Once Bitten, Twice Shy

prologue

Book 1 - Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Darina's POV

What's the big deal of being the most powerful Vampire queen in the world if I couldn't save my own mate?

It was the only thought in my mind while I hold my fate, my dying fate on my lap. For the first time in my 2 Millennia of existence I felt how it's like to be completely helpless.

'' Darina don't cry it's not good..........for your..............reputation.'' He tried to smile with his blood soaked lips. He was trying to look like he was going to be fine, like I couldn't feel his pain.

I wiped my crimson tears from the sleeve of my dress. Tears are not what he's asking for. But how can you just sit and wait while all your hopes of existence are slowly slipping away through your fingers.

My throat thicken, tears sting in my eyes as i pressed my lips to his forehead. Then I traced it over the bluing bruises that seemed to cover him in every visible place that weren't there when we last met each other.

''I can't let you go. I just can't.''

My voice cracked in several places but I ordered it to remain calm. He will never be able to leave this world in Peace if he had the slightest grasp of the grief i had. I'll be going through the crying part later on , when i'm alone and hating my endless existence.

He took my hand in both of his feeble ones and started to kiss every each inch of them. It seemed like he knew he's running out of time. When he tried to move his lips closer to mine I gently yanked him up, he hissed in pain but my lips silenced him within a second. His mouth swooped to plunder mine reminding me what a great kisser he was. His lips tasted of vampire blood, but there were some drags of his usual wine and spring woods taste in that kiss. The warmth and the playful recklessness I could never anticipated. It took me in to a dreamy world where we were back swimming in the Lovers End water fall where both of us confessed our love to each other for the first time. My mouth was hot and hungry as his but the rising beat of his heart dragged me back to the bitter reality. He moaned when I broke our last kiss.

''You're awful damn beautiful Darina.'' He murmured.

The venom must be working its magic on him. He'll fall in to a deep death sleep in few more minutes of time .In three days he'll wake in to his new life as the very thing he hunted before. This is not the way we plan his change to happen. He wanted me to be his sire, to have that bond between us. Now he'll inherit some of the qualities that bitch of a sadistic vampire had. So I knew what he's going to ask me. But am I strong enough to stake him in this condition. Or he'll choose to meet the sun, as it will remove any newborn vampire instantly out of the picture. I don't know which will be the most painful for me, stake him or let him burn in the sun.

''what do you want me to do Kieran. I...I....can arrange you a proper funeral. In some cultures it's tradition to burn the dead bodies of their loved ones you know. '' What am I talking. Burn his body, KIERAN'S. But he wouldn't like the idea of him rising from death as a zombie if I left his body after staking. And I no longer seemed have the courage to do what I came here for, against his will.

''Is that what you.......... want.''

He asked piercing me with his summer blue eyes that often reminded me of what I'm missing during the daylight . ''Do.... you want me to......... die as a human. Or as closely as ......... human I was .''

''No I want you, I want forever with you. ''But can I cast the brightest light of my existence in to a life of eternal darkness.

He took my hand then, his fingers tense. "I want it myself, more than you can possibly imagine. I've made my choices, but it seems this last one is not for me to make. Maybe I stopped running away because it never got me anywhere. But I know who I am, and that's someone who does best alone."