Chapter 3

“We do, we just cannot see our own reflection,” Paris answered amused that a clever girl like Ann believed in Vampire tales.

“Do you need to be invited into a house? Did my mom invite you in?” Ann asked eager to know.

“Yes, we need to be invited in, into some houses. Depends if an Inupiat shaman put an invitation spell on a house,” Paris answered, wondering if he must compel her to forget.

“Shaman?” Ann asked confused.

“Yes, a native witch doctor, if you must.” Paris smiled.

“I know what a Shaman is,” Ann said annoyed and eager to get him to leave. She found him incredibly attractive, but she was slightly angry about the fact that he and his friends used her as a meal, more than once.

“All the houses in this town seem to have an invitation spell on them,” Paris confessed.

“Wow, so my house is not the first one you invade. How long have you been in town to know all the houses has an invitation spell on?” Ann asksed worriedly.

“We have a compound on the outskirts to the North of town, we arrived here for the first time 500 years ago. We have housing in every Alaskan town. Actually, we have housing in almost every city in the world. All Vampire nest do,” Paris explains, not really knowing why he felt he can trust her.

Ann took a deep breath, “please will you leave? In Vampire stories a human can uninvite a Vampire, I guess that is just in stories?”

Paris just laughed at her and decided not to tell her the truth. A Shaman must put an invitation withdrawal spell on a house as well. Either any human that was in the house at that moment or the human that invited them in. In this house’s case, it seemed the Shaman that placed the spells either did not place any of the two or perhaps placed the spell that the inviter must withdraw. Paris left with Vampire speed, leaving a gash of wind fluttering the curtains.

Ann closed the window with relief and made a mental note to visit a nearby village to find a Shaman. She did not know that they were still in practice but since her town has werewolves and Vampires surely, she will find Shamans. She shut her window once more and sits down in front of her dresser that matched her armchair. For a moment she flushed red at the thought that this was the second time in one day that Paris saw her naked. She tried to put it out of her mind and started to dry her hair.

Ann put on her cotton, laced trimmed nightgown but not before she scanned her room to make sure no one sneaked in again. She went to her window and turned the lock into position. She also went to her bathroom and made sure the window was shut properly. That night she decided to also lock her bedroom door. She was not sure if she felt fear or not, all she knew was that she will have no Vampires feeding on her that night.

Ann struggled to fell asleep. She kept putting on her bedroom light to make sure there was no one in her room, she eventually fell asleep with her light on.

Paris lingered near Ann’s house all night. He knew he was attracted to her but wondered why he felt a sense of possessiveness over a girl he only met four nights ago. Paris thought back to a human girlfriend he was very much in love with about 900 years ago. He shared his secrets with her as they got married with the permission of the Council. Only the Council can give permission to Vampire and Haman unions. It was a common practice. Since it was nearly impossible for a human to become a Vampire and common for Vampires and Humans to fall in love, it was only fair for humans to know the truth when they enter marriage with a Vampire. Humans that are part of Vampire Nest are not allowed to be compelled by the Vampires, they must be there willingly. When humans become Vampires, the Higher Council makes them promise a few things. A vampire promise was the most binding promise made. Attempt to break the promise and your skin will start to boil.

Vampires feeding on their human partner and in turn the human replaced the blood lost by drinking their Vampire partner’s blood. A Vampire needed to feed every 3 days to stay sane and when their blood was in a human, a vampire could not drink from the human as it would make them weak. A vampire will drink two pints of their human partner and give two pints back.

Even though it was nearly impossible for a human to become a Vampire it was not impossible for a human to live forever alongside their Vampire partner. When a human drink from a Vampire every two to three days they will not age.

Paris was deep in thought and did not hear Shysie sneak up on him. “In love with a human again?”

“No,” Paris answers back, hoping that he sounded believing.

Shysie allowed Paris to have human girlfriends but she claimed Paris. 900 years ago, she got rid of his human wife on their wedding night and got away with it. Even though Paris tried to kill Shysie after that, he was not able to as he also loved Shysie, but he was not in love with her. He never allowed himself to ever love a human again. To this day, Shysie was not punished by the Council for killing a human, especially a partner of a Vampire, and no one knew why.

Shysie snuggled into Paris's arms, “I love you, Paris, don’t ever forget that.”

Paris returned the embrace, “you have nothing to worry about.”

They moved with vampire speed and got to their compound in seconds. Hardly anyone home, only Dario, his human wife, and Wynn.

Dario and his human wife have been married for almost 500 years. His human wife was a native of Barrow but has been traveling with the Vampire Nest ever since.

Wynn was eating a huge piece of steak with baked potatoes. Shysie rolled her eyes at the sight of her brother eating. Wynn looked up and gave her a big messy smile. “Jealous?” Wynn asks with a mouth full of food. Shysie stuck her tongue out at him.

Wynn was a hybrid. No one, including himself or the Council, knew how he became a hybrid. Vampires cannot drink from werewolves and the Council has tried everything to turn a vampire into a Hybrid Lycan Werewolf, but all ended in a bloody painful mess. What baffled everyone was the fact that Shysie was only a Vampire and since they are twins and Wynn a hybrid, he must have somehow became a hybrid, and therefore there must be a way for Vampires to become Lycan Werewolf Hybrids.

Wynn and Shysie have no memory of how they came to be. They have no memory of family either. All they knew was that they have always been the way they are and are considered to be the oldest Vampires to walk the earth.

Wynn being a hybrid had food cravings and enjoyed eating human food even though he did not need it. Wynn never turned into a Lycan Werewolf as he has no interest in being one. A couple of hundred years ago he turned and met his mate. When he turned back into a Vampire, she tried to kill him. He was stronger than her and won the battle without killing her. He broke the mate bond and she gladly accepted. Wynn never fell in love again and kept his guard up against love.

Shysie dragged Paris to their room. Like every other night, they spent it making love. Paris kept on thinking about Ann and found it hard to focus on Shysie. He cut the night short, “I am going out, to clear my head, please don't follow me.”

Shysie was slightly annoyed but did not make her feelings known.

Dario spent his nights watching his wife sleep. He would just stare for hours on end. He always wondered why she never asked to become a Vampire but never asked her as he was not sure he wanted the answer. Even when he drank from her, he did not not see or felt that she had any desire to become a Vampire. Every 300 years the Council had a ritual where they allow humans that have been married for 500 years to become a Vampire. Dario wanted to bring it up with his wife but did not know how to. In a couple of months' time this year, they will be married for 500 years. He knew he had to clear the air with the council first but wondered if it was worth putting his life and his Vampire Nest at risk if his wife had no interest in becoming a Vampire.

“Hungry? You have not drunk from me for a week,” Hanna asked touching her husband’s lips. Dario was so deep in thought that he did not notice that his wife woke up. He looked into her deep brown eyes that reflected some aurora light shining through their large bedroom windows that had no curtains. Hanna cleared her dark brown hair from her neck and offered it to Dario. Because he has not drunk for almost a week the urge was immense and he sanked his teeth into her neck without hesitation. While he drank from her, he saw and felt that she has only love for him. He drank his fill and healed the bite marks with his saliva. He bite open his wrist and she drank from him. Hanna saw and felt her husband was troubled. When she felt his thoughts on her becoming a Vampire she stopped abruptly. She looked into his eyes. Dario knew what she just felt and saw.

“Please explain yourself!” Hanna asked confused.

“Well, would you like to become a vampire?” Dario asked carefully.

“No, why would I? I will stay young as long as I drink your blood?” Hanna asked uncertain.

“Yes, but you are not immortal. You can still die in an accident,” Dario replied swinging his legs of the bed with his back turned to her.

Hanna snuggled up behind him and wraped her arms around his muscled torso, “I know, but I have been fine for almost 500 years.”

“Every 300 years the council sacrifice one vampire as punishment to turn humans that qualify into vampires, if not now I will always have to worry when I am not with you, for another 300 years,” Dario said, putting his arms over hers, that was wrapped over his chest.

“Let me think about it. When is the date?” Hanna asked, resting her head on his back.

“In four months time, so you have time. But as you know I still must clear the air about the innocence of my nest. I need enough time to find evidence and present it to the council, and even with evidence, there is no telling if they will even allow me to present it. Our nest is at great danger.”

“Then my answer is no!” Hanna let go of Dario and got back into bed. “What if you are the next vampire that gets sacrifice as punishment?!”

Dario turned around and held Hanna in his arms, “I won’t let that happen, I will be careful, just think about it.”

Dario just laid with his wife in his arms until her morning alarm went off. They got ready for work without talking much. Hanna made breakfast for the humans that stayed with the nest before going to work. Hanna worked as a Neonatologist doctor at the local hospital.

Dario dropped her off at 6 am before heading to the school.

Ann woke up at the sound of her alarm, 6.30. She looked around at her room and after being satisfied that she was alone she got up and got ready for school. As she made her way downstairs she could hear her mom and Paris talking. ‘Seriously?’ Ann thought to herself.

“Morning Hunny, look who came to pick you up for school,” Ann’s mom said, handing her a bowl of cereal.

“Morning,” Ann greeted them both, looking angrily at Paris.

“Morning, slept well?” Paris asked with a smile.

“Came for breakfast?” Ann asked sarcastically.

“Nope, I already had breakfast, thanks.”

Ann sat at the breakfast nook and took a bite of her cereal with Paris and her mom looking at her.

“I am off to work then, enjoy your day kids,” Ann’s mom said plugging a kiss on Ann’s head.

“You two Mrs. Willow,” Paris greeted her.

As soon as the door was closed behind Ann’s mom, Ann dropped her spoon into the bowl and got up, “What the hell?!”

“What? I know you make your mom late every day, so I decided to take you to school from now on,” Paris said smiling.

“How do you know I make my mom late every morning?” Ann said dumping the rest of her cereal into the basin.

“When I vampire drinks from a human they see and feel your life and emotions. You are pretty boring by the way,” Paris said, teasingly.

“Well, so are you! I saw nothing interesting about your life,” Ann said, lying. When she drank from Paris she saw and felt excitement.

“You know the next time I drink from you I will know that you are lying,” Paris said, laughing.

“There will be no next time!” Ann said furiously. She grabbed her backpack and made her way outside.

“See yourself out, I will take the bus,” Ann said, not waiting for a response.

“Ann, wait! Don’t be like that!” Paris moved super fast blocking her way before she made it of her porch.