by Helen Bright
My Love Forever
The Night Movers Vampire Series Book 1
By
Helen Bright
Copyright © 2015 by Helen Bright All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Epilogue
Useful Information
About the Author
Dedication
I would like to dedicate this book to my husband Neil, who has been a great support to me during the writing and editing of this book.
I appreciate all your time, help and patience Neil, and hope you are ready for the next one.
Chapter 1
Alex
I, Alexander Staithes one of the most powerful blood born vampires in Europe was nervous.
I was trying to appear calm and collected but apparently I wasn’t pulling it off at all.
“Alex what on earth is wrong with you this evening? You haven’t stopped pacing since you walked in.”
“Nothing’s wrong Maggie,” I replied hastily, “I just have a lot of work to do tonight that’s all.”
“Well if you would rather I interview Julia on my own I can do, I mean it’s not like we don’t know her, or her background” Maggie Saunders said with a knowing smirk. This human woman had been my employee and friend for over thirty years and could read me better than any other human or vampire ever could, and it seemed she was about to try and tease me into admitting why I wanted to sit in on this interview so badly.
Julia Layton was the daughter of another employee George Browne. I co-owned the import and export company Night Movers International and both George and Maggie had joined the company within two years of each other having been school friends before that. In fact many of my human employees were friends of mine. It’s what I liked most about the company my vampire colleagues and I had worked so hard to build up from scratch. It made it easier to control who knew I was a vampire and also to trust who could keep this secret without the need for mind control to erase the knowledge.
Both George Browne and Maggie Saunders were one of a few in this company that knew who was a vampire and also of the vampires who visited regularly.
I first noticed Julia (who was then Julia Browne) when she accompanied her father to one of the companies Christmas parties. Night Movers always held great parties for our employees as it encouraged the friendly family like atmosphere that kept the company performing well. It also helped the humans and vampires to mingle and find common ground.
I remember seeing Julia walk in holding her father’s arm and I was struck by her innocence and beauty. I hadn’t seen her since she was an awkward 14 year old with a permanent ponytail and braces, although I spoke with George regularly about his family, I didn’t expect Julia to be the beautiful young woman in front of me. She stood as tall as he father in the high heels that she was wearing, so that would put her about five feet seven barefoot. She was quite curvy with a defined hour glass figure and long chestnut brown hair that tumbled around her shoulders in waves.
I went over to talk to George and ask where his wife was that evening. It appeared that she was caring for a sick friend so George had brought Julia his eighteen year old daughter instead. George explained she was going away to university that year so he was glad to be spending time with her while he could. Armed with this information I began a conversation with her about the university course she had chosen and her career options. She was quite shy and seemed a little nervous her blue eyed gaze never holding my own for very long, so I bid her farewell for the time being, but said I would come back over for a dance later.
I couldn’t wait until that later came.
I felt like I would do anything to put my arms around her and hold her even for a short while.
Nikolas and Joshua both vampire friends and co founders of my company came over to quiz me about what had kept me occupied for the last half hour, but quickly noticed Julia for themselves. Straight away Nikolas went in for a hug from Julia, which annoyed me to the point I began to see red, literally see red, as my eyes started to change and form a red ring around the irises as my temper rose. I quickly looked away before Julia could see, but Joshua noticed and placed a hand on my arm before enquiring if I was ok.
“Julia my lovely you have grown in to a beautiful young lady, I thinks it’s about time we ran away to get married so you can make an honest man out of me,” Nikolas announced in a booming voice which only infuriated me more and I could feel my fangs about to descend.
Julia giggled and replied “Nikolas no one could ever make an honest man out of you.”
Nikolas smiled but looked over to a table across the room for a second then drew his gaze back to Julia. “Oh you have me pegged sweet Julia so alas it never will be.” He bowed in front of her with a smirk and said goodbye with dramatic flair.
I regained my composure when Nikolas left and I went with Joshua to sit at a table nearby.
“What was that all about with Nik, Alex, you never normally react like that in front of people?”
“I’m not sure” I replied, “maybe I’m just a little tired.” “Did you feed before the party? Maybe it would be best to nip out and get a bag of blood now.” “No I will be fine. I just need to have a bit of peace and quiet for a while.” “So you wouldn’t mind if I went and asked George’s daughter for a dance then,” said Joshua with a hint of humour in his voice.
I couldn’t help the growl that seemed to come from my throat and Joshua burst out laughing.
“Oh Alex don’t you think she’s a little young just yet?”
I looked away embarrassed at the situation I found myself in. I knew he was right of course. She was young and needed to experience life before I could even think of her being around my world although it didn’t mean I couldn’t hold her for a short while, I thought as I began to walk over and claim my dance.
I knew when I held her in my arms that I wanted her there always. She looked up at me and shivered with what I believe was desire. Did she feel the same as I was feeling? As we slow danced to the Elvis song ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ I knew that something very powerful was happening. They way she felt as she moved with me to the music, how soft her hair felt against my cheek, the perfume she wore and her own scent that captured my senses. It was a potent combination and one that was too powerful for me to linger in this room with he
r any longer. Before I did something I regretted, when the song ended I walked her back to her father, thanked her for the dance and wished her all the very best at university.
I thought I could sense disappointment in her eyes as I said my goodnights but I had to leave the room. Joshua followed, concerned for me and my early departure.
“Alex wait, what happened in there?”
“I’m not sure. I just have this feeling with Julia, like she belongs to me and I know I’ve only danced and spoke with her but I feel that I want more with her.”
“How much more” Joshua asked warily.
“Everything” I replied.
I decided later that it would be for the best if I let Julia live her life a little before I sought her out again. I wanted her to complete her studies and come back to me a confident grown woman, ready to accept what I was.
A year later Julia announced her engagement to Gavin Layton and genuine pain pierced my heart.
I had lived nearly 1000 years and thought that was long enough. With the help of my work friends and my sister Freya, I kept myself plodding on through everyday life as much as I could without revealing the true source of my anguish.
Nik and Josh knew what was wrong and tried to help in any way they could. Nik’s Russian friend Sergei offered to kill Gavin Layton so that she was free again, but I declined hastily. Despite wishing he didn’t exist I wasn’t about to start killing humans to achieve that.
I watched her numerous times without her knowledge over the next fourteen years. She seemed to be happy and although I loved to see her beautiful smile I always wished that it was me that put it there.
Then because of a car accident early this year, Julia was seriously injured and lost her unborn baby. George contacted me straight away to ask for my help because of the healing properties my blood gives.
I was there after they brought her round after the emergency surgery she had to fix her hip and deliver her stillborn daughter. I gave her only a small amount of my healing blood as I didn’t want to arouse suspicion with the hospital staff.
She was desperate to see her baby daughter even though she knew she was dead. It had been hours earlier that she was delivered so none of the staff thought it was good for her to see the baby as by now she was quite cold and would have the waxy blue pallor that death brings.
Using mind control I was able to both get the staff to bring Julia her daughter and to give her better images than what she was actually seeing. Thankfully, during this particular time her husband was asleep on another floor of the hospital so he didn’t try to intervene with my actions although, to be honest my only thoughts were of comforting Julia so I wouldn’t have allowed him near anyway.
I have visited her several times over the past few months offering her friendship and support in her hour of need. It was also a way to give small amounts of blood to speed up the healing process.
The strain of what happened was too much for her marriage to bear and they ended up separating. I was glad she was now free of the man that had kept us apart for so many years but knew this was just another kick to the already fragile shell that she seemed to try to erect around herself.
I needed to find a way to keep her close and take care of her like I should have done all those years ago, and the job I was about to offer her could do just that.
Chapter 2
Julia
“Don’t be nervous love, Maggie says this interview is just a formality really and the job is already yours if you want it.”
My father had been reassuring me of this fact for the last five days since our old family friend Maggie had decided to work part time at the end of October to help out her granddaughter with child care.
Both my dad & Maggie had worked for the import and export company Night Movers International for over thirty years and were both well respected employees. They in turn were very committed to the company and seemed happy in their work.
It was refreshing to see the company still keeping its main hub here in Yorkshire. It was good for the area providing a number of jobs and also funding for local charities and various community projects all of which were currently overseen by Maggie and eventually by me if I took over the job.
I found myself in the position of job seeker for the first time in fifteen years. Apart from the part time sales advisor roll I held in a clothing store during my time at university I had never needed to interview before.
I met my soon to be ex husband Gavin in my first year at Uni. We were both doing a degree in business management and had many of the same classes together. He was really good looking with wavy dark brown hair and eyes the colour of milk chocolate. He took me out to a comedy club on our first date and for the first time since I left home I had fun without missing my parents. I fell in love instantly with Gavin, it was hard not too and we were engaged within a year.
We married as soon as we finished Uni and after our honeymoon we went to work for his father’s transport company just outside Birmingham.
Our life together seemed perfect for many years. We built up the business, holidayed all over the world and had a great home and social life.
We started to try for a baby six years ago. For the first year we didn’t worry too much when I didn’t become pregnant as I was coming off the pill and understood it can take a while for the effects to come out of your system. When it didn’t happen after two years we began to worry. Our doctor referred us for investigations in our third year of being unsuccessful. Both of us were healthy and after numerous tests they could find no reason that either of us could not be parents so their advice to us was keep taking the pre natal vitamins, keep fit and healthy and try not to get stressed......hello??? The whole ‘not getting pregnant’ was the only thing stressing me out.
By this time most of our circle of friends had children and Gavin and I found it hard to remain positive. We began to argue more and more, both of us finding faults with each other that were seemingly never there before. Then sixteen months ago when it seemed like I was never going to conceive I became pregnant.
We were both thrilled and both mum, dad and Gavin’s parents were ecstatic. To be honest the pregnancy helped repair the almost cavernous cracks that had begun to appear in our marriage from both sides, and Gavin once again became the attentive loving husband he was before.
It was during our final shopping trip two weeks before my due date that my life was ripped apart and my heart was shattered.
A young man not two days out of prison had stolen a car and was being chased by police when he lost control of the vehicle and drove into the front passenger side door of our car, straight in to me.
Gavin and I were spun off the road and ended up down an embankment.
We both lost consciousness immediately after the impact but according to the police officers who were following the car, we were both only out for about five minutes. The driver of the stolen car wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the car and died instantly.
Gavin came too first and to this day I will never forget the screaming panic and utter devastation in his voice as I regained consciousness.
At first I didn’t think of the baby because of the agonising pain I felt in my hip. I knew it was broken as was my arm but then Gavin was touching my very pregnant tummy asking if we were both ok and I knew then that my darling baby would never get to sleep in the new crib we had just bought.
They were able to get a fire crew on the scene within 5 minutes but it took them over an hour to free us both. My labour pains started when I was being placed on the stretcher. The air ambulance was used to get me to hospital, so it didn’t take us long at all to get there. They quickly scanned my tummy in the ER but as I already knew instinctively, there was no heartbeat to detect.
Due to all my other injuries despite my strong contractions they had to deliver the baby by C Section. My beautiful daughter came into the world but never took a breath. My hip had to have extensive surgery and my arm was set into a cast.
Due to the amount of blood I had lost during all the surgeries I didn’t wake up until the early hours of the morning. My parents were there and quickly explained that Gavin was ok but because of his broken ribs and concussion he was asleep on another ward. Also in the room was Alex Staithes my dad’s boss although I didn’t question his presence at the time.
Apart from being a bit groggy and having a slight metallic taste in my mouth physically I didn’t feel as bad as I thought I would. The pain my hip should be giving me seemed to lessen gradually over the next ten seconds and I marvelled at the effectiveness of the pain medication they must be giving me.
When I found my voice the first thing I asked for was to see my baby. This set my mum off crying and my dad said he didn’t think it was a good idea.
Mum said that Gavin had held her after she was delivered but that was over eight hours ago and I knew what she was saying in so many words was that my baby was cold, dead and it too long passed to give me any peace.
It was then that I felt a rage come over me like no other I have ever experienced before. I wanted to leap out of bed and throw people out of my way so I could get to her. I knew then this was the maternal instinct to gather and protect Kicking in, and although I would never get to take care of my child through her life, I was in fact her mother and I needed to feel the bond with her if only for a short while. Screams tore from my throat and tears came seconds later. I remember Alex standing up and telling the nursing staff forcefully that my daughter needed to be brought to me. Not thirty minutes later she was given to me too hold.
It was a little hard to do at first due to the cast on one arm and IV on the other one but I was so relieved to finally have her in my arms I was determined to hold her to me. Gavin had left it to me to name her so I called her Megan after my late grandmother. She had passed away two years ago and it comforted me to think that she would be waiting in heaven to take care of my daughter until I could get there which I prayed wouldn’t be too long from now.
