Blood red love
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“Min is a young vampire. She was turned only forty years ago. But she is better at digging up secrets than anyone I have known,” he told her.
“Forty years? Isn’t that as long as Jin and his wife have been at odds? Does it have to do with Min?” she asked. Her hand was playing with his hair, and Vidar relaxed.
1
“Yes. Min was the daughter of Jun’s human mistress. When the mistress got ill, she begged Jun to turn her daughter. It’s a huge thing to ask. Liwei, Jun’s wife, told him not to do it. I don’t know this for sure, but I suspect she had become jealous of his mistress and was afraid he would take Min as his new mistress. If he turned her, she could stay his mistress for a long time,” he explained. Vidar was holding Charlie close to him and ran his fingers up and down her arm.
“Jun had a mistress?” Charlie asked. Vidar could hear how surprised she was by the information.
“It’s not uncommon for vampires to… think outside the box when it comes to their marriage, even after imprinting. It’s highly individual, but after hundreds of years together, some need a little variety. Most get it out of their system before imprinting, but even after, it can be a positive thing. Most vampires that are older than two hundred years lose their qualms about gender and traditional relationships. You realise that good S*x is good S*x.”
“So no matter if you are imprinted or not, you got tired of each other after a while?” she asked. Vidar heard the insecurity and hurt in her voice and he could have punched himself for not explaining this better to her.
“No, baby,” he said and made sure she looked at him. “That is not what I’m saying. I’m saying that the love between two vampires is strong enough that they sometimes include others in that love. Some couples are happy with just the two of them, living monogamous from the day they find each other. Other will take mistresses outside of the relationship with the others‘ permission, like an open relationship. Then there are those that choose to invite one or more people into the relationship, forming a temporary or permanent bond.” Vidar was doing his best to explain the complex affair that was a vampire relationship.
“How about you? If I were to turn into a vampire, would you want us to do that?” she asked.
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Vidar wanted to say no straight away. He knew that was what Charlie wanted him to say and he would promise her that and he would keep the promise if it meant keeping her. But he also knew she deserved the truth, so he took a moment to think.
“I would be more than happy to spend the rest of eternity with only you. But if you wanted to explore things you haven’t done in your brief life, I would be okay with letting you. But I would have to be there and have a say in who. It would be difficult for me to allow anyone to touch you like that,” he told her. She nodded.
“I hate the idea of you being intimate with someone who’s not me,” Charlie told him, and he saw the scowl on her face. “But if it was the only way to make you happy, I guess I could agree to it,” she added. Vidar k*ssed her. He needed to show her that there was no need for another, for anyone else.
“There will only be you,” he said. She smiled at him and cupped his face.
“You are more than I could ever hope for. I don’t want anyone else,” she said. Vidar felt his heart swell. “But Jun turned Min against his wife’s wishes?” she then asked.
“He did. Jun had been with Min’s mother since Min was under a year old. He had watched her grow up. I think he saw, and still sees her, as his daughter. He and Liwei never had children and maybe that made things extra sensitive for Liwei. Jun felt he couldn’t refuse, and he thought he could do it and then beg for his wife’s forgiveness.”
“Some things you can’t forgive,” Charlie said in a low voice.
“No, some things you can’t,” Vidar agreed. “When Liwei discovered what Jun had done, she went into a rage. She would have gone after Min if Jun hadn’t sent Min away with his second in command. He promised Liwei that he would never again lay eyes on Min, that he had fulfilled his promise and he would spend the rest of his life making it up to his wife.”
“She didn’t relent?” Charlie asked. Vidar shook his head.
“No. She told him to never show himself in front of her again.”
“But if Jun promised to never see Min again, how come you have met her?” Charlie asked. Vidar gave her a sad smile.
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“Because Jun hasn’t been able to keep his promise to his wife. He does his best to keep a distance from Min. But from time to time, he will meet up with her, or call her to his side, to make sure she is doing okay. I secretly think that is why Liwei hasn’t forgiven him.”
“It’s so sad. It’s like asking a father to choose between his child and the woman he loves. Any good man would choose his child. But it doesn’t come without heartbreak,” Charlie said. Vidar realised she drew parallels to her own situation with her father and Vidar could see similarities between the two. Jun represented the choice her father could have made, but didn’t. “And now, because of me, we are again forcing Jun to drive another wedge between him and his wife,” she said with a sigh.
“No, Charlie. This is not your fault. This is Millard’s fault. You heard what we discussed. It looks like he has had a plan to betray us for quite some time.”
“You are right. I shouldn’t blame myself, but sometimes it still feels like it is my
fault.”
“When you feel like that, you will let me know and I will tell you it isn’t until you believe me,” he told her. That earned him a smile from her, and the world felt better. Charlie seemed satisfied with their talk and made to get up from his lap. But Vidar gently pulled her back. down. She looked up at him with a question in her eyes. “Now, back to the important question. Where did you hide those photos, lilla lo?” he asked in a low voice. A brilliant smile spread over Charlie’s face, tinted by a hint of mischievousness.
“That, my S*xy vampire, is for me to know and for you to find out,” she giggled. Vidar loved her playful side, but he needed to know where those photos were. Besides the fact he was desperate to look at them, he needed to make sure they were safe. They were for his eyes.
only.
“Charlie,” he said in a warning tone.
“Okay, okay. I’ll give you clues. Or would you prefer a treasure map?” she said, still giggling. Her eyes glittered as she looked at him, and despite the seriousness of the matter, Vidar couldn’t keep himself from smiling at her.
“I will tan that ass of yours so you can’t sit for a week,” he playfully growled.
“Is that supposed to be a threat?” She wiggled her ass against him and made him growl
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again.
“You better watch yourself, baby. You are heading into deep waters.”
“I’m a good swimmer. So, do you want a clue or not?” she asked. Vidar looked at her. He had a good mind to actually make her tell him where the damned photos were hidden. But he also knew that if he went down that path, he would end up being distracted by her punishment and would probably lose track of the end goal, Charlie had that effect on him.
“Fine,” he therefore grunted.
“Oh, this is so much fun,” Charlie said, and then she thought for a while. “I have the world on my shoulders,” she finally told him.
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“Huh?” was all Vidar could say. She repeated the clue. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“You have to figure it out. I’m going to take a bath.”
“Your not going to help me?”
“That would be cheating, as I already know where it is. When you find it, come and see me for the next clue,” she said, giving him a k*ss on the cheek and walking out of his office. Vidar was still stunned. When had anyone sent him on a treasure hunt like this? Never. But then, there had never been a prize as alluring as this one. He thought about it for a while, then he walked around the apartment and looked around. Wondering what she had hinted at. In the end, he sat down on the couch and looked at all the trinkets he had placed on the bookshelf. They were all tied with memories of his life. Then he saw it. On one of the top shelves, there was a small globe. The world on her shoulders indeed. Vidar took out a chair and stood on it. He couldn’t see any photo, but he picked the globe up and under its base was what he was looking for. He picked up the photo and studied it. It was almost the same as the photo in his office. But in this new one, her blouse was unbuttoned and in the gap there was a hint of her bra.
“Charlie!”