Hunger For Love

Willow nodded. "But if the bitten human wasn't able to drink a vampire blood within that span of time, what will happen to them?"

"Nothing, the venom will just degenerate inside their body. And at normal basis, potent venoms only act as a regenerator to conceal our tracks whenever we fed. After we drink blood from someone, our venom rapidly enters their system and regenerates the damaged tissues caused by our bites, thus, leaving no trace of any vampire feeding behind. It also has an anesthetic effect so that we can bite people on their sleep without waking them up."

Willow pursed her lips. "Did you ever bite me?" she sheepishly asked.

Almost"No," he said. "I was tempted but I didn't."

Into his surprise, his answer placed a frown on Willow's face. "Why? I don't taste good enough."

Morphin smiled and reached out to touch her cheek, painting them red the instance that his skin touches hers. "Your blood has the sweetest aroma that I'd ever scented."

"Then why didn't you bit me?" she pouted.

His hand dropped from her, gaze looking down. "I have my reasons."

"Tell me about it?"

Morphin sighed heavily. "I-I can't."

Willow took his hand and placed them back to her cheek, making his recently awakened heart pondered. "Please Morphin, I want to know."

"But..." Morphin wanted to insist on resisting, but when he met her gaze, he saw fire on her eyes. Intelligence. Bravery. And it's telling him that she's prepared for everything. And it greatly stunned him. His meek and gentle Bride is actually keeping such courage. Maybe now could be the right time to tell her everything. But still...

"But what?"

"You might see things differently after I told you."

She gave that 'duh' stare, "Is that something new around here?"

Morphin deliberated. Realizing that she's right, he said, "I guess not."

From her face, Willow settled down his hand on her lap, caressing his palm with her finger. "I'm waiting, Mr. Volkonsky."

Morphin took a deep breath, preparing both his mind and heart to resurface the bitter memories of his past. "My parents died when I was only 6. Let's just say that they experienced the typical life of the vampires that the current generation can watch in classic themed vampire movies. Sleeping in coffins, living in creepy mansions, hunts unwary humans at night, movies where the endings are when the vampires gets captured and burned alive by the town people."

"Is that what happened?"

"Yeah, unfortunately," he said. "My parents were unaware that in the town where they hunt, the mayor had hired Slayers to take them down. And to make the story short, they killed my parents, and knowing that they have a son, they burned our house too in order to kill me."

"How did you survive?"

"I was lucky that back then it was on my 3 months hibernation and I was kept by my father at the underground chamber of our house. That's how I survived the fire. And when I woke up, my parents are gone, our house was left in ruins, and I was all alone."

Willow squeezed his hand gently. "I'm sorry to hear."

Her touches soothed him, making the bitter memories less painful and more bearable than they're supposed to be. "In order to survive, I become a Berserker. A vampire that is blinded by hunger and bloodlust, a monster that thinks of nothing else other than feeding. For an entire decade it stays like that, I killed hundreds of innocent people before I finally gain control over my savage self. And so, after those years of mindless frenzy had subsided, I started to live in a more casual manner as a vampire."

She raised a brow on that, "Casual?"

"You know, wines, parties...women."

Willow pushed his hand away and turned her back from him in annoyance, "Women!"

Morphin moved beside her, caressing her shoulders that she repetitively attempted to shook off. "Hey, c'mon, don't get mad. It only lasted 'til I turned 27. After that, I'd never been with a woman aside from you."

"Is that true?" she asked, giving him that sad puppy-dog look.

"Yes, it's the truth," he said. "I've been in abstinence for more than 450 years, and you're the only woman that I've been with ever since then."

"And why should I believe that?"

"Because..." Morphin breathed deeply, bracing himself. "Because during the 27th year of my life, I gained my immortality and I become an undead, like a zombie. I'm alive but my body is dead and its basic anatomy that I won't function as a man if my body dead."

Her eyes widened. "You mean you were impotent for 450 years?"

He nodded sheepishly. "We vampires spend our immortal lives as walking corpses until we meet our destined Mates."

"Mates? As in soulmates?"

"Yeah, sort of like that."

"What will happen once they find their Mates?"

"They will be Revived," he said. "Male vampires addressed their mates as Brides, while for females, Lovers. Once the destined couples made a contact, they will revive one another, and they will bring each other's bodies back to life."

"Wait a minute." Willow straightened up and shifted her entire body around to face him. She touched his face first, "You're warm," then brushed her thumb through his lips, "you breathe." She then lowers her hand to his chest, "I could feel your heart beating." And lastly, her gaze lowers down on his groin, "And I swear, I saw that thing standing yesterday."

Willow then meet his eyes again.

"You're Revived," she said. "Does that mean that you found your Bride?"

Smiling, he nodded. "Yes."

"Who is she?"

Morphin took her hand from his chest and placed it back to his cheek, "I think you know the answer to that."

----------

"Me?" Willow backed away from him, eyes wide open in disbelief. "How can it be me?"

"Because you're the woman who is meant to be mine above all others."

"But I'm not a vampire."

"It doesn't matter what you are to become my Bride. If you're the one given to me by fate then it's you."

She hyperventilated, trying her best to absorb everything that he's engraving into her. "Since when did this happen?"

"Ever since you arrived," he said. "You asked me earlier why I didn't feed from you. The reason was because you Revived me when I attempted to do so. And I'm sure you somehow remember a bit about it, though you might just think of it as a dream."

Yes, she does. She somehow remembered something that day. Though it was vague, unclear, and dreamlike, she was certain that she saw a silhouette of a man in her room. And now, she comprehended that it was him. And also... "Were you also the one that had been following me for the last weeks?"

He hesitated, then nodded, "Yes, it was me."

She groaned in annoyance, "How could you do that to me? I almost died from panic attack."

"I know that I caused you unease, and I greatly regret that, but my sole intention was only to keep you safe."

"Safe?" she repeated. "Safe from what?"

"From people that desire to harm," he said. "Willow, when I watched over you, you've been stalked seven times already, and something hideous could have happened if I wasn't there to protect you."

Willow gaped. "WHAT!?" Denying in believing what he's telling her. She knows that she had some ill-luck clinging on her. But to be stalked seven times in just 2 weeks was too much of a misfortune.

She shuddered on the thought of the things that could have happened to her. But all of them are nothing more than horrible outcomes that had been prevented. And that's all thanks to him. And yet, despite everything that he'd done, she still dared to flare her nose on him when all he'd done was to do her good.

Her anger drained out of her system, realizing how unreasonable she is. It wasn't Morphin's fault that she's a walking disaster or a spineless wuss that needs to be protected. And it wasn't also his fault that he's born a vampire and she is his destined Bride whom he needed to protect from the shadows. They are different, and he feared of scaring and losing her because of what he is.

Morphin reached for her and held her hands. "Willow, you have all the rights to be angry at me. I treated you so badly. I was so blinded by my desire to keep you that I took for granted your feelings. I want your forgiveness, Willow. I don't deserve it but I want it."

Willow lifted their hands up, spread them to their sides as she draw closer to him for a passionate kiss. She then directed his arms to wrap around her waist while hers encircled around his neck. Morphin responds by pulling her closer to him and kissing her in return.

Willow kissed him until she was breathless. She pulled for a second to inhale and then resumed claiming his perfect lips again.

"I forgive you," she moaned on his mouth.

How can she remain mad at him? How can she not forgive him? If he keeps looking at her like she's the only thing that matters. She can't. She just can't.

"Anything else you want to tell me?" she said. "Or we can start this now?"

"Nope," Morphin said, brushing his lips on her neck, making her purr. "How about you?"

"That can wait."

----------

A groan of sheer pleasure rippled out of Morphin's throat as Willow's fingers skimmed from his face, neck, and down to his now bare chest. Her hands trembled slightly, and it was as if the tremors were passed to him. Each quiver, coated with anticipation and then delight.

Pushing him down to the couch's cushion, she straightened up above him, straddling his hips. She lifted her shirt and pulled it of over her head. He almost swallowed his tongue.

Morphin froze, eyes locked on the naked upper part of her body. Hers was a neat, compact body of soft flesh, smooth skin and luscious curves. Plump, firm breasts perfectly shaped to match his hands, nipples peaked as if ready for his mouth.

Willow noticed the odd staring. A brow of her frowning little face lifted. "What?" She asked, glancing back and forth from his stunned expression to her body. "Its like you haven't seen it before."

He did. But he never had the chance to admire it, to admire her beauty, both inner and superficial. "I guess I didn't pay attention."

Willow chuckled. Bending down to kiss him again, she writhe her bottom against his groin, swelling his manhood to life, struggling for freedom beneath his pants.

Teleporting them to her bed, he tossed her to her back and ripped her remaining covers from her. He did a little more job to work on his own before they're both just in bare flesh above the mattress of Willow's bed. He pinned her arms over her head and moved his face close to hers and whispered, "You have no idea how long I've waited for this."

She reached for him and cupped his face with both hands, "Then stop waiting."

Morphin is still wasn't sure if this was a dream or not. All he knew was the scent of Willow filled his head and he had to be inside her. His heart hammering when he spread her legs apart and positioned his rock hard shaft against her opening. Willow panted heavily in anticipation.

But the moment was interrupted when the beast that he contained inside him emerges, wanting not just her body but also to feed from her blood.

Morphin pulled back. In huge pain as he tried to return the beast back to its cage. But the urge was too much to handle especially that Willow is just somewhere within sight.

So despite their great desire to unite, he must stay away from her. The urge to rip her throat was so fierce. He's losing control. It slipped and broke free until he can no longer remember anything other than his lust for flesh and blood. Every second with her brings him closer to the edge. "Morphin, what's wrong?"

Everything!

Unable to handle it, he dispersed, leaving his beloved behind.

----------

Willow was heartsick as she exited her unit to do groceries. She hadn't seen or even felt Morphin's presence for days already and the fact that he flee during the night of their supposed to be night of passion, something that he'd been dying to share with her, made her wonder if something bad had happened to him.

As she exited the Metro's tunnel, she breathed the evening breeze reeked by the scent of flaming woods and plastic coming from the tall trash bins that were burned by the homeless to warm themselves from the wrath of the cold night.

Under the light of the semi-reddened moon, her eyes wondered through them in a random manner until one entity caught her attention.

It was Carla and her friends.

Morphin once told her that the initial purpose on why she was brought to the Metro Station was to become his feeding source. And since it was them that brought her here on the place, they certainly knew something about Morphin and his nature.

"Carla!" Willow called as she approached them.

Carla frowned on her but later lightened up when she gained recognition. "Hey," she said. "It's Willow, right?"

She nodded. "Yes," she said. "It's me. And I need help."

"What can we do for you?"

"Bring me to Morphin."

The stunned expression on their faces upon mentioning Morphin's name confirmed her assumption. "W-w-what?" said Carla.

"I said I want to see Morphin," she said slowly. "So bring me to him."

"Willow, I don't know what you're talking about," she breathed nervously.

"Carla, please, I need to see him," she pleaded, tears pooling on her eyes. "He was in pain the last time we met and I'm worried that something terrible might have happened to him. So please, I'm begging you. Let me see him."

Carla and other two with her, which were revealed to be Barry and Johnson, deliberated whether to allow her to see him or not. But since she already knew too much and there's no point of hiding anything from her, all three of them had come up with a decision to tell her where she can find their Boss.

Carla instructed her that Morphin's home is located at a hidden part of the most populated district of the station, the Central Area. At the furthest west, an empty region where no one dares to occupy, the left side has a narrow tunnel that leads into a dead end, a huge brick wall. And somewhere on that wall, there is a hidden door that if opened will lead her to Morphin's bedchamber.

As Willow walked the pathway that will lead her to her beloved vampire, sounds of feral growls welcomed her, and by each step that she inched closer to her desired destination, the unpleasant and bloodcurdling sounds grows louder.

The loudness and the savagery of the sound grow even stronger when she reached the dead end, as if her presence had amplified the wrath and pain of whoever owns those feral noises.

12 from the left, 7 from below.The location of the certain brick that she must press in order to open the secret doorway according to Carla's instructions. Carla breathed nothing more aside from that, she said that she'd only been on that place for only once when she was recruited to become one of Morphin's new wards, and that experience was even brisk. It was also the first and the last time that she'd saw him personally. The rest of their interaction and communications were all done through the phone.

Pressing the said piece of brick, group of other bricks slid down to the floor revealing an iron door. Pushing it inward and entering, Willow found herself in front of a stair that leads upward.

Feral growls continue to vacate those dark spaces that surround her. And it surprised her. She was surprise that despite the fact that she's alone in a very scary place where a monster might rip her any moment, she still find some calm on herself. Very far from the her that she knows a week ago who could have frozen like a statue already at the initial sign of danger.

The growls of anguish grows louder again, more feral and violent than the last, like it's telling her to go away.

Good advice and a sane decision to follow. But at the moment she doesn't feel like to act sanely. Her desire to see him overpowers any rational thinking that she possessed.

By the time that she reached the top of the stairs, her eyes widened in admiration on the graceful structure of the room. Huge and contained with sitting area and fireplace, as well as large leaded window where someone could witness the Central Area below. A king size bed with an iron headboard occupying the wall opposite to the fireplace, matching tables with matching chairs and lamps, a rocking chair that stood in front of the fireplace, colorful and well placed rugs on the concrete floor. The smooth walls painted to resemble old leather. A wall cabinet revealing the television and other entertainment appliances, bookcases contains not only book but numerous vintage framed photographs that are probably centuries old already. A door opened into a bathroom of equally large proportion. Another one that is closed and she assumed that it lead into a closet.

The room greatly interest Willow but she had no time to investigate especially that from the third door that is composed of concrete iron emits the growls that had been bothering her since her arrival.

Willow inhaled and exhaled deeply. "You can do this Willow," she chanted. "You can do this."

Twisting the heavy knob, she slid the iron door open and the beast from inside growled even louder in displeasure.

Willow gasped as she saw Morphin chained on the wall. His white hair was matted, his breathing shallow. His paler than the usual but his mass is extremely larger. His hands ended in long black claws and when he saw her looking at him, he bared his sharp fangs towards her direction.

Willow approached him slowly. Warily. She could not tell if he can actually recognize her. By the way that he is acting, she doesn't think so. "Morphin?"

He looked down at her with blood red eyes that are at the verge of control. They are feral and cold, eyes of a predator. "G-g-go!" he grated. "A-a-away!"

"What's happening to you?" Her worry filled voice echoed throughout the dim chamber.

"M-m-moon...r-red...re-red m-moon!"

Red Moon?What the hell is that? "I don't understand."

She followed his sharp gaze as he looked down to the floor. A Book? No. More like a Journal. She picked it up and scanned through the pages until she ceased on the part where the pages are quite crumpled. Reading its content while the menacing stares of Morphin are locked on her, her throat went dry when she read the part about vampire mating during and the red moon.

During the rise of the Red Moon, all mated male vampires will enter their most savage state to hunt and claim their Brides. Willow shudder on the thought while looking at the current appearance on Morphin. He's crazed, he's huge, and powerful, and he's supposed to claim her body on that frenzied state.

Dropping the journal, Willow backed away from him, immeasurable dread consuming her. Her head in great dilemma, she knows that she should be running, away from the place, away from him. But when her eyes that are widened in fear and disbelief met his suffering gaze, and witnessing him chained, sacrificing to keep her safe from him.

How can she run? How can she turn her back from him when he's the only person that makes her that she matters? That she's loved.

Gathering some composure and courage, she advanced and stood before him, before the beast that could rip her to pieces.

"Go away!" he bellowed in a beastly voice, struggling between control and total abandonment on his sanity.

"No!" she said firmly. At her words, his eyes lit somehow with both relief and anguish. "Just give me -- give me a minute to process all this okay!"

"Run...m-must p-p-protect y-you," he growled, hands shooting forward to claw her.

Her heart melted for him, "You did, Morphin. You pay blood for my safety," she said. "So can't we just do this and get over it?"

"No...w-w-will hurt you...k-k-kill y-y-youu!"

Willow doesn't know what weighs more, her life or to free him from his sufferings. Before she could have picked the initial option, but at the moment, she not so sure. "But..."