Forbidden Love: Deathly Love pt. II

Chapter 2: In Time

My encounter with the witch couldn't have been by chance. Asher was out there somewhere, waiting for me to bring him back. That had to be it. He needed me, needed my help. I had made a decision that night. I would betray the only family that I had ever known to bring the only thing that I had ever truly cared about back into my life.

Sleep didn't come easily for me. I couldn't remember the countless nights that I had stayed up, just staring at the blank wall or out the window at the city's lights.

Flashbacks of before Asher was gone played a huge role in my life now. I couldn't see a shop without thinking about how I'd first met him in the mall. I couldn't see a house without remembering the night I had gone to his house and made passionate love to him. Every time I even saw a woman I thought of the time I had been ordered to trick him into thinking that I was engaged and broke his heart.

This pain would never end until Asher was back in my arms. But I knew that I deserved it.

I watched the sun begin to rise up, casting shadows of shapes and sizes all around my room. They danced around, looking so happy. I envied those shadows. Beside me, Krisitan shifted, wrapping both of his arms around my right arm.

I could hardly look at this man, this monster, now. My hatred for him and every other member in our house grew stronger each moment that I was forced to be around them. It will all be over soon, I told myself countless times.

Finally, I drifted into a light sleep, only to welcome the nightmares that came with it. Never did I get a restful night. Never did I go without seeing the look on Asher's face when I betrayed him. Peace would never come until I brought him back. That was exactly what I was going to do, and I was going to start right now.

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My hunger was unsatiable, but I refused to take yet another innocent mortal's life. I had never felt such a deep hunger, but that was why I was here now. I didn't know what type of animals lived in Lousiana, but I was about to find out.

The smell of blood was all in the air, and I couldn't think straight. I didn't know what type of animal this scent of blood came from, but I was very close to finding out which one.

Moving slowly, keeping to the shadows, I crept closer and closer. My dark brown hair and tan skin blended in nicely with the surroundings.

Suddenly, I saw my prey across the way from me. It was low to ground. It almost looked like a large dog of some sort in the darkness, but I couldn't be sure, and it didn't matter to me what it was. I needed to feed worse than I ever had before.

I ran and jumped on the animal, sinking my teeth into a vital artery. Blood instantly filled my mouth and dampened my clothing. As I was draining the thing, it began to make gurgling noises unlike any animal I had ever heard. Still, I continued drinking.

It barely struggled, rarely even trying to pull away. I had caught it so off guard that I believe it had almost died of shock before I sucked the last drop from it. I dropped it to the ground, finished with my meal, and gasped at the horror under the moonlight. The animal had not been an animal after all. It had been a man, kneeling over. He had been kneeling to tie his shoe, which was now still untied on his limp, lifeless foot.

As I staggered backward, tripping over the uneven terrain, I stared in horror at my victim. There is nothing worse than the realization of taking another human life. It put another cut into my soul every time that I did it. And mine was already in shreds. I had to get away from that man.

Even as I ran, where I didn't know, the image of his corpse was etched into the back of my eyelids, and there was no escaping the sense of what I had just done, even if it was by mistake. Keep going, I told myself. I had to get away. I had to get out of here. Suddenly, I stopped at the edge of the woods. I couldn't leave. I couldn't run from my problems. I had to face them. And I had to stay here. For Asher. I headed directly back to the house and got ready. Tonight was the night. I would run no longer. And I would follow the witches directions exactly.

When I arrived home, it seemed like there were several of the others there. Shit, I thought. In order to begin the plan, I needed to talk to each one of them, but I had to do it seperately. This was going to be much harder than I had thought. I strode up the front door and prepared myself. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Pushing open the door, I put on my "fake" mask and smiled. Kristian was sitting in a chair in the foirer. His smile lit up when I entered. "Hello, darling," he said with his smooth voice. I looked at this...thing with such fake feelings. It was disgusting, really. "Hello, my love. How has your day been?"

"Fine, just fine," he responded as I leaned down to give him a light peck on the forehead. "Where have you been all day?"

I hung up my coat as I answered. "I have been out looking for a job again," I said, simply. Kristian shook his head. "How many times have I told you, love? There is no reason to get a job. We have everything we need right here. Well, aside from a blood source." His fangs shimmered when he smirked at me. "I know that, darling, but I need something to do. It is more like a hobby than a neccesity." To convince him, I put on my most loving smile. It worked. "Oh, all right," Kristian said as he stood. He kissed me lightly and slowly on the lips. "I'm going out now to grab a bite," he bit the air at me when he said this," but I'll see you tonight." He kissed my jawline, then my cheek, and finally my lips before walking out the door.

As much as I wanted to wipe the leftover saliva off of my skin, I let it linger. I needed to know why I was doing this. Every kiss, anything Krisitan did to me, was not enough, would never be enough, to keep me from wanting Asher instead of him. In a way, I felt guilty. I had been with Krisitan for decades, but I had never realized what kind of monster he really was until Asher Gracen.

I followed the sound of humming into the kitchen.

As I entered, I saw Cadence, a newly recruited vampire, cooking an enormous meal. I smiled. He was the closest to a human being any of us would ever be, probably because he had been one longer than he had been undead.

"Cadence," I said, and he jumped at his name, dropping the bowl in his hand. It shattered on the floor. Blushing, he looked up at me. "Oh, hello, Mitch. I-I didn't see you there." Seeing Cadence always made me happy, because he reminded me that once, no matter how long ago it was, I was a human once and not always the creature that I am now.

"What are you cooking, kid?" I asked him. "It smells fucking delicious." Cadence smiled. He loved it when us older undead complimented him. It made him feel more accepted since he was the youngest and newest. "But you know, Cadence," I spoke," I have never really understood why you would take the time to cook so much damn food. We don't have to eat anymore. We're vampires." Once again, Cadence blushed. "I know," he said," but I always had to watch what I ate as a human because I had so many problems with my body. If I ate the wrong thing, of too much of something, I could have died. Now, I don't have to worry about what I eat. Plus, vampires still have taste buds, so I can enjoy all of my favorite foods and not have to worry about gaining weight or dying." Cadence then began to stuff his face with chocolate, eggs, bananas, pudding, anything he could find on the surfaces of our kitchen.

"You'll have to let me try some of that later," I said pointing at some type of desert that he had set on the table. He nodded, unable to speak for the food shoved in his mouth.

The only other person home was Luka, and he was asleep. I sighed. This plan was going to take much longer than anticipated, and I didn't know how much longer I could wait for the arrival of my love.