair was black with blond streaks. Stephan arched his eyebrow he couldn’t decide what was more ridiculous, the fact he was clad in full leather, and his dirty looking hair or that he dared to attack him. 

 Stephan took a step towards him and tried to grab him but at that second he sped around the room, ducking all of his attempts to grab him. He was growing impatient now. He moved to the center of the room and tried to keep track of the man’s movement.

 As soon as he was sure, he raised a shield in his path and he slammed into it. He then lifted another shield behind him trapping him in the middle of invisibility. Stephan raised him a few meters off the ground and turn the assailant to face him.

“Who are you?” Stephan realized he was just a boy. Or he had been a boy for a long time. 

“Who are you and more importantly who sent you? Speak!” His eyes were red now, his impatience growing by the second.

“I used to be with the Conselho, I worked under you for a few decades before you defected. A few years ago I left the Conselho, I wanted my freedom…”

Impatient Stephan cut in, “I’m glad for but you’d best get to the point.” He tightened the shield around him making him squeal. 

“My name is Vincent, and they want to take me back. I don’t say this very often but you are hurting me.” Stephan released him and he landed on his feet. 

“I don’t want to go back, I enjoy living amongst the humans, and I don’t feed or kill them. I heard that they were looking for you, so I visited the seer and he told me of the vamp who went around asking for you. I followed his scent to the diner across the street then to the garage. I have been waiting here for a while, by the way, sorry about the shove.”

This was the last thing he needed if this kid could find him, the hunters would too. One thing he did not need is a vampire on the run, hiding out with him. 

“They want us to fight with them against the beasts, and I’m not interested in that kind of life anymore.” Vincent walked around the apartment, not that there was much of it. 

“You said you don’t feed off humans, how you keep your strength up, and your talent strong. Or is that annoying thing something you just do without getting juiced?” He dropped on the bed, frustrated.

“I discovered something one night, it more powerful than any human blood, doesn’t taste as good, but it is more powerful. Like a turbo boost.” 

The look on Stephan’s face urged him to get to the point. “When I was escaping through the fortress gates when someone spotted me, he wasn’t about to let me go. We started fighting but he was stronger than I was, so I used my annoying talent to confuse him. Then I bit into his neck.”

The last statement had Stephan on his feet. 

“At first the taste was repulsing, but the drop of blood that did get into my system went through me like a shock wave. It was electrifying, so I took another bite.”

“You fed off another immortal. I think I judged you too soon.” Stephan was impressed, he had never heard of vampires feeding off each other before now.

“It is a bit tricky, precision is important. If you don’t get into the vein directly you will end up chewing on his flesh. You don’t want that. It tastes and feels like chewing on rubber gravel. Trust me.” His face screwed up in disgust like he had a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Wait here, I’m going to take a shower. Don’t go anywhere or touch anything.” He saw the perplexed look on his face, vampires didn’t need to shower. “It helps me think.”

Five minutes later, Stephan was in fresh clothes and ready to leave. He thought twice about taking him to Scarlet’s place but Solara wasn’t picking up his phone. He didn’t have any other choice. He grabbed the bag on the bed and they left. “Follow me, we are going to take a ride.”

They sat in the car in Scarlet’s driveway as Stephan tried to call Solara out. After a few minutes, he gave up.

“I don’t want any tricks or games. You will not hurt anyone in this house. Speak only when spoken to. If you do anything I don’t like, I will kill you. Let’s go.” 

Stephan didn’t bother knocking, and he walked right in. Solara and Kayla were on the sofa.

  You are seriously going to try and say you didn’t hear me.  Solara stifled a laugh.  Kayla got to her feet and turned. “Hey guys, I’m going to go let Scarlet know you are back.” Once she left the room, Solara stood up.

“I was a bit preoccupied, what’s up?”  

“We need to talk about something, and we can’t do it here. I need to take this problem as far away from her as possible.”

“Speaking of…”Solara looked towards the flight of stairs. 

Stephan inhaled Scarlet’s scent, her strawberry rose shampoo attacking his nostrils. He turned to look at her as she paced down the stairs, her damp hair stuck to her back. 

“Hey, there what took you so long?” She walked into his arms. “I missed you.”

“I was only gone for an hour.” It had been a while before anyone cared about his comings and goings.

“One and a half.” She rose on her toes and let her lips rub his chin.

He loved having her in his arms and wasn’t all too happy when Solara called him away.

 “Stephan can I see you in the kitchen for a moment.” Reluctantly he let her go and followed him into the kitchen.

 “You’d better make it fast, I was a bit busy.”

“Now who is the one who’s preoccupied? Who is the stray you brought with you?”

“A vampire, he was at the seer and he traced your scent back to the diner and the garage. His name is Vincent and he used to be one of the Conselho guards. He defected a decade or so after I did, and they also want him back.” Stephan gave him the run down, making sure he didn’t leave anything of importance out.

“This feud must be serious if they are calling back all the defects. So what exactly is his gift?” He was genuinely curious Vincent must be spectacular if they wanted him back. Next to Stephan, every other immortal was useless, but he was a half breed. Stephan had a Hannah Montana thing going on. The best of both worlds.

“He is talented, he can run circles around you, and he is faster than any vampire I have seen. And get this, he drinks vampire blood.” He laughed at Solara’s expression. For the first time since he met him, he was speechless. He wished he could see the thoughts that ran through his mind.

A grin replaced Solara’s shocked look. “Stephan I believe someone is making moves on your girl.” 

Stephan walked into the living room annoyed, the girls had their backs at him, and he thought it would be best to give his new friends a warning. When Vincent looked up from his audience and met a pair of bloodshot red eyes. He took the warning seriously and dropped Scarlet’s hand. Vincent shifted to Kayla when Solara’s voice rang in the air as he drew Kayla to his side and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The tone in his voice had Vincent backing up.

 We need a distraction something to get the girls out of here so that we can talk to him. He may help us in some way. Solara nodded.

“Hey, girls we were thinking of having a night in. Would you do us a favor get a couple of beers, and rent some movies for tonight?”  

“You boys want to get rid of us so that you can talk to captain leather over here.” Kayla gave Solara a quick kiss on the lips before grabbing Scarlet’s hand and taking the keys from Stephan, she dragged her friend behind her.

Chapter 9- THE WAY HE LOOKS

He got up to sit beside her. He turned her body to face him and took her hand. “I am… I am in love with you.” He was having a hard time, but he was determined to have it out. He tried to compose himself first. “The thing is, seven years ago I was in a relationship. I loved her, she was my life. We were happy for a while until something happened.” His voice was as low as a whisper now. “She was Solara’s sister. They were inseparable at the time. That’s why he attacked me at the garage the first time we met.”

“So he attacked you because you broke up with his sister seven years ago. Am I getting this right?”

He took her hands in one of his and used the other to tuck her hair behind her ear. “We didn’t break up. She died.” He could say anything after that. She was silent. What could one say at this point? She slid closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. 

“Sorry about that, Solara must have been devastated about it. What was her name?” Talking about it always helped, though she wasn’t sure if he would see it as concern or her prying. She pulled her hand from his hold and placed it on his cheek. He leaned into it.

“Sotera Gomez, she was beautiful in every single way. She was precious.” His head snapped up to look into her eyes, he was afraid that he could have hurt her feelings. How could he not have, here he was going on about his past love, while she sat next to him, genuinely concerned. Her expression didn’t show any hurt feelings or jealousy. He was impressed by her now more than ever. 

“That’s why you are holding back because you are in love with her.” She couldn’t compete with the dead it wasn’t a fair fight. Part of her felt ashamed, she had Stephan and the time to be with him, she didn’t.

“What are you thinking about?” He could tell by her far away look, that she had something on her mind. He was nervous; he had to find a way around it. He had to give up the dead and stay with the living. Scarlet was alive; the loud thumping in her chest and the rushing sound in her veins was proof of that.

 He got on his knees so that they would be able to be on the same eye level. “Look at me, I’m not perfect, but I keep falling for perfection itself. You and she … are the only good things that have ever come my way in a long time.” For a very long time, He used her chin to raise her head. Her eyes glistened with tears. 

“I love her, I won’t lie to you. I do love her, but I love you too, differently. The two of you are different, although at times when I look at you I see her.”

“Gee, thanks.” She was on her feet. She was walking away from him when he caught her arm. She didn’t understand how dark his life was before both of them. Now he just lived in a different kind of darkness. 

“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. I just mean that it is easier for me to love you now than it would have been if I didn’t meet her. Before I met her, I was a different person. I was in a dark place and she pulled me out. I owe her that and I will forever love her for that.” She had her back to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned her into him. 

“Because, of you, I was able to love again. You pulled me out of the hole I existed in for the past seven years. It will take me more than eternity to forget her, especially now that Solara and I are talking again.” He spun her around to face him and kissed the top of her head before he continued.

 In a low whisper, he said, “It will take me more than eternity to love you enough.” 

He spun her towards the door. He grabbed the car keys from the coffee table and opened the door for them to leave.

 “Where are we going? I am not in the mood to go out. So if you don’t mind I would rather stay here.” Her request fell on deaf ears because now she was buckled in on the passenger’s seat. She stared after him as he walked round to the driver’s side.

“I need to show you something, you need to see why you are important to me.” He looked at her, his face twisted as if in pain.

 He drove down the lane, heading towards the garage and his apartment. He parked in front of the garage door; he paused for a while before he got out of the car. She got out the same time he did. He walked towards her and stretched his hand out to her. He had a different expression on his face, that Scarlet concluded to be anxiety. She followed him silently. They went to the back and up the stairs to his apartment.

“I want you to see the place I called home before I met you.” He hesitated but it was too late to turn back now.

 He unlocked the door and swung it open. He dropped her hand and waited for her to enter. He wanted her to go in first, to get the full effect of the loneliness and misery that existed in that place.

***

She walked in and gasped in shock, it was unbelievable. Both her palms clasped over her mouth, she tried not to cry. The place was a wreck; she couldn’t imagine that anyone who had an ounce of happiness would subject themselves to such misery. There were blankets of dirt on everything. Spiders had taken residence in the four corners of the room. Roaches ran across the room. She couldn’t believe that he would let himself live like this.

“Why…” She cleared her throat trying to control her emotions. “Why would you let yourself live like this?”

***

He finally entered the apartment, he stood behind her, and he left a large distance between them. “This is how I was before you, I will admit that I was much worse when I met Sotera, but that’s what I mean when I say the two of you are alike. You both saved me, from darkness and misery. I spend less and less time here every time am with you. The void in my life, you fill it every single day with each new gift you give me. Your friendship, your concern, and the attention you give me…” 

He was next to her now, she didn’t notice him approaching her slowly; she was captured by the sorrow in his eyes and couldn’t drop his gaze. When he was next to her, he took both her hands, and now there was a light in his eyes. 

“…the love you have given me, and continue to show me every single second I spend with you. You are my life, and I am happy now. I don’t want to come back to this.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks and over her wide smile. “Let’s get out of here before something jumps out and bites us.” She could feel his chest vibrate as he laughed. As he closed the door she hoped that was the last she had seen of it.

When they got home, Scarlet walked to the kitchen and started fiddling around with the dishes. A part of her was mad and disappointed with herself. The ride back was silent; they were both engrossed in their thoughts. He was here with her, and nothing else mattered, but something else was gnawing at her.

“What were you before… before she saved you, as you put it? I can’t imagine you being anything bad. I always thought you seemed withdrawn and alone. You look like someone who has been dealing with a lot of demons and right now I don’t think your past love is one of them.” She was about to lift herself onto the counter, when Stephan did it, so easily like she didn’t weigh a thing. 

“I don’t want to go into specifics, not now anyway, but let’s just say it wasn’t something that you would approve of.” He tried to avoid her gaze.

“That dodgy? I have a lot to thank her for, don’t I.” she had an amused look on her face. She circled her arms around his neck, she didn’t want any more bad news, and it was enough for the night. Anything else would have to wait.

Her light mood put him at ease. “Uh-huh! You could say that.”

“That’s fine with me; I’m more interested in who you are now and not before. The person you are now is what I care about. When you are ready you’ll tell me about it until then, let’s not think about it.”

It was difficult not to consider the news he had received earlier on in the day. He would have to warn her of the impending danger before anything happened that would catch him off guard. He would tell her but not tonight, he was happy and he would hold onto that feeling for as long as he could. She snuggled onto his chest and he tightened his arms around her. He stood there for a while running his fingers up and down her spine. This soothed her to the point of sleep. She was drifting in and out of sleep. In an attempt to stay awake she pulled herself out of his arms and sat upright.

Stephan could see that she was battling against sleep. He pulled her legs to wrap around his waist, flung her arms around his neck, and lifted her off the counter.

“Where are you taking me?” She didn’t want to waste the rest of the night sleeping; she wanted to stay up a bit longer.

“I’m taking you to bed.” He almost lost his grip when she pushed against his chest to look up to his face. Reading the look on her face he decided to rephrase his words, “You are half asleep. I am taking you upstairs to your bed so that you can get some sleep. Why? What did you think I meant.” He chuckled once as he went up the stairs.

Part of her was relieved, the other a bit disappointed. What did she expect they weren’t emotionally ready to take that step? He left her alone, to change into her nightdress. Scarlet went through her draw determined to find something that wouldn’t look like her grandmother wore. She grabbed a lace strap top and shorts, she thought that was suitable enough. She opened the door for him, when he walked in she was pleased with his expression. 

 “Maybe I should crush on the couch tonight. You look pretty tired and I don’t want to disturb you.” 

She wasn’t about to let him chicken out, she turned down the bed before she got in between the sheets. She ignored his earlier statement and invitingly patted on the bed. He cleared his throat before he approached the bed.

“Hold me as I sleep. Please.” How could he deny her such a simple request? He sat on the bed to take off his shoes and lay back on the bed. 

She cuddled into his arms and he could help but pull her closer to him. She dozed off with a smile on her face; she pleased with her little victory. This would be a night to remember. He watched her sleep, and at that time he was more hopeful than ever that everything would turn out fine.

Chapter 8- IN HER EYES

 “You are a mind reader aren’t you, and what are you? Come to think of it I didn’t see you coming here.” He followed them to the car, he was curious now. “I hope you won’t get me into trouble with this. I don’t know who this half breed is, but they want him and if I were you I would stay clear of that.”

They ignored him and drove away. Stephan could see that what Solara saw wasn’t good. He was worried, his face told more than that. He didn’t know whether he wanted to ask, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“They want you. The prospect of an attack is inevitable. They want you back to guard the Elders. The beasts have been spotted planning an attack. They are building up their warriors. Their numbers have increased. Both sides of royalty have got a problem. It’s a struggle of power.”

“The only thing to do is not to be found. That won’t be hard.” Stephan hoped.

“The thing is the beasts know about you. They are thinking about getting you to their team. Offer you better benefits.” He was laughing but the look on Stephan’s face silenced him.

“Anyway, they are sending bounty hunters after you.” He went on, “They’ve put a price on your head. They are nowhere near to finding you, but you have to be careful from now on.”

They were silent for a while. There was nothing to say, the news that they had was making things a bit more complicated. Solara knew that Stephan’s life had just become difficult, but for now his love life would have to take a back seat. This was more important.

“Bounties, that’s great, more people in my life. I have to figure out what I have to do now.” A loud laugh ripped out of his throat. “You know what’s funny if I did want to join the fight which side would I pick. Disregarding the fact that the vampires made me, I can’t choose which species to choose. I’m both; half and half.”

Solara was on the borderline of hysterical. “I’m glad you find your approach danger amuses you. I suggest you sit this one out.”

“I plan to, but if I have to pick a side you can guess whom I will go with. I can not go back to them not after they betrayed me,” he said the last words through clenched teeth. He would fight with the beasts. He wanted the vampires dead, but if he had a choice he wouldn’t bother with the feud.

    They got back to the diner, it was getting late. Stephan decided to drop in at the garage he needed to know if he still had his job, and he wanted to get a change of clothes. He needed space to think, time to himself. He went through the garage, when he didn’t see any need of his presence, he went up to his apartment.

 He stood under the shower, the hot water against his back, had a relaxing feel to it. His thoughts took over; he tried to see how the feud and Scarlet would both fit in his life. He thought about being with her, and what risks he would put her in if he did. He had enough experience with that. He was going to talk to her about it, tonight if he could.

He made his way across the lot to the diner. He got in and searched the room for her. He spotted Solara in his usual booth; Kayla was at the other side of the room attending to customers. He couldn’t spot her; her scent was dull in the room. She wasn’t there. He took a seat at Solara’s table. When Kayla glanced his way he raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her, when she mouthed she’s at the back in response, he could feel his muscles relax.

Kayla brought him a beer and leaned her head toward the side. Scarlet appeared from the direction she leaned to. She walked across to their table and sat next o him.

“Hey, I haven’t heard from you all day. I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you think you will be free tonight?” Scarlet hoped she would get a favorable answer. She twisted her thumbs under the table. Her eyes were looking down, she didn’t dare to meet his gaze.

He put his hand over hers. “Sure I’ll wait for you here.” Stephan thought she needed that, reassurance that he was here for her. He was going to open up to her as much as he could. Tonight was a good a time as any.

“We are going out tonight, so you’ll have the house to yourselves. You won’t be interrupted.” Kayla volunteered the information. She looked at Solara to back up her lie.

“Yes, we are going back to my place. Thought I would show her where I live.” His voice droned on, he knew they weren’t paying attention to what he was saying at the time. The girls got back to their work. “So do you think you are ready for this? To let her know about my sister and who you are. She may not take it so well.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing, but I will have to come around to it someday. I have feelings for her and I know she may not take the half breed part very well, but I think she will understand when I tell her about Sotera.” He hoped she would understand. He was scared about his reaction.

“I don’t think you should tell her about you being a half breed as you put it. She is going to think you’re a monster or something. I haven’t told Kayla about being the walking dead, and we have been dating for three and a half months now, and no we aren’t intimate.”

They both knew the danger of that; he could hurt her or worse kill her. 

“You have to be careful with that. But I’m sure when the time comes you will be able to handle it.” Stephan was trying to cheer him up. He hoped that he would also tell her the truth about himself; at least if he did it before him, he would be able to judge Scarlet’s reaction from Kayla. Besides her snippy attitude, they were alike in many ways.

The rest of the day flew by, it was closing time, Kayla left with Solara, while Stephan and Scarlet left in the other direction. He was driving again, she passed it off as his male ego, and he had to be in control. They drove the whole way back in silence. He held her hand the whole way.

Once they got to the house, they sat in the living room, across from each other. Stephan thought it was best in case his emotions got the best of him. Scarlet was the first to talk.

“I wanted to ask for some clarification. What are we exactly? Are we together, or are we two people who rarely talk, but kiss a lot? Who are always in each other’s arms and sleep in the same bed.”

They were silent for a couple of seconds when she realized he wasn’t about to talk she added on. “You can understand my confusion, and it hurts me. I don’t want to lose the little I have of you.”

Chapter 8- IN HER EYES

 “You are a mind reader aren’t you, and what are you? Come to think of it I didn’t see you coming here.” He followed them to the car, he was curious now. “I hope you won’t get me into trouble with this. I don’t know who this half breed is, but they want him and if I were you I would stay clear of that.”

They ignored him and drove away. Stephan could see that what Solara saw wasn’t good. He was worried, his face told more than that. He didn’t know whether he wanted to ask, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“They want you. The prospect of an attack is inevitable. They want you back to guard the Elders. The beasts have been spotted planning an attack. They are building up their warriors. Their numbers have increased. Both sides of royalty have got a problem. It’s a struggle of power.”

“The only thing to do is not to be found. That won’t be hard.” Stephan hoped.

“The thing is the beasts know about you. They are thinking about getting you to their team. Offer you better benefits.” He was laughing but the look on Stephan’s face silenced him.

“Anyway, they are sending bounty hunters after you.” He went on, “They’ve put a price on your head. They are nowhere near to finding you, but you have to be careful from now on.”

They were silent for a while. There was nothing to say, the news that they had was making things a bit more complicated. Solara knew that Stephan’s life had just become difficult, but for now his love life would have to take a back seat. This was more important.

“Bounties, that’s great, more people in my life. I have to figure out what I have to do now.” A loud laugh ripped out of his throat. “You know what’s funny if I did want to join the fight which side would I pick. Disregarding the fact that the vampires made me, I can’t choose which species to choose. I’m both; half and half.”

Solara was on the borderline of hysterical. “I’m glad you find your approach danger amuses you. I suggest you sit this one out.”

“I plan to, but if I have to pick a side you can guess whom I will go with. I can not go back to them not after they betrayed me,” he said the last words through clenched teeth. He would fight with the beasts. He wanted the vampires dead, but if he had a choice he wouldn’t bother with the feud.

    They got back to the diner, it was getting late. Stephan decided to drop in at the garage he needed to know if he still had his job, and he wanted to get a change of clothes. He needed space to think, time to himself. He went through the garage, when he didn’t see any need of his presence, he went up to his apartment.

 He stood under the shower, the hot water against his back, had a relaxing feel to it. His thoughts took over; he tried to see how the feud and Scarlet would both fit in his life. He thought about being with her, and what risks he would put her in if he did. He had enough experience with that. He was going to talk to her about it, tonight if he could.

He made his way across the lot to the diner. He got in and searched the room for her. He spotted Solara in his usual booth; Kayla was at the other side of the room attending to customers. He couldn’t spot her; her scent was dull in the room. She wasn’t there. He took a seat at Solara’s table. When Kayla glanced his way he raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her, when she mouthed she’s at the back in response, he could feel his muscles relax.

Kayla brought him a beer and leaned her head toward the side. Scarlet appeared from the direction she leaned to. She walked across to their table and sat next o him.

“Hey, I haven’t heard from you all day. I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you think you will be free tonight?” Scarlet hoped she would get a favorable answer. She twisted her thumbs under the table. Her eyes were looking down, she didn’t dare to meet his gaze.

He put his hand over hers. “Sure I’ll wait for you here.” Stephan thought she needed that, reassurance that he was here for her. He was going to open up to her as much as he could. Tonight was a good a time as any.

“We are going out tonight, so you’ll have the house to yourselves. You won’t be interrupted.” Kayla volunteered the information. She looked at Solara to back up her lie.

“Yes, we are going back to my place. Thought I would show her where I live.” His voice droned on, he knew they weren’t paying attention to what he was saying at the time. The girls got back to their work. “So do you think you are ready for this? To let her know about my sister and who you are. She may not take it so well.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing, but I will have to come around to it someday. I have feelings for her and I know she may not take the half breed part very well, but I think she will understand when I tell her about Sotera.” He hoped she would understand. He was scared about his reaction.

“I don’t think you should tell her about you being a half breed as you put it. She is going to think you’re a monster or something. I haven’t told Kayla about being the walking dead, and we have been dating for three and a half months now, and no we aren’t intimate.”

They both knew the danger of that; he could hurt her or worse kill her. 

“You have to be careful with that. But I’m sure when the time comes you will be able to handle it.” Stephan was trying to cheer him up. He hoped that he would also tell her the truth about himself; at least if he did it before him, he would be able to judge Scarlet’s reaction from Kayla. Besides her snippy attitude, they were alike in many ways.

The rest of the day flew by, it was closing time, Kayla left with Solara, while Stephan and Scarlet left in the other direction. He was driving again, she passed it off as his male ego, and he had to be in control. They drove the whole way back in silence. He held her hand the whole way.

Once they got to the house, they sat in the living room, across from each other. Stephan thought it was best in case his emotions got the best of him. Scarlet was the first to talk.

“I wanted to ask for some clarification. What are we exactly? Are we together, or are we two people who rarely talk, but kiss a lot? Who are always in each other’s arms and sleep in the same bed.”

They were silent for a couple of seconds when she realized he wasn’t about to talk she added on. “You can understand my confusion, and it hurts me. I don’t want to lose the little I have of you.”

Chapter 7- IN HIS EYES

The next morning Scarlet was disappointed to find herself in her bed. She had fallen asleep at the beach and she wished that Stephan had taken her back to his house or had come with her to her house. She remembered wanting to remain in his arms forever.

Stephan had called Solara the previous night to pick Scarlet up. He knew that he would be with Kayla at her place. Solara ran to the garage and drove back With Scarlet asleep in the back seat. He didn’t ask him any questions he knew that what happened between them was private.

Their odd relationship carried on for a while. Each time she would try to talk to him about it, he would interrupt her with kisses or he would leave. Finally, she gave up. She would get all that she could now. She would wait until his demons were all dead then they would define their relationship.

She wondered why he had shared that night with her at the beach, that night he behaved like they were lovers and now he pulled away from her. It was not fair; he had given her a taste of affection only to take it away from her. She was patient with him hoping that soon they would go back to the beach.

Meanwhile, Solara and Kayla were way past cloud nine. Their public display of affection was on the borderline of romantic and nauseating. One thing was for sure they complemented each other. Scarlet knew that soon she would either be in a crowded house or an empty one.

 That night Kayla had left with Solara, he had something special planned out for them. When she left the diner Stephan was there. She had the routine embedded in her head, walk to the car a kiss on the forehead, and bye. 

She walked at his side as she had done the past few nights. As she reached for the driver’s side door, he touched her hand to stop her. She looked up confused. This wasn’t in the routine, was there something she missed.

“Why don’t you let me drive you home today?” He said it in a low raspy voice and led her to the passenger’s side. 

She watched him as he went back round to the driver’s side, hoping he could fit into her matchbox of a car. She was a bit confused but was happy about the improvement. He pulled out of the lot and as he drove down the street he took her hand in his. He lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. Too stunned to say anything, Scar sat by and was silent only speaking up to give him directions to her house.

When they pulled into the driveway, Scarlet could feel her heart racing. She didn’t know what would happen now; this was out of the ordinary. He opened the door for her and she led them into the house. She fussed with her purse and coat dumping them on the couch as she usually did, didn’t seem right. When she finally turned around, he was staring at her. 

“I adore you. I know the past couple of weeks have been strange and confusing. I know I haven’t been fair to you. I’m just was not ready to talk about us at the time.” So there is an ‘us’. Scarlet mused to herself.

She was glad that he realized the torment he was putting her through. She couldn’t take the hot-cold attitude anymore; she was getting scorched and needed a time out. Or he needed to blow the final whistle and let her live on in peace.

“I have been trying to talk to you, but you always found a way to weasel out of it.” She felt awkward. She didn’t know whether to go to his side or remain standing across the room.

There was a long pause before she decided to speak again. “I need to know what this is. I am in love with you. But I feel like there is something that won’t let you completely love me.” She was going to bare her heart out to him. It was a risk she was going to take for her happiness.

Silence again. “I need to know if you are willing to let me in. I want to help you with whatever it is.” 

Stephan plopped down into a chair behind him. He had his head in his hands. “You can’t help me with what I’m battling, no one can. I’m trying to put it behind me for you so that we could be together. I just need time.” 

He spoke with his head still in his hands. He never looked up at her. He was afraid to meet her gaze. Her beautiful eyes always drowned him in love.

“Please don’t shut me out.” Scarlet voice cracked in desperation. She kneeled in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. She tried to lift his head so that she could see his face but he wouldn’t budge. She gave up and sat back on the floor. 

She was going to wait until he was ready. She looked at him wondering what could be so terrible to tear him apart. She ran her hands up and down his legs and waited. When he finally moved he crawled to put his head on her lap. She stroked his hair. She wouldn’t pressure him, not until he was ready. They sat for a while in silence. 

She rubbed her hand up and down his back, trying to soothe him. He loved it when she would do that. At times he couldn’t bear it. He could cry, for some reason he could. No one was able to explain how his body functioned, because he was the first of his kind. He was the only one who survived the Conselho’s neurotic experiments. 

***

They lay on the floor and he held her in his arms. Telling her the truth was the right thing. He expected two outcomes, one less likely than the other. She would love him regardless and he would disclose everything about his past. The other outcome he would rather not think about. She would hate him, and leave him. Tightening his grip around her he realized it was not an outcome he could handle. He almost had her. He realized that he was holding back because of Sotera. He would have to tell her about Sotera, everything about her.

A light snore brought him back to the present. Scarlet was asleep, part of him was glad, he had more time to prepare his confessions. He picked her up in his arms and followed her familiar scent to what he supposed was her room. Gently he laid her on the bed, covering her before he lay beside her. He was going to watch her sleep tonight; hopefully, he would be able to do this every night. 

He had never done this before. Watching her sleep was extraordinary, she looked so peaceful. The moonlight peeped in through the crack left by her curtains. The moon was nothing new for him, he had seen it for centuries but today there was something different about it. Something that made him feels that he was looking at it for the first time. Tracing the curves on her face he memorized it, every feature. He loved everything about her. The way her chest would rise and fall as she slept, was a rhythm that he would cherish for as long as would allow it.

He thought about it. Would she allow it, after he told her what he was? How would he do this, he had to find a way to break it to her gently. He loved her, she couldn’t replace Sotera, but he still loved her. Drawing her closer into his arms, he buried his face in her hair. He loved the scent of it. It was his way of getting high. 

A different kind of high.

   He thought of the times he played with Sotera’s hair, strawberry blonde her curls would dance around her back every time she moved. He loved spinning her hair on his finger. How could he completely love her when almost everything about her reminded him of her?

He would have to deal with this as soon as he could. Scarlet was hurting, the distance he left between them was unfair to her. She would never be her and he had to come with that. He couldn’t replace her, he couldn’t have them both. A decision between her and a dead girl was impossible. It was ridiculous; he could only have one of them, a memory or flesh and blood.

  Flesh and blood.

   She cuddled closer to him, whatever she was dreaming about made her happy, the smile on her face was proof of that. He leaned down and kissed her curved lips. She was precious, and didn’t deserve the pain he was putting her through.

Kayla walked toward her down the hallway to her bedroom; she decided to check in on her friend. She cracked the door open and was surprised by what she saw. Stephan pretended to be asleep, he wasn’t in the mood to face his inquisitive roommate. He tightened his hold on Scarlet when Kayla walked towards them. This was something she never thought she would see.

***

The next morning was different and strange. Stephan waited for her in the living room as she got ready for work. She remembered how happy she felt when she opened her eyes to his face. He was watching her carefully as she moved about her apartment.

“We got to go.” Kayla ran down the stairs and stopped at the last step when she saw him on their couch. “Good morning good people.” She gave Scarlet a quick wink and she turned a deep shade of red.

They left for work. He would be driving them today. Stephan’s phone rang; he used his free hand to flip it open. He pressed it to his ear and nodded.

 “Sure I will meet you at the diner in ten.”

He took Scarlet’s hand and kissed it. Today he would find out his fate. Their fate. He could only be with her if the Conselho backed off. Solara’s informant had something, and today they would go see him. All he could do was hope for good news. His mind was already in a mess. He pulled into the lot. 

He looked across to the garage and wondered if he still had his job. At the moment that was the least of his worries. He walked with them into the diner. Solara was already there in his usual booth. He raised an eyebrow at this unusual scene.

“Hey babe, hey Scarlet. Stephan.” He reached for Kayla and held her against his chest. They had a lot to do today. He realized her, after planting a kiss on her forehead. He sat back down when Stephan joined him. He could see how anxious he was.

What do you know? 

“The seer’s name is Mike. He said that the Conselho is desperate. I thought we could go see him today, figure this all out. So what do you think?” Solara didn’t have to do much convincing; Stephan was already on his feet. He gave Kayla a quick wave before following him to the lot. They got into the convertible and headed down the road.

“So what was that this morning.” from the corner of his eye he could see Stephan stone-faced. He could see he was tracing circles on the dashboard, musing over a thought. He couldn’t see what he was thinking, his guard was up. He at times wondered what he was thinking when he shielded his thoughts.

“Specifically, you come in with the girls this morning. I could tell you arrived together and judging by Scarlet’s happy thought I am guessing you had a good night.” He had a smirk on his face. He would pry until he got his answer. Why didn’t he make it easy for himself and drop the shield? 

“What exactly is the deal with this seer, can we trust him or will he squeal the first chance he gets.” Stephan planned to ignore any questions about Scarlet. He had to figure it out on his own.

 The previous night played back in his head, one part specifically appealed to him. Scarlet was in love with him, as much as he wanted to reciprocate the feeling, he had to be careful. He had to make sure that he was in love with her and not……. She reminded him about her, though they looked nothing alike, they were the same in so many different ways. 

“No, I think he’s cool. A couple of my acquaintances worked with him before. He has a pretty solid reputation. So he won’t roll on you to the Conselho if that’s what your wondering.” He was impressed with the way he completely avoided the question.

 The subject seemed to be very delicate to him; he didn’t envy the torment he was going through. He thought he should say something along the lines of Sotera would want you to be happy, but decided to leave it alone.

“I have enough going on with me, I don’t need anything more on my mind.” Stephan sighed; he didn’t need the trouble.

“I already told you his last vision, but hopefully there is some good news.” Hopefully. 

He raced down towards the China Town. They were almost there. He felt his pocket; he hoped that he had enough money to pay him. There was nothing cheap about the seer apart from his technique. He had the talent of reeling people in, by giving them a sneak peek at their future. He would then name his price according to the reaction they had. A dirty trick, that paid off every time. 

Although Solara could read his mind to get the answers he needed but decided not to cheat him out of his money. Of course, if he decided to play them, he would pick his mind, or unleash something he had never seen before. Stephan was a useful card to play. Not all the supernaturals knew had seen his kind, but they had heard about him before. 

He pulled up in front of a shack. Stephan raised his brow to him. “I thought people paid top dollar for his services. Why does he live in this dump?”

“He is trying to keep a low profile. He doesn’t want to attract any unwanted attention to himself.”

They were walking up the steps when the door flew open. A short grungy looking man stood at the doorway. He had a mean look on his face. He wasn’t happy about them being there. You would think for someone who was about to be paid, he would be a bit happy.

 “You must be Solara.” He glanced at Stephan before he asked, “And you are?”

“No one you have to know.” He was about to protest when Stephan’s eyes turned to a shade of red. 

His grey eyes disappeared when he was mad. At times he would do it to get the effect he wanted. Solara chuckled. He knew he would always come in handy. He placed his arm on Stephan’s shoulder. He needed him to stop before the seer decided to take off through the back door. He could see all the escape routes he had planned to use.

“Hey Mike, this is a friend of mine. As you can see he likes to remain unknown.” He followed the short man into his makeshift living room and plopped down on a seat. “So I have the cash, you give me the information.” He tossed a roll of fifty dollar bills on the table and used his head to gesture at it. He could see the greed in his eyes.

“Information, we don’t have all day, and my friend is getting a bit impatient.” He winked at Stephan to get some help. Mike was still thinking about the money, and not his vision, he couldn’t get the information he needed. Stephan cleared his throat; the deep voice was enough to get him to focus.

“You want to know about the half breed. I got a phone call from our mutual friend about it. The thing is…” 

Before he could finish what he was saying, Solara had seen more than he needed. “Don’t worry about it thanks, we will be on our way.” 

Mike was confused he looked back and forth at them, he hadn’t said a word. It took him a few seconds before he realized.

Chapter 6- IF THIS IS LOVE

“Before we go, I need to know who told you about the Conselho wanting me back in their leash. I need to know how serious this is before I get Scarlet tangled up in it. Yes, I do have feelings for her but I am not going to put her in danger because of it.”

 “I have a friend who can get a glimpse into the future. I can’t tell you more than that because his gift is a bit biased. So they are after you, but they don’t know how to find you. You have got time to decide what to do. If I get any more news I’ll give you a heads up.” he jumped to his feet and grabbed his car keys from the table. “Can we go now?”

Stephan followed his eager friend to his black Convertible. Material things had lost a place in his life, he gave up all the money he had, and it was just sitting somewhere. He was going to buy Sotera a house with that money. As for his mustang, it sat in the garage rotting away. They got into the car and sped back to Russian hill.

Solara was through the door and had Kayla in his arms. “Hey, fudge cake. I missed you.”

Stephan saw Marcie mouth the words fudge cake to Scarlet, shock on her face. Scarlet must have realized he was watching because she said, “Kayla hates pet names, especially those that are named after desserts. She often says that if she was meant to be a sweet she would be wrapped in a shiny plastic paper.”

Kayla and Solara ignored everyone around them. They kissed, causing a bunch of faces to turn beetroot red.

“Did you? Then why did you stay away so long.” she gave him a quick peck before slapping his hands off her. “Ketchup?”

They shared a look and a chuckle before she went on with her work. Stephan sat in a booth and watched his friend and his girlfriend. They looked so happy. Maybe one day he would be happy. 

His thoughts were replaced by Scarlet’s scent. She was walking towards him, he cleared his throat and sat up. He held her gaze as she slid into the booth to sit beside him. For a long minute, they sat in silence. After a while, he kissed her temple then stood up and left.

***

That night he picked her up from the diner. They took her Clio and drove to the beach west of the golden gate bridge. It was quite a distance from where she lived but she was happy to be with him. Wherever he took her was fine with her.

She had to admit that she was startled when he asked her out but was elated. Solara took Kayla home that night so she didn’t have an excuse not to. Her only fear was that he would bring her so close only to pull away. 

Once they got to the Baker beach, Stephan took her hand and led her towards the shore. The ocean looked so beautiful reflecting the twinkle of the stars and the light of the moon. It hung so beautifully in the dark sky leading all the other little lights in their shine, the sole witness of everything beautiful and the vicious in the world.

She loved looking at the moon and it seemed he did too, the only time he took his eyes off her was to look at the moon. The waves silently crashed against each other making beautiful music. And as the waves rolled so did the lights it reflected dancing to the sound of the ocean. The scene was beautiful, but its beauty did not take her worry away. She wondered why he brought her here to a place with a romantic ambiance. She waited, now that the stage had been set she waited for direction and to hear the words from his script.

Stephan reached for the back of her head and pulled off the ribbon that held her hair in place. He combed through it with his fingers and twisted it around his pinkie. He then stood behind her so that he could inhale the sweet scent of her hair. 

Scarlet stood still as he played with her hair, she didn’t want to risk destroying the moment for him. For her. She loved being this close to him though she knew it would not last. It only took a second before he pulled away and walked away from her. But where would he go now, they were at the beach with nowhere to hide.

He pulled her to the ground she didn’t resist, she was going to let it run its course. She would let herself enjoy the attention he was giving to her. She promised herself to memories every second of this night. It would be her only comfort if he recoiled back to his shell once they got back.

He took off her shoes and socks, then took his off. He pulled her legs to his laps and his tracing his fingers along her bare legs. She was glad that she had decided to wear shorts that morning and even happier that she shaved. He drew her close to his side. Holding her under his arm he buried his face in her hair once more. Taking in her sweet scent wishing he could bathe in it, letting it cover every inch of him. 

But that was not his reason for bringing her here. He wanted to be alone with her without the interruptions of the world. He needed this time to convince himself that it was ok to love her. To love someone other than Sotera. Sotera loved the ocean and the smell of it. Although it seemed wrong, he wanted to be with Scarlet in her favorite place.

He stood up and looked down at her then pulled her to her feet. He had one hand wrapped around her waist and the other stroked back her hair from her face. He wanted to look into her eyes, the eyes that had the same effect on him as Sotera’s yet they were so different. 

He traced his finger down to her lips before he lifted her chin to kiss her. His lips then traced down to the hollow of her neck. It lingered there for a while before he pulled back.

Scarlet thought it was time she got some answers. The romantic part of it was breath-taking but reality had to set in.

“Why did you bring me here?” She said it in such a low voice she didn’t think he heard her. For a moment she thought he hadn’t because he went on to fiddle with her hair.

She caught his hand to stop him but he brought it to his lips to kiss it. It was as if a million volts had been passed through her body because she shivered. She looked into his eyes searching.

“Just be here with me. Don’t try and rationalize it or find reason or meaning to this. I love the beach, the ocean, and the night lights. I wanted to share it with you.” 

He intertwined his fingers with hers and slowly started moving. He was dancing. They were dancing to the sounds of the waves. She didn’t know how to react to this all she knew was that she wanted to enjoy this moment but could not fully do it. A part of her was waiting for him to pull away as he usually did.

He twirled her around the sand and soon their feet were in the water. He then spun her away from him and dropped her hand. She looked at him as he took two steps behind. This was the reaction she waited for. She took in a deep breath and kicked the water.

“Dance for me So…Scarlet.”

She looked at him as if he had suddenly gone insane. “You want me to what?” her body stiffened she didn’t do that kind of thing. It wasn’t in her nature.

He chuckled and closed the gap between them. He took her in his arms and kissed her. As he did he swayed side to side, he could feel her body relax. His hands ran up and down her sides then he turned her around and brought her back against his chest.

He looked at the ocean as the waves rolled and crushed against each other. He then looked up at the sky and stared at the patterns the stars made on the thick dark blanket above them. It was a beautiful night a beautiful moment and he was with a beautiful woman sharing it with her.

He bent down to whisper in her ear, “Dance for me Scarlet. No one is watching except me and the moon.”

He planted a kiss on her neck and pulled her shirt off her shoulders and kissed her where it was bare. “Dance for me Scarlet. Dance with the ocean under these lights.” 

He gently pushed her further into the water and watched her as she hesitated. “Dance…”

With that last request, she swayed side to side using the water as her prop. Determined to look as enticing as she could. She got more confident when she saw him smile. It was a genuine smile he looked happy. She had never seen him so at peace before so happy at the simplest of things.

Stephan watched and with each turn she made he saw her, then saw her. He saw both the women he loved. When he saw Sotera he saw her at the beach in Rio, the first time he had laid eyes on her. When he saw Scarlet he saw her here with him.

So with every turn, she made he saw Sotera’s amber eyes and curly strawberry blonde hair dancing with her. He saw Scarlet and saw her hazel eyes, her eyes were like the moon and her hair swaying on her back. He looked at her realizing how similar his two loves were and yet how different they were.

He was happy that he was able to share the moment with both of them. He went to her and wrapped his arms around her. Swaying with her and staring into her eyes.

***

Scarlet was at the peak of happiness. She couldn’t imagine anything better than being here with the man she loved. She was convinced he felt the same way about her. This was not something you share with just anyone.

They sat on the sand she wrapped her body around his, staring at his face. She loved the way his dark hair hung around his face. How his eyes stood out from the rest of his face. She loved the feeling of his muscled back and his strong thighs under her. She wished that they could stay there forever.

But she knew they would have to go back to the real world. She hoped that he wouldn’t leave his affection behind at this beach.

Chapter 5- NEW LOVE

“They want you. They want you to go back to them lead the army against the beasts.”

Horror crossed his face for a second, and then rage took over. “WHAT!”

 Everyone at the diner turned to look at them. 

“What’s going on guys? If there is a problem you should take it outside.” Scar was the first to break the silence. 

“Fellas let’s take this outside.” it was Kayla who spoke up. She gently loosened Solara’s grip on Stephan’s wrist and tugged him outside. 

***

Once they were all outside, Stephan’s restraint broke, pacing, and trying everything to regain his composer to calm himself down.

 “They won’t have me. They can’t have me. I am not a thing to be dragged from one place to the other. I WON’T GO BACK!” 

The thought sank in deeper, he would take his own life before becoming their dog again. Counting down from ten he was able to calm himself down. He needed a clear mind to think about his next step. He wouldn’t run he had to face it. He would wait for them to come for him but for now, he would find out all he could and live his life as he did.

Stephan could feel the warm touch on his arm. Scarlet tiny hand delicately lay on his veined arm. He looked down at it and placed his hand over it. He didn’t know what to make of her concern. He then took her hand and held it in his. He still had his back turned to her and did not look back to face her. He was going to avoid eye contact as much as he could. The decisions he had to make would have to include her in some aspects, he was drawn to her. He had to plan it both ways but her safety would come first. 

***

His gentle touch warmed her heart. Her stomach started to flutter then he suddenly dropped her hand, and walked away. She was confused but everything about him confused her. She sighed in defeat, there was no winning with this man. For that one second, she could feel his affection for her but didn’t know what to make of his coldness towards her. She decided not to try and understand it was too complicated.

“Kayla honey, can I talk to you for a sec?” She could hear Solara’s voice in the distance, she was taken deep in her thoughts to care. She turned around and left the two at the lot. She got into the diner and picked up a pot of coffee and went on with her day. She was determined not to let him distract her. Since the day in the garage, he was all she could think about.

“Scar, are you alright. I saw that outside, didn’t know what it meant for him but I know what it meant for you. I see it in your eyes every time you look at him.” she was genuinely concerned, Stephan didn’t seem like the guy you would leave your heart with. And yet that was exactly what Scarlet was getting at.

“Don’t ask me what that was because I don’t know either.” 

She put her arm over Scarlet’s shoulder and squeezed before she let go. Sympathy was not something she advocated for so she tried to show she cared without throwing a pity party for her.

Kayla decided not to pursue the matter anymore. “Hope you don’t mind being alone tonight. Solara’s taking me out tonight.” she had an excited smile on her face.

“Don’t worry about it, I need to put my affairs in order,” Scarlet said while using her finger to tap on her temple. She did need to sort out her head, figure out what was happening to her.

***

Kayla left early that night. Solara had dropped by to pick her up. She was left alone to lock up. She went around making sure everything was turned off and the freezer was working ok, the last thing she needed was to wake up to find everything had gone bad.

 As she went around the counter, the door opened. She looked up and met his gaze. Stephan stood at the door staring at her. He didn’t say a word, he just stood there and looked at her. She walked towards him, in slow small steps. She tried to judge his mood by reading his face, but couldn’t. All she saw was pain, uncertainty, and affection. He looked like a confused little boy, which was ironic he was anything but little. 

She stood before him and reached out both arms to touch his arms. Before she could control what she was doing, she rose to her tiptoes and kissed his lower lip.

He looked down at her startled but then he circled his arms around her waist and lifted her. He looked into her eyes and lost his way in them. Her hazel eyes drew him in. He kissed her. He needed to feel her lips, to feel her tiny body in his arms. He needed her more than he wanted her. He drowned into the passion of the moment. 

She had her fingers in his hair, and then she ran them along his neck, his cheek, finally they settle around his neck. She held on to him as tight as she could, she was afraid he would disappear. His lips left hers. He looked at her face, memorizing every aspect of it. She still had her eyes closed. She was trying to get her breathing back to normal and to control her racing heart.

He put her back on her feet, his arms still around her waist, and waited. Her eyes fluttered open as she released his neck to let her hands ran down his chest, and around his waist. She hugged him and he let her. He held her close to him. They stood there in silence for a couple of seconds before he pulled away.

 He stroked her face and kissed her forehead. He walked to the counter where her purse was, picked it up, and handed it to her. He waited for her to lock up before he walked her to her car. He brushed his lips against hers and turned to walk back to his apartment above the garage.

Scarlet, drove home in silence more confused than she was before. She couldn’t understand what happened. She pulled into her driveway. Once she was in the house she dumped all she had in her hands and went to bed.

The few seconds she had in his arms played out in her mind. She couldn’t help but feel happy but then sad at the same time. After a while a more familiar emotion set in. Confusion. She was confused about everything he didn’t make sense to her.

Holding her hand then dropping it, kissing her holding her in his arms… and then… nothing. She thought about him even as she slept, but in her dream, there was no confusion, no distance just love in its purest form. 

***

“Wakey, Wakey, sleepyhead.” Kayla had a radiant smile on her face. “Come on sleeping beauty, you’d best get a move on if you don’t want to be late.” she was practically jumping off the walls and her giddy giggles sounded ridiculous.

 “Judging by that silly smile on your face, I guess last night went well.” For one of them at least, she could not help but feel a tad bit jealous.

“It was beautiful. He can be a sweet guy when he is not being an ass. So yes, last night went pretty well.” 

Scarlet drove to the diner as she listened to her best friend go on and on about her new pet. She was glad to see someone was having a good day. She was so confused she may have well been in limbo.

They walked into the diner, Kayla was still blubbering about Solara. 

“Hey girls beautiful morning, isn’t it.” Kayla chirped to the waitresses.

 They stared after her, confused at her happy mood, they didn’t have much experience with it. She practically waltzed around the diner. Her good mood was putting everyone on edge. Marcie leaned over the counter to where Scarlet was standing. “Is she losing her mind? Should we start running before she pulls butcher knives out of her apron and curves us to death?”

“Ha! Ha! I heard that, I’m just happy. And in love.” the last words had everyone quiet and staring at her. “Yes, I am capable of loving someone besides Scarlet!” 

The bell at the door rang, to announce the arrival of customers. They all went about their business, setting up table taking and placing orders. The day had finally begun. 

She looked out the window towards the garage. She hadn’t seen him about as he often was. “K, cover me I’ll be back in five.” She half ran and half walked across the lot to the garage. “Hey boys, I’m looking for Stephan.”

“Oh hi dear, SJ didn’t come in this morning. He said he had some business to attend to.” One of the shorter men in a dirty overall answered. “He said he wouldn’t be back ‘till this evening. I think he went with that man he was fighting.” 

Disappointed she walked back to the diner. She tried to push the kiss out of her mind but it proved impossible. She didn’t understand it and trying to make sense of it was making her dizzy.

***

Across town, Stephan and Solara were busy discussing his options. He didn’t have much open to him, but he knew one thing for sure, he wasn’t going back, especially not now. Not after last night. A smile crept on his face. She looked so beautiful and delicate. Her body fit right into him like she was made to match him. 

“You have got to be kidding me!” He heard Solara groan.

He didn’t have to guess to know what Solara was on about. He was so distracted he let his shield down. His head wasn’t working right anymore. She consumed too much of him. He looked up expecting to find Solara glaring at him, like the last time.

“Are you finally going to admit your feelings to yourself? I know you loved my sister but you have to move on. I have.” 

Stephan snorted. All Solara ever did was move on, from one town to another, from one girl to another. He knew that he had been to the diner a couple of times during the past few weeks, but didn’t think much of it. Soon he would be gone leaving a trail of heartaches behind him.

“I’m assuming you are talking about Kayla. Just make sure you don’t hurt her. She is a human, they are sensitive when it comes to such things.” He would know. The previous night he had seen confusion mixed with affection in Scarlet’s eyes. He knew what he was doing wasn’t right, considering that he could be forced to leave. He’d have to try and get as far as possible from the Conselho. But he couldn’t help himself.

 “Since you have access to her mind I know you can tell how she feels. So don’t hurt her.” He meant it. Kayla’s pain would be Scarlet’s pain. They were strangely tapped into each other’s emotion, a closeness he had not seen often between humans.

“Yes I know, don’t worry about it. I won’t. So… you and Scarlet huh? Not bad.” A chuckle escaped his throat.

 Stephan never thought he would ever see him happy again. Not since she died. He went out of control when she was murdered. 

“That’s why you had us come all the way here. Can we go back to the diner I want to see my girl now? Unlike you, I am embracing this new feeling.” Solara had changed. 

One thing still bothered Stephan. How did he bear being so close to her? He was a vampire and though he had an extraordinary restraint on his thirst, what would happen if lost control. He could smell Scarlet’s blood from across the street. It was intoxicating. But the thought of drinking from her never crossed his mind. He cared too much to hurt her.

Chapter 4- NEW LOVE

 Scarlet watched him as she walked away. Even as the darkness swallowed him, she went on looking. She had this eerie feeling that she had seen that stare before and it wasn’t in her imagination.

 “K, get serious. You’re going to let your imagination take over.” she pulled her gaze away from him and turned to her friend. “I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it. Maybe I just resemble someone he knows.”

“Keep telling yourself that. I have an eye for these things. But if you won’t admit it, then take me home. I’m exhausted.” they waved bye to the girls and headed to the car. “You know if the blonde wasn’t so rude he might have had a shot with me.”

“Sure K.” Scarlet hummed, Kayla always evaded relationships, and she didn’t want to relieve her parents’ life.

***

It was the lunchtime rush. The diner was full at this time. They ran back and forth taking orders, bussing tables, and giving refills. Scarlet’s feet already hurt. They were only an hour in. one more hour and the people would start clearing out. Soon it would be half empty, she couldn’t wait for the hour to be over already.

“Hey Scar, your boyfriend is on his way here.” Kayla chucked as Scarlet lost her balance trying to get a clear view of the door.

Scarlet looked out the window and saw him slowly close the distance between them. His beauty made a gasp escape her throat. She had seen handsome men before but there was something about Stephan that made her weak in the knees. Everything about him seemed powerful, he handled himself with importance. His posture and stance were that of authority and leadership. He reminded her of Troy the warrior.

When he moved, the contracting and relaxing of his muscles were visible under his black t-shirt. It clung to him showing off his tight broad chest. It was like his movements conveyed a combination of animal grace and reckless confidence. His eyes were deep and dark as the night sky, and somehow familiar. She only realized she had zoned out when the customer she was serving jumped out of his chair. The front of his trouser was drenched in coffee, and he was jumping around trying to cool the sudden heat on his pants.

 She watched in horror, she was sure Joany was going to shout at her about customer care. The rest of the waitresses were snickering behind her, they knew all too well what had caught her attention. Who had caused the blister the customer was sure to have from the hot scorching coffee.

***

Stephan decided to go into the diner that afternoon. He could eat human food, he just preferred not to. It had been centuries since he last had human food. Today he would risk it, he wanted to see Scarlet once again. He didn’t understand his feelings towards her, since that night at the Warf. Her eyes drew him in. If it wasn’t for the fact that he could hear her heartbeat, he could have sworn she was a vampire compelling him.

He walked in and located an empty table. He didn’t want an audience in case the food didn’t sit well with him and it all came back up. He wasn’t sure if he should ask for her or wait till she came up to him. He assumed that she would at least say hi. Something was going on where Scarlet stood. It seemed to amuse everyone except the man, Joany, and her. He looked on curious and ready to step in, in case it got out of hand, and the outcome didn’t favor her.

He fiddled with his menu, and only looked up when Kayla came to take his order. She had a beautiful smile on her face. He smiled back at her.

“Hello Kayla, how is your day going?” Polite chatter wasn’t one of his strongest points but he had to try. He wondered why Scarlet hadn’t come up to him yet, he had already been there for ten minutes and the problem seemed to have been resolved. 

“So I see you aren’t concerned about self-preservation.” she had a cheeky grin on her lips that reminded him so much of Solara.

He looked up at her startled. “Why would you say that?”

“You chose to come here for your lunch,” she whispered. “Pick your poison, and don’t say I didn’t warn you. As your friend, I am officially warning you.” She leaned to his ear and lowered her voice. “If I were you I would take a beer and salt, and maybe some bread. Do you know why?”

Stephan shook his head. Friend. He was beginning to find her more amusing than annoying. At this moment he was grateful he didn’t feed on her. Intrigued he asked why.

“They don’t make them here. As a friend, I am pleading you to order a cup of coffee and some scones.”  

There was that word again, friend. He would have liked to have her as a friend, but it wouldn’t make much sense putting her in danger. Since the day Sotera died, he thought of himself and anyone close to him as a target. He nodded in agreement to her suggestion.

“Thank you for the heads up.” he thought he should ask her about the scene earlier but he had to phrase it in a way that he didn’t seem to be asking after Scarlet. “What happened to the guy with the wet pants?”

Kayla let out a high pitched laugh before she answered, “Ah… Scarlet was otherwise preoccupied…” she tried to hint that he was the distraction. “She poured coffee on the guy over there. She didn’t even notice until the guy was jumping up and down his hands on his crotch.” she let out another chuckle. “I think she torched his hopes at parenthood.”

 Stephan laughed because she laughed. Kayla seemed to find humor in the oddest of places. Someone else’s expense. She sauntered away to get his order from the kitchen.

Stephan could feel the presence of a vampire nearby, he snapped his head up and looked around the diner. He then looked out the window. He could see Solara walk up to the garage. He thought it would be a lot less physical if they would talk in the diner. He wasn’t in the mood to fight. He didn’t need the drama. Scarlet was busy with the other customers so he thought he would indulge him for a while. Solara walked out of the garage annoyed by his absence, he paced around before his head snapped up in the direction of the diner.

Solara I’m at the diner. 

He knew that he would be able to pick his thoughts out of all the people around him, he had mastered his voice well enough. He knew and hoped that he wouldn’t make a scene when the humans were around. There would be no salvaging their true identities if it happened. 

***

From the other side of the diner, Scarlet watched her friend’s silly act of anger. She watched her as she huffed back to the kitchen and disappeared to the back for her break. She was not surprised at the reaction but was surprised that whatever the man did she let it get to her. It was unlike her she never lets anyone annoy her. She would always find a way to turn the table back on them.

Scarlet walked up to the two men at the table. “Hey, guys, nice to see you’re not at each other’s necks today. Hope you are…” Whatever she was saying disappeared when she looked at the table. Her eyes had trailed to the red liquid in the glass. “What in God’s name is that?” 

She picked it up and carefully examined it afraid of what it might be. Kayla had a knack for revenge and they were never subtle and always had a terrible effect on the recipient. As she held the glass in her hand a million crazy theories went through her head.

“Ketchup!” she said letting out a long sigh. “You pissed her off, I have seen the cold treatment before, but this is harsh.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m Solara.” He stretched out his hand for hers.

“Scarlet. So I hope you two are comfortable despite the hostility.” 

She chanced a glance at Stephan. He hadn’t said a word since she got there. She lingered for a while then she shrugged in defeat and left the table. She headed for the direction Kayla had disappeared to, with the glass of ketchup in her hand.

***

Stephan had wanted to talk to her that was the only reason he came in, in the first place. But at that moment he couldn’t say anything. He couldn’t at that moment he resented the feelings he had for her. He had only seen her twice before, and he was beginning to desire her. He would not let himself love anyone else. Neither would he allow it. Not after what he did. Rather what he failed to do. He tossed a couple of one-dollar bills on the table and left.

Stephan’s guard was up. He could feel Solara’s rage, he took a step to the side when he lurched at him. He stood and stared at him. He let his shield down so that the attacker could see his torment and pain. There was nothing that he could do to him that could hurt him more, than the thought of loving someone else.

Solara had looked into his mind, his face mirrored everything that he felt inside. Stephan knew that Solara hated him for loving his sister. He hadn’t avenged Sotera’s death. And now, Stephan was falling for a human.

Stephan didn’t know how to explain what he felt. Not to himself or anyone else. He had only loved once, he vowed never to love again. He would put himself in a position of vulnerability. Sotera’s face came to him. The night of her death haunted him. He was losing grip of his sanity. He could hear her pleas, her cries of pain, her and the tearing apart of her body. He could see the flames over her perfect body. He had seen both sides of love and he wasn’t about to face it again.

Later that night Stephan stared out his window. He decided not to allow himself to get close to Scarlet. He was relieved by the fact she wasn’t interested in him. Stephan went out to hunt, he hadn’t fed since the day he saw her, and besides it would keep him preoccupied for the next couple of hours.

***

Solara visited the diner as often as he could to torment Kayla. He took joy in seeing the scowl on her face every time he walked in. He never ordered anything, all he would do was ask for Kayla, and she would come at him with a glass of ketchup in hand. Joanie didn’t like it at first but when he started paying for it she never said a word. After a while, Kayla would look forward to seeing him, and when he wouldn’t come she became disappointed. They often wondered where he was when he wasn’t at the diner charming Kayla.

Solara walked into the diner, and as it was routine Kayla would always meet him at the door with a glass of ketchup in hand. He took a booth at the corner, something was on his mind. Today he did not seem disturbed by the men making passes at Kayla, he was too preoccupied to notice.

Usually, he was alert. Whenever he thought a man had made an improper gesture towards her, he would clear his throat and wave her over. Although they did not have a romantic relationship he was attached to her. Kayla had been the first woman with whom he looked past the physical beauty. She was smart and strong, sure of herself and her capabilities. She was a challenge for him and he believed that he had finally met his match.

Today something bothered him. He flipped his phone open and talked into it. A few minutes later Stephan walked in and took a seat across from him. The expression he wore showed that he was less than pleased.

What are you talking about and why did we have to meet here.

“This is bigger than you and the secret affection you have for the human. You can lie to yourself but not me. Remember I can read your mind,” he shrugged. “When you let me.”

Solara looked over at Scarlet who was serving a customer at the far end of the diner. Watching her, he realized that she was the woman who would replace his sister in Stephan’s heart. As angry as he felt, he knew it was time for Stephan to move on. There were more important things to deal with now. How long did he expect Stephan to hold on to the love of the dead?

Solara could feel Stephan’s impatience. It was like an itch taking over his body. If there was one thing he hated about being a vampire, it was the heightened senses.

 “Get to the point!”

 He took a deep breath before he spoke, he anticipated a negative reaction to what he was about to say. “The Conselho is at it again. They are on a rampage and very desperate if I may add.” he coughed out a laugh. The fact that someone had the all-powerful shaking in their boots made him ecstatic. 

“They can’t keep track of their minions anymore apparently they need a firm hand, indiscipline and defiance under the new regime. Imagine that, they are beginning to think for themselves.” his lips curved into a grin, but Stephan did not seem to care. “They were having some difficulties with the other supernatural beings. Territorial issues boundaries and whatnot. Anyway, they need to have their warriors ready in case the beasts attack.”

He paused first waiting for the news to sink in. Stephan slightly shifted in his chair before he straightened up. He looked at Solara, a smirk on his face. The Conselho’s bad news was his good news but what did it have to do with him.

“You more than anyone know that I don’t care about that anymore. I left it behind and since…” Stephan couldn’t say the words, not out loud.

…Sotera died…

 “I don’t care what happens to them anymore. So if that’s all that you had to tell me I will take my leave now.” Stephan got up to leave when Solara grabbed his wrist.

Chapter 3 – LOVE UNDER THE MOON

 “Hey! Wake up!”

She could hear someone calling her from a distance. With a quick look around, she searched for the familiar voice, but nothing. She drew her focus back to the man standing before her, her hands were warm in his. A cold wind blew, gusting flowers and leaves up, swirling around them. An unfamiliar feeling captured her, she didn’t want to leave but she could still hear someone call out to her. 

“Scar, we’re going to be late!”

Her eyes flew open. It seemed so real. She wanted to go back to that happy place and as she tried to close her eyes again, Kayla called out to her louder this time. She almost saw the color of his eyes. She scowled at her friend. 

“Late for what, I need my rest.” Not to mention I was just about to see his eyes. She scrambled to her feet and followed her friend into the kitchen.

“Late for what, she asks? We need to get to the diner.” Kayla walked around the table spreading her arms out. “You see this apartment, it doesn’t pay for itself, food doesn’t miraculously come out of the oven.” She then walked to the light switch and flicked it on. “When the light comes from that globe it’s a good thing, it’s what we call electricity. We want electricity. Electricity is good, but it’s not free.” 

She then put her hands on Scarlet’s shoulder. “For us to have such nice things we need to pay for them. So that means we need to earn money. That also means we need to keep the job we have, no matter how crappy it is.”

They had been working at the diner ever since they were in university. The money they earned was enough to sort the bills and put food on their table, so they had decided to keep their jobs until they could find something more lucrative. 

Scarlet rolled her eyes at her sarcasm. She had to admit that it was one of her favorite things about her. “Our shift is at twelve.” She swallowed the last word as she followed Kayla’s finger to the clock. She then ran to her room to change. “Why didn’t you wake me earlier? It’s eleven forty, we aren’t going to make it in time.”

“Speak for yourself. We are going to get there even if we have to fly.” Kayla snorted.

Scarlet was behind the wheel, they were just a block away from the diner with two minutes to spare. She willed her little silver Clio to go faster. “Come on baby you can do it.”

She turned into the corner, Jodie’s, they were home free. As she passed the garage to get into the parking lot, something caught the corner of her eye. A man, for some reason she thought she knew him. The sunglasses he had on didn’t make it any easier to make out the face. She knew him from somewhere. 

Immediately she pulled into a spot Kayla was out the door. “Come on, hurry up. Thirty seconds.” 

Scarlet pushed the thought out of her head, whoever he was, was not as important as getting to work on time. 

***

The garage was empty today, no cars to fix. The boss had let the guys off early today. Stephan and two other mechanics hang back for a while for the walk-in customers. He delaying going back home for as long as he could. 

Being alone in the apartment with only his thoughts to keep him company wasn’t something he looked forward to. He needed a break from his life. He toyed around with some of the junk at the garage, the chatter from the boys served as a good distraction but he did not want to be part of it. He pretended to be busy.

“Hey, am looking for a Stephan Jeraldi.”

Stephan heard his name from the back, he recognized the voice. He took a deep breath, he knew exactly what was going to happen next. He didn’t need a psychic or a mind reader, to tell him what waited for him at the front.

“SJ! Yo! SJ! Somebody wants you!”

SJ, he hated that nickname. The boys wouldn’t call him Stephan according to them it lost its uniqueness in the eighty’s. He was from the eighties and it was a very respectable name at the time. He took a careful step and stood at the door, he took a deep breath before he swung it open. 

“Stephan”, he corrected them. “Solara,” he said in a grunt acknowledging his visitor. “Boys do you think you can give us a minute. Why don’t you get some grab from Joanie’s?” 

We can not do anything here in front of these humans. Although Stephan hadn’t opened his mouth to speak, he knew that Solara had heard him. That was his gift, he read minds. 

“Ok, thanks, bro!” They shuffled out of the shop to the diner across the street.

When they were out of hearing range, Stephan attempted to reason with Solara. What would he say, what could he say to him to make the loss of his sister any easier. 

“You knew that your kind can never be with vampires, so why did you pursue that relationship.” Solara hissed. “You knew the Conselho would not let a filthy beast like you, abandon his post, to live free and with a vampire no less. You knew but you still put her in danger.”

Your kind. Filthy beast…. Stephan knew what he was. He knew it all too well, but Sotera never cared about that. She loved every side of him. He was unique in his way. That’s was why he was one of the strongest of the warriors the Conselho had.

Midst his trail of thought, Solara’s full weight crushed into him. They fell to the ground with a loud thud, dust from the destroyed gravel raising into the air and filling his nostrils. Stephan didn’t try to fight, he didn’t push Solara off. He let Solara hit him. If this was what he needed to do to settle his grief he would let him do it. It was the least he could do. 

“Fight! Fight me! Are you too weak? Are you going to show the same weakness you did when my sister was butchered?” his voice was thick with emotion. “You did nothing. You beast, what kind of love did you have for my sister. You never…”

Stephen felt the power surge from him, how could he say that. How could he say that he never loved her? Yes, he couldn’t save her but he loved her. 

Stephan flipped to his feet, bucking Solara off like a wild mustang. Solara crushed into the garage door. They lurched at each other, crashing everything in their path.

***

The day dragged on, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. There were the usual cranky overbearing customers and Jody was shouting at the top of her lungs, for some reason or none at all. Jodie’s the place you don’t want to be. Sometimes Scarlet couldn’t understand why people still came to eat here. Bad food, terrible service and there was always a tumult. Did they enjoy the drama with their plates of grease?

“Hey Scar do you hear that? It sounds like it is coming from the garage? Aren’t the boys here? Ask them what’s going on.” Kayla peered out of the window.

“What the hell.” Scarlet stared out the window. She put the coffee pot down, and headed for the garage, curious Kayla tailed her. 

They peeked in head first, and then they went into the scrap littered place. It was a sight to behold. Two well-built men were fighting, it was a cross of boxing, karate, and wrestling, an exhibit of male testosterone on overcharge. 

Kayla let out a loud trucker whistle that got their attention. Scarlet’s hands flew to her ears, the two men froze on the ground and looked up at their audience. Everyone from the diner filled the cramped space. They scrambled to their feet and dusted themselves off. Kayla had her eye on the shorter one who was extremely beautiful. He had short blonde hair, amber eyes, and a blatant worshipper of his temple body. The other man was equally as beautiful but had a look to him that she didn’t appreciate.

“Nothing to see here people! Get back to the diner.” Kayla’s voice rang in the air, as she shouted at the crowd that had gathered around them.

Scarlet could see how intrigued Kayla was. Scarlet chuckled, it was clear the only reason Kayla cleared the garage was to get some privacy with the guys. 

“So guys, I’m Kayla and this is Scarlet, what’s the problem.” Kayla chirped. 

“That doesn’t concern you.” Solara hissed.

Scarlet turned to her friend her eyes begging her not to retaliate. A scuffle between Kayla and the stranger wasn’t something she was looking forward to.

Kayla shifted her weight to her right foot and changed her stance as if preparing herself for a fight. “Rude much?”

***

     Stephan decided to step in. “Kayla, Scarlet is it? I apologize for my friend but we don’t need your help.” I need to keep a low profile here. This is where I live and work. Don’t do anything idiotic. With a nod, Solara acknowledged that he had heard his thoughts. He began to walk away when Stephan called after him. “Solara, you know where I live, we can continue this conversation later, but in a more civilized manner.”

“Don’t call me, Stephan, I’ll call you. But I want a fair fight. No holding back.” Kicking the door on his way out as he stormed out of the garage.

Stephan realized he was alone with the two waitresses. He looked at them and realized who they were, the women from the night before. How could he forget Kayla’s annoying little voice? She was such a little person, with such a loud voice. His eyes drifted back to Scarlet, she was beautiful. Not as beautiful as Sotera, no one could be as beautiful as Sotera, but she was still beautiful. Her eyes, he was trapped in her eyes once more. One could have a conversation with her eyes, all her emotions could be read from her eyes. Amidst all the warm fuzzy feelings, fear crept up. He had to get away from her. 

“We have to go now, Stephan, I hope you feel better.” Scarlet took Kayla’s hand and he watched as they walked back to the diner.

***

It was after nine o’clock, closing time. They cleared the tables and tended to the last customers. It had been a long eventful day. Scarlet and the other waitresses sat in a booth, sharing their horror stories of the day while cuddling a cold beer. 

“Hey, gals what did you think of the clash of the titans earlier on?” Redhead Marcie asked. The fight at the garage had sparked everyone’s curiosity, and for obvious reasons, the fighters had attracted the women’s attention. 

“So what happened when you and Scar were left behind with them? Did you get their numbers? Their names at least?” the question was directed at Kayla. They eagerly leaned towards her. 

Kayla waved off the question and didn’t bother answering. She turned towards the knock on the door. “Can’t you read the sign? It says closed!” 

Scarlet felt her breath hitch in her chest. She noticed how his size had made the room seem oddly smaller. He was divine and the jet black hair bouncing around his face brought out the odd silver color of his eyes.

***

Stephan walked into the diner with an apologetic smile on his face. He searched the room and found Scarlet. He wasn’t sure why he came in here, a few hours ago he was determined to stay away from her. But his mind willed him here and besides, he had the perfect excuse. His eyes followed Scarlet as she crossed the room to where Kayla was. 

“I’m sorry about the commotion earlier. We didn’t mean to disrupt your day. It was just old friends catching up.” he shifted his gaze between the two girls. He didn’t miss how beautiful they were, but something about Scarlet called out to him. “I just wanted to say thank you for your help, you know with the crowd control. I appreciate it.”

“I have never seen you or your friend around here before? Did you just come into town?” Kayla asked, a hint of hostility in her voice, she was still annoyed. “To be more precise which hole did your friend crawl out from?”

A chuckle escaped his throat. “I’m sorry about his attitude. He was not in a very good mood at that moment. Other than that he is a very pleasant person.” 

Pleasant wasn’t exactly the word that would describe Solara. He was more of a playboy. He loved his fun and his women. He had more control over his thirst than his lust for the opposite sex. He never fed on women he worshipped them too much to kill them. He fed on the people he knew no one would miss.

“I have to go now, thank you for everything.” he gazed at Scarlet for a while before he turned and left. He could hear their voices as he walked away, and the last statement put a long-awaited smile on his face.

“He wants you.” He heard Kayla say as he walked away. Stephan chuckled to himself and the sound of his laughter surprised him.

Chapter 2- NIGHTFALL

Seven years later…

San Francisco Bay area had always beautiful at night everything about it spelled romance. The white sandy rocky oceans to the starry night sky, it was so peaceful. Soon she would be leaving it all behind to follow her dreams. At twenty-four she had the strength and time to do what she wanted. She decided to pace her life and not miss out on anything.

Scarlet McKyle and Kayla Turner were out for a night of fun. They had just done their finals, soon they would join the world of the working, but now they would have their fun. Scarlet thought of the day’s earlier events, graduation was beautiful. The day she and her parents looked forward to since she had first joined university. Kayla’s mother and grandmother were there but her father wasn’t around much. Her parents divorced when she was five but still visited her from time to time. She had always made a fuss about it until that day. The day Scarlet’s parents died Kayla appreciated every call and all the scolding she got from her parents. 

Scarlet had taken a major in psychology she wanted to help children who had suffered the same loss she did. A grief counselor, she understood all too well about grief. She knew in her heart that her parents were proud of her. She worked hard to make them proud though at times it felt ridiculous trying to please the dead. All her successes were due to her parent’s sacrifices and dedication. They always did everything together like Siamese twins that were why she was glad when they had died together. She didn’t think one could live without the other. It all worked out in the end, she had graduated top of her class and now the world was her playing field.

Kayla’s grandmother and mother threw a party on behalf of the two graduates. It was more than she had expected. She had always known that Kayla’s family took her as one of their own. They had been friends for the past four years. She held her hand when she watched the two coffins with her parent’s bodies as it was lowered into the ground. She was her best friend and a sister to her.

They had held the party in their little home on Russian hill Lombard Street. The houses there were a bit costly but she was comfortable there. Besides, she and Kayla had jobs and could pay for their necessities. Scarlet’s parents had also been kind enough to give her some money which she received in instalments from the executioner of the will.

She chose Lombard Street because it was far enough from where she lived with her parents but not too far, also because the house reminded her of the home she shared with her parents. Scarlet travelled to San Jose occasionally to visit their graves, and even when she tried, she could not run away from that part of her life no matter how far she chose to go.

Scarlet had applied for a Psychology internship in Washington, she hoped to get it. She needed a change of scenery but she still knew she would have to come back in October. She looked over to her friend an aspiring journalist hoping to work at the Washington Post. They went everywhere together as long as the universe allowed it. Kayla was a bloodhound and her sassy attitude favoured the career path she had chosen. 

Although people thought she was better suited as a lawyer, the one thing they didn’t know was that she resented them. She blamed them for being instrumental in her parents’ divorce. Some of her opinions and beliefs were absurd but no one dared to challenge them.

They walked into the darkness headed towards the next spot. Kayla loved club hopping and tonight Scarlet was indulging her every whim. 

Kayla was five foot six with ebony skin and curly hair. Her long legs held up a curvaceous body, her luscious lips and brown cat-like eyes made her look like a goddess. Scarlet always thought that they had a huge contrast between them. Kayla was beautiful and confident in her beauty and she was shy and reserved. They were the same height and resembled in all but some of their features. Her white pale skin, her thin lips, her long straight brunette hair, and the hazel color of her eyes. She lacked the confidence and presence that her friend easily commanded.

Scarlet had her guard up, strolling at night was not one of her favorite things to do. Two beautiful girls walking the dark lonely street seemed like tempting the fates. Martial arts were not something she had at her fingertips, but she had a can of pepper spray. She was doubtful it would hold up against a psychopathic killer but when she felt it in her purse she was comforted. 

An eerie feeling crept up on her. She turned to look back a couple of times, it was like someone or something was following them. When she saw nothing she passed it off as her usual paranoia.

***

Stephan had taken to attacking unsuspecting drunks in the dark. Now he had his target’s insight, feeding on the two girls would last him a week. They were a bit petite but they would do. Planning his course of action, he decided to start with the black girl she talked to too much, and finish with the white one she looked timid and wouldn’t fight him. Not that she could wrestle him off anyway. He needed an easy kill and they were it.

 He wondered why the white girl kept looking back, it was as if she knew he was as there.

 Whatever, it didn’t matter to him much. With a snarl, he flashed before them, his lips pulled back as he bared his teeth, but stopped. The look in her eyes, her hazel eyes pulled him into them. Though their eyes weren’t the same he could see Sotera’s gentle nature in them. 

   He noticed her chest wasn’t moving. The function of her lungs ceased not allowing her the air she needed to scream. But the other one found her voice. “What do you want? Money, here take it!” She threw her purse at him. “Just take it, please don’t hurt us!”

Stephan paid no attention to the other girl, she was screaming something at him but he couldn’t take his attention from the one standing before him. She was petite, couldn’t be more than five foot six. Compared to him she was like a child. Way over six foot three, his body was the size of three human men combined. He lifted his hand to stroke her cheek his senses pleading to touch her but froze mid-air. He couldn’t go through with it. Unable to bring himself to hurt her he turned and walked away.

***

“What a freak! What was he doing? Checking us out or what?” Kayla snarled, her newfound bravery replacing the fear that had gripped her a heartbeat ago.

Scarlet turned to look at her friend. They had to get out of there as fast as possible. “Let’s get a cab and get out of here! Now! Kayla!” She shrieked out the order. “Pick up your purse and let’s go before more weirdoes come out.” 

“Where did he come from? One second there was nothing, and then whoosh!” Kayla used her hands to gesture the wind. “There he was. He just appeared in front of us.” 

“Yeah, I know.” What could she do but agree with her best friend? She hadn’t seen him approach them. Scarlet felt relaxed in the comfort and safety of her home.

“This city is full of crazy people. Crazies, they should just be picked up and thrown into some mental facility, right Scarlet?”

Her hysterics were met by silence. “Scarlet! Scarlet are you paying attention to me. Now is not the time to be disappearing into your head.”

“I hear you Kayla, crazy people. I heard you.” Scarlet didn’t understand it. “He took nothing. Did you notice how he stared at me? It was as if he…..cared.” 

Kayla turned her whole body to look at her. “What! Are you serious? Do you think he wanted to have a conversation with you? Take you out to dinner so that you could talk about your future babies!” She touched the back of her hand to Scarlet’s forehead as if checking for her temperature. “Sweetie, are you feeling okay? Are. You. Crazy!”

“No, seriously K!” Scarlet pushed her hand away and got up to stand at the other side of the room away from her friend’s glaring eyes. “He looked right into my eyes. It was like he wanted to touch me. Stroke my cheek even. Do you understand what I am saying?” She looked at the expression on her friend’s face. She knew at that moment that if she could she would have her in a strait jacket on her way to the nuthouse.

“Sure I do honey. He was going to touch you.” Kayla’s smile turned into a scowl as her voice rose. “He was going to wrap his hands around your neck and kill you. He was going to choke the life out of you. And he was going to watch you die. That’s not affection. He’s crazy. Do you hear me? Crazy.”

Scarlet lost track of what her friend was saying. Kayla always blew things out of proportion. Such an active and inventive imaginative mind she had. But Scarlet knew what she saw. Or did she imagine it? She didn’t understand why she felt pity for the stranger. Maybe she was losing her mind. 

“Scar, are you sure you are ok?” Scarlet saw the look of concern on Kayla’s face.

“Am cool K. It’s just been a long day. I just need some downtime, you know, unwind soak in a hot bath, paint my toenails, and watch a chick flick. That kind of thing. Don’t worry about me am fine.” she murmured, all the while trying to make sense of the swirly of emotions in the pits of her belly.

She turned the tap on to fill the bathtub. Once she had put in all the bath salts that she needed she stepped into the bath. A feeling of relaxation enveloped her as the water rushed around her. It had been one of the strangest nights she had. She wouldn’t think about it now. But that was exactly what she ended up doing.

                                                            ***

Stephan didn’t understand what had happened. Why did she affect him that way? She was a stranger just like every other victim. There was something about her, something about the way she looked at him. He walked into the cave that he called home. The darkness that enveloped him, comforting. If he didn’t need sustenance he would never leave.

He lived above the garage he worked at. His apartment was empty. It was a bed-sitter. The king-size bed and the clothes that hang in his wardrobe was all that he needed. Besides the bed came with the room, all that he could call he were the two pairs of black jeans and the five black and white muscle T-shirts. 

He tried the lights and nothing. 

Snap!

 He hadn’t paid his electric bill. He had only focused on paying Sotera’s rent. It had already been seven years since her death. He could not find the strength to let the apartment go. The apartment was five minutes away from his home. That was as far as he would allow himself to be away from her. Five minutes. The apartment and the ashes were the only things he had left of her. He lived his life as a zombie, confined to three places, his place of employment, his crappy apartment, and his shrine, Sotera’s apartment.

 Nothing appealed to him anymore, there was no doubt that he took pleasure in destroying what she loved to protect. Her love for preserving human life was absurd from the beginning he knew he would go back to his true nature. Now he was slowly getting there, he just needed to sink a little deeper into the darkness. He was not going to fight it, he would embrace it wholly.

He had no friends or family, everyone he knew and loved died back in the eighteen hundred’s. But he did have someone. The accurate term would be had. Solara, Sotera’s younger brother. They hadn’t spoken since her death. He blamed him for his sister’s death. Stephan knew that he would never forgive him, she was the only family he had. She died because of him. In that second the Conselho had taken everything from him.

He took his customary position at the window and stared out. At times he would do this till dawn. He looked out at the world thinking about how it had changed the last few centuries. Tomorrow he would be back at the chop shop, enduring his boss. He chuckled under his breath if only he knew that he could snap him in half with just one try. 

The sun would rise in a while. It was time to go about like any other human. Wanting things they didn’t need, ignoring the fact that there was something out there greater than they were. 

He thought of his life before he met Marquis, he was happy. Deception and greed had gotten him in this mess. He was promised all the riches that he wanted ultimate power and gifts that only existed amongst the supernatural. He peeked into a life he thought he could live without. It was too late now, he had gotten his wish and now what he deserved.

***

  Scarlet stirred in her bed, she was back at the Warf, the tall stranger stood before her. She couldn’t help but notice his beautiful body. He must have been six foot three or more, his muscled physique screamed for attention under the white T-Shirt. She wanted to touch him, to run her hands over his body, to dig her fingers into his hair. They were spinning around in mid-air, arms around each other. Then it stopped, they stood still facing each other. Holding hands. His eyes mesmerized her, they were…