NEVER FALL FOR THE FORBIDDEN (NEVER FALL SERIES) (18 page)

Chapter Thirty

              Nearly a week went by before Triton realized he had not paid any attention to his refrigerated stockpile of blood. The supply had diminished quickly from the hidden fridge he had installed prior to the move. Feeding would be a necessary excursion carried out in the dark night on this foreign land. Triton had become quite accustom to the area in such a short time. He contemplated how he would explain his absence to Annasara. His wife now lived on his schedule, sleeping during the day, up all night. Even Brenden slept all day

              Triton worried about being sensed by others. He carefully considered where he would feed, how to escape if caught, a hiding place if chased. Every avenue, alley, and street, Triton etched into his photographic memory off the maps and charts of the area he obtained from the caretaker. Triton was extremely intelligent in many areas except when it came to love. Love was a subject he could not study and it made no sense to him. Triton did not worry about that now. Feeding took first precedence.

             
Making an excuse to leave the house without her, Triton wandered the empty cobblestone walkways and arcades of the village, a pleasant mix of old architecture and modern shops, which were closed in the early morning hours. Confidently prowling the night, Triton felt the hunger rising like his libido but ten times more powerful. Like a wildfire spreading across the dry earth, his cravings were unstoppable, unforgiving, and cruel. The first victim of the night gave no resistance. A nervous little man who earlier in the night stole a wallet and spent his spoil on a prostitute was on his way home when Triton took him so quickly from behind the thief had no idea what happened. The thrill had returned. Triton never thought that he would lust for the cravings again. The planning, the pursuit, the first iron tasting drop, bitter turning to sweet, the feeling of invincibility and power swam throughout his body. The feeling was so satisfying, so delicious, so intoxicating made Triton laugh at aloud. 

             
Drinking in thoughts and images of another’s life, their feelings, their crimes, and secrets spilled over his lips and mouth into his soul, fulfilling the bloodthirsty passion of the ruler of the night. One thought consumed him, more.

             
Finding his next victim proved to be easier than the first. In the doorway of an apartment building, the short, chubby man propped against the wall, snored loudly as he slept off the binge of cheap red wine he spent his last euros to buy. After emptying the veins of the man, Triton propped him back into the same position he found him in and stumbled down between two buildings to a small courtyard. A small fountain in the center trickled a lazy waterfall breaking the night’s silence. Triton took a seat on the ledge, trying to catch his breath. The inebriated blood made him dizzy and Triton laughed at the buzz he felt. Buzzing from head to toe, the pleasurable vibration jolted through his veins. Then another vibration over came his senses. Unlike anything, he had detected before the presence shook him to the core.

             
“Lost in your thoughts brother?” a voice floated on the wind out of the shadows jerking Triton to a sober state. Shifting around to see where the voice came from Triton spotted the lone vampire through the darkness. Yellow eyes peered out of the darkness. Swiftly Triton morphed into to full elder mode, exuding his complete powers to the other, unsure if he was facing friend or foe.               As the hallowed figure stepped out to full view, Triton scanned the length of the creature’s body. Not the normal strong and robust vampire, the scrawny male held his hands up in a truce like way.

             
“I mean no trouble, I am alone.” The vampire told Triton.

             
“What clan to your herald from?”

             
“I pledge no allegiance. I am the last of my strain.”

             
“Why do you come across so strangely?” Triton questioned defensively.

             
“Brother, I am sick, I drank dead blood, merely by mistake, just a sip before I realized it, and it made me weak. I have had no other contact with another to regenerate, until now.”

Triton
did not trust him and certainly would not let the deformed vampire taste his own flesh. Triton pushed the vampire for answers, “So why are you here, why not seek out another?”

             
“Well I just like it here, I have free reign, not many of our kind seek the cities of sun. You are quite powerful, in fact you are the most powerful I have ever encountered.” The vampire peered at Triton skeptically, “Why are you here? Running away from something?”

             
“Needed a break, too much commotion.”

             
“So the war does rage in the west. I had heard a rumor.”

Irritated,
Triton snatched the little weasel of a vampire with cunning quickness. Triton had him by the neck pinned against the wall.

             
“Who told you? What did you hear?” Triton pounded the bag of bones roughly on the brick.

             
“Rumors brother. The war, much causality on both sides, the female elder will be captured soon, if she isn’t already in Januar’s possession.” He snickered. Triton’s heart sank, guilt, remorse, and terror flooded his emotions. Triton knew he could not trust the sickly vampire, but draining him could be a detriment to himself, so Triton gave him one last chance to extract information.

             
“Tell me what else you know and I will spare your life, and if I like what I hear I will allow you to feed from my wrist.”

             
“Really?” he said, but Triton, did not answer, and just stared until the snitch confessed to what he knew.

             
Triton dialed Umbriel’s cellular holding his breath as the dial tone rang once, twice and three times before going into voice mail. Hanging up without leaving a message, Triton snapped closed the phone. Stepping over the head, he had effortlessly severed off the body of the traitor vampire; Triton sheathed his sword and returned to the villa.

              Wailing loudly the plump nine-month-old baby cried out as Annasara paced the floor trying her best to calm the boy. As Triton came in, he took the boy into his arms and the baby quieted in an instant.

             
“How do you do that?” she asked exhaustedly.

             
“I have the magic touch. My boy knows his papa.”

             
“All I know is he is teething and tries to bite everything.”

Triton
looked at the boy who was grabbing his own foot and sticking it in his mouth.

             
“What does the book say about it?” he asked in a suspicious tone.

             
“That it’s normal, the chewing helps the teeth break through the gums. But the crying and crankiness are also normal.”

             
“Normal is good, I mean our boy is growing normally.”

             
“He’s growing like a weed, aren’t you?” she said to Brenden who reached out, got a hold of her hair, and tried to put in his mouth. They laughed together and Triton pulled her to him. The three of them together, sheltered from the war and two worlds that would not understand this union they had, and what they had created out of love. Triton worried that it would not last, but could not let on to her. Annasara took the boy from his arms, placed him into the crib, and they watched the boy falling asleep like an angel from heaven.

             
“Oh Triton, I want so much for him. I want to make his life the happiest and best one ever.”

             
“I want that too, and I will do everything to give him it and too you.”

             
“My life is perfect already, I have you and my baby, and I live in Italy on the ocean. What more could I ask for?” she said.

             
“What if it was not as it appeared? What if something was to happen to me, would you stay here?”

             
“Where is this coming from? Are you in kind of trouble? Is that we came here?” she questioned. “You are scaring me.”

             
“I don’t mean too, I just worry I am failing you and Brenden.”

             
“You are a good father and husband, I mean boyfriend?”

             
“Would you like me to be your husband?” he asked.

             
“Well we’ve never talked about marriage.”

             
“No, we haven’t.”

              “Marriage is a huge step.” She said.

             
“Haven’t we’ve taken a huge step already? Having a child, moving half a world away?” he asked.

             
“Well yes, but…” she said but he cut off her words.

             
“Marry me.”

             
“Triton.”

             
“I said marry me.” He laminated, taking her into his arms, wrapping them around her back and sinking to his knees he placed his head on her body.

Annasara
took her hands and raking them through his hair brought back his head to face her. Looking down into his eyes, she stared longingly at them. Triton felt his insides melt. He loved her intensely.

             
“Marry me.” She said.

             
After the sunset two days later, they stepped onto the beach and wed in the simplest of ceremonies. Witnessed only by the caretaker and his wife and Brenden, Annasara and Triton kissed as man and wife. The first few months of wedded bliss passed and as the end of their year together as man and wife concluded the relationship began to strain.

Chapter Thirty-One

             
Feeding whenever he could or absolutely had too, Triton was able to conceal his identity from his wife by supplying vague excuses for having to go out. Annasara grew suspicious. Triton seemed distracted more, showed less interest in her, for Triton his time was spent feeding as much as he could to make up for the fact he barely ever slept. He need a along hibernation to make himself right but there was no way to do this with her and the child in the household. Vampires could hibernate for weeks, months or centuries if they so desired or if the need to regenerate their bodies arose. Without the hibernation, the need to feed grew stronger every day. Now Triton was feeding nightly. Annasara tried to adjust her schedule to his so they could spend more time together but Triton spent his nights out searching the streets for his next taste. Annasara grew tired of being alone at night and went back to living during the day. Triton sleeping at night separated their lives especially their sex life. Once what was wild and constant was now non-existent. After their son turned a year old, Triton noticed Annasara being particularly short with her husband.

             
“Where’s Brenden?” Triton asked as he woke up as dusk to find her sitting in the bedroom at the vanity brushing her hair.

             
“I asked Marina to watch him tonight. I though we could-” she said but closed her mouth as Triton cut her off in mid sentence.

             
“Can it wait? I have to go out for a minute,” He said and slipped on his pants and shirt in a huff.

             
“But, wait, I have…” she tried to talk to him again but his snapping back stung her sharply, “I said I’ll be right back!”

             
His being gone for a minute turned into hours as the nights feeding became a cat and mouse chase of a street thug who Triton tormented for a few hours before sucking the life from him. He was not even in need of blood but the chase gave Triton an exciting thrill. The thrill Triton used to get from making love to Annasara now was replaced with the dark curse. Not realizing this, Triton strolled back to the house just before daylight.              

             
Forgetting all about his wife’s attempts to talk to him, he unlocked the backdoor.
Probably something trivial as usual
, Triton thought as he entered. Instantly sensing something was terribly out of sorts, Triton breathed in deeply smelling lingering candles that burned down to the core. An empty vase sat in the middle in the table, the flowers that adorned it, now were in the trash bucket with a colorful card torn in half on top of them. Picking up the two pieces, he put them together and the card read, Happy First Anniversary Husband. Triton felt like he took a punch to his stomach as he realized what he had done. He pushed her aside for his own selfish needs, for sport and play. Feeling guilty for blowing her off for his vampirism, he threw the card back into the trash. Rushing to the bedroom, he found her lying on the bed asleep. Still in the sundress she knew was his favorite, Annasara laid on her side. Calling out, he stopped after the second try. She was fast asleep. Triton saw the sun was creeping into the bedroom. Triton closed his eyes and sighed. The chasm between their worlds opened up. Triton felt as if it swallowed him. He was never going to be human again, no matter how much he wanted it or tried. Retreating to the basement, Triton prepared for the day’s slumber. He would have to rectify the situation after he slept. He hoped Annasara would be understanding but doubted it. The sound of the basement door closing reached her ears. Tears streamed down the side of her face onto the pillow, soaking the fabric. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

             
Avoiding Triton the rest of the day and well into the night, Annasara did her best to steer clear of him. Busying her self with housework, Annasara went out her way to not be in the same room as her husband. Triton tried his best to be patient but his frustration of how to handle the situation got the best of him and he cornered her, literally.

             
“We should talk.” Triton said.

             
“I do have anything to say to you right now.” She told him trying to push past him.

             
“Can I just apologize?” He said in a tone that escaladed from his first words to her since the previous night. Her blood starting to boil in anger, her cheeks flushed pink. Triton could smell it through her skin.

             
“Save it.” She said in a huffy tone and again tried to escape his blocking stance.              

             
“You could at least give me the respect enough to hear me out.” He shouted. Annasara raised her voice back,               “Like you did to me last night? Or did you forget how you had to rush out and not give me the
respect
to hear what I was trying to tell
you
.”

             
“I had to go, it was important.”

             
“Oh, more important than our anniversary?” she yelled.

             
“I forgot!” he said holding up his hand in defense.

             
“You forgot.” She said pursing her lips tightly together before turning away from him.

             
“Don’t you turn your back on me!” he said sharply swinging her back to face him. Annasara turned around making a defiantly humph. Fury raged through the centuries old vamps veins. Lack of a long slumber made his patience paper-thin. The previous night he had not slept at all worrying about how he could explain to Annasara his actions. Now her act of being defiant to him angered the vampire. No one in centuries disrespected him like this and he was not going to accept this behavior from anyone and especially his wife. Walking towards the door, Annasara scoffed and took two more stepped before Triton with his cunning speed; he was in front of the doorway, blocking her exit.

             
“You are not going anywhere until you listen to what I have to say.” He growled at her.

             
“Going anywhere, how about I ask you where you were going last night that was more vital. Are you having an affair?”

Triton
could not believe what he just heard, “An affair, you are serious?”

             
“You’re gone all night, sleep all day, when you are here you barely come out of the cellar. We never make love anymore. Sometimes I feel like I am living here by myself, raising our son by myself.”

             
“Everything I do is for you and our son. For your protection!”

             
“Oh here we go again, what do we need protecting from, can you answer that? No! You and your secrets. I have it up to here!” she shouted and put her hand up over her head dramatically.

             
“I’m sorry! I forgot our anniversary. I don’t know what else to say.” He said in the same tone. Trying her best to keep the tears in check Annasara swallowed hard and once again tried to leave the room.

             
“Where are you going?” he said and grabbed her arm. Annasara to shake off his grip, but he clamped down harder. Growing like a fire within, his anger heated as she tried to free herself.

             
“Let go of me. Stop.” She said but her demands were ignored. Triton pulled her arms as she tried to yank it away. It only took a second for it to kick in, his dormant killer instincts boiling up to the surface. Not trying to suppress the change, he allowed the change to begin, thickening him, making him hard bodied, stronger, intense, and thirsty. Her eyes open wide, the shock of his strong grip and his anger towards her made Annasara’s anger turn to fear.

             
“Triton, you’re hurting me.” She pleaded. The more she protested, the more intense he became. “Stop, Triton, please.” She cried as his grip cut off the circulation in her arm. Beyond reason, he pressed her against the wall, unable now to hear the whimpers over the pounding of the blood rushing through her veins. Slowly painfully, his fangs grew long. White gleaming shards of ivory glinted in the evening lamp light. Now the hand that held her arms had hold of her neck turning it ever so deliberately exposing the pure flesh. Inches from her jugular, his mouth watered, her skin taught, the blue vein pumping the sweet juice rapidly through the tiny stratums in short bursts. Saliva dripped off his lips as he clamped them tightly onto the smooth skin. Even he wanted to stop it was too late; the instinct was too great, over powering him as no other urge had. His rough tongue lashed across her flesh tasted lightly of perfumed soap that gave way to the bitter sweetened liquid. Piercing the skin, her blood rushed into his mouth coating his tongue, draining down his throat choking him. Annasara’s unheard protests gurgled in her esophagus as Triton ingested the hot blood. Unprepared for the intensity of the taste of her blood, Triton’s body burned as if he was on fire. Morphine and heroin paled in comparison to the rush he felt.              

             
Unprepared for the intensity, Triton ripped his jaws from her. Triton stumbled back, dropping his clutch of her frame. Annasara fell into a pile on the floor, as Triton dropped to his knees next to her body. Her neck exposed with the wound seeped the dark fluid from puncture wounds. Triton scrambled drunkenly over to her, pulling her onto his lap. Shaking his head, the gesture an effort to clear his thoughts, cleared his vision to be able to examine her. Unconscious, Annasara lie still and limp. Triton tried to process why the blood had such a powerful effect on him. 
The baby.
Somehow his flesh and blood growing inside her must have changed her DNA, but into what he could not explain. She possessed no signs, neither did the child, but this unique exceptional phenomenon had been somehow created by their union. Mustering up the strength to pick her body up, Triton placed her on the bed, checking to see if she was still breathing. Her soft moaning quelled his fear. Triton lapped her wound hiding the bite marks. Vampires had the ability to repair wounds with their saliva. The enzymes in their spit could progress the healing process. By morning, no sign of a bite would exist. Gathering her to him and Triton fell instantly into a deep sleep.

             
“What happened?” she groggily said into his ear as they awoke hours later.

             
“You passed out.” He said sleepily.

             
“How much did we drink?” she asked, tried to sit up, and held her hand to her forehead.

             
“You don’t remember?” Triton said.

             
“I feel like I drank a bottle of tequila and washed down with vodka. My head is pounding.”

             
“We over did it. Do you remember anything?”

             
“No, did we make up?” she asked.

             
“Yes, many times over.” Triton said and kissed her temple.

             
“Oh, good.” She said and opened one eye and looked around, the sunlight blinding her.

             
“Triton.”

             
“Hmmm?” he mumbled as he fell back asleep.

             
“Triton!” she yelled and shook him. Triton jolted awake staring at her staring at him, her shocked expression scared Triton. Had he been caught? Did she know his secret? It took a minute for Triton to realize what she was seeing. Annasara smiled the widest grin as she touched his arm. Together they lay in the streaming sunlight and his flesh was unaffected. The curse of a thousand years had vanished.

             
“How is this possible? You’re healed?” she shouted. Triton’s reaction surprised him. How could he explain this sudden change, what had happened and why?

             
“Your skin, it’s in the sun and not burning!” she yelled. Triton stuck his leg back into the ray of the sun and blinked as if it was a dream.

             
“That is why I have been leaving every night, why I brought you here.” He said quickly thinking of an acceptable reason why he was no longer allergic to the sun.

             
“I found therapy to treat my condition. I was not sure it would work and I did not want to your hopes up if it failed. I told you last night, that’s why we were celebrating.”

             
“It’s a miracle.” She said throwing her arms around him and kissing him deeply. Triton could not believe what was happening. It had to have been her blood, a strange mix of the baby’s DNA mixed with hers, and when he drank from her somehow reversed his condition. He knew he was still immortal, yet he felt the most powerful he ever had. Now, able to survive the sun, to feel the warmth on his face, to live as a human, he could share her world. However, unsure how long this effect would last Triton only exposed himself to the rays sporadically. The magnitude did not set in right away; he was too lost in the joy of what he deemed a normal existence with his wife and child. The enormity of the situation finally caught up with him. Would he have to feed of her to keep his newfound freedom? As he and Annasara walked along the ocean’s edge hand in hand in the mid day sun that he realized how immensely this could harm him. Would others be able to detect it? Would they find out, possible try to change themselves? Would they kidnap his wife and child to posses this ability. Could the creatures of the night now roam in daylight? Picking up a stone, he threw into the ocean and stared out across the water.