Love Was Not an Option

by Edward Kendrick

  A few minutes later Greg said, as he stood beside Nick surveying the exterior of the house, “Not quite what I was expecting.”

  Nick lifted an eyebrow. “You thought it would be sleek and modern?”

  “Yeah. This is modified Tudor with the half-timbering. Nice, though.”

  “If you like modern…” Nick opened the front door to usher Greg inside.

  “Whew. Yeah.”

  They were in the living room with its soaring ceiling, clearstory windows, low granite-faced fireplace, and highly polished hardwood flooring. The furniture was comfortable—there and in the dining room off to the left. A flight of stairs between it and the kitchen led to the second floor landing which went around two sides of the living room below.

  “The master bedroom, and bath,” Nick said when they got there.

  “It suits the master,” Greg replied with a laugh. “Large and sexy.”

  “Large? Should I be insulted?”

  “Not hardly. You’re bigger than life, sometimes.”

  They continued bantering as they undressed, then got down to why they were there to begin with. With the newness of their relationship in the past, if only by a few weeks, they took things slow and easy, bringing each other to the peak of sexual ecstasy, and then flying over in explosive orgasms. As always they were left too drained to move or speak for several minutes afterward.

  Nick eventually got it together enough to strip them of their condoms, which he tossed in the wastebasket in the bathroom. He washed up and got semi-dressed while Greg was using the bathroom. Greg’s barely concealed look of dismay when he returned to the bedroom made Nick feel bad. However there was no way he would allow him to stay the night—any more than he did when they were at Greg’s place.

  “I’ll fix coffee, and maybe sandwiches if you’re hungry,” Nick said. “That way you won’t go home on an empty stomach.”

  “That was subtle,” Greg replied sourly as he put on his clothes.

  “Sorry, but it is what we agreed on. Sex because it’s great, but no overnights. That spells commitment and it’s not what either of us are looking for.” Nick had the feeling Greg was mentally replying, “Says you,” although he didn’t probe to find out.

  If things were different—but they aren’t. Much against his will, he was attracted to Greg in ways he knew he shouldn’t be. Greg was a very appealing man. They shared a lot of the same interests, from their jobs, to running, to books, movies, and the other smaller details that went into making a relationship. One he would gladly have embarked on if he didn’t know it would end the moment Greg found out he was involved with a man who was far from human.

  “A sandwich sounds good,” Greg said, breaking into Nick’s thoughts. “Maybe it’ll give me enough energy to drive home. You wore me out.”

  “We wore each other out.” Nick grinned. “I wasn’t exactly lying there while you did all the work.”

  “That’ll be the day,” Greg replied, swatting his ass as he walked past him to the bedroom door.

  Nick shook his head, muttering, “No hitting the cook or you’ll be rationed to bread and water.”

  That didn’t happen, of course. They made large sandwiches, washing them down with coffee. Then Greg left, telling Nick he’d see him in the morning at work. When the door closed behind him, Nick leaned against it, sighing. I’m getting way too emotionally involved, even if he doesn’t realize it. Next thing I know, I’ll be kissing him. An idea that both dismayed and appealed to him. He wondered what it would be like if he did. He knew the answer. It would break his resolve to keep their relationship strictly friendly—with sex as a bonus. Then…He didn’t want to contemplate that, so he didn’t, at least not consciously. In the back of his mind, though, he imagined what it would be like if he did reveal all—and Greg accepted it. A nice dream, but since when do dreams come true, except in fairytales.

  * * * *

  “I’m sorry, but we’re off for this weekend,” Nick told Greg on Friday when he corralled him as Greg getting ready to leave work. “Something’s come up I have to deal with.”

  “If it has to do with work, and I can help…” Greg replied.

  “No. It’s got to do with family,” Nick replied. He figured that was one excuse that would work. “With luck, I should be back late Sunday night.”

  “Are they okay?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Nick smiled. “It’s their thirtieth anniversary,” he quickly improvised, “which means it’s special.”

  Greg nodded. “I’d say so. My folks will hit that in a couple of years. I’m sure all of us going home to help them celebrate will be tantamount to a command performance.”

  “Exactly, and since I’m their only child…”

  “Go. Have fun, and give them my congratulations.”

  “I will.”

  Nick felt like a heel lying to Greg, but after getting Kasper’s email a few minutes before, he knew he’d undoubtedly have a busy couple of days. He wouldn’t know how busy until he talked to him, but figured it was best to cover all his bases when it came to keeping Greg in the dark.

  * * * *

  “What do you need me for this time?” Niko asked moments after he arrived in Kasper’s study.

  Kasper shot him a questioning look, replying, “Someone’s in a bad mood.”

  Dropping down into the chair by the desk, Niko said, “I had to cancel plans for this weekend. Okay, it’s not your fault. I could have told you to find someone else.”

  “No one else has your abilities, Niko. Was it important, what you were going to do?”

  “I thought so. Thankfully, he believed my lie about why I had to back out.”

  Kasper leaned back, studying him. “You’ve gotten yourself involved with someone. Probably a human or you wouldn’t have had to lie. Not good, Niko. Not good at all.”

  “Don’t you think I know that,” Niko replied with some asperity. “It was supposed to sex with an interesting man and nothing more. Unfortunately…” He sighed. “But that’s neither here nor there right now. What’s going on?”

  “The usual. A human who’s learned of our existence. This time however…Well, I think you can relate, given what you just said. He’s involved with a vampire who goes by the name of Isidora Aiello. I’ve had a long talk with her. She refuses to give the man up and wipe his memory of her.”

  “So you want me to do that. Hell, Kasper, you could have done it and saved me a trip.”

  “I would have, but it wouldn’t have stopped her from reestablishing contact with him and starting over. She’s in love with him and apparently the feeling is mutual. She swears he’d never let anyone know what she is, but humans are fallible. If he said the wrong thing to someone, for instance bragging while he’d been drinking, well you know what would happen then.”

  “I do. Give me the specifics and I’ll have my own talk with her.” Niko smiled dryly. “I can be pretty fearsome when I put my mind to it.”

  Kasper did, including a visual of the woman’s house a few miles outside of Venice, Italy. It took Niko two hours to get there, since he had to stop to restore his energy before teleporting again. “I hate these transatlantic flights,” he grumbled as he rested in Greenland before taking off for Ireland, where he rested again until his body was ready to handle the final leg of his journey.

  Isidora’s home was set on the top of a hill, remote enough to give her privacy. He felt her presence as he approached the front entrance and was certain she knew he was there—and what he was—the vampire half of him, that is. He doubted she could pick up on his werewolf unless she was an Ancient. If she had been, Kasper would have told him so.

  The door opened before he could knock, revealing a slender woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. He sensed she was older than that by at least two hundred years.

  “Go away,” she said angrily. “I’m not interested in hearing anything you have to say on Kasper’s behalf. I’ve already told him my life is mine to live.”

  Niko smiled, bowin
g slightly. “You’re presuming that’s why I’m here?”

  “Why else? I rarely if ever get visitors of our kind, and those I do are my friends.”

  “Can I at least talk to you before you send me off with my tail between my legs?”

  Isidora hesitated then sighed. “All right. Come with me.” She stepped aside to let him enter, then led him through the house to a candle-lit, covered patio in back.

  Once they were seated, Niko officially introduced himself then said, “You know you’re courting danger, not only to yourself but to all of us.”

  “So Kasper pointed out, quite emphatically,” she replied acerbically. “Rinaldo would never let anyone know what I am.” She smiled softly. “What he will be, soon.”

  “You plan on turning him?” Niko found he wasn’t terribly surprised by that.

  “I do, with his consent. In fact he asked me to. He wants us to be together forever.”

  “It’s true,” a man said, coming onto the patio. He stopped to kiss Isidora before taking the chair next to hers. “I gather you’re another messenger sent to deal with me.”

  “I’m afraid so, unless the two of you can convince me to change my mind,” Niko replied. As he spoke, he probed Rinaldo’s mind and found that Isidora hadn’t been lying, and neither was he. If he had his way he would soon join the ranks of the vampire community. “Do you know what you’re getting into?” Niko asked him. “What being turned involves?”

  “I’ve explained it to him,” Isidora said. “He’s willing to suffer the agony in order to be with me forever.”

  “Then he truly does love you.”

  “More than life itself,” Rinaldo said quietly, taking her hand. “I will do anything it takes for us to remain together. Anything.”

  Again, Niko probed his mind, using his werewolf half this time to make certain he wasn’t lying for some reason. Niko knew it was quite possible that someone else had found out what Isidora was and had sent Rinaldo in to romance her and learn anything he could about other vampires, with the intent of destroying them. Niko found no trace of subterfuge in Rinaldo’s thoughts—surface or deeper.

  Isidora looked at Niko, smiling briefly. ::Don’t you think I’ve already done that? I’m not a fool::

  ::I’m sure you’re not, but I had to find out for myself that he’s exactly what he seems::

  ::Now you know. I suppose I should have introduced him to Kasper, so he could have done his own mind reading, but damn:: She shook her head. ::He was so high-handed and officious::

  Niko chuckled. ::He can be at times::

  “Will you report back that we’re fine and Rinaldo’s not someone he should worry about?” Isidora asked.

  “On one condition,” Niko replied. “You start the turning tomorrow evening with me as a witness.”

  Isidora turned her gaze to Rinaldo. “Are you willing to do it so soon?”

  Rinaldo leaned over to kiss her. “I would have done it a month ago, if you’d have let me.” He turned to Niko. “I think she’s more afraid of what will happen than I am. Probably because she has to watch and can’t do anything to stop the pain.”

  “I can understand that,” Niko replied. If it ever came down to it, would I be able to watch Greg in that kind of agony? Not that he’d be willing to change for me, for us. Among other things, it would play hell with his working for the firm and he loves what he’s doing. I wonder if we could work something out. He pushed his musings to the back of his mind, telling himself it was way too soon to be even thinking about such things. We’re not even in love, with all that entails. If he does find out about me, could he handle it, if he did love me?

  ::You’re in the same position I was, at first:: Isidora said in Niko’s mind. ::Yes, I was prying. The look on your face practically begged for me to find out what was wrong::

  ::I guess I should have shielded. It didn’t even occur to me::

  ::Obviously:: she replied, winking.

  “You’re doing that mind thing, aren’t you?” Rinaldo said. “Should I be jealous?”

  “Not at all, my love,” Isidora replied. “What you should be is in bed. You’re going to need every bit of energy you can summon to withstand what will happen tomorrow…well, later tonight, since it’s already after midnight. Niko, I have several spare bedrooms. You’re free to use one of them.”

  “Thank you. I will.”

  * * * *

  Saturday went exactly as Niko expected. He awoke around noon, joining Rinaldo for a very late breakfast, as the young human had just gotten up himself. Rinaldo gave him a tour of the house and grounds, chattering nonstop about anything and everything in an obvious attempt to stop thinking about what would happen that evening.

  Finally, Niko put a hand on his shoulder, saying, “If it’s what you want, if you love her as much as I think you do, it will be worth it.”

  “I know.” Rinaldo shivered. “I do love her. I can’t imagine life without her. She said, after I found out, well, after she told me what she was…” He winced. “That was a shock, to put it mildly. Anyway, she said she could erase all my memories of her if I wasn’t able to handle it.” He glanced at Niko. “That’s what you were going to do, wasn’t it; if you thought I would become a problem?”

  “It was. Yours and hers.” Niko grinned. “It was that or kill you.”

  “Damn. I’m glad we convinced you that wouldn’t be necessary. Although, I suppose, in a way I am going to die. Just not permanently.”

  “Exactly. From what I understand, for a while you might wish you would, while it’s happening.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “No. I’m a born vampire,” Niko replied, telling him half the truth.

  “Isidora said some are, although it’s rare.”

  “Very rare,” Niko agreed.

  They moved on to other subjects until Isidora appeared, moments after the sun went down. She hugged Rinaldo tightly as they kissed, before announcing—at least that’s what it sounded like to Niko—that the room was ready. “I have more than enough blood on hand to complete his turning,” she told him.

  “I would hope so. The days are long past when we had to use villagers and wipe their minds afterward.”

  Niko watched with interest as Isidora prepared her lover. She told Rinaldo to undress, which led to a few nervous quips from him as he did. Then she bound his hands and feet to the posts of an iron bedstead.

  “Are you sure?” she whispered, kissing Rinaldo softly.

  “I am,” he replied, his gaze locked on hers.

  Niko stayed at the side of the room as she drained Rinaldo to the brink of death before starting to feed him from her wrist. She tried to hold him down as he began writhing, then looked to Niko for help. He saw ropes coiled on a table at one side of the room and used them to restrain Rinaldo, asking her, “Why didn’t you do this to begin with?”

  “I…It seemed too…It would have frightened him even more than he was already.”

  “Okay, that makes sense.”

  As the evening turned to night, Niko decided his help wasn’t needed anymore and said as much to Isidora. She agreed, thanking him for being there. “Now you can put Kasper’s mind at ease,” she said.

  “Can, and will. Good luck to both of you.”

  With that said, he returned to Kasper’s home, with a few stops to rest along the way. After reporting in and assuring Kasper that he wouldn’t have to worry about Isidora and Rinaldo ever again, Niko headed home for some well-earned sleep.

  Chapter 8

  “How was your trip? Did you have a good time?” Greg asked, stepping into Nick’s office the first thing Monday morning.

  “It was definitely eye-opening,” Nick replied distractedly as he gathered up what he needed for the staff meeting.

  “An anniversary celebration can be eye-opening?”

  “Um, in a way.” Nick quickly realized what he’d said. “Seeing two people who’ve been together for so long and they’re still as much in love as they were the day they
met. Well, since the day they got married as I can’t speak to when they met. It made me realize true love is possible.” He quickly changed the subject, asking “How was your weekend?”

  “Boring. I went for a run, because it’s so much of a habit, but it lacked something.” Greg smiled at him. “You.”

  “Perhaps we can make up for that tonight. There’s nothing that says we can only do it on Sundays.”

  Greg’s smile brightened. “You’re on.”

  “Right now, however…”

  “Yeah, yeah, the staff meeting.”

  Nick grinned. “The ‘dreaded’ staff meeting, to quote you from a while ago.” Nick glanced around to make certain no one was in view then gave Greg a fast hug. “I missed you.” The look of surprise on Greg’s face almost made Nick laugh. It was the truth, though. He had missed him. He’d spent what was left of Sunday, after waking up in the early afternoon, thinking about him—and them. He hadn’t come to any firm decisions, but after talking with Isidora and Rinaldo, he definitely was rethinking some of his strongly held beliefs.

  He had also decided it might be time to really visit his parents—if he could figure out a convincing reason to go out of town again. I think one anniversary is all that’s allowed in a year. Maybe a birthday? I’ll see.

  By the end of the work day Nick was more than ready to run. It had been one of those filled with small problems. Nothing earth shattering, but each one needed his input.

  “The joys of owning your own company,” he groused to Greg when they were limbering up before starting down the path.

  “Better you than me,” Greg replied, giving him a quick hug. “I’ll stick to doing what I do best, where I only have to deal with a picky client sometimes.”

  “Trade you?”

  “Not in this lifetime.” Greg set off, calling back when Nick wasn’t right beside him, “Are you going to stand there, feeling sorry for yourself?”

  Laughing, Nick took off after him. The night ended as they knew it would, in Greg’s bed this time, before Nick headed home, feeling much better than he had a few hours earlier.