“He knew his love had drunk from the soldier, he had seen it with his own eyes, but it didn’t seem to help. In despair he called to the Moon Goddess, pleading for the answer to the cure for his love.
“In a blinding flash, the goddess appeared, in a flowing gown the color of moonbeams. She had heard his plea, and looked deep into his heart. ‘Do you truly love this daughter of the night?’ the goddess asked him. ‘I do, my goddess.’ ‘The only thing that can help her is blood. Her hunger is strong, almost unbearable, and soon she will be lost to it. She will go crazy with her need, but none will satisfy her thirst.’
“The wizard looked up at his goddess, unashamed as tears spilled from his eyes. ‘I would gladly trade my life for hers, Goddess.’ ‘You need not die for your love. You must live for her. It is only your blood that will ease her hunger.’ ‘I do not understand,’ the wizard told her.
“The goddess smiled with infinite patience. ‘There is a bond between you. It is rare for her kind to find their perfect match, their perfect mate. When she drank from you, a bond was forged, so strong, that it has erased all need for the blood of any other. You are Blood Mated to this young vampire, wizard. Only your blood will ease her hunger.’
“The maiden had listened quietly as her goddess spoke, her eyes growing wide as her goddess told the wizard how to cure her. In a weak voice, the maiden asked ‘But what if I drink too much?’ ‘You’ll know when to stop,’ the goddess reassured her. ‘Your love for him will assure that.’
“True to the Moon Goddess’s word, as soon as the maiden drank from her love she felt stronger. For months the couple lived in peace, binding their lives together under the light of the full moon, knowing that the goddess was looking down on them, smiling and blessing their union. The goddess even blessed them with a babe, the ultimate symbol of their love.
“But their happiness was not to last. Three years later, not long after the birth of their daughter, a stranger and his son came to their house. When there was no answer to his knocking, he walked inside, catching the maiden while she drank from her husband. In a rage, the man called her an unnatural beast and drove his sword deep into her body. So deep that it became buried in the wizard as well. Before her eyes, she had to watch her husband, her Blood Mate, her only true love die. Her rage grew so fierce that her eyes were said to have turned blood red.
“Pulling herself off the blade, in a frenzy she ripped open the man’s throat, uncaring that his blood would do her no good. Letting him fall lifelessly to the floor, her grief began to consume her until she noticed the child cowering in a corner. His father’s blood was splattered across him.
“At once she tried to pull him into her arms, to comfort him. But he would not go. Instead he backed away from her as much as he could. Sensing he was not yet ready to hear her story, instead she went to comfort the babe that lay near her bed. Days passed, and finally, after several nights of the widow feeding him and being kind to him, showing the boy that she meant the child no harm, he grew braver. He saw how gentle she was with the small baby, and eventually the boy finally grew courageous enough to ask her why she had killed his father.
“With tears in her eyes and voice, she told the boy her story, rocking her child the entire time. The boy watched as the widow bit her finger and allowed the babe to drink her blood. She told him all about her love and the Moon Goddess’s words. She explained all she could about her people, stories that she had only ever spoken of with her wizard. She explained how his father had condemned her to a slow death of starvation when he killed her husband, her Blood Mate.
“As she finished her tale, leaving out no detail of her life and her people, no matter how small, the widow handed the boy a box. She told him that she wanted him to have all that belonged to her and her wizard.
“The boy cried at her heartbreaking tale, and tried to stop her as she opened the door. The first rays of light were already turning the sky pink. ‘Don’t. You’ll die,’ the boy pleaded, having forgiven her for killing his father now that he understood why she’d done it. ‘I was condemned to death the moment my love died. I would rather see the sunrise once in my life than risk another innocent life because of my hunger.’ She caressed his face. ‘Even now I feel the hunger trying to control me, whispering in my ear to ease this horrible thirst.’ Giving him a motherly kiss on the cheek, she placed her child gently in his arms. ‘I have only one request,’ she told him. ‘Please watch over my child. I do not know if you will ever meet another of my kind, and I cannot bear the thought of her life being ended so soon. She is all that I have left of my sweet wizard.’ A single tear of blood rolled down her cheek.
“The boy swore to protect the child with his life. After telling him how to care for her precious daughter, and giving them both one final kiss, she stepped outside. He wanted to run to her, wanted to be with her so she would not die alone, but he knew he could not take the babe into the sunlight or he would condemn her as well. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he watched the widow burn in the rising sun, while he stood safely in the shadows of her home.
“True to his word, the boy took great care of the baby girl that had been entrusted to him, calling her his sister whenever someone asked about her. He told her the story of her mother and father, of their love, every morning before she fell asleep. The years passed, and he aged, but the girl remained young. He was careful to never stay in one place too long, terrified of someone finding out their secret and taking away the only family he had. Throughout his life he did everything he could to give her anything she wanted.
“When she was old enough, he held her in his arms as he retold her the story of her people. Everything the widow mentioned about her people, her parents and how she came to be in his care. As time went on, and the girl grew into a beautiful woman, he began to claim her as his daughter, then, finally his granddaughter.
“All too quickly it became time for her to make her own promise. As the boy, now an old man, lay dying he made her swear to tell the story of her mother and father to her own children—should she have any. And to any of her people that she should encounter. He made her promise not to let their story, their love be forgotten.
“The girl kept her word to the man who had always loved and protected her. She knew he wasn’t her father, but she’d loved him as such for her entire life. She knew in her heart that her true father would not mind. Eventually she met another of her kind and fell in love with him. She passed the story on to her love, then her own children, always careful to include the love she felt from the boy. She explained how he’d cared for her, how much she loved him and how he was the only father she had ever known. Through the generations, the sacred story has been passed down from mother to child, reminding us that love is a precious gift from the Moon Goddess. And that though we may feel anger, though we may be tempted to lose all control and give our rage freedom, we must be careful to never hurt an innocent. Because they do not deserve our punishments.”
Seth sat on his motorcycle in tears. The story he had loved so much as a child had new meaning now. The part of him that had always scoffed at such a love, such a perfect mate being out there was silent. His heart broke for the nameless maiden and her wizard—and their fate. He knew exactly how the wizard felt when he thought he was losing his one true love. How the maiden must have felt, when he was taken from her.
Wiping away his tears, he wondered if he would ever be as brave as she was.
“Why did you want to hear that story?” his mother asked, her voice once again normal. “I thought you had grown too old for such a fairy tale centuries ago.”
“I was wrong,” he said, choking back the emotion in his voice.
“Seth, baby, what’s wrong?” He could hear the worry in her voice.
“Nothing, Mom.” He tried to keep his voice emotionless. There was nothing his mother could do to help, now that he knew he was “Blood Mated” just like the maiden and the wizard. He didn’t want her to worry needlessly.
“You never were a good liar, at least not to me. You’re a grown man. I understand if you don’t want to tell your old mother. But promise me you’ll call me again soon. After whatever’s bothering you has been taken care of.”
“Yes, ma’am. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, baby. Come home for a visit soon. You can tell me all about what’s going on then.”
His mother hung up without waiting for a response. He was thankful he wouldn’t have to lie to her again. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep the promise to visit her, and thankful he’d at least had one final chance to tell her he loved her.
No sooner had he hung up the phone than it rang again.
Looking at the caller ID in confusion, he saw his own phone number.
“Hello?” Could Willow be up and trying to call him? Dare he hope that she wanted to stick around to talk to him?
“Hey man, how are you doing?”
“What do you need, Jason?” Seth still felt too raw to hold a casual conversation.
“You need to make a stop. This lady of yours is feeling a rather large craving for some chocolate.”
Seth promised he would stop and hung up the phone.
A couple hours later Seth walked into his apartment, arms loaded with chocolate and movies. When Jason mentioned that his Willow had a severe craving for chocolate, he had stopped by the next store and practically bought out the entire stock in the candy aisle. He wasn’t sure what she liked and hadn’t wanted to buy the wrong thing by mistake. On impulse he also stopped by an all-night video store and rented Nightmare on Elm Street, parts one and two. He was surprised to see just how many sequels the movie had, and hoped that those two would help him to understand the reference Willow made earlier.
As he walked by, he noticed her curled up on the couch, the credits to some movie rolling across the screen.
Quietly, he took the chocolate and movies into the kitchen.
“Oh great, you remembered to pick up some chocolate. Do you think you bought enough?” Jason teased. “Wow, you got the good stuff.” Jason reached for a dark chocolate and raspberry candy bar. He shot Seth a dirty look when his hand was smacked away.
“You don’t get any.”
“Wow, you have it bad. Now, do you want to tell me what’s going on? Why were you…whatever you were, earlier? And why did you just leave as though someone were trying to kill you?”
“It’s a long story.” Seth sighed.
“You’re in luck, I have all night.” Jason leaned on the counter and eyed the heap of chocolate, but didn’t reach for any.
“Well I don’t. I need you to take Willow back home.”
“Why?”
“Just do it, Jason,” he said irritably.
“Nope, not until you tell me why. She deserves to know too. She took a big chance with you. She risked her life for you. She was really worried, Seth, and you just left without saying a word.”