by Fawn Atondo
He nipped her neck as she lay against his chest, still on his lap. Lost in their love making, she had not heard anyone coming but the clearing of a throat brought her out of her daze. Alex kept her in place because, as they were now, no one could see the state of her undress or his.
“Mother, can I help you?” Alex eventually asked.
Falyn let out a small gasp as she hid her face in his neck, horrified his mother was standing behind her seeing this!
“Well, I see you’re clearly, um, busy but it is time for dinner,” Lady Rave told him.
“Right, as you can see, we are a bit busy. Feel free to start without us,” Alex told her, his tone slightly amused.
“Very well,” she said, and Falyn could now clearly hear her footsteps on the stone walkway.
“I can’t face that woman ever again!” Falyn moaned into his neck.
Alex chuckled as he set her on her feet, quickly buttoning his pants while she did up her own buttons and pulled her skirt down.
“Yes, well, she didn’t see much,” Alex told her.
“You hope, anyway. Clearly we wouldn’t have heard anything… but then again, she wouldn’t have stood there and watched? Surely?” Falyn asked hopefully.
Alex snorted before answering.
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” he mumbled.
Falyn punched him in the arm playfully before heading back inside.
Once in the hallway, it was all too short a walk to the dining room where she got to learn his mother’s name. As they neared the room, they could hear Alex’s father reprimanding his wife.
“Really Nicole, why would you even wait around if you knew what they were up to?” his father demanded.
“Just because I heard screaming and moaning, does not mean it would be sex! Clearly one dose not do the act in daylight in a garden!” his mother said in a horrified tone.
“Clearly some do… like our son.”
Falyn covered her face in shame, but Alex pulled her hands free and, with a huge grin, kissed her.
“You find this amusing, don’t you?” Falyn accused him.
“I do. After all, I can’t see my mother doubting your feelings now!” Alex said with a laugh.
“Ha, I wouldn’t count on it!” she frowned.
And just like they could hear the couple inside the room, likewise his parents could hear them and it was clear when they walked in. Nicole’s face was red and Lord Rave, who had blond hair and soft green eyes, was smiling. His son had his smile and his build and Falyn immediately liked him.
Dinner proved not to be so bad, and while Alex’s mother was in a mood, his father was charming enough for the both of them. Falyn got a kick out of calling her by her name whenever she could, and Alex was smart enough to hide his smiles about it from his mother.
Alex’s father’s name was Leo, short for Leonardo. Whatever had been between Alex and Leo, they seemed to have get over it, but as for his mother, Alex clearly still had issues. Falyn was not going to ask in front of his parents, but that night, when they were alone in their room, she did. At first he did not seem to want to answer. He tried to make love to her again, just to avoid answering, but she kept pushing till he told her.
“My mother, as you’ve seen today, isn’t very friendly, but she wasn’t always like this. When I was young she was a kind and loving mother. But when I reached the age where I started to change into a vampire she changed into someone more cold and bitter, and while my father wanted to tell me what I really was from the start, my mother did not. So when I came of age, my mother brought over a childhood friend.” His voice had gone soft and his eyes looked out over the room, lost in thought. “She was a girl who lived close by and we spent all our time together. I was fourteen and she was twelve, and I fancied myself in love with her, though it was only a childhood crush. But no matter, I did care for her. I didn’t understand what was happening to me, and while I was glad to see Maggie, I was also confused why my mother would bring her at this particular time since I was ill. I had no idea what my mother was up to.”
Alex was holding Falyn’s hand so tight it hurt, but she did not pull away.
“Mother came in a short time later. Maggie was sitting with me, on my bed, holding my hand and telling me I’d be fine. My mother came toward us holding a small knife. She asked Maggie for her hand and Maggie willingly gave it to her. My mother then shoved the blade right through her hand! Maggie cried out in pain but she didn’t run… I had no idea what was going on and I was yelling at my mom to go, and she did, but she shut and locked the door behind her. I told Maggie to get out through the window, to leave me, as I was scared about what was going to happen. But she stayed there, still holding my hand. I could feel my body burning and feel my teeth growing and I was scared out of my mind. I once more told Maggie to go but she wouldn’t. Then I smelled blood and I lost my mind. I let go of her good hand and pulled her bloody one to my mouth, and still she did nothing. I licked and I sucked, and once I had cleaned the wound I went for her throat. My teeth bit into her flesh and I sucked and I sucked, and once I was able to stop, I felt horrible. I sobbed.”
Alex stopped, looking at her with eyes wide and so blue. She could only hold her breath, fearing for the girl she would never know and feeling pain for the boy who’d had no idea what he was.
“Maggie told me it was fine. She’d known for years one day she would do this for me, but I was sickened by it. And while my friend lay there, near death, she told me the story of how her family would be well off now because my mother had paid them a small fortune to give their daughter to me – to bring me into my adulthood! I was more than angry, and after Maggie was buried and my father returned from his trip, I told him everything. He was not happy with how my mother had gone about it, but he explained it was how things had always been done for as long as he could remember, and that Maggie had been willing!”
Falyn was in shock. She had no idea becoming a vampire happened so late in life; that children were human till they reached their teen years and it was then they became blood suckers. And it might be less damaging if a child knew, to be brought up, like Alex, thinking they were normal and then killing a childhood friend… that was barbaric!
“Oh Alex, I’m so sorry… If I ‘d known I would never have brought you back to this place!” Falyn told him with tears running down her face.
“No baby, don’t cry. How could you have known? You needed this and I am doing this for you. For us. My mother will never have my love like she did before, but I can still get along with my father. And I’ve only realized this now because you brought me here.” He kissed her face.
“I will go with you to Maggie’s grave, if you like.” Falyn could sense he wanted this.
Alex pulled her to him, holding her tightly. He held her this way for a while before letting her go.
“I would very much like that, Falyn. I love you so much,” he whispered into her hair.
Falyn kissed his chin and then snuggled into his side.
“I love you too, Alexander!” she laughed, as he pinched her bottom.
“I don’t mind the name so much when you say it!” he told her teasingly.
Falyn fell asleep shortly afterwards. A feeling of ease filled her soul and she did not think about the curse or anything else dark and unwanted that night.
Chapter Twenty-eight: London
Alex spent the morning in the study with his father. He had left his soon-to-be-bride asleep in their bed. She seemed to need her sleep, so he only kissed her softly and told her to rest and then went to find his dad.
The men were the ones who set up the weddings in vampire culture, not the women, or at least not in this clan anyway. A few others had moved with the times but not the Rave family. So, in his father’s study he went over the plans for his and Falyn’s wedding day. He was going to let Falyn pick her own dress and planned to take her to London today to do just that, after a quick stopover at Maggie’s grave. Alex had been t
ouched by Falyn’s offer to join him in going there.
After a long morning of finishing up details for the big day, which they had narrowed down to two weeks from today, he went to wake Falyn up.
Falyn was not in the bed or anywhere in the room. So Alex set off to find her. Lady Rave was in the sitting room with her tea, but not Falyn. He decided she had probably gone back to the garden so he went there next, and sure enough he found her once more by the statue.
“Hoping for a replay of yesterday?” he teased.
Her eyes snapped open and lit up on seeing him there. She smiled, a small blush coming to her face.
“And if I was?” she asked, batting her dark lashes at him.
“I would be more than willing to give in, but just so you know my mother is up and I can’t promise she wouldn’t catch us again.” He winked at her.
“Then again, who wants to do it in the same old place?” she quickly said.
He laughed, pulled her to her feet, they went back to the house.
“Well, I have a better idea. Let’s go to London and do some wedding dress shopping. On the way we’ll stop by my friend’s grave.”
“Really, I get to shop!” she asked happily.
“Yes, after all, our wedding is only two weeks away.”
“You picked a day without asking me?” she frowned.
“It’s just another backwards thing. The men in my family plan the big day. Are you okay with that?” he asked her, anxiously.
She seemed to be thinking it over, trying most likely to think if this was something she was all right with. He could clearly see it playing across her face.
“Yes, I guess I am. I don’t care how or when as long as you and I get married,” she assured him after a moment or two.
He smiled, glad she was willing to go along with the crazy ways of his family.
“How about we get out of here and stop thinking over the strangeness of all this for a few hours,” Alex said, taking her hand.
His family only had the best of everything and Alex was not surprised to see the high-end cars in the garage. None of the cars was meant to blend in, and as he looked over the row of them he mentally ruled out the most outrageous. Ferrari Enzo – no; Mercedes-Benz McLaren Roadster – definitely not! That left three others to choose from: a silver Aston Martin One-77, a black Bugatti Veyron and a dark blue Audi R8.
The Audi it is! Alex thought. After all, it was the least flamboyant of the group but nothing close to just a car. He opened the door for Falyn who was looking in awe at the other vehicles.
“Your parents sure do like nice cars!” she grinned, running her hand down the black Bugatti.
“They have a bad habit of always having the best and most expensive of everything,” he replied dryly.
“Clearly,” she murmured, coming over to the passenger side of the car and getting in.
Alex started the engine which revved to life with the roar of a racing car, the sound smooth and intoxicating. The car was made to drive fast. And Alex did just that. He shifted in to the gears with ease and the car was quickly going eighty miles an hour.
Glancing at Falyn, it was clear she enjoyed the speed. The smile on her face got bigger the faster they went.
“I’m thinking you might have a thing for expensive, fast sports cars too!” Alex told her jokingly.
She laughed at this, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she turned to him, the look in her eye telling him without words exactly how much she liked fast cars.
“Oh, you can be sure I enjoy the finer things in life!” She said this as her eyes ran over his body.
He shivered at the desire in her words, and the car launched forward, going even faster now. The countryside was a green blur. Driving like a madman got him to the cemetery quickly and he was forced to slow down so he would not miss the turn. Falyn grew sober as they turned onto the road leading to the old grave yard, the playfulness from before gone.
“I’m not bring you here to grieve over Maggie. I just want you here as I tell her goodbye,” Alex said quietly.
Falyn nodded, her eyes glued to the rolling hillside, and Alex was starting to doubt his move of bringing her with him.
Maggie was buried in the oldest part of the graveyard. Her grave held no marker or name: it was simply a small grass mound. A splash of wildflowers had woven themselves around the grassy mound, a touch of beauty clinging to the only thing left of a young girl taken in such a horrible way.
Alex had never dwelt on how much Maggie’s death had affected him and his choice to leave his homeland and not come back for nearly two hundred years. He had been on his own for so long that his family meant nothing to him. He had only returned because of Falyn needing his clan’s support.
Falyn was leaning on the car watching him, giving him space to say his goodbye.
“Maggie, I’ll never understand why you did it, and I only wish you knew how sorry I am it happened. I’ll never forget you but I won’t be coming back to see you again.”
Alex picked one of the flowers and placed it on the grave.
“Rest well my friend,” Alex whispered.
He had not cried since the night of his turning when he had been a boy. As a man he dealt with his emotions in other, physical ways. Driving a car at a hundred miles an hour was as close to therapy as he was ever going to get.
Falyn hadn’t said a word since arriving at Maggie’s grave.
“Are you okay?” Alex waited for her to answer.
“I think so,” Falyn replied, her eyes never meeting his.
“Falyn, if something’s wrong you can tell me.” Alex took her hand in his.
Finally she turned from the car window, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Alex felt his gut tighten. He was sure Falyn was keeping something from him but he could not put a finger on what it might be.
“I’m all right, I promise. It’s just everything is going so fast, and I’m sorry, but your family is so backwards I can’t get my mind around it. I swear there’s nothing you need to worry about.” Falyn squeezed his hand.
“And I swear when this is over we’ll be on the first plane home and you can put all this craziness behind you.” Alex brought her hand to his lips.
“I shall be counting the days till then.” Her lips broke out in a small smile.
Alex had not spent much time in London so he had no idea where to go to find a wedding dress. He only knew money was not an issue for a bride of the Rave heir. His family’s name was well known and so was their wealth, so Falyn finding a dream dress should prove no problem. He phoned his father for the name of the best bridal shop in town. He punched the address into the navigation system, and within twenty minutes they were parking in front of Brown’s Brides.
Falyn looked like she was about to faint. Her face had gone deathly white and her hands were gripping the seat so hard her knuckles had gone white as well.
“Alex, this looks over the top,” she whispered, looking at the store window display.
“I’m sure it is going to be very over the top, but remember, we’ve got to go along with it,” Alex reminded her gently, pulling her hands from the seat. “Come on, I’m willing to bet you have an inner snob you’ve been dying to bring out!”
“Oh of course,” she told him, rolling her eyes.
Alex helped her from the car and, with her hand firmly in his, led her into the store. The moment they stepped inside, a tall redheaded woman greeted them.
“Welcome to Brown’s, how can I help you?” she simpered, her eyes taking the couple in. No doubt sizing them up, as was her job.
“We’re here to find a wedding dress. I am Lord Rave’s son,” Alex announced. “This is my fiancé Falyn.”
“Oh Mr. Rave, yes of course!” The woman was smiling big now, her eyes lighting up at seeing pound signs. “And is the groom going to be seeing the dress before the wedding?” she asked, her eyes narrowing at such a thought.
“Nope. I wil
l make myself scarce. Just be sure to treat my bride-to-be very well,” Alex said, kissing the still-stunned Falyn.
Alex was quickly ushered away to the front of the store and took himself off to find a tux while Falyn was pampered and fussed over. She was sure she was pulling off the snobby rich girl act to a tee.
Her mind was locked on this morning when she’d awoken with a huge dark spot in her soul. It had taken even longer than before for her emotions to return. And sometimes, like now, standing here in gowns so lovely a bride should cry, she could only keep asking herself ‘why’? Why was she doing this? What was the point of a pricey gown? A wedding even, when her world was facing war?
“This one is perfect for you!” the saleswoman was saying, walking around her and smiling.
Falyn looked up at herself in the five mirrors that surrounded her. The gown was strapless – a mermaid gown, she recalled the woman saying. It fell like a sliver waterfall down her hips in a lush pool of silk and it did fit perfectly.
“Is this the gown?” the saleswoman asked.
“No.”
For just a moment annoyance flashed in the redhead’s eyes as she snapped for the other two saleswomen to get the dress off her.
“Sophia! Bring me the new Delphine Manivet please!”
The redhead stood there tapping her foot till the new gown arrived.
“This will surely be the one, my dear, it is by far the best we have in the shop!”
Smiling, she unzipped the cover. Falyn did like the look of this one, but it would all come down to how it felt and how it made her feel when she put it on.
The dress was stunning! Simple yet beautiful, it was fitted from the chest to the waist and the skirt was long and full. The best part to Falyn was the lace up to her neck and down to her elbows and some lace which hung down the back.
“This is the one!” Falyn confirmed.
The sales girls cheered and clapped, and the redhead finally broke out a true smile.
“Great choice indeed. You will be a stunning bride!” she told Falyn.
