Chapter 10 Aiday

I looked at myself in the mirror, what was I thinking? I was about to have sex with Nick. I wiped the tears from my eyes. I wanted to go to bed but I couldn't sleep; I went over to the nightstand and looked for the bag of tea I got from Celeste, but all I found was the empty bag. I cursed under my breath and curled up on the couch; why is this happening? I turned on the TV and watched it until I felt sleep take over my body.

The field again, same as each night only this time, I was in a white dress standing beside Nicholas, a priest in front of us and surrounded by both wolves and vampires. "Do you, Prince Nicholas, take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife?" Nick stared at me and answered,

"I do."

"And do you, Aiday Alcemne, take this man as your lawfully wedded husband?" All eyes were on me, I was terrified, "Miss Alcmene?"

"I...I don't..." When I looked around, everyone but Nicholas was gone, he seemed so sad,

"How could you do this to me? I thought you loved me." He told me, I went to speak, "I'm your mate, Aiday. Why don't you love me?" I was stunned,

"How did you find out?" he looked stunned,

"You told me. You told me that I was your mate, two nights ago when we made love when we mated." My body trembled as the light of a red moon shone on top of me and I collapsed to the ground,

"What's happening to me?" I asked Nick took my face in his hand,

"You're dying, Aiday. This was your last chance. I told you we should have gotten married sooner." I screamed as the pain overtook me and I laid on the ground motionless, my spirit floating above my body and I screamed again...

The morning sun shone on my face as I raised up quickly, I was trembling. There was a slight knock on the door, "Come in," I said, still shaking; Mandy came in with a smile on her face until she saw me, she immediately came over to me,

"What's wrong? What happened?" she asked, but I just shook my head, so she just held me. Before long Nick came in and sat behind me, trying to hold me but I pushed him away. I ran for the shower just so I wouldn't have to face him. I turned the water on and stripped off what I had on before jumping in; I wished I could have stayed there all day, but I couldn't. I sat there for a good few minutes just feeling the droplets hit my skin.

When I finally got out, I cracked the door to see an empty room; I came out and grabbed some clothes, and began dressing. I feel bad about how I treated Nick, I know he cares but I can't shake this feeling...I'm scared of him. I could hear voices in the hall but I couldn't make them out, so I decided to play the piano in the corner of my large room; I hadn't played it since I've been here. I began keying a few bars until I was playing a beautiful melody and humming to myself, "Could you ever love me? You're extraordinary and I'm just plain ordinary," I sang, smiling lightly; I stopped playing when there was a knock on the door then it opened slowly, it was Nick,

"Hey," he said, he crept into the room carefully, probably afraid I'd attack him or something, "I heard you from the hall, that was really pretty." I gave him a faint smile,

"Thanks." I said, "I'm really sorry about earlier." Nick placed himself on the couch merely five feet away, I got up and sat at the opposite side of the couch.

"Do you want to talk about it? You've been having these nightmares since you got here." I hugged myself, not being able to look him in the eye.

"Longer, actually..." I said quietly, but he heard me. He straightened himself before moving a bit closer to me and placing a hand on my leg,

"Please, tell me." He said sweetly, I nodded.

"Ever since I was a girl, I've had these strange dreams; at the start, they were just of me running until I came to a halt with hundreds of eyes staring at me." He sat silently as I spoke, "Then they became different," he gave me a curious look but I continued, "It started showing both the vampires and werewolves, and recently, in every dream, I've come close to death. And for some reason, for the past two nights, there's this red moon that keeps popping up. In my dreams, it's like I get weaker when it comes into view." Nick was staring at me,

"What happened in last night's dream?" He asked; I cleared my throat,

"Um, we were getting married, I said 'I don't,' then that red moon appeared and I was in so much pain," I started to get really choked up, "I asked you what was happening and you said that I was dying." I thought for a moment, should I tell him? "And then I did die, and I saw my body..." I didn't have to say more before Nicholas pulled me into a tight hug, practically not allowing me to breathe,

"I'm so sorry, Aiday; I wish there was something I could do to help you. I wish I knew how much you were truly hurting." he held me for a few more minutes, "Let's go get something to eat before," Nick didn't have the chance to finish his sentence before his mother barges in,

"Come along, Aiday, it's time for your dress fitting!" I raised an eyebrow and gave Nick a look,

"Mother, Aiday has already informed me that she will be wearing her mothers' dress, there is no need for a fitting until it arrives."

"That's not how it is done. I wanted to wear my mothers' dress when I married your father, but I was not allowed to."

"Mother, now is not the time. She is wearing her mothers' dress and that is final." He turned to me, "I'll send word to your father immediately and have the dress sent here, is that alright?" I nodded. He soon kicked his mother out of the room and rang down to have some food brought up for us to enjoy while we relaxed. I don't know why but being here with him made my heart do somersaults in my chest.

It was late afternoon when Nick decided that he needed to get some work done, but I was comfortable laying here with my head on his lap. He even tried a tickle war which ended with me punching him playfully and him acting like I killed him. I thought more and more about whether I should tell him that he is my mate but then this will become much more real than I want. I don't want to be a vampire's mate, I don't want to be the queen of the vampires. I was okay being an Alpha's daughter but that at least allowed me to be myself and have more freedom than being queen will. Nick must have noticed because he began rubbing my arm softly,

"A penny for your thoughts?" I chuckled,

"That saying is so old." Nick just laughed and smiled, turning me to face him,

"I am a hundred and twenty years old, Aiday. I'm very old-fashioned." My eyes went wide, a hundred and twenty years? I'm only eighteen which means that is a hundred and two years between us!

"How is that going to work with our kids?" I asked, he seemed a bit surprised by my question and shrugged,

"I honestly don't know. They'd be hybrids so there's no way to say for sure." I nodded; Nicholas took my hands in his and smiled at me, "I do know this, if we do get married and we have a child, I hope they are just like you." I was taken aback by what he just said, but he didn't stop, "Aiday, you are so beautiful and courageous, not to mention so humble. You will make an amazing queen; don't listen to my mother, she chose to wear the dress my grandmother laid out for her, I'm not going to let her put you through that mess. Including the transition ceremony." I raised an eyebrow,

"Transition ceremony?" I asked, he nodded,

"It's two separate ceremonies that happen on the same night, then you'll be a vampire. The first one is more public while the second is very intimate."

"I'm not becoming a vampire!" I shouted and stood in front of him, "What about my family? My friends? I will never see them again!" Nick came over to me and spoke softly,

"I won't make you do it, I promise. You have to want it, if not, then it will kill you. That's why there haven't been any turns as of late. My father decreed that only the ones that want to be turned can be." I nodded in understanding, "Come on, I've got work to do."