Chapter-12

-Previously in DiR-

I know the secret we were hiding from Karen.

It wasn't a coincidence she had found the portal. The portal opened only when a person who had magical blood running in their veins wanted to open it.

That's how a girl named Ruth had opened the portal by mistake one year ago. And she never left. She was destined to become a slave and she did.

Karen was destined for something else.

She is the descendent of the most powerful witch ever lived on this earth. Valerie should have known her daughter was safe but the upcoming generations of her weren't.

***

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."-Dr. Seuss

Chapter-12

-Nate-

She is so beautiful.

This I thought when I saw the girl laughing heartedly in the woods.

I was walking in the thick, dense woods in the search of something 'interesting'. Like a deer or rabbit. I could not drink from humans. It made me feel disgusted. How could you drink blood from someone who was really scared and a human like you?

Well, I was not human anymore. I could not see my reflection in the mirror. I slept in coffin. But I could get out in the sunlight. Thanks to whatever they had done to make the town sunlight protected.

The girl, whom I heard laughing was still laughing and I thanked my hearing senses when I saw her pretty face shinning in the sunlight.

She was just so beautiful.

Her lively complexion in contrast to my pale one. Her laughing black eyes. That dimple on the right side of cheek. She was beauty and happiness incarnate. Her long dark hair swayed in motion as she continued to play with two small kids.

The kids were laughing and playing with her, running here and there. They were six years old, seven maybe. They could be her brother and sister or her friends from the town.

I continued staring at the girl, mesmerised by her smile.

"Hey," A hand fell upon my shoulder. "Found something?"

I turned around and saw my brother, Victor smiling at me. His dark hair fell on his left eye. It was in fashion these days and my brother was fond of new fashion. His grey eyes were deadly but when he smiled he was a different being.

"What are you looking at, brother?" He asked.

I shook my head. I somehow felt possessive for the girl whom I had just seen now.

"I can hear a girl and some children for sure." He closed his eyes. "They smell good too."

Victor drank blood from humans and he came here with me just to look after me. He thought I was so innocent to let my prey go.

"No," I nearly screamed.

He smiled.

"I'm joking. Let's go." He said. "The deer will not wait for us, stupid brother."

Thus we went to hunt.

***

I continued to watch that girl playing with those kids for more than three days continuously. It had become a habit. I did not know anything about them. Who they were? Where they were from? What was the beautiful girl's name? Although I was dying to know the answer to the last question, I never had the courage to approach her.

But this day was something different.

I was on my daily routine and Victor was not with me. He had gone somewhere with a girl today. He told me they were off to some town fair.

I crept behind the trees to see my girl playing with the kids. She was not there. My heart fell.

"Are you searching for me?"

The sweet voice belonged to no one but the girl. She was standing behind me. Why could not my enhanced senses tell me this?

"Er—I was—passing by here." I stammered like an idiot.

Oh! She was more beautiful from close distance. And when she smiled I stopped breathing. There was no need to breathe but still.

"You cannot lie, stranger." She remarked musing. "Now tell me what were you doing here?"

I had no idea what I had got myself into.

"Were you not here to look at us playing there?" She pointed at the place.

"You know?" I asked confused.

"I knew someone was always watching us from here but who was watching that I did not know. You are a stranger." She said looking at me. "Why do you look for us?"

"I find it amusing to watch you play." I blurted out the truth. "Where are the kids?"

She stopped for a moment like considering answering my question. I was a stranger to her so she could not tell everything to me without knowing anything about me.

"They are gone to the fair." She said. "What is you name stranger?"

"Nathaniel but you can call me Nathan." I said.

"Nathan," She repeated.

My name on her lips was enchanting.

"What is your name?" I asked.

The sound of horses' hoofs echoed in the woods. My father was coming with his troops for hunting. The girl looked at me wide eyed. She was scared. She started jogging away.

"Lord Valentino is coming." She hissed. "Why won't you run?"

I smiled at her innocence. Of course she did not know who I was.

"Fine, I'm leaving." She increased her pace as the horses sounded nearer.

"At least tell me your name." I called her.

"Kaitlin," She whispered before disappearing in the woods.

***

Many days went by. We met secretly. I fell in love with her. It was like I had always been love with her. She made my life complete. Kate was the light to my darkness. I felt happy and content with her. Nothing could fill the void whenever she left me in the woods to myself.

She was in love with me too but there was something that held her back. I called it her fear. I was scared of telling her about me being a vampire. I was afraid she would run away from me after knowing the truth about me, How could someone love a vampire?

Even though I was afraid of telling her the secret about me, I could not stop thinking of our future together. When I held her close and felt her heartbeats and her body heat, I wanted to spend infinity with her.

"You seem bright today, brother." Victor commented. "Is there something you are not telling me?"

We were sitting on the dinning table in the mansion. We ate human food. Yeah, it was nothing that could help us tame our hunger but it was out of habit. It felt good when different tastes fiddled in our mouths.

"Uh—nothing."

"Is there some girl in woods who is taking your attention, my dear brother?"

I choked on my food. How could he know?

"Relax, I was testing and from the results, I can see you're in love." He smiled.

I could not help but smile back.

"Baby brother is in love." He said in a singsong voice.

"What is matter?"

We both stood up as father came in the room with his guards. He was a glorious man with determination all over his face. He was the man who made me a vampire to save my life. I respected him more than anything.

"Nothing, father." Victor said in defence.

"Sit down you both." He motioned to us when he settled down on the main chair. "There is an important matter I want to share with you two."

From the look on his face I could tell the matter was serious.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Two of our kind has been killed by werewolves." He informed.

"Can't it be some animal?" Victor asked suddenly.

"We are not fools like you, Victor." He said angrily. "We know the difference between a wolf and a werewolf. A normal wolf can do no harm to us. If it fights, it dies. But a werewolf can win a fight with a weak vampire."

"I apologize." Victor said.

"What do you think, Nathan?" He asked me.

I looked at the sad Victor. I knew giving me priority would make him feel left out but what could I ever do to tell this to our father. He never listened to me. He said I was the more intelligent one to understand all this.

The werewolves were not our enemies because we had a truce with them. They could not kill any of us and we could not kill any of them. If they were killing our people, we could not remain quiet too. We had to do something. And it would not be good.

"I think we should investigate this matter." I said thoughtful. "If we find them guilty—"

"We should finish the whole race." Victor completed my sentence.

This was not what I supposed to say. He was going towards this idea. This idea could lead us to a very big war. A never ending war in which there were going to be countless deaths.

"You have spoken the right thing," Father nodded in agreement to him.

I knew he could and he would do this eventually. Finishing a race was not alright. I started to protest but then silenced myself. I did not want to hurt Victor by defying him. I said nothing.

Later that night I was out in the woods all alone. Victor did not accompany me these days and he said it was boring to look out for prey in the woods when young girls were waiting to be bitten from him. The full moon shone in the night sky with no stars. It was going to rain probably. The cold air brushed on my arm. I was wandering there in the woods when I heard a howl. I was not scared of wolfs or werewolves. They could not kill me as I was powerful one.

I walked towards the place were Kate and I met. I had started calling Kaitlin by an endearing name, Kate. I had not planned to meet her there in the night but I do not know what made me go there. Like a toy attached to a string, the place pulled me.

But what I saw there was something I could never forget.

Her beauty was changing. Her attractive face was becoming a beast's. Her voice was now an animal's. Black hair was sprouting everywhere on her body. She was struggling with herself. Her black eyes were bigger and dangerous. Kate was changing. Into a werewolf.

I stopped in my reminiscing when there was a knock at the door. I inhaled to make myself feel alive again. It was past and I had to get out of there.

I opened the door. There was a scared Karen outside my room.

"Hey," She tried saying casually.

She was scared of me but she was trying to play brave. What had happened between us had scared me too. I did not want to hurt her ever.

"What do you want?" I asked rudely.

Maybe if I acted rude she would go away for her own good.

"I wanted to know if you're fine." She said slowly. "After what happened, I'm little scared but I hope it will go away as soon as we become friends again."

I looked at her small face. Her brown eyes were teary. I sighed mentally. This girl was going to be the death of me. I could not let her be.

"We can never be friends again." I said loudly. "Go to your room, Karen."

She was hurt. Her eyes were filled with tears that were fighting to make their way out. She was still holding on. She was brave actually. I had bitten her, and she was talking to me right now. She should have left me alone forever. I had been a monster to her and she was expecting to be friends with me.

I looked at her neck, searching for the wound. The wound was light. Victor might have fed his blood to her to save her life.

"Nate—" She started.

"I said go away."

I shut the door at her face. I hated to hurt her but there was no other way to make her stay away. I had to send her back into her world. I had to.

A/N Hey! I was really happy after getting DiR back on the list. It was on #650 something first, but now it is on #174. YAY! CALLS FOR A PARTY!!!

I know, I know the chapter was full of memories. It is how I can tell you the whole story behind Nate's behaviour and Victor's hate for him.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to comment and vote.

Love you all.

-M_m