Bites & Addiction - Chapter 38：Welcome to Paradise

“Have you ever been here before?” I asked to Roman who seemed to acquainted with every corner of the Hill.

“I used to come here with mom and dad when I was a kid.” He said from behind me, “There’s a place up there at top of the mountain, we have to reach there before sunset.” I looked up at the direction his index finger pointing and saw nothing but huge pine trees getting denser at the distant.

“If it’s that necessary to reach there before sunset then why don’t you pick me up in your arms and use your vampire speed.” I implored while pouting and walking towards him with my open arms. My legs were tired after so much walking and also because of the long wild night. Now I understand why he was insisting me to sleep last night. Damn it, I should’ve listened to him.

“I’d love to, but then I wouldn’t got a chance to see your cute ass.” He smirked, his gaze still lingering to my ass which was clung by white tight shorts.

“Go to hell.” Turning away, I continued walking with tightly clutching the shoulder straps of my bag pack. “You kind of watch it every night.” I mumbled to myself, but I think he heard me as he let out a chuckle and continued following me.

I felt his eyes still on my ass.

Rambling through different bushy routes and praying that I wouldn’t get a chance to see any insect, we finally took a Stop when Roman felt a need to feed.

“It’s still noon and it’s your fifth glass.” I narrowed my eyes at him which he ignored. In the meantime, I felt something fell on my shoulder, and I jumped in fear assuming it as a grasshopper. “Snake!” I screamed. Watching me screaming, he hurriedly came to me with his vampire speed and grabbed the grasshopper which I disguised as snake to not let him know about my fear of insects.

“That’s Not a snake. It’s a leaf.” He stated, holding the leaf in his hand while I felt blood rushed to my neck then to my cheeks as recognition hit me—A tiny leaf scared the shit out of me. Seeing his amusing gaze at me, I cleared my throat.

“Leaf that looks like a snake.” I defended myself trying to hide the rush in my cheeks. Despite from what I’d expected, my cheeks reddened even more as he started laughing.

“You scared of insects, Aren’t you?” He grinned.

Ignoring his laugh and fuming in anger, I started walking further, but again a scream left my mouth as he tried to scare me.

“Flora, Beetle!”

“You’re unbelievable.” I shook my head and risen my pace and he followed me.

Awhile later, when Roman wanted to check the direction in case we’re not heading right, he climbed up on a pine tree so he could get a hold of the right direction while I chose to sat under the same tree.

Taking out a bottle of water from bag, I drank half of content and left the other half for rest of the journey. Leaning against the tree, I just closed my eyes for a moment in a desire to take a nap, nevertheless it never came as I Jumped up in fear to see Roman laughing at me.

“Damn it, why aren’t you obeying the laws of physics?” I groaned tiredly as I realised his suicidal attempt by jumping off the tree of 150 feet height had woken me up from my nap.

“You should’ve seen your face.” He teased me between his laugh.

“Shut up.” I mumbled while picking up the bag pack and hanging that at my back.

Suddenly, his laughter ceased, and the floor beneath me also drifted away as he scooped me into his arms.

I looked up to see his gray eyes already fixed on mine.

“You’re strong, but you’re exhausted.” He said with a smirk on his face, “And it’s kind of my fault.” I let my arms wrap around his neck and snuggled my face into his chest as he speed up. The cold breeze of wind was hitting my face, my blonde hair flying back in air. He was too fast that I couldn’t opened my eyes until he stopped suddenly.

“What the—?” I snapped open my eyes as he cursed under his breath, his gaze fixed on a spot. “Its condition wasn’t that bad the last time I visited this place.”

“And when was the last time?” I quizzed, gawking at a broken wooden bridge which was the only source to go on the other side if someone doesn’t want to go heaven.

“15 years ago.”

Immediately, my eyes snapped at him with disbelief in them, “Don’t tell me you expected it to be an immortal.”

His chuckle was soft and his dark gaze mocked me as we both turned our eyes toward the bridge.

“Hold me tight,” He said with a hint of warning, “Otherwise—”

I looked up at him, confused, before recognition crossed my features and I shouted, “No you will not!”

“Off course I will.” He flashed me a playful smirk, “We didn’t come that far for nothing.” I looked down at the deep ditch separating two hills, and my heart skipped a beat. It more seemed like a Satan’s dark abyss.

“Roman, I swear if I die here, my ghost is gonna haunt you for your whole life.”

“This is my life now. I’ve climbed this hill and now I’ll die upon it.” I shouted, feeling the blood rush to my heart with a thud. And suddenly, a gust of cold wind hit me making me open my eyes. He was fast enough, but everything was happening in slow motion as if time stood still. I looked up at him with my half opened eyes to see his gorgeous face calmed as always as if nothing bad  going to happen. During initial days of our marriage he was a complete opposite of who he’s now—a cold hearted arrogant spoilt kid. Or I’d been mistaken him being unaware of his condition. I squeezed back my eyes and snuggled into his chest.

“We’re here.” He said quietly, “On the right time.”

Slowly, I opened my eyes to see his…..face shining golden. The pale skin which used to reflect nothing but lack of life and the horrors he’d committed was now replaced by something alive. Nevertheless, one thing was same as before—he was a compelling creature, who always look drop-dead handsome whether it’s a pale skin or not.

I let him made me stand on my feet, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. In that moment, I asked to myself how a devil could be that beautiful? Sun was going down leaving its persona on him.

“I wouldn’t brought you here  to stare at me with open mouth.” He deadpanned before tilting his head to other direction. I blinked my eyes and shut my mouth to compose myself before turning myself into the direction he’d motioned.

I felt a wave of strong emotion hit my heart seeing the sea in front of me which seemed as if there a fire building up in her core. The sun was going down looking like a fiery orb gradually receding into the waters below. The sky consists of an assortment of shades, a blend of reds, oranges and yellows. The waters below mirror this effect….just like Roman.

“Welcome to paradise.” He whispered beside me.

I looked up at him and saw the reflection still lingering on him. “You’re mirroring the same effect as sea.” I said quietly, “How?”

“When the sun goes down, my skin leaves its persona and reflects the real me.” He explained, his gaze fixed at a distant and mine on him. “But it immensely depends on the angle between sun and I. Besides this, it had only happened once when I last visited this place.”

“Does this happens with every vampire?” I asked, taking off the bag and then putting it aside.

“I don’t think so, because mom got surprised to see me like this.” He replied intensely gazing at a distant. “I believe she was scared if someone would know the identity who I really was, that’s why she never let me step out of the mansion when I was a kid.”

I felt sympathy for him, that he’d been through a lot. His life was hard and he was alone to fight it. I went to him and embraced him in a warm hug. He was surprised to see the sudden act as his body tensed, but he wrapped his arms around me after a moment holding me closer to his heart.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you.” I mumbled against his chest realising that I should be there for him.

I felt him gently stroking my hair before he planted a kiss on my head, and I looked up into his gray eyes. “It took me so long just to find you, yet you came exactly when I needed you.” He said genuinely caressing my cheeks.

It shouldn’t have, but the emotion was so strong that it brought tears to my eyes.

“You and me, this is forever kind of thing.” He said, brushing his lips on my eyes.

“Promise?”

Before locking his lips on mine, he smiled, “Promise.”

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