Don't Forget Me (10 page)

Aaron Dale

"I
’ll look after
her.” Aaron walked up to Stella, marvelling at how much she reminded him of Charleen Harris. Charleen was the woman he had loved but had killed centuries before, sure he could quell his thirst for her blood even though only a few months had passed since the bite that had made him a vampire.

“You expect me to trust you?” asked Vuk wryly, his eyes full of suspicion as he instantly sensed that Aaron was a vampire of ancient origins.

“It appears you don’t have many other options?” Aaron replied.

“You’re wrong, I’d rather risk going to jail!” The last thing he wanted was to leave Stella in the hands of a vampire he did not even know.

“No, Vuk, please, don’t!” Stella begged him.

“Stella, staying with you is the only way I can protect you.”

“I’ll look after her until you come back,” Aaron added, his fingers circling Vuk’s wrist to communicate the thought that he was there to protect Stella at the request of Jason Rees. Vuk frowned at him in dismay. He understood he was telling the truth. He turned to her, reluctantly:

“Stella, I‘ll be back as soon as I can,” Vuk gave Aaron a meaningful look. He knew he could trust him now. Never taking his eyes off her, he left with the security guard. She was left alone with Aaron. She looked suspiciously at him, an involuntary shiver running down her spine. The strange light shining in from the glass doors of Warren Towers made him half illuminated him, making him seem to be a glorious white angel with a black soul.

“Well, he’s gone now so you might as well consign me to Drake,” Stella said, now resigned to her fate.

“What?” Aaron replied, astonished.

“Come on, what are you waiting for?” she smiled, bewildered.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Aaron said, his brow creasing in confusion.

“Look, I know exactly who and what you are, I only played along to stop Vuk from running away with me and being arrested.”

“Ah. Well, you might have sensed something about me but you certainly do not know who I am.” Aaron said, his initial amazement turning to amusement.

She observed his enigmatic expression with attention, and a doubt crept into her mind…

“At this point I think I was wrong about you. Nice to meet you, I’m Stella Whitely.”

“My pleasure and an honor indeed, Stella. My name is Aaron Dale.”

“Are you a friend of Donn’s?” The ancient and obscure shadows that seemed to flicker across his face making her think immediately of the beautiful vampire.

In fact, the two did actually know one another. Aaron loved the arts, especially books. He owned a fine collection of rare, priceless manuscripts in his apartment, which had a skylight and was on the top floor of a building next to Boston Public Library, where he often went to read and frequently bumped into Donn.

“Amazing, Stella… You’re a smart girl. I’ve heard good things about you…” He was referring to Jason.

“Who would tell you about me?” Suddenly she again saw a mirage of Jason near the main entrance of Warren Towers. He seemed to be smiling, his eyes looking in another direction. Incredulous, she started quickly towards him, Aaron following her with a tiny smile on his lips.

Her breath caught in her throat and silence seemed to reign around her, she could only hear the thud of her heart. He was even more seductive and beguiling than when she had last seen him a year earlier. He looked the same as he did every time he appeared in her dreams, often with dark, or soft red eyes and a penetrating gaze. It was a gaze that met hers for an instant before he vanished into thin air, hidden from view by some passing students.

“You saw him too, right?” She hurried to the place where she had seen Jason standing.

“Who?”

“There was a guy here, near the entrance! I saw him! He had brown hair, blue jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt.” She looked carefully out of the glass doors but could no longer see him.

“If you saw him, Stella, he was there. You should trust your feelings more…” Aaron said, repeating the words she had said to Jason on the phone that morning.

“I always say that…” she replied, a bit puzzled.

“Tell me, who do you think you saw?”

“No one. I can’t have seen him, so it’s pointless telling you who…” As soon as she uttered the words, as she walked out the door, she saw Jason in front of her again and then felt his hands, cold and firm on her hips. She gasped, shocked, but then realized that he had vanished again; she looked at Aaron beside her, intent on reading her innermost thoughts and stealing her most private, intimate feelings.

“I feel I make you uneasy…” Aaron murmured.

“Maybe. You look at me so intensely.” She narrowed her eyes for a moment, losing herself in his eyes and falling under his spell.

“What do you mean?” he asked, although he knew full well what she meant.

“Like now, for example…”

“What a sensitive girl you are, Stella.” The effect his charm was having on her was frightening and disorienting, and she was thrown out of kilter by seeing Jason in such sharp focus.

“Thanks, but we’d better to get Jamie,” she hastened to say.

“Are you afraid of me?” He walked over to her.

“No, it’s not that…” she exhaled.

“Then you’re afraid to be with me?” he asked again.

“No, it’s that I have to go to class.”

Aaron stared into her eyes, realizing that she wanted to get away from him.

“Why won’t you stay with me, Stella?”

“Sorry, I really should go now…” she insisted, confused.

Stella headed to Starbucks. Aaron was on her trail, a short distance away. But she soon realized that someone else was following her. Another two werewolves, one of them Drake Wolf, were tailing her, sticking close, just waiting for the right time to show themselves, far from the crowd and prying eyes.

He kept his eye on her as she entered the coffee shop and came back out shortly after, holding a bag of ice and eating something. Stella stopped under the awning and placed the bag of ice gingerly on her back. Although he didn’t see her grimace in pain, he peered inside her and felt the intense pain she was in as she held the ice pack to her injuries. He reached her under the shelter

“Hello,” he said, with a breathtaking smile.

“Aaron, I see you can’t take no for an answer,” she replied with a slight smile as she saw him cast his eyes around to check that no one was trying to ambush her.

“No, true… And I see that you are cold. Would you like a coffee?” he said, amused, while glaring aggressively at Ian and Drake to warn them that the girl was now under his protection. It seemed to have the desired effect because, unexpectedly, the two werewolves mingled with the crowd, disappearing into the groups of students heading for their afternoon classes.

“I don’t want to cause you any trouble, Aaron,” she said, a little uncomfortably.

“It’s a pleasure, not a problem,” he replied seductively, touching her hand as if by chance. Then, after first checking that Jason had her in his sights and that Drake and Ian were no longer around, he walked off.

J.

T
he light drizzle
had turned into pelting rain. As Aaron disappeared into Starbucks, Stella looked listlessly at the people in the street. Then she saw Drake heading towards her and froze with terror as she saw him rapidly close the gap that separated them. Her brain churning, she shook her head from side to side to try and clear it but found she was still rooted to the spot, her body unable to react to this new imminent danger.

A pair of strong arms had snaked round her shoulders. She had no idea it was Jason because the man had approached her from behind and she couldn’t see his face, but she did see the effect he had on Drake, who stopped dead in his tracks, his face darkening. The wolf then retraced his steps and vanished into the now pelting rain. Stella retreated in confusion, pressing her body into the unexpected savior.

Jason frowned, his eyes still dark and dilated from catching sight of Drake, his body flooding with sensations he could only define as sublime. He felt an exquisite desire ignite deep in his core and, struggling to lock down his darker, more sinister side, he mustered his last ounce of strength to fight the wild craving to taste her blood, the urge to smell it and to roll it deliciously around his mouth like a connoisseur of the finest wine.

“Who are you?” asked Stella, her voice faint, her body tensing, only to be met by the deafening silence of the pouring rain. But her relief was so great that she let herself sink into the refuge of her unnamed rescuer’s arms. He stared at the back of her head, his hair disheveled by the humidity, his lips quivering.

“How come you’re shivering so?” Jason eventually replied, circling her tightly with his arms, his hands lovingly caressing her body, running like a drop of water down until her butt. He felt a tremor run through her. He disguised his voice, making it deeper, warmer, so that she would not recognize him.

“It’s the damp making me cold… Not to mention how unnerving it is to feel a stranger put his arms around me,” she said, her voice small and quavering. Then a gust of wind enveloped her with his smell and she tried to twist round to see him but found herself gently blocked.

“Do you feel you can trust me?” he asked gently, his voice an icy whisper in her ear, squeezing her reassuringly in his embrace, not realizing he was holding his breath for her answer.

She refused to give in, at first, to the sound of his voice. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried once again to see his face. He lifted her shirt and placed his hands on her skin, and Stella finally let herself go, relaxing her body in his arms.

“Yes…” she whispered, and the sweet sound of her assent spread through him.

“Then that’s all you need to know, Stella,” he said, crushing her shirt in his fists then uncurling his fingers to let his fingertips lightly skim her skin, electrifying her with his touch. He was so close that his icy body made her thighs start to shake slightly.

Aaron, just about to exit Starbucks, paused as he saw them from the window and decided to give them some privacy.

“How come you know my name?” She felt his fingers play with her hair and slide down her cheek.

“That’s easy, I’m your eternal shadow,” he said, unable to resist brushing his lips across her ear, tracing its contours and then kissing her shoulder, sucking a drop of rain from her skin. Stella’s thoughts chased each other through her mind. She closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath, and then opened them.

“Jason…” Her heart raced and she could hardly breathe for excitement. The hope she had been trying to dampen inside of her was suddenly rekindled.

“No, not Jason.” Desperately trying to control his emotions, he bit his lip, and then let it go with a sigh. Steeling himself to leave her, he made his face impassable, still trying to convince himself that it was better to lie to her. His eyes dull, he took his arms from her and slipped quietly away while her back was still turned, melting into the cascade of raindrops that glittered like diamonds on the horizon.

Stella, oblivious to the sounds around her, had moved from feeling pain to an empty vacuum that transcended the cold, the rain, the wind; she didn’t even notice the sharp, throbbing ache of her injury anymore. She felt only him; he was the only thing that existed for her in that moment as a tiny smile of incredulity spread across her face. Then she saw Aaron come out with a coffee to-go in his hand.

“Here, Stella, sorry I took so long, but it was super crowded in there,” he explained, slowly letting the cup slide into the cradle of her hands until he felt her grip it safely.

“Thanks, Aaron,” Stella said, still cold and shivering as she wrapped her hands around its comforting warmth.

“Go on, it’s good and hot, it’ll warm you up,” he urged her gently, a sweet smile on his face.

“You’re a sweetie, Aaron,” Stella said, feeling a rush of pleasure as she sipped the steaming drink.

“No, I feel bad I have nothing else that could warm you… Oh, but I can give you my jacket…” He started to shrug it off his shoulders when she stopped him with a friendly gesture.

“No, I appreciate the thought, but I feel much better now.”

“I saw you talking to someone when I was inside before…” he prompted, anxious to know if she still thought it was Jason.

“Yeah… I didn’t even get to see his face,” she replied with a puzzled expression.

“So I guess you don’t know who it was?” His eyes bored into her.

“Yeah, that’s right.” She sipped her coffee hesitantly, her eyes blanking as she stared into the empty space in front of her. Her brain was spinning: could it really have been Jason?

“Hang on, you let a guy you don’t even know approach you like that?” he asked, with a polite yet warm smile, seeing Jason not far away and giving him a knowing look.

“Yes, no, I don’t know who it was, so please stop the questions, you’re wearing me out,” she said bleakly, sipping the deliciously hot coffee, ignoring the big question mark that had taken root in her mind: was it Jason or not?

“Strange day, this,” he said, leaning against the wall next to her, his eyes sparkling like the light that pierced the clouds.

“You said it… I just hope it doesn’t get any stranger,” she laughed wryly, the memory of Jason tormenting her with each sip of coffee.

“Don’t count on it, Stella,” he frowned, his features flooding with sadness as he attempted to reassure her anyway in his velvety voice.

They both lapsed into silence as each followed the flights of his own thoughts. Then Stella finished the last drop of coffee and decided to join Jamie in class, even though it had already started.

“Sorry, Aaron, but I have to go to class now,” she said, a smile flickering hesitantly on her face. She didn’t want to miss class, and she was also anxious to get somewhere she could indulge her most private, secret thoughts.

“So soon? But I hoped you wanted to hang out with me for a while.” He straightened up quickly from the wall and caught her arm to stop her going.

“I’d like to, Aaron, but Jamie’s waiting for me, at the lecture.” Stella smiled, embarrassed at his overreaction to the mere mention of her leaving.

“Yeah, sure… Later then.” He resisted the seductive effect she had on him and slowly released her arm.

Still in a state of confusion and feeling torn, Stella managed to walk away, her figure parting the sheets of rain as she hurried to the COM to catch the rest of her afternoon class, unaware that Ian still had her in his sights and was tracking her every move. At the same time, Drake was doing his best to distract Jason and Aaron in an attempt to separate them from the girl they were on a mission to guard.

Stella entered the building, still shaken by the events in the cafeteria and the scene outside Starbucks. As soon as she put her foot on the stairs, she thought she heard heavy, ponderous footsteps behind her. She quickened her pace and hit the top of the last flight of stairs running, swerving into an empty corridor only to hear silence descend as the footsteps stopped when she was midway down the hall. Her heart lurched, her breathing accelerated. Now she was even more terrified.

Suddenly she felt someone seize her from behind and pin her arms to her body. It was Ian, and he fastened his grip on her with one hand then whipped a handkerchief soaked in chloroform out of his pocket with the other, holding it over her nose and mouth. Jason and Aaron, who had managed to outwit Drake, followed the trail of her scent on the stairs and then raced down the hall. They heard the sound of whimpering and found her semi-conscious in the arms of the werewolf.

Stella felt as though she were floating off to sleep with her eyes wide open, seeing the images before her unspool like a silent movie, then freeze into an old black and white photo, its edges frayed by the slow passing of time. Everything blurred. Aaron pulled her from Ian’s clutches and passed her to Jason, who cradled her lovingly in his arms. She heard the faint echoes of people’s voices, saw them moving against an opalescent background she couldn’t bring into focus … “Oh, I must be dreaming,” she thought drowsily but was then fulminated by the thought she’d been struggling to formulate through the swirling haze:
“But what if this is really happening, what if it’s really Jason holding me?
” Finally, the drug took effect and her eyes closed heavily.

“J., stay with her!” Aaron urged, pushing Ian roughly along the corridor and down the first flight of stairs.

“Hurry up, Aaron, or she’ll come round.” He looked at Stella, helpless and defenseless in his arms, desperately in need of a safe haven, of his protection.

“Stay with her J., I know you won’t hurt her. Gotta run, hate to keep a wolf waiting!” he grinned wickedly and disappeared down the stairs.

Clasping Stella tightly, Jason leaned against the wall and then slid down into a sitting position, the girl in his lap. He peered curiously up and down the deserted corridor but there wasn’t a soul in sight.

“Jason…” Stella forced her heavy eyelids open but her vision was still foggy, a blur of meaningless nothing, except for the gorgeous light that radiated on his face.

“No, it’s not Jason,” Jason sighed, his face twisting with the pain it caused him to deny his own name. It was like he was not only rejecting his true self, but also the only girl he had ever loved in the truest, purest sense of the word. His mesmerizing dark eyes suddenly turned a bright red, revealing his werewolf side, influenced by the moon when it was haloed or seemed to glow red.

“I wish I could believe you, but I just can’t. So all I ask of you is this: if it really is you, don’t forget me,” and she felt herself float away again, this time sucked into his seductive, pale red gaze. Using her last drop of energy, she reached up to lightly caress his cheek.

Jason looked deeply into her. He felt the force of her feelings for him hit him like a brick in the stomach. He also felt the chloroform taking hold and realized that she would not remember this conversation afterwards. He opened his mouth, let out his breath, and admitted the truth.

“How could I, Stella? Every breath I take is yours, you fill the empty chasm inside me, make me complete… You are the memory and the voice that keep me alive. The only constant in my life… If it wasn’t for the thought of you, I could never get up to face the world every day.” He lifted his hand to cover hers as it stroked his face and drew her closer so their breaths could mingle.

“Your eyes, your lips… Before, they were just dreams or memories…” Stella said as, like an unwitting prey, she was drawn ever closer to the hunter, lured into his snare instead of fleeing in the opposite direction.

“Maybe it was another time, another place, another world, Stella. Sometimes you thought you were dreaming, but the moments you lived with me were very real, my darling.” Matched only by the flame of desire that was burning deep inside him, Jason felt his craving for her blood grow mercilessly, his fear of hurting her slicing through his soul.

“Will you be there when I come to?” she asked throatily, melting his heart as she touched her soft fingertips to his mouth like she was urging his lips to form the magical word ‘yes’.

“Don’t ask me to lie to you, Stella,” he said, distracted by the trail of her fingertips, thinking it was like the mirage of a trickle of water to a parched man. Just one drop of her blood was all he wanted but he knew it would be like offering whiskey to an alcoholic. One taste would be all it took to set him on that catastrophic path of inevitability.

“Stay with me, Jason.” She put her hand on his chest, but this just served to stoke his desire. He suddenly tightened his grip on her waist and twisted her shirt in his hands as he tried to tame the frenzy of desire that impelled him to pierce the smooth, translucent skin of her neck, to kiss the throbbing pulse he saw there. He so wanted to fill his mouth with her, to kiss even the darkest part of her soul.

“Maybe one day, Stella, but not today. You don’t know how much I wish I could, my darling, but I can’t and I hate it.” Jason’s new life as a vampire had only just begun, and he was too young, too inexperienced and too unstable to risk being intimate with her. He might hurt her or, even worse, kill her. Stella closed her eyes, she felt Jason drifting away.