A vampire's Choice
Chapter 19

Ruby snuggled deeper into the mattress, savoring the warmth it brought her and her unborn babe. With a palm resting on her growing belly, the other grasped the blanket and pulled it up to her chin. The heat was good but could not compensate for the one she missed. Their voices had drifted throughout the house, his particular an echo in her ears. Since it was revealed that she was a werewolf and that Roland was her mate, life had been good. It was only getting better after they had found out that she was pregnant. The gender remains a secret until the birth, and she hoped it was a girl, with Roland also secretly wishing it was.

The door to the bedroom opened, and a delicious scent brushed her nose. Lowering the blanket, her eyes met her mate's as Roland closed the door. He looked tired and drained, but when he spotted her curled on their bed, a smile spread on his lips, and his eyes shone. Every day Ruby thanks the universe for bringing them together and making her life whole.

"Everything good now?" Ruby asked.

Roland watched his wife as he undressed, her eyes glued to his body. The sweet scent of her arousal crashed over him, making him hard instantly. Pulling his underwear off and standing buck naked before his wife, Roland moved to open the covers to climb in bed. Ruby let out a chuckle as he grabbed her body and pulled her close, resting his nose in the crook of her neck and breathing deeply. Soft fingers brushed through his hair before resting at the base of his neck. Opening his eyes and noticing her loving gaze on him, Roland let out a sigh of relief before snuggling deeper.

"I will take that as a no."

Ruby's belly rested against his leg as he reached out to cradle his pup. Looking up again, he wanted to tell her how stressed he was. Discovering the wolf that had killed his family is still alive and that the Goddess Nix needs their help was too much for him to bear, and place it on his wife, who will give birth in the next couple of months, felt wrong.

Letting out a sigh, Roland replied, "It is good for now, but I do not know what tomorrow will bring."

Her sweet breath brushed his cheek as she spoke. "That is the life of an Alpha but know I am here to carry the burden with you. We both are." Emphasizing the last words, Ruby brushed her stomach as she gazed down.

Roland's heart burst with happiness as he also looked down before bending forward to place a gentle kiss on her belly. "I know," he whispered. "But I cannot put you in danger: neither of you."

Fingers gently touched his chin and lifted. Roland allowed her to guide him. Then, keeping a hand on her stomach, he moved until they were eye level. Fingers moved from his chin to his cheek as she cradled his face. "I love you, Roland. But I will not be left out of the pack's problems. Just because I am pregnant does not mean I will stand idly by and watch what happens." Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I am a warrior and will fight by your side."

The words empowered Roland. They were a perfect match, the Moon Goddess making another ideal pairing. But since discovering their babe, he was more protective of her, but she kept fighting him at every corner. Life was never dull with her around anymore. "I know, and that is what I love about you, but some things you do not need to worry about."

The hand on his cheek suddenly dropped as fingers curled around his neck. The unexpected move made his back hit the bed as Ruby pushed him down and climb over him, her legs on either side of him. The power move excited Roland as the semi he had turned rock hard. The wetness dripping from hr painted his lower abdomen, her delicious scent clouding his senses.

"We are a partnership.” Her voice slathered in lust as she placed soft kisses on his chest between speaking. "And wherever you go, I follow."

The excitement burst forth as Roland's eyes turned black, Ruby following suit. Without warning, Roland grasped her hips, momentarily lifting her up before pulling her down onto him. A loud moan escaped as he entered her, the pleasure instant.

Flipping Ruby over onto her back, Roland ground his hips in circles, her juices sucking him deeper. "You are right, my dear.” Pulling out all the way, Ruby moaned from the loss before he thrust harder. The pleasure arching her back as she clawed at him, pulling him closer.

"We are one."

The hunt was mediocre as the blood of a deer did not quite hit the spot. After the meeting, Roger had seen to Lisa's safety, picking a room the furthest away from Vanessa. As close friends as they were, he would not allow her to hurt his mate. Roland had informed the guards of his presence, so they left him alone as he hunted, but he could still feel their presence about, his instinct telling him their eyes never left him, all ready to pounce if he made a wrong move. After the trauma from the castle, one would consider that they would trust him more, but no: once a vamp, always a vamp. The walk back to the house was soothing as the moon lit up the forest, letting nature shine. All those years ago, when he had lived deep in the mountains, the love for nature had flourished. It had not only protected him, but it supplied what he had needed. In return, he had stopped so many unintended fires and soothed the injured animals. Nature was a living, breathing entity, and to believe otherwise was foolish.

Lights littered the distance before him, the house peeking through the thick brushes. As he approached the clearing before the house, a tingling at the back of his neck alerted him. Slowing down, Roger extended his senses to scan the surrounding area. Something told him it was not the guards' eyes on him but another threat. A slight crack of a branch sounded behind him, followed by something cutting through the air. Turning swiftly, Roger grabbed onto the wolf that had jumped at him, his finger curling into the fur of their throat. Her eyes looked up at him as her body hung motionless from his grasp, her familiar eyes raking over him. As realization struck, he let go of her body, crashing into the ground. She let out a slight growl while getting up on all fours. Turning away from him, the wolf walked out of sight behind a tree, the sound of breaking bones following after. A minute later, Vanessa stepped out from behind the shelter, a smirk visible.

"You are getting slow, old man," Vanessa said as she buttoned the last one on her shirt before looking up at Roger.

The humor did not find him well as her previous actions were still ingrained in his memory. "What do you want?” His voice was cold.

Vanessa lifted her hands in defense and dropped the smile. But then, it was time to be serious. "I just came to apologize."

"I am not the one you need to apologize to."

"I know, and I will do it first thing in the morning.” Stepping closer to him, Vanessa extended her hand to him, "But I need to apologize to you as well. And I need to explain my outburst."

Looking at her hand longer than needed, Roger accepted her apology and shook her hand. Grasping tighter, Vanessa's body tugged forward as Roger yanked. They were face to face as he spoke. “Touch her again, and I will peel the flesh from your body."

Vanessa's blue eyes doubled in size, and after he let go of her hand, she stepped back, resting her hands on her hips. "Fair enough."

"Would you like to go somewhere to talk?" Roger asked.

Looking to the left towards the house, Vanessa picked a spot. "Follow me."

They both remained quiet as Vanessa led the way. Then, moving around the house, Roger scrutinized the area. He did not move so freely about the last time he was here, only sticking to the room he had been given. But now he had a chance, and to admit; he loved it. Various toys and clothes are scattered in the backyard, with a giant playpen for the younger pups. Tables and chairs are stacked around in a half-circle, each at the beginning of the forest. It seemed like the perfect place to raise a pack, and he was actually jealous of this big family.

"Here we are." Vanessa interrupted his silent pity party regarding his life. Sitting down at one end of the table, Roger moved to the other so they could face each other and he can keep an eye on the house, or specifically Lisa.

"So, what is up?"

For a second, Vanessa stared at her feet, still ashamed of how she had reacted but then finally looking up and taking action for her mistake. "You need to understand. The last time I saw Rebecca, she tried to sacrifice you to some God. That was over a hundred years ago, and yet, this woman looks just like her."

Roger could understand that since he had believed the same, but he had not tried to kill Lisa. "I know, but remember, as bad as she was, she was still human. And when she died, she died."

"I know, but just the shock of seeing her. They are truly identical. I know you told me that they look the same, but this..." Shaking her head in disbelieve, Vanessa pointed towards the house. "Something is fishy here, and Nix might have the answers."

Roger followed the direction of her pointing and landed on a dark window. The curtains were drawn, but a slight movement behind them caught his attention, making him smirk at the thought. His tiny human was spying on him. Lisa could see him watching her, and soon she disappeared, the shadow vanishing from behind the curtain. Looking back at Vanessa, who was staring at him, Roger brushed his finger through his hair, messing up his style. "I agree, but to be honest, I think Rebecca was never my mate. These feelings I have about Lisa are completely different, real. The longer I think about it, the more I realize that she might have placed a spell on me."

"Well, if that is the case, a witch had to be involved back then. It might be too late, but I will look into it." Straightening up, Vanessa turned towards Roger. Their small get-together has end, for he rose, making his way around to stand next to her.

"Thank you."

Looking up at her vampire friend, Vanessa felt terrible for what had happened. When one finds their mate, the need to protect them overrides all senses, and if someone tried to hurt Mark, she would kill them. Roger must have fought hard against his urges to stop her from attacking Lisa. "Again, I am sorry.” Tears sprung to her eyes as she imagined the loss of her own mate.

Roger grabbed Vanessa to pull her into a hug, wrapping himself around her. The front of his shirt clung to his skin the more it got wet from her tears. All he could do was rub her back to calm her. When the shivering stopped, Roger slowly pushed her away to look down.

"I really am sorry for what happened. When I saw her, the memories just..."

"Shhh," he pulled her in again. "I understand."

"You are one of my dearest friends, and I almost hurt you." Vanessa uncurled herself from Roger as she stepped back.

Roger smiled. “Do you really think you would have gotten that far. Last time I checked, you have no more magic."

The smile spread from him to Vanessa as the mood lightened. "True, but I am a wolf now."

A bellowing laugh burst from Roger's chest, a peal of genuine laughter. "That means nothing."

Vanessa softly punched Roger's shoulder. “You wanna go, vamp."

"Not tonight, but soon, little wolf."

Walking side by side back to the house, Roger felt lighter after their confrontation. The acceptance of his new mate became easier.

The two bodies entered the house, unaware of the dark presence nearby. For the first time in decades, he did not need to be an orb or a vessel of electricity. No, he finally became a sliver of a shadow. One step closer to regaining his proper form. A surge of anger filtered through him as the vampire and wolf disappeared. Both have beaten him; twice. Not anymore.

The moon's rays lit the surrounding area as the shadow remained hidden beneath a tree, watching the remaining lights through the windows turn dark, the bodies inside in a restful slumber. No one knowing of the danger that lurked outside. If his body could breathe, the would-be lungs would pull in deep the cool air of the night, a stark contrast to the anger that boiled within. Luke had failed him now twice. The gifts he had bestowed on the beast worthless, just like the vessel. At this moment, the wolf was chained down, starved for nourishment and blood, the price for his failures.

Testing the senses of the creatures in the house, the shadow edged closer, drifting just above the ground. As he reached the porch, the shadow hovered for a second before moving forward as he sends out his energy, making sure her's was not around. The vile witch seemed always to appear wherever he was, hellbent on stopping his plan. Sparks erupting at multiple locations in the building as the supernatural creatures gave off their own wavelength. Being the otherworldly creature, their essence was easier to sense for him and even easier to manipulate, especially the broken ones.

Luke is one of them. His essence had cried out to him when he was a child. They are always easiest to corrupt at such an early stage of development. A few times, he had tried to get his claws on older beings, but it had failed. One of his failures is close, tucked in bed just mere feet from his downfall.

The woman.

As the energy reached the end of its scan, the shadow focused on the girl. In his mind, his power is darkness, their own sparks a bright red for the wolves and a purple for the vampires. But there was another color he has not yet seen. One which there are no words for, or maybe all of them. Each creature on this plane, and others, are connected through their essence. Vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies, humans. The list goes on. No one really knows the extend of the supernatural, and if he were not bound on this path of revenge, he would have loved to discover them all in his previous life, of course.

Zoning back on the woman, the darkness molded her form, softly caress the flesh as not to wake her. The power was not visible to the naked eye but could still be sensed, usually as a cold shudder running up your spine, or so Luke informed him. A sudden need sparked in the shadow as he itched to go the woman sleeping, to claim her for himself. The first woman he had taken was Rebecca, and she had loved it. Her dark nature had bloomed under his control. Usually, humans resisted in the beginning as their minds knew it was wrong: but not Rebecca.

The shadow shivered as he remembered feeding on her. The power she let off might have been from a human, but it was just as delectable as any supernatural, even more since her life was so short. Turning back to Rebecca's duplicate sleeping on the second floor, the shadow tested the limits as he wrapped the power around her. Once again, her energy bawled him. Humans have a green essence, a sign of their connection to the earth and nature, for when they die, they return to where they came from, but not this human.

Another coincidence is piquing his interest in her looks. She was a perfect mirror to Rebecca, down to her eyes. The eyes that is a sign of two natures: good and evil. In Rebecca's case, hers leaned more towards the evil. But this Lisa was different. She had good and bad in her. An internal struggle is visible in her energy force. The standard green was present, but also purple and red. Maybe she is absorbing from the ones close to her, but what would account for the orange, hazelnut, yellow, all the colors know to man, mashed together to create a new one. She was undoubtedly unique, and he needed more of her.

Making his way onto the porch, the shadow prepared himself to enter but suddenly froze. The darkness from the night that surrounded him suddenly sparked to life. It felt like time slowed down as the air cracked, the taste of life waking up. Facing the door, the shadow watched as the walls lit up, a source of light shining from behind him. Pulling back the power he used to scan the house, he turned around, only to be blinded by the rays. The more his physical form manifested in this plane, the greater he became susceptible to the elements.

The cloud of darkness that was his form began to drift away; her voice pinned him to where he was. The bright light morphed into a female form, and he noticed her golden hair first swaying lightly from the wind. He knew he needed to leave, his power not able to take on hers, but he couldn't. Seeing her again after all these thousands of years touched the part of him he had buried deep.

"It has been too long, Deimos," Nix spoke as she fully revealed herself. The shadow before her drifted in place. She was surprised he was still here, but she knew why. It was the same as her reason.

"That is not my name,” a broken voice croaked from within the blackness.

Scared that he might run, Nix stayed where she was. He did not scare her, for she knew her power was more remarkable, but he was still hiding some of his abilities.

"Then what should I call?" Nix questioned. “Husband?"

The word sparked anger in him as his powers rose up and the cloud of darkness shifted, changing into the outline of his previous life. "Do not spat your lies, you witch."

The man's body stepped to the right, and Nix followed, keeping her distance. "Have you so readily forgotten who you are?” Her voice softened, trying to keep this situation under control. The man she knew might be gone, but her feeling and memories persist.

Deimos shot out his arm, the power balled in his fist, and aimed at Nix. This abomination was not his wife, and he would end it. Now.

Nix was ready for his onslaught and steeped out of the way as a dark orb brushed past her and hit a nearby tree. Keeping her eyes glued to his form, she reached out with her mind to feel the damage. But, instead, death engulfed the living tree, turning the bright colors to rot as the bark crumbled and dropped to the ground.

"You are not who you say you are. The one I loved is dead. Gone forever.” The shadow's arm stayed up as the power grew again in his palm. Internally he cursed himself, angry that he was not yet powerful enough to kill. But soon. All he needed was the vampire and his puny human.

Nix shifted into action. A rope of cold shot from her palm as she lifted her arm, moving between two blinks of an eye. The body of darkness dropped to its knees as the rope wrapped around its neck. His hands curled around the power, the need to attack forgotten as he struggles to fight. Even if she killed this vessel, he could not die for physically he was not here. But if she succeeded, he would lose the powers he has garnered over the years, and he did not want to start all over.

As Nix slowly approached him, she watched as his eyeless face turned up to look at her approaching form before he whispered something that made her freeze. Words she has not heard in centuries. Words that hit her hard as her hand faltered and the golden rope uncurled from his neck and fall to the ground.

"Orbis terrarum contra me et te,” the shadow muttered before he dissolved into the night, leaving a shocked Nix glancing down at the empty spot on the ground.

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