THE STARS COLLIDE
Stephan knew how many nights he had spent away from her bed all too well, so when she invited him back to her room he was ecstatic. He had her back in his arms again and he mastered every feeling it gave him taking nothing for granted.
She slept as she usually did deep peaceful sleep. He held her all night and all morning, he was glad it was Sunday again she wasn’t going in to work. He had the whole day with her, to spend uninterrupted much-needed time with her. He had asked Vincent to stay with Solara, the owner of the garage had taken the apartment back, besides he was needed there more than anywhere else. In the event, Kayla broke out into a sprint he would be able to catch her easily.
“Hi!” She looked right at him her face expressionless. She got out of bed and go into the shower.
Stephan waited for her on the bed, he was hoping they could talk, get everything out in the open. It seemed like the best solution to everything. She walked into the room a towel wrapped around her body. Her body was still steaming from the hot water. He could remember when making love to her was something he was against when she thought he was human. He wondered how she would feel about making love to a monster. The thought of not being physically intimate with her pained him, but he would wait until she was ready.
She sat at the dressing table in front of the mirror, stroking her hair with an ivory brush. He got up to stand behind her. She stopped and looked at him through the mirror. She got up just as he was reaching out to touch her and took her clothes to change in the bathroom.
Stephan went to the living room her wondered how long he could stand her rejection. There was nothing to do but wait, his life was with her now and he would wait for as long as it took. He hoped it would be sooner than later, he knew time was running out and the hunters would eventually find him.
He reached for his buzzing phone. It was Solara he prayed it wasn’t more bad news. He couldn’t handle more bad news.
“If it is any more bad news you’d better hang up now, I don’t want to hear it.”
“No, it’s not. Kayla has been doing well. She wants to see Scarlet. It’s been well over a month since they last saw each other and she wants to see her. She thinks she has it under control. Besides I need to talk to you about something.” Solara needed to talk to Stephan about the seer there was more bad news but he thought he shouldn’t push his luck.
“Did you tell Scarlet about the bounty on your head? I think you should, you need to make these decisions with her now. Since you are out of the closet.”
“I thought you said you didn’t have any bad news. Anyway, she is barely talking to me so what’s more bad news. Sure give me three to four hours I’ll get it done by then.” He hung up the phone he could feel Scarlet coming into the room, he turned to face the direction she would come from.
“I have something to tell you. You could say more bad news. We can talk about us and where this all leaves us and our relationship.” He spoke in such a low tone that if she was any further she wouldn’t have heard a single word he had said.
Scarlet didn’t understand his last statement and chose to ignore it, she then focused on what he had said before that. “More bad news, so what else is new?” she took a seat on the other side of the counter and looked straight at him.
He ignored her sarcasm and decided to start with the bad news then work his way to telling her of Kayla’s upcoming visit. “I already told you about my past, now let me tell you about my present and impending future. There is a feud brewing between the two sides the vampires and beasts.” She rolled her eyes at him she had had enough of them to last her a lifetime. He stared at her contemplating whether he should tell her at all. Her bad attitude was chewing on his last nerve.
“They want me to go and fight with them. They have already come to me personally to tell me what they want. The beast offered me my freedom after I fight for them. They know that the vampires will only enslave me after getting what they want. Although some of the vampires that did come were warning me to stay out of it. My return to the coven will upset the existing hierarchy of power so they want to keep their seniority. But the Conselho, the elders of the vampires want me back and they have sent some hunters for me.”
Part of Stephan was glad to see concern and fear in Scarlet’s reaction, at least she still cared about what would happen to him.
“Solara and I went to see this friend of his. He can see into the future, according to him the hunters are still far off because they are not exactly sure of what they are looking for, and since my scent is not that common tracing me will not be that easy. They need someone who knows me well enough to recognize my scent from all the other beasts that exist. But a part of me thinks that they will do what the others before them, track Vincent’s scent and that will lead them to me. We are trying to come up with a plan in case that happens.”
Scarlet was quiet, he assumed she was processing all he had told her. “So what you are saying is these… um… for lack of a better word, creatures know where I live, who I am and they want to take you away from me. Have I got it right?”
Stephan was smiling now, take you away from me. Those words sank right into his heart, all wasn’t lost.
“And all this amuses you how exactly?” she was annoyed. “So what is going to happen now, what kinds of plans have you come up with and where do I fit in all this?”
Stephan took her to the couch and sat with her, they had to talk about their relationship and that was more important to him than anything else. “What are we going to do about us? We can’t live the rest of our lives with you mad at me. And you don’t have to worry you will be protected. Remember you have a monster and three other vampires in your corner.”
She knew who the third vampire was. He didn’t have to spell it out for her. “We are going to have to stay alive first before we can make any plans. So let’s get that done first. I am not mad at you I am just sad, Kayla is my family and the two of you took her away from me.” She stood and walked across the room, she was sad. She was in pain.
“I know he loves her and wants to spend eternity with her, but I love her too. I loved her first and it wasn’t fair of him to take her away from me.” She was sobbing uncontrollably, although Kayla was technically still alive she felt at a loss. She was gone she wasn’t Kayla anymore.
He tried to soothe her looking for the right words to say. He understood Solara and if he thought it was possible he could do the same. Their minds seemed to be in tune because the next question she asked him stunned him. “Are you going to change me? Since love seems to be the reason and qualification to be part of your world?”
He answered as honestly as he could, “I don’t think I can. Beasts are born and vampires are created. I don’t know if I could kill you instead. There is no precedence for this so I don’t think it’s a good idea.” She shrugged at his answer. She didn’t know why she had asked him that, she wasn’t prepared for that kind of life. She wasn’t sure if she even wanted to live forever. Frozen at twenty-two did sound like a good idea but she didn’t think it was for her.
“I have good news for you. Kayla is coming to visit you.” He looked down at her. She was excited he had missed her smile. But she looked unsure, he couldn’t blame her. After her last encounter with Kayla, she had the right to worry.
***
She was anxious to see her friend wondering how she had changed from the last time she had seen her. She assumed that she must be feeling better if Stephan was allowing her to see her. Their last encounter was anything but friendly, Kayla had looked at her like she was something to eat then lurched at her. If Stephan hadn’t been in her way she could either be dead or one of them. She thought about immortality, living forever. Frozen forever. She didn’t have to worry about getting sick, being run over by a car, or drowning.
She thought about what Stephan had said beasts are born vampires are created. Did that mean that vampires couldn’t have children? She could live with that easily. She didn’t hate children but she was never particularly fond of them. Children were Kayla’s thing and now she could never have that. Unlike Kayla she had the opportunity to change her mind, she knew that at the right time and with the right person she could consider it.
It was not the right time and Stephan didn’t seem like the right person, as much as she loved him, he wasn’t the ideal father. She knew he would be able to protect and provide for them. Loving them would not be an issue he had enough love in him for the whole world. He could easily do it but someone or something was always trying to kill him. Raising children in fear, always looking over your shoulder, and waiting to be attacked wasn’t the right way to do it. It would not be fair to either one of them. Besides he was partially frozen, she didn’t think he had the potential to father children.
She wondered if he thought they were forever. Forever was something she didn’t have if she chose her humanity over her true love. She wondered how long he would stay if she did choose to remain human. She looked at him, the way he held her and looked at her, she could feel his love for her radiating from him. Would he stay with her? Love her the same way at eighty as he did at twenty-two. Would he stay and watch her die of old age or would he leave and give her a chance at real life. Would he let her be with another man who wasn’t him? Have children and have a home to call her own. Part of her didn’t think he would.
He kept tightening his arms around her, she had always thought he was possessive. She didn’t mind when she thought he was human, even at that moment, he told her who he was. But after seeing the lengths Solara went to, to keep Kayla by his side, this possessiveness frightened her. She hadn’t seen his true capabilities. Yes, she had experienced his shield and how he could manipulate its force field, but he was also a beast. Did his beastly instincts take over when he was challenged? Did they precede everything else that he was or once was?
Although she didn’t think they would ever be apart. If they ever broke up or if she didn’t choose him, when the time came she hoped his human nature would let her go, allow her to live a normal full life. The human experience with all its human problems and challenges.
She pushed the thoughts out of her mind, at that time all she wanted to be with him everything else she would figure it out later. As for now, Kayla was on her way, she hoped she was back to normal she was the only one she could talk to.
Kayla was her best friend and her sister. She wondered how she would fit in her life if she chose to leave Stephan. She hoped that she wouldn’t lose her completely to his world. But for now, when their love was still strong and was above all, they would be a family all five of them. She watched as the water in her glass sloshed to the side as she twirled it around, trying to equivalent it to her life. A swirling mess that she was about to drown in.
Vincent was part of them now more than ever, she hoped he was coming. She could use the comical relief, the past few weeks everything had been so serious. She didn’t know much about him but was sure she would soon know who he was. Information about their world kept on seeking her out all the time, it was just a matter of time before his story caught up with her.
She wondered how Vincent had been able to leave his previous vocation. According to Stephan, it was difficult if not impossible to escape their clutches. What had prompted him to leave, a love interest, or did he seek a better life.
Stephan stood up to answer the knock on the door, it was Vincent. He had his usual beaming smile on his face.
“I ran, Solara insisted on driving Kayla here. The car ride was too slow for me so I got off.” Vincent winked at Scarlet before he breezed into the room.
He always lifted her spirits, the little brother she never had although he could be a century older than she was he never acted like it. He was like a child. “So I guess your talent is speed,” Scarlet asked him. She didn’t think it was much of a gift but it seemed right for him. It matched his impatience.
“Uh… sort of. My talent is tied to someone else. So you could say I am not entirely complete.” His voice seemed so sad, she didn’t understand why. Stephan leaned to her and told her that he would explain later. She hoped it wasn’t something tragic, she had enough of that.
“So how far are they?” Stephan’s deep voice filled the room. He always seemed like he talked out of a boom box, his voice was so deep and at times so light. She assumed that the fluctuations depended on his mood and situation.
“They will be here in a minute, big guy. Kayla seems fine in an immortal way. She has a handle on things.” Vincent seemed convinced but they couldn’t be sure until she got there.
Scarlet hoped that Kayla did have her urges under control. She needed her friend more than ever now. Her head snapped up at his next comment.
“You are going to be jazzed once you find out what she can do. It’s awesome in a freakish way, it’s better than Solara’s gift. You should have seen his face.” He chuckled as he switched through the channels. He was irritating in a good way. She judged by Vincent’s expression that whatever gift Kayla had gotten from the misfortune it was incredible, she hadn’t seen him this excited. Although he got excited over everything this it was different.
“What exactly is Solara’s talent?” She had never thought to ask before, she had not bothered about Solara for a while. She blamed him for Kayla’s situation and rightfully so.