by Zara Zenia
Kurt
I can read her mind. She wants to find the answers she seeks no matter what it takes. That's all the permission I need to take her away, to the other place no one's allowed to go. So I reach through the ajar door and take her by the hand. We travel to the other side of this planet, away from all the beauty and good times.
"What... where are we?" she asks in shock. Fear veils her expression, made morose by the red light of this plane.
"This place is forbidden. Think of it as a kind of purgatory for bad vampires. And no, you're not dead so stop worrying about that. Don't worry about anything, okay? You're safe with me."
"I don't even know you. Wait, how did you know I was worried about being dead?"
"I can read your thoughts," I tell her.
"What am I thinking now then?"
"You have two primary thoughts in your head right now. The first is wondering if I'm going to try to have sex with you. No, not right now anyway. And never without your permission. The second though: where do bad dragons go? There aren't any, not that I know of."
"I find that hard to believe," she says. Then her jaw drops. "Is that..."
"That's your father, yes," I tell her. "I brought you here so you could find him."
"Dad's a bad vampire?" she asks with tears forming again. Her voice is raspy like a kid who's about to start balling.
"No, but he likes to come to this place too. It helps remind him of Earth to pass between the paradise that is the other side of Etwan and this place. I guess the good side of Etwan is just too good. Earth is a mixture between good and bad. That's why I like to pass back and forth too I guess. It's kind of twisted."
Stephanie seems incredulous, maybe just confused.
I say," I know this is a lot of information to take in all at once. There was no other way to get you to believe me though. Just showing you the reality of the situation was the only way. I apologize for that." I take her by the hand and squeeze it gently. "Everything is okay, trust me."
"I wish I could. So Dad's not dead then?"
"Why don't we follow him, and you can find all the answers you seek?" I reply.
After a moment of contemplation, watching the shadowy figure of her apparently dead father make his way through the red-light side of Etwan, she replies, "No. I'm just not ready for that yet. There are things I want to know. But the truth might be something I don't want to find out. Not yet. Does that make me a horrible daughter?"
"I think it just makes you human. Something I can no longer be." I take her back with me to the palace, feeling in her that she is at least ready for that.
Chapter Twenty-One
Stephanie
I don't know where I am right now. Things are so hazy. That red light, so much despair and pain. Why would anyone choose to go there once, let alone frequent it? Like they're going on some kind of dark holiday. I guess people do that back on Earth. They call them dark tourists, the ones who choose to go and revel in the macabre things of life, and death. If those types of vacations are so popular with our people, what hope do we have? Why do humans love things that make them sad?
Being sad, that was my mother. Still is, as she probably sits all alone on Earth right now. I think about her going to work all day, slaving away to provide for me all on her own. Now that Dad's gone. And did I bother to help ease her burden? No, I just withdrew into my own sadness. Stayed in my room. Didn't even try to be there for my own mother. She lost her soulmate in that crash. It was my fault. The least thing would have been to be there for here as a good daughter would have done.
I miss Mom. She needs me. Could I be getting too carried away here on this planet? I'm off on a sex romp adventure, while she's back there by herself with her grief. But she's the one who wanted this for me. Wanted me to go to Etwan and start to live again. Then that's what I will do, for her.
This is just a dream. I wake up in a cold sweat and that's immediately apparent. Kurt comes into the room. I don't even know if this is Katie's guest room. The darkness enshrouds me, makes it impossible to know for sure where I am. He falls upon me just like that shroud of night that surrounds us both. It suits him, so stoic, somehow old despite looking like he's still in his late twenties. There's an air to him and I feel like he could take care of me.
"What are you doing?" I ask as his lips meet mine. There's no more talking. Those strong vampire lips kiss me with a passion that's never been shown to me in my life. No one has ever been like this before. Finally he stops and lets me take in air again.
He looks into my eyes, and something stirs deep within me. It's more than just the physical arousal, the way my body and mind are drawn to him. Something more is there, a thing that I can't put my finger on. "I can take away your pain," he tells me in the blackness of the room. I realize I can't actually see him. There isn't even light from the moon coming in through any window. Is this even Katie's place?
"You don't need to ask questions," he says. "All you need to do is decide."
I forgot that he can read my thoughts. Exposed—that's how it makes me feel. It's like I'm not even my own person when I'm with Kurt. Is that a bad thing? To not have to be alone or worry about making the wrong choice in life. I don't believe he can take away my pain, but neither do I push him away.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Stephanie
Kurt seems like he could be the voice of reason I am so sorely lacking. This powerful vampire is embracing me now. Tears begin to fall down my face, but not because it hurts. Not because he's doing anything against my wishes. The reason I’m crying, is because he's making me so painfully aware of how much pain I'm in. This whole time since my father's death, it's hurt so much that I just chose to hide it all away. Hide myself away from life. Even hide my emotions, my very presence, from my only remaining parent.
He enters me and something feels so good this time. His cock stretches my pussy, so deeply, so tender after my multiple sexual encounters these past few days. Multiple partners, taking me in turn. I hurt all over, body, mind, and soul. Then just like that, I feel good, so fucking good I want to scream at the top of my lungs. Then I realize that's just what I'm doing as he fucks the pain away.
"You weren't lying!" I shout in ecstasy. "The pain really is gone."
"I wouldn't lie to you," he says.
But I don't trust that to be true. Not entirely anyway.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Stephanie
Once again I've fallen into a deep sleep. Something was taken from me and it was exhausting. The process of losing emotions so integral to who I am, who I've become these past months. It just drained me. The feelings I've lost were the ones of sadness, isolation, bad things that I'm overjoyed to be rid of. I awaken feeling rejuvenated, like a new person.
Once again I am in Katie's guest room, my new home away from home. When I got ou into the living room there are others there. Katie is yelling at Brent. She's furious and it shows. I come in at the tail end of the arguing though. All I hear is, "—my cousin, and I'm not just going to let anyone do anything they want with—"
"Um... hi," I say meekly.
Everyone is staring at me, not just those two. Kurt is there as well. So are Wayne and Dan. Plus, one other person. They're standing around the living room, but this stranger is the only one seated on the sofa. I don't recognize him.
Katie rushes to me, holds me in her arms like a protective mother. "Stephanie, is what these guys say true? Do you know them?" she says, gesturing to everyone in the room apart from Brent. "They tell me they've come to take you with them. They say that... that you've been..." It's like she can't bring herself to say it. "Are you their mate?"
I frown. "I didn't think of it that way. I mean, what do you mean by mate? Did I have sex with them, then yes? If that's how it works, I mean, then I guess so," I tell her. "I'm sorry, I just… I thought this was your plan all along, Katie. I mean you introduced me to Wayne…"
"What? No, this isn't what I meant by getting yourself a life. I wanted
you to come to Etwan to have fun, meet new people, enjoy the paradise that this place is. Now you've gone and linked yourself with them! Do you realize what you’ve done?" She is about to cry but doing her best to stay strong. "Have you really had sex with all of them?"
"No, not all of them. Only with Wayne, then Dan, and then Kurt, I guess. I don't even know who this other man is." I point at the mysterious stranger casually sitting on the sofa like he's watching a TV show.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Liam
"I’m Liam," I interrupt. This doesn't seem like the best time to get involved in the argument, but I've been singled out now. "Stephanie, I'm the vampire who will take you to see your father."
"What are you talking about?" Katie demands. "No one is taking my cousin anywhere."
"Baby, please try to stay calm and hear everyone out," Brent says. If anyone can make Katie listen to reason it's him. "How about I put some coffee on, and we just sit around the kitchen table and talk this out?"
That's just what we do. Katie seems to have calmed down a little by the time we're all quietly sipping our coffees. There's a strong sense of tension hanging in the air between us as we sit around the circular table facing each other. Katie makes sure I'm next to her, with Brent on the other side of me.
"Go on then," Katie says. "What do you have to say for yourself, Liam? I'll deal with the rest of you next, don't think you've gotten out of explaining yourselves," she says to the other three visitors. I'm sitting directly across from Stephanie at the table. Katie's eyes bore into me as I try to ignore her resentful glare. Maybe it's not resentment. More distrust probably, which is understandable since she wants to look out for her younger cousin.
"Stephanie, I've only been on this planet for six weeks myself. I know what it feels like to be new here. Everything must seem so strange, like things are just hitting you all at once. Etwan has a tendency to have that effect on the newcomers." My voice is calm and even as I talk directly to her and her alone.
"That's an understatement," she says with a dry short laugh that's more like a cough.
"No one's told you this yet, but you deserve to hear it," I continue.
Katie raises her head high. "You better watch what you tell her," she says.
I roll my eyes. "And I suppose you want to keep her in the dark? How is that protecting her? Stephanie, ever since your cousin here mated with Brent, there's been a new law here on Etwan. We have more males on Etwan than females. When new human women arrive, males are to seek them out and see if she is their potential mate.. I'm sure you've wondered why every guy you've met so far seems to have their own plan in mind. That's why."
Stephanie sits with her mouth open, then looks at Katie. "Is this true?" she asks her cousin. "And you didn't tell me? Hang on a second. And Mom wanted me to come here? Are you serious!"
"Well... it's not as bad as it seems," says Katie. "It's not a bad thing, trust me."
"We need to restore the population of the planet," I tell Stephanie.
The other males are silently listening, watching with stolen glances but trying to avoid eye contact with us three: Katie, Stephanie, and myself. It's like we're on display putting on some kind of show for them. I don't blame them for not wanting to get involved in such a delicate discussion.
"I’ve only been here a very short time, but I’ve come to understand that it's the only way to harmonize this world," I add. "It really is a good thing."
"I'll believe that when I find out what else you all have in store for me," Stephanie says. "Right now I don't think I can trust any one of you. I'm sorry, Katie, but that includes you for the moment." She frowns at her cousin.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Stephanie
"Is it working?" I ask Liam suspiciously.
"Is the planet being harmonized by the new human women mating here? Yes, it is."
Brent says, "He's right. I wanted to tell you, but—"
"Don't you dare," Katie says, cutting him off. "You're not out of blame here. This was something each of us allowed to happen. Oh, Stephanie, I know I should have told you. I guess there was just too much shame there."
That's confusing, so I ask her, "Why is there shame if this is the lifestyle that you want? I thought you were happy here."
"I am," she replied. "I thought you'd be ashamed of me though. It's not the way things work back home exactly. Tell me I'm wrong about that."
I shake my head slowly and put my arm around her, pulling my cousin closer in a light hug. "Katie, I'm not ashamed of you. How could I be? You're amazing, and you've always been like a superhero to me.”
"You're sweet to lie," Katie softly tells me. We both share a smile as we look at each other and hug. "The honest truth is that I wanted you to go home. That's why I've been suggesting you do just that."
Taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh, I have to admit she's right. "I know, you were trying to get me to go home. This was only meant to be a short visit."
Katie says, "And don't go blaming your mom. She just wanted you to get out of the house, see something bigger than what your worst was back home. You weren't exactly in the best of ways, you have to admit."
“I know, you’re right, I was in a bad place in my head,” I tell her. I'm confused though. "You're happy though, Katie. You say you are, and I can tell it's true. Why wouldn't you want that for me? I'm not a little kid anymore."
"No, you're a grown woman. That's why I stopped pushing to get you to go home. It was your decision to make." Her eyes are moistening with the promise of tears. That cuts me to the core. "I should have trusted you to make an informed decision though. Instead of letting you find your way without knowing the whole truth of this planet."
"Well, it's too late for that," I reply. "And you know what? I don't care. I'm glad I chose to stay. I want to be happy like you."
"There is so much responsibility with what you're considering though. You're also so young."
"You're not that much older than me," I remind her. "Just a few years used to be so much when we were little girls. Now it's practically nothing since we're adults."
Katie agrees with a nod but adds, "I know that. Nineteen is still young though. It's such a vulnerable time of life. To be a woman, but still a child in many ways. I'm afraid that I let you be taken advantage of." She looks at Wayne, then to Dan, and finally to Kurt. Her eyes fix on Kurt for a long time, a lingering judgment evident in her stare. "You should have known better than to take advantage of her naivety," she tells all three of them. "Especially you, Kurt."
"Nothing wrong has been done here," he tells here with a flat voice. "You'll see, I promise."
Katie says, "You better be right about that, I swear. Or else you're going to have to answer to me."
I try to break up their imminent argument. "I may be young in years—but in my mind, I am much older, Katie. What I went through, it’s like I grew up overnight. I’m not a kid anymore, I haven’t been for a while."
"There is a maturity in her that few can match," Brent says. "You must agree with me there, or you wouldn't have even agreed to bring her to our planet." He reaches around me to place a comforting hand on Katie's, shoulder. She looks to him and smiles.
"I sure hope you're right about that," she says.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Liam
"Are you ready to be introduced to your dad?" I say. That's the reason I've come here. It's a shame someone needed to fill Stephanie in on the reality of her situation first. Deep down, I'm disappointed in her cousin for failing to trust her enough to know what her real options where. Family should be able to be open and trusting with each other. I guess that's not how things are though, which is sad.
Stephanie is actually taken aback by my mentioning of the topic. "You know what?" she starts to say. "At first when I came across him in the park, when I was too afraid to approach him, yes. Yes, I would have wanted to connect with him. If someone were there then and willing to take me by the hand to introduce us agai
n—I would have done it. It was all I could think about for days after seeing him. Now though ... for some reason he hasn't been on my mind as much as I thought he would be."
"Don't feel bad about that," says Katie. "You've gone through a lot in just a short time. Hit some really big milestones too."
I can see the three men who’ve slept with me slightly— oh so very slightly—smirking in a knowing way. Fucking hell, if they were alone I'm sure they would celebrate their conquests with a round of high fives. Maybe boys never change no matter how far away from Earth you are. It's almost a relief to see something so normal, so much like things are back home.
"You're not a prisoner on this planet," I tell her. "Even if you do choose us as your mates, you're not expected to stay here forever."
"What do you mean by 'us'?" Stephaine asks. "Are you saying you're to be my fourth mate, Liam? How many other guys are going to be lining up to have their way with me?" she asks her cousin.
"It's not like that. See, this is why I didn't want to tell you how I live my life. You're already judging the situation like I'm a slut or something. I do not let just anyone fuck me." Katie gives Stephanie a hurt look.
For a moment I don't know what to say.
"That wasn't my intention at all to make you feel that way," Stephanie finally assures her. "I wouldn't ever think that of you, Katie. Your body and your life are your own. I'll always look up to you."
"I guess that's what I was worried about," Katie says. Then she sighs. "But your life is also your own. Make whatever decision you think will bring you joy."
Stephanie nods and gives her cousin another squeeze, then turn to me and stands. "I'm ready to go meet my father."
