Death's Middle Name {boyxboy}

Chapter Twenty-One

~Thursday 21st December 2017~

Alwynn's eyes widened, his lips parting ever so slightly, shock blossoming within him. They were all his lovers? Each and every one of them had been in his exact position, had fallen hard and fast for the vampire. How was that even possible? Why weren't they still with him? What had happened between them when they were turned? Too many questions, not enough time.

"I'll leave Vant to explain how his maker turned him, since it's not really any right of my own to tell that story. It's not tragic or anything, he wasn't dying, he calls it a 'wrong place, wrong time' kind of situation. An apt description actually. I suppose I should really start with myself, since I'm the eldest.

"My real age is two thousand one hundred and fifty-seven, I met Vant in a hundred and forty BC and he turned me a year after that. Excluding Nephi, I was with him for the least amount of time out of my other siblings, although that didn't make my feelings any less for him. I adored him, loved him with all my heart.

"We met in Greece, in the ancient times obviously. I was sold to him by my father for a pretty big sum of money back then, I was to be his wife. Of course, I didn't want to, and I actually had my eye another man, Aeneas, a wealthy farmer from an adjacent town. Clearly, I was forced to marry Vant," Eternity paused for a moment, a slight frown furrowing her brows, before she laughed briefly, "God, we're technically still married, Oak isn't gonna like that. Remind me to sort that before I actually get married again," Eternity laughed once again, a fond smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, "anyway, Vant was a good husband, he wasn't demanding or rude or anything. He didn't force himself on me, helped around the house, didn't even speak of having children. He was a true gentleman.

"I fell in love with him, of course, and settled into my marriage to him, even though he did act strange in regards to food. I never saw him eat, ever. He would always go out when I would make dinner. I confronted him and he just came clean about his kind. Having been brought up a Grecian, I had been taught all the myths and I didn't take his revelation well.

"It took me a lot longer to understand he wouldn't hurt me, and that he wasn't the monster I had been taught about over the years. When I did finally come to terms with it, I agreed to let him turn me. I wanted to be with him forever, who wouldn't? But..." Eternity's face fell, her smile slipping away to be replaced only by a glum expression, "after my transition, neither of us felt that love anymore. The attraction never changed, I still think he's the most beautiful man I've ever met, don't tell Oak I said that. The love just seemed to rot away, it's an odd feeling to explain in words. I didn't see myself as his wife anymore, but for a long time, I didn't see myself as his daughter either. We were companions."

"Why did you stay with him? Why not leave and not have to deal with the pain of not loving him anymore?" Alwynn inquired, placing his empty coffee cup by his feet on the ground.

"Could you ever imagine leaving him?" Eternity's smile returned, even if it was a little lopsided, "I had to stay, there was no question in that. And I'm glad I did, because now I have four siblings who share in my experience."

"Soon to be five," Alwynn lamented quietly.

"Don't look so sad, Alwynn, you have to look at your options," Eternity clasped Alwynn's hands, obviously trying to be comforting, "either you have Vant turn you and you hope the love remains the same or you spend your human life with him and die his lover, not live as his son. Try not to think about it, you don't have to decide so soon," Alwynn nodded weakly, pulling his jacket tight around himself when an icy breeze bit at his skin.

"Our turn," Nova dragged Nephi from the doorway, sitting him opposite Alwynn on the ground and perching on his lap, "I met Vant in two hundred and fifty-seven AD in Rome, making me the grand old age of one thousand seven hundred and sixty," Nova feigned a grimace, giggling when Nephi murmured something in his ear, "anyway, I didn't meet Vant in such a conventional manner, since we're both men and that was frowned on even in the ancient times. I approached him, actually, flirted a bit, testing the waters y'know. That was until he introduced me to Eternity, who was still posing as his wife. I backed off, obviously, but as you probably know since Vant popped your cherry, he isn't exactly a vanilla kind of guy," Alwynn could help the blush that heated his cheeks, knowing precisely what Nova was speaking about.