SWNOVELS Chapter 33
Blood red love
33
“My brother and Tyson will be happy to have us both over for dinner,” Charlie said to Vidar. He still looked nervous, but nodded. “I might be stepping over some big lines in the sand here. And if I do and make you feel uncomfortable, just tell me. But what about your family?”
“No
question is out of bound for you, Charlie,” Vidar told her and he sighed. Charlie wasn’t entirely sure he was aware of how tired he looked.
“I appreciate it, but I don’t want to bring up things that hurt you,” she said and got a small smile in return.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m the one who is supposed to protect you, remember?”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t return the favour,” she told him. “Let’s forget about my question and talk about something else for now.”
“No, I want to tell you about my family. I rarely talk about them, but I want you to know
parts of me I don’t share with others,” he said. Charlie felt her heart melt. How could an
ancient being like him be so sweet?
“If that is the case, I would love to hear everything about them,” she told him and scooted closer. He was gently massaging her feet and had a look which told Charlie he was far away in
his memories.
“I was born in what is now part of the southern Sweden. Back then, there were no country, only smaller chiefdoms and tribes. I told you how childbirths are rare in the magical community. So when my mother discovered she was pregnant, it was a big deal. My parents. were around eight hundred years back then. They had been imprinted for almost four hundred of those. My father was originally from the southern part of Europe, but my mother was from Scandinavia. They would spend about a hundred years in the north and then a hundred years in the south. Back then, it wasn’t complicated to create a new life for yourself. There was a natural suspicion against strangers, but once you proved to be an honest and useful part of society, you would be accepted. The life expectancy was low. To stay in the same place for more than ten years would look suspicious when you didn’t age. When my parents learned my mother was pregnant, they wanted more stability for me. They got a farm in a remote area. My childhood was spent there. It was idyllic in many ways, even if we were
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on high alert not to let humans know what we were,” he told her. Charlie couldn’t help but to wonder what it would have been like growing up back then. She pictured a cherub looking young boy running around in clothes she had seen in historic movies. “We are generally stronger than humans, but they outnumber us, and their fear of the unknown makes them dangerous,” he explained.
“That never went away, even though we now live in cities and believe in science and logic,” Charlie commented.
“No, the fear of the unknown is always strong in humans,” Vidar agreed. “When I became a young man, my father contacted a werewolf pack not far from where we lived. Vampires and werewolves don’t get along, generally, but we can form friendships. My father arranged for me to go
and live with the alpha and his family, to train with their men. Werewolves have an easier time fitting into the human world, at least back then. They have a longer life span than humans, but only with about a hundred years and they continue aging through their life. Whereas a vampire stops aging and will always look around thirty years old. The werewolves became my new family. I trained with them, I lived with them, I fought with them,” Vidar told her.
“And your parents?” Charlie asked.
“They felt it safest for all of us if they moved back south, letting people think they had died. I fought and trained with the wolves for many years, somewhere along the way I went from the trainee to the trainer. It was safe as the community was all wolves. The human who had. contact with us accepted the explanation I was my own son for generations. In a way, they were more my family than my parents. I had spent more time with them. But even if they had longer lives than a human, they still die. Either from wounds on the battlefield or from one of the diseases, or eventually old age.”
“It has to be hard to watch your family die,” Charlie said and reached for his hand. Vidar
looked as she intertwined their fingers.
“It is. When I was around three hundred years old, I left the pack because I couldn’t do it. I went in search for my parents, craving the company of vampires. I found them and it was a
somewhat joyous reunion. But we were strangers after living apart for so long. Still, they welcomed me and taught me how to survive as a vampire. It was more of a friendship than a family. But they helped me through the great understanding, and I will always be grateful for
that,” he said.
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“What is the great understanding?” Vidar smiled at her, but it wasn’t a happy smile.
“Around a vampire’s five hundred years, they usually understand how fleeting everyone else’s life are. To call it depressing is too mild of a word. You understand you will watch everyone around you grow old and die or die from a long row of other reasons. There are three ways a vampire comes out of the great understanding. They can’t face the reality and they take their own life; they close their heart off, look at others as food and only create bonds with other vampires; the third option is to accept your fate and learn to deal with the pain,” he explained. Charlie felt heartbroken for him. She pulled her feet out of his lap and snuggled up closer to him, hoping it would comfort him just as his presence always calmed her. He put his arm around her.
“I’m happy they helped you through it with your life and heart intact,” she told him.
“So am I. After they were certain I was through it and had found my legs again, we decided to go our separate ways. I spent quite some time to travel around the Mediterranean. That’s how I met Adisa and then Nasir. The three of us fast became friends. But travelling together for longer periods of time was risky. But they are my family now. When we came to this country, it felt like a good idea to create a clan. Since none of us are close to our blood family, we decided to create a family. That is about it,” he said.
“And your parents?”
“They still live in Europe, moving around, as we all do. We get in touch every hundred years or so,” he told her.
“Is that how it usually is in your culture?” she asked.
“No, usually parents keep the children close to them. Since children are rare, they are treated with reverence. Even in conflicts between clans or between species, children will be spared,” he explained. She nodded.
“Did
you keep track of the pack?” she asked.
“I did, from afar. They were wiped out in the great war of werewolves in 1568,” he told her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. It felt empty, and she realised the hurt had been inflicted a long time.
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“What is the great understanding?” Vidar smiled at her, but it wasn’t a happy smile.
“Around a vampire’s five hundred years, they usually understand how fleeting everyone else’s life are. To call it depressing is too mild of a word. You understand you will watch everyone around you grow old and die or die from a long row of other reasons. There are three ways i vampire comes out of the great understanding. They can’t face the reality and they take their own life; they close their heart off, look at others as food and only create bonds with other vampires; the third option is to accept your fate and learn to deal with the pain,” he explained. Charlie felt heartbroken for him. She pulled her feet out of his lap and snuggled up closer to him, hoping it would comfort him just as his presence always calmed her. He put his
arm around her.
“I’m happy they helped you through it with your life and heart intact,” she told him.
“So am I. After they were certain I was through it and had found my legs again, we decided to go our separate ways. I spent quite some time to travel around the Mediterranean. That’s how I met Adisa and then Nasir. The three of us fast became friends. But travelling together for longer periods of time was risky. But they are my family now. When we came to this country, it felt like a good idea to create a clan. Since none of us are close to our blood family, we decided to create a family. That is about it,” he said.
“And your parents?”
“They still live in Europe, moving around, as we all do. We get in touch every hundred years.
or so,” he told her.
“Is that how it usually is in your culture?” she asked.
“No, usually parents keep the children close to them. Since children are rare, they are treated with reverence. Even in conflicts between clans or between species, children will be spared,” he explained. She nodded.
“Did you keep track of the pack?” she asked.
“I did, from afar. They were wiped out in the great war of werewolves in 1568,” he told her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. It felt empty, and she realised the hurt had been inflicted a long time
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ago.
“Thank you,” Vidar said and placed a kiss on the back of her hand.
“I guess we have that in common then, a complicated family life,” she said. He smiled at her.
“I guess so. I like having things in common with you.” They sat for a while, talking about less serious subjects. “What do you want to do with our lazy day?” Vidar asked.
“To be honest, anything, as long as I get to spend it with you. I like this,” she said.
“I do as well. How about we watch a movie and then we can have lunch and we can discuss
how to spend the afternoon then?” he asked.
“I like that idea,” she said and looked around. She hadn’t seen a TV in any of the rooms she
had been in. “Where do you have the TV?” she asked.
“I have been a terrible host. I haven’t shown you the rest of the apartment,” he told her and got up off the couch and pulled her with him. They walked toward the bedrooms. “You know my bedroom and the guestroom,” he said as they passed them. She nodded. “There are three more guestrooms back here and my office,” he said and opened doors as they passed them. Evry room was styled in the same aesthetic and looked stunning, but the guestrooms looked like they had never been used. In the corner of the hallway was a spiral staircase.
“There is a second floor?” she asked.
“There is,” he said, leading her up the stairs. They came up into an open area with three big couches facing each other in the middle. There was a bar and some scattered seating around the room. One of the walls was floor to ceiling windows, giving a view of the opposite side from the view in the livingroom. A door in the middle of the windows lead out onto a huge balcony.
“Wow,” Charlie was lost for other words.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“It’s amazing.”
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“I’m happy. Over here is the gym, fully equipped.” he told her and took her back to the opposite side of the balcony. “And then there is the poolroom.” he said, ushering her into a room with a long swimming pool against a wall of windows. There was a hot tub at one end of the room. “There is a sauna as well.” he said, sounding proud.
“I never used one.” Charlie confessed.
“Really? Maybe we should make it the afternoon activity,” he said, letting his eyes sweeping over her body. Charlie wasn’t against the idea.-“And that just leave us one room.” Vidar said as he walked her back out to the open social area. He opened a new door and Charlie found herself in a movie theatre. But instead of the usual seats, there were two rows of huge recliner chairs and in the front of them a huge couch with freestanding chaises
“You have a movie theatre?” she asked.
“I do. I love watching movies and since it’s one of the few things I do to relax. I tend to splurge on it.” he confessed. “Do you want popcom or something else?” he asked as he walked to the side wall and pushed a panel that hid shelves with candy and snacks of every kind, a popcorn maker and a mini–fridge. “I made sure I stocked up on coke.” be told her. Charlie got the same sensation in her heart she had when she saw the dioches be bad bought her. She walked up to him and kissed him. He looked at her in surprise
“Thank you.” she said.
“It’s just some coke,” he said.
“I really like coke,” she told him. Charlie watched as Vidar got the popcom machine going and then they discussed what to watch. Charlie didn’t care. She was just looking forward to snuggle in with Vidar and have some popcom and enjoy herself. They ended up picking The fellowship of the ring, a classic they both had seen and liked. Vidar amcanged the chaises and made the couch into a giant bed. He got blankets and pillows from another hidden cabinet and finally they took their popcorn and drinks and scocted to the middle of the couch and Vidar pulled her into him as the movie started.