2. Betrayal

Betrayal!

Her betrayal has been all consuming over these last few months. The rage that has built up in me was ready to overtake me. I knew, without any distance between us, she had no power to break away from me while I cast memories to her. My plan was to cast her betrayal over and over again, until I broke her soul.

As we stood there in each others arms, I could sense her trying to resist. There was more, she feared me, knowing my strength and knowing what I was. Her body was ridged, trying to pull away.

"Anna," I barely managed to speak her name.

She looked up at me, her eyes now dazed, as I spoke, "It didn't need to end this way."

"Matthias, no," she whispered as her voice trailed off, fearing that I would harm her.

For a moment her voice almost shattered my concentration, but refocusing I started to recast that night from the beginning.

She was dressed in her favorite gown and we were getting ready to attend her 25th birthday gala. I thought she was upstairs in her room, but she must have descended the back staircase as she walked into the library so silently, that I had not heard her.

When I returned to my human form, she was standing there aghast.

She had witnessed my transformation from shadow state to my human form. Her eyes were wide with fright and she backed away from me.

"Don't touch me," she yelled, as she backed into the doorway.

"What kind of monster are you?" she cried out.

"Anna! Anna, please, let me explain." I begged her to no avail.

Her words shattered my heart, as she screamed at me, "No! Whatever you are, I want no part of it or you!"

She backed out into the foyer, wrapped her shawl around her shoulders, and ran towards the back of the house. She escaped through the French doors that were wide open, letting in the first of the spring breezes. The garden was just coming to life with roses in every color. The sun was still high in the sky, and her blue gown glistened; for a moment she stood there radiant in all her beauty.

I watched as she fled then I disappeared into my Schatten form, and appeared behind her.

I reached out and touched her waist with both hands. She screamed and tried to pull away as I tried to cast my thoughts to her, but she was too far gone, too angry to let me in. She was strong, with a strength beyond her age. So I backed away from her and she calmed down enough to collect her thoughts.

"Matthias, you have kept dangerous secrets from me and for that I will never forgive you. Stay away from me. I want nothing to do with your monster life. You unholy being. I shall find someone else to escort me."

She refused to talk as her mind raced through frenzied conspiracy theories as to who and what I was. She was wrong of course and I grew frustrated as she wouldn't let me explain.

With that she walked back to the house. I watched her leave, anger weld up inside of me. I gave her time to reach her room, when my Schatten appeared she was packing her suitcase. Tears were streaming down her face, she sobbed into an old shirt she was trying to pack.

"How? How could I be so foolish to trust you? I hate you, you monster!"

She did not see my Schatten, so as I turned into human form, I began to cast memories to her of times throughout my long life. She grew very still and I took her in my arms to keep her from falling. I thought I managed to reveal enough to her to understand that I was not being deceitful nor was I a monster so I released her from the casting.

She stood unfazed for a moment, then she walked over to her suitcase and finished packing. She wiped her tears away with an old shirt and threw it at me. She whispered, "I shall find another to protect me," then she silently walked out without her suitcase to a waiting taxi.

I let her go, believing that some time would calm her down and she would become more rational.

Her betrayal came later that night in her apartment. She didn't know my Schatten shadow was there, she didn't know how to sense me back then.

Anna called her best friend and started to revealed my identity and my powers. That was a step too far! I couldn't allow an outsider to know such things about my kind and I took care of that situation. Those memories of that conversation no longer exists.

After that call I revealed myself, and we talked. We both agreed that neither of us would reveal my story to anyone else, once I threatened to erase all of her memories.

As I finished casting her betrayal, I wanted to punish her again and again by recasting until I broke her, but I let my mind wander to tender moments.

I felt her relax in my arms and draw closer. So Instead of casting her betrayal I switched tactics and cast memories of the night we first met several years back.

I let my hands play with her hair and I felt her breathing change. Her desires were shifting and the powerful pull she had over me as my mate was my undoing.

She grew closer and wrapped her arms around me. She was strong, she was fighting off the casting as I let my guard down. Then I just stopped casting and looked at her in amazement.

She immediately looked at me with wide eyes, her fingers running through my long dark hair, and she drew me to her.

"Matthias," she whispered as her lips found mine and I gave into the moment. I let my desires for her take hold as the realization hit me hard as I lost control. I couldn't stop myself from giving in to fate.

MINE!

She was my soulmate! I was too weak fight it any longer.

As soon as she kissed me, it was too late. The turning would begin.

She immediately felt the changes in her body as she keeled over, looking at me with frightened eyes.

What have I done?