To Love a Were Ch. 09

NB: Thank you to those of you who have sent me really supportive emails and feedback regarding TLAW. It has really helped me to pursue this next chapter [and maybe the next?]. Do readers like happy endings? I'm thinking of making a character die as an ending but you guys might slaughter me for that!

Anyway, I did not send this chapter for editing as I wanted it up asap so bear with the mistakes. Once again, I'm open for suggestions for the next chapters or stories!

Cheers!

-ArtForm-

***

Sydney looked at herself in the mirror and caught Fiona's eye.

"I'm kind of nervous," she said with a jittery laugh. Fiona smiled and placed a gentle palm on Sydney's shoulder.

"If it makes you feel better, I think Dominic is just as nervous. Maybe worst. I saw him puking outside his house not too long ago."

"Really?" said Sydney, suddenly brightening up.

Fiona laughed, "It made you feel better didn't it? That's all that matters right now."

Sydney was smiling as the door opened slowly and Sophia peeked in.

"All ready girls?" she asked and offered a hand to her daughter. "Your father's waiting for us outside. I think he's going to cry," she said with a wink, making Sydney burst out in giggles.

True enough, Edward was holding a handkerchief to his face; trying to blotch out the tears that had escaped his eyes.

"I'm having a 'butterfly kisses' moment," he said with a sniffle. "Except you didn't bake me a cake or gave me any butterfly kisses at night."

"Oh Daddy..." said Sydney, squeezing his hand tight. "It's time to give me away now. No one likes a crybaby," she teased. Edward gave a hearty laugh and patted her shoulders.

"Yes, you're right... no one likes them... especially when they have such intense green eyes and soft strawberry blonde hair. I'm not pointing any fingers," he chuckled as he offered his arm for her.

Fiona smiled at Edward's comment but at the same time, it made her somewhat sad. Her real father would never have a chance to give her away at her wedding. For a moment, she wondered if he was just as funny as Edward or as serious as Aramis.

To be honest, Aramis Culzean was more a father to her, even though he insisted on her calling him 'grandfather'. Whatever his title was, she loved him and was looking forward to letting him know about her plans to get married with Eian. It would make him so happy.

At that moment, Pearl and Sydney's sister-in-law joined her and together they walked down the aisle towards the end of the hall. There was a make shift raised platform and podium where Dominic stood, dressed in his smart black tuxedo. On his left was Eian, dressed in a similar fashion with his brown hair tied neatly at the nape of his neck. His eyes flickered to Fiona's face for the briefest moment before it focused on Sydney as she entered the hall hand in hand with her father.

Oh man... Eian! She's beautiful!

Yes she is. But Eian was looking at Fiona once again; watching the way her eyelashes fluttered as she tried to look away from his gaze.

***

The reception was held outside Dominic and Sydney's newly built home. Tents and marquees had been put up to accommodate the few hundred guests that were present for the wedding. Food was abundant, as was the wine and music. People were making conversation, taking photos with the bride and groom and getting drunk.

And yet, Fiona was sitting quite alone at the far end of the party, blending in with the partial darkness of the night. She watched as Dominic and Sydney opened the dance floor with the customary newly-wed first dance, followed by Sydney's parents, Pearl and Mike and then everyone else. Eian stood under the floral arch, greeting guests and showing them to their table. She knew that he was searching for her but his attention was always diverted by various guests who wanted to thank him the host, or by other ladies who wanted to have a dance with him.

She told herself that she wasn't the jealous type but the more she sat there watching the people milling around her, the more she felt sick. She hadn't been feeling too well since the wedding ceremony in the great hall. She had initially blamed it on the lack of sleep or excitement but it had gotten worst as the day drone on.

As the night got older, Fiona drifted away in the darkness towards the edge of the water. She was cold even though there was hardly a breeze in the spring night.

Then she started coughing; feeling herself choking as though oxygen was knocked out of her lungs. She couldn't take it anymore. There were just too many humans around her and they smelled... different from the wolves. They enticed her and it had taken a lot of her self-control to stay as far away from everyone.

Fiona squatted and tried to curl herself into a tight ball to quell the thirst. She clenched her fist tight as she felt herself shivering but it was useless; her nails were growing longer and she felt her canines elongating. She had only felt this way once. It felt like the attack on the man in the woods all over again. It scared her to know what she could possibly do to everyone within her vicinity; to herself or Eian, if she didn't do something right now...

Without entertaining another thought, she jumped into the lake; letting her shouts of pain burst underwater. Even as she grappled with the intensity of the pain, she forced herself to move through the water to the other side, to try and put as much distance between her and the others.

It felt like forever but she finally managed to gain enough strength to pull herself up the bank, almost ten miles away from the MacFarlane lands.

The pain had stopped but she was feeling too numb to know for sure.

"You need to feed," said a voice from behind her. Fiona's instinctive reaction was to clamp her hands around the person's throat, slamming the body up against a tree. However, the familiar face of Alaron smiling at her forced her to let him go. He was not food.

"Here. Drink this," he said, offering his wrist. When she gave a disgusted look, he rolled his eyes and pressed it to her mouth. "It will quell that hunger for awhile. We need to get you home... or somewhere safe for you to feed." Fiona didn't reply him for she was fang deep in his flesh, drawing upon their shared blood with an astonishing hunger.

When she finally pulled away, she felt herself slowly returning to normal; fangs and nails retracting. Somewhat shocked at herself, she collapse on the floor and begin to cry.

"What... what's happening to me Al?"

"I can't say for sure but I think you've never been exposed to so much... prey, at one time. I've told you haven't I that the most basic need for the Vampire is to sink his teeth into moist, plump flesh... of a human."

"Shut up! Don't say that! I... I am not like that!" she shrieked.

"Don't lie!" he shouted back, pushing her such that she rolled a few feet away from him. Fiona's eyes hardened. In a blink of an eye, she returned his assault by knocking him down with a blow to the stomach.

"Why were you following me? And why is it I didn't sense you?"

Alaron leaned against a tree and scoffed. "Like I'd ever let you out of my sight. I made sure I kept my distance; far enough to ensure that you won't catch a whiff of me. But it's not you I'm worried about. It's that dog you're sleeping with that annoys the hell out of me."

Fiona looked up and narrowed her eyes at him. "I told you not to speak of him like that haven't I? I've got to get back now. He'll be worried," she said, trying to get on her feet.

"To where prey is plenty? Don't be stupid Fi. You might even attack that dog you love so much and that'll be the end of it," he said casually before frowning. "Come to think of it... maybe I should just let you go back. If you manage to kill him by accident then I'll stand a chance."

In a blink of an eye, her hand was at his throat again while the other clenched into a fist, aiming for his face. However, Alaron remained calm and laughed hysterically.

"I dare you to do it," he taunted, still laughing at her feeble attempt to attack him. Fiona glared at him angrily but released her grip around his neck and lowered her hands.

"I'll go with you," she said after awhile before looking at the other side of the lake. She tried to get one last look at the people but she couldn't see anything much except the glow of lights.

She felt Alaron's cold hand slipping into hers and then they were moving at light speed, further and further away from home. She felt the air growing warmer and warmer and realised that they were moving down south.

"Where are we going?" she asked but he didn't reply and kept a tighter grip on her hand.

Finally they stopped and Fiona had to blink a few times to clear her vision. They were at some private airport for she saw only two or three personal jets in the vicinity.

"Come," he said, pulling her along.

"What is this place?"

"Surely you don't think that father expects his kin to travel using public facilities do you? This is the family's personal hangar. And this... is my baby."

The jet was literally called 'My Baby' and Fiona wondered who had come up with such a terrible name for the aircraft. Must have been Alaron.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked the moment they ascended into air.

"Across the Atlantic," he replied calmly. "Just lean back and shut up Fi." Fiona scowled at him. "Tighten your damn seat belt and switch off your phone. Otherwise it'll interfere with the signals."

"I'm calling Eian the moment we land at wherever," she said irritably as she switched it off and tucked it into her pocket.

Alaron scoffed and kept silent until the aircraft was stable in mid air.

"Why do you love him so much?"

Fiona looked out the window into the darkness. "Maybe because I'm his mate."

"You fool!" he snapped. "You cannot be his mate! I will not allow it!"

Fiona felt her temper rising and flashed him a heated look. "I do not need your permission to be with him! Grandfather has given me his blessings for our marriage and he, of all people, has more right over me than you!" she spat and unbuckled her seat belt.

"Father doesn't know any better and neither do you!"

"Oh? And you do?" she asked in annoyance.

"As a matter of fact I do and that is why I have to take you as far away from him as possible. I can't let you mate with him Fi... you will die."

Fiona's venomous anger sizzled slightly at Alaron's last words. Shock had clearly replaced her angered expression and she leaned back in her chair slowly.

"What... what do you mean?" she asked although part of her didn't want to hear his answer.

"You won't believe me anyway," he replied nonchalantly. "You're too in love with that dog to ever believe me. Tell me I'm wrong then."

"Don't say that... please. I don't want to be forced to choose sides right now. I just want to know the truth... or whatever it is you know. You've kept so many things from me Alaron. Can't you just grant me this one respite?"

Alaron shrugged. He knew he was being a jerk but that was the only way he knew how to treat her without falling into the pleading, teary, desperate self that he truly wanted to be around her.

"I was supposed to be following Draven but I've decided to take a hiatus from that and so I've been travelling... reading up legends as well as old records in the archives of the Vampire clans in the region. As you know, for centuries, our kind has lived almost antagonistically with the Werewolf packs in the country. The reason is simple. Back in the time when blood banks were not the norm, Vampires still attack humans to feed. Some Vampires, more than others don't give a damn about who they attack... especially Werewolves. Somehow Werewolves emit one of the most enticing scents; I don't know why. But can you guess why biting a Werewolf in his human form is the most dangerous thing to do?"

"Because the wolf blood is poisonous?" she answered curiously.

"Ah... not at all. Their blood is of no threat to ours although our venom is an instant killer to them. Like I said, Vampires were meant to feed on humans, not kill them. Our venom is in place not to poison them but to help accelerate blood clotting. It helps heal the punctured wound. However, Werewolves cannot catalyze this venom and instead it interferes with their own body's natural healing capabilities and so they die."

Fiona gasped and covered her mouth. Now she understood the weight of Eian's rules. He must have known all along that her venom was fatal and yet he had never said much about it.

"It's the same thing if they bite us too... although they usually don't bite us since they don't eat cold blooded animals. But they will if threatened. That's why some unfortunate Vampires who stupidly bit them ended up dying together with their victim. Such a waste."

Alaron shook his head then laughed.

"Strangely, despite these deaths, both our kind still co-existed well until the 15th century when one of the Vampire lords developed a kind of... fetish perhaps for werewolf blood. Sick, I'd say but he enjoyed it. Killed a whole pack in a month. But of course he died soon after. A pureblood doesn't need that much feeding. So gluttony killed him, mostly. Anyway, after that incident, the remaining pack Alphas had an agreement with the various Vampire clans to stay as far away from each other as possible. And so the myth of our hatred for each other was coined to keep youngsters away from danger."

"But that has nothing to do with me. I have never ever tried to bite Eian," protested Fiona.

"But he needs to bite you to mate doesn't he? Oh yes... I read all about it. And their bite is as lethal to us as our bite is to them." Alaron kept his eyes on Fiona. "And you know what else I found out? He has never mated with a single human or wolf or any other species for that matter for centuries. Ever. Why do you suppose that is?"

"I... I am not sure," she replied. Or was she?

"In the legends, the original werewolf was a descendant of wolves. I don't know how true it is but that's what it says. The Vampire archives have no actual records of the first few Werewolves so I can't ascertain the truth of it. But what it does confirm is that the original Were has never had any of its own offspring. And... do you know who's that original Werewolf, Fi?"

"Yes..."

"I thought you would. Father has an extensive collection about the noble families since the first Kingdoms were formed. You'll see for yourself that the genealogy for MacFarlane stops at Keiran MacFarlane."

"But the pack..."

"They are just adopted into the pack. You do not include such adoptions into your royal genealogy. That just screws up the whole inheritance thing once you die. I don't mean you of course. Father has included you in our records so you won't be left with nothing if he dies."

"Right... that makes it all better. But you still haven't told me why Eian... well... the original Werewolf remained unmated for so long..."

"How would I know? But my guess is that his bite or his gene is extremely lethal- even to his own kind. The toxicity probably reduces down the line. Mmm... It's like the Psilocybin mushrooms you know? The people who eat them first hand experience the most intense high then the poorer people who can't afford them, drink their urine and experience a much more mild high."

"God! That is just sick! Do you have to use that analogy?"

"But hey... you get the picture don't you?"

"I don't think his bite is lethal..." she said slowly. Hadn't he bit his mother? Then why hadn't he ever mated with anyone? Was he... waiting for her?

"That's just wishful thinking Fi..." said Alaron as he studied her face. "Don't even think for one second that he was waiting for his soulmate or whatever. No such thing. Okay? It's just a romance crap those wolves came up with to stamp out infidelity."

"You're such a cynic Al. Just wait. Someday some woman's going to make you fall on your knees and then you'll believe in it."

Alaron rolled his eyes and began fiddling with his fingers, ignoring her. Fiona didn't mind that they weren't speaking at all at the moment. She was trying to digest everything that Alaron had told her. There were some truths to what he had said. Didn't Eian tell her that he had invented all the pack rules? So most of the 'mating' issues are just ritualistic isn't it? She'll ask him when she has the chance... but for now, she needed to be somewhere where she will not be harm to anyone.

"Al... why didn't you just take me home to the castle? Where exactly are we going?"

He ignored her and pretended to sleep.

"Alaron!" she snapped, pinching his arm. "Are you kidnapping me?" Alaron opened one eye and closed it again.

"Maybe."

***

It was nearly 3am when the guests had finally cleared the clearing outside Dominic and Sydney's home and retreated to their own beds. With a sigh, Eian took a chair and sat down in exhaustion. He had been standing, dancing, walking around and entertaining for the past six hours or so. He was tired. All he wanted was to curl in bed with Fiona and sleep.

"She must have been so tired that she went home first," he whispered to himself as he walked slowly home. With a smile, he turned the key to his front door, and then climbed upstairs to his room. It didn't bother him too much that she wasn't in her own room for he expected her to be in his.

"Fiona? Sweetheart?" he called out softly as he entered his own room. It was cold and smelled only of his clean sheets and of the oak panels. There was no trace of her anywhere. His senses were immediately on alert as he went through every room in the house to look for her.

Panic washed over him as he tried to recall the last time he had seen her: she was sitting quietly, watching the celebration. She had looked slightly pale but he had dismissed it for she would have told him if anything was wrong. Frowning to himself, Eian dialled her cellphone but got no response.

"Damn it Fiona... where the hell are you?" he slammed his fist on the wall. "How many times have I told you not to run off without telling me?" Eian placed his next call to Aramis's private number. He didn't care if it was three in the morning.

When Aramis's lazy voice replied on the other end of the receiver, Eian immediately spoke, "Is she with you?"

"Who?"

"Fiona!"

"What? No... What's this all about Keiran?" asked Aramis, sounding more alert.

"She's gone. We didn't quarrel or anything so I don't think she's having a tantrum. I'm worried Aramis. You know bloody well that I can't scent her if she's not within my one mile radius!"

Aramis gave a worried sigh and tried to calm Eian down but to no avail. Eian was adamant to begin searching for her even though Aramis told him to wait till morning.

"She could be dead for all I know! Damn it Aramis. She's a vulnerable youngling."

"Wait till morning Keiran... you're going to push yourself too hard if you begin the search now. I know you had a long night with the wedding and all." When Eian didn't reply him, Aramis tried to pacify him in another way, "I received your letter. It gave me one hell of a laugh. You know as well as I do that I want to see both of you married... so trust me when I say you need some sleep. I'll make some calls and see what I can find out. You'd want to be alive and alert when you go out to look for her; not dead and sleepy."

Eian didn't reply for a long time and merely grunted before he disconnected the call. Just where the hell did she go to? Surely someone must have seen her?

***

Meanwhile, Aramis did the first thing that came to his mind- he called Alaron. To his surprise, his son picked up.

"Yes Father?"

"Where the hell are you?"

"In New York..."

"Alone?"

"Please... I'm a single, breathing male in a strange land... chicks are crowding around me."