I sat on my bed in the apartment that I was currently calling my own. The room with it’s plain dull white walls and a pale white light made it feel colder than usual, at least colder than Sal’s cafe or my safe house with a roaring fire in the wood burning stove. I look around the room it was very small and very simple; Serena’s bed sat across from mine and a bed side table that we shared in between with a reading lamp on it. On Serena’s side of the room was a door that led to a closet we also shared and against the wall at the end of my bed was a dresser with six drawers. The top three were mine and the bottom three were Serena’s.

Serena was in the hallway on the phone; I could hear Serena’s voice as she spoke to our superior officer but I couldn’t make out exactly what was being said. My heart hammers in my chest. I knew this was going to happen, that I was doomed from the start. I hear Serena hang up the phone and moments later she appeared in the doorway arms crossed over her chest and a hardened expression on her face.

I looked at the floor suddenly becoming fascinated with the dark and dull gray pattern of our carpet.

“I told them there’s been no sign of the female vampire that we have been hunting or her coven and that we believe that they have gone to ground. They want us to stay here for awhile, at least a year or until further notice, which ever comes first and keep surveillance just incase unless ordered otherwise.”

My head snapped up when she finished her sentence. “You didn’t tell them about…” I trailed off.

She rolls her eyes at me. “You and your vamp girlfriend?” She finished my sentence “Of course I didn’t, although now if you go down I’ll be going down with you.” she said her tone indifferent almost sounding bored.

“Serena I… thank you! You don’t know how much I appreciate this!”

Her face softens and she smiles at me. “We’re best friends and we made a pact remember it doesn’t matter what they do to us; nothing really bad can happen as long as we have each other, because I look out for you and you look out for me.”

I smile at her “You promise.” I say holding my pinky out.

Serena’s smile widens slightly “I promise.” she says walking over and linking her pinky with mine just like she did the day we made the pact as a couple of 10 year old kids.

We held each other’s gaze our pinkies still linked when Serena broke the connection and then strode the few steps to her bed and collapsed in the center of it her legs hanging over the edge. “I still can’t believe you’re going with her; I mean she’s a monster Shaylyn; a vampire!”

“No, really? She’s a vampire? Thank god I have you Serena without your impeccable perception I would be utterly hopeless!” I said my words dripping with sarcasm.

She threw her pillow at me, I caught it and threw it back.

Then she sighed “I knew this was going to happen, I just knew it, I had this feeling like deep down in my bones, but I guess I didn’t want to believe that you would be willing to risk everything for a monster.”

“You have never been in love so I don’t expect you to understand it; I barely understand it myself and she’s not a monster! I mean yeah she’s a vampire but not a blood thirsty killer like we’ve been taught!”

“If you say so.”

“I don’t just say so I know so!”

“Are you sure?”

“I have never been more sure of anything in my life!”

“Fine…just don’t expect me to trust her because I am not going to start making a habit of trusting monsters especially vampires.”

I nod in understanding.

Serena lost a friend to vampires when she was young, long before I ever knew her, and she wanted vengeance. She has harbored a strong hatred for them ever since. That is the reason I felt I had to ask her this question.

“Serena do you feel like I’m betraying you?”

“No…yes…it’s complicated!” She said sounding a bit frustrated.

“Do you still trust me?” I asked hoping she did.

“Of course I trust you, sometimes you’re the only person I trust, but now you’re befriending and dating vampires, and I definitely don’t trust vampires and…that’s what I mean when I say it’s complicated.” She said in that same frustrated tone.

“This kind of thing was never taught to us in training; the consequences sure but not what to do if it happened.”

“The consequences are meant to scare you so you don’t do it!”

“And now we see how fabulously that works out don’t we? I knew the possibility of what could happen, what can still happen. I am well aware that I could lose absolutely everything, but I can’t seem to be bothered about that enough to care. Draya is worth it!”

“Forgive me but I respectfully disagree.” Serena said sitting up.

“You’re forgiven and honestly I never expected you to be 100% ok with this, but the fact that you haven’t ratted me out shows that you at least trust my judgement, even if you don’t trust Draya.”

“Yeah, well you’re you and she’s…well she is what she is.”

I smiled and nodded at her. “Well if you’ll excuse me I have a call to make.”

“To who?”

“Draya gave me her number I promised to give her a call after you and I talked; she will probably worry if I don’t.”

“Right because of course we can’t have the poor little vampire worried.” she said with plenty of sarcasm.

“Not when the thing she would be worried about is me, and she is liable to come over to check on me herself if I don’t call.”

“Okay, okay fine, go call her. I don’t need the stress of a vampire literally knocking down our door or explaining to our landlord how that happened.” Serena said getting back into her cross legged position and began to reassemble the revolver still laying in pieces at the foot of her bed.

I laughed a little as I went into the hall where the phone was.

The phone stood on a small round end table with a big soft plushy arm chair next to it. I pick up the phone and dial the number. It barely rings once when she picks up.

“Shayly?” Her worried tone said on the other end.

“Yeah it’s me…were you just waiting by the phone this whole time?” I say plopping myself down in the chair.

“Yes…you certainly took your time calling.” She said although her to was more teasing than annoyed.

“Sorry I called you as soon as I could.” I apologized.

I hear her sigh. “Well at least you called.”

“Did I worry you?” I asked even though I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

“No and yes…I am pretty sure I would worry about you no matter what the situation.”

“I think it’s really sweet that you worry for me but you don’t have too.” I said with sincerity, both statements were true.

“I can’t help it, you are just going to have to cope with the fact that I will always worry about you little hunter.” she replied affectionately.

“Well you can put your mind at ease for now my talk with Serena went better than expected.” I told her.

“Really?” She sounded slightly surprised.

“Well she doesn’t like it, but she and I are still good and she is covering for us so all is well that ends well I guess.”

“I can’t stop thinking about you. I miss you,” she said longingly.

“It hasn’t even been 24 hours yet Draya” I said my tone amused

“I don’t care and it doesn’t matter I still miss you.” She said in the same longing tone.

“I know what you mean; I miss you too.” I said a bit of longing seeping into my tone as well.

“I wish you were here with me lying next to me so I could hold you all night again.”

The memory of Draya’s ams around me holding me drifting into my mind “God I would love that… do you have any idea what a hard time I am going to have sleeping now that you put that thought in my head.” I said unable to keep the desirefrom my tone.

“Probably as hard a time as I am going to have.” She said.

"Either way I should probably shower soon and get ready for bed I'm actually really tired." I replied

“We should both probably try to get some sleep soon I have a tough conversation tomorrow and if I can’t have you here at least I can dream about you.” she agreed however her voice took a bit of a seductive tone when she said that last part.

“I will dream of you too, at least I hope I will.” I say as I curled the cord around my index finger.

“I’m actually sure you will.”

“Like I said I hope so, in fact that hope will probably be the only thing that will help me sleep tonight and you better be right, because if I fall asleep and don’t have sweet dreams all about you I will be very annoyed in the morning.” The said

“I feel bad for Serena, I have a feeling that an annoyed you is unpleasant and regretfully I can’t see you tomorrow. It’s probably going to take all day and most of the night to get everything sorted out with Celeste and David.” She both teased and then explained.

“Can you call me and tell how everything turned out at least?” I asked hopeful.

Sure what’s your number?” She asked.

“529-1011”

I can hear the sound of pen scratching on paper. “Okay got it.” She answered

“Are you worried?” I asked with concern

“Probably not as much as I should be but yeah I am.” She said solemnly

“You remember how you said that if things went south for me that I should come to you?”

“Yes I do recall that.”

“Same thing goes for you if things take a turn for the worse you come to me and we’ll leave go to New Orleans and find that little island in the South Pacific for ourselves just you and me against the world.” I said with conviction

“I actually kind of like the sound of that…if I actually have to take on the world there is no one else I rather have standing by my side than you.” she said with affection

“Awww thank you. I’m honored, I can’t think of anyone else I would rather have by my side either.” I said then tried and failed to suppress a yawn.

”I will let you go so you can sleep little hunter. I will see you in my dreams.” She said her tone loving

“I hope to see you there too. Good night.” I said equally as loving

“Good night” she replied softly and I hear her hang up.

I hang up the phone with a sigh and return to my bed room. I collapse on my bed with a groan my legs still hanging over the end of the bed and I can feel Serena’s inquisitive stare. I answer the question I knew she wanted to ask.

“Stressed, my life right now is just stress and confusion and anxiety and as much as I love Draya and as incredibly wonderful as that is my life sucks right now.” I say throwing an arm over my eyes.

I can hear her grabbing her pillow and the springs of her mattress creek. I feel and hear my own mattress creek and dip as she climbs onto it behind me.

“Come here.” she said.

I take my arm away from my eyes and tilt my head back to look at her. She was sitting at the head of my bed with her legs spread and two pillows propped behind her. I sit up and scotch back until I am sitting between her legs. She pulls my shirt off over my head and begins to massage my shoulders. This was not uncommon for us; even the partially undressing thing, although that was more a Serena thing than me thing but not uncommon for her.

“Damn girl, you’re hella tense, I mean your knots have knots.” Serena said as she pressed her thumbs and the heals of her hands into my shoulders attempting to kneed the tension away.

“I know, I feel like I’ve taken over for Atlas holding up the sky.”

"It doesn't always have to be you, you know? Your shoulders aren't the only ones that can bear the weight of the world."

“It’s just, you know how highly respected my parents are I feel like I have a lot of expectations to live up to because of who my parents are, in fact if Amber hadn’t taken over after your parents died one of my parents would have been next in line to take up the position of leader.” I say.

Amber was Serena’s older sister and when their parents were killed during a werewolf hunt the role fell to Amber who was only 13 at the time and had only just sworn in a month ago. Serena was only 9 and a year later she was sworn in along side me. It was unusual for 10 year olds to be sworn in but we were good at what we did and with our parents having such high positions of power they made an exception for us.

“Sometimes I wish they had ever since Amber became leader she’s a lot harder on me. I think she’s trying to show me that I won’t get any special treatment just because we’re sisters.”

“Yeah and look where I would be if she didn’t…in a worse place than I am now because not only would I be betraying my parents but my leader too.”

“You do know you’re doing that now right?”

“I know it just doesn’t carry the same kind of weight though.”

“You’re right… now let’s see if I can’t get more of these knots worked out.” she said continuing to massage my back and shoulders.

I lean into the comforting touch of my best friend. “Serena, I’m sorry.”

“For what? Falling in love?”

“Sort of; more so for getting you mixed up in my messy love life.”

“You don’t need to be sorry for that. I made my choice and I chose to cover for you and except the consequences that come along with that; end of story.”

“I’m so lucky to have you for a friend. I doubt anybody else we know would do for me what you are.”

“Yeah well, I like you better than anyone else we know.”

“Even your sister?”

“Especially my sister!”

I laugh before saying “That’s an awful thing to say about your sister!”

“Amber and I… we were never close I mean we don’t have fights or argue like most siblings do but we also don’t get along. I love Amber as my sister and I respect her as my leader, but I don’t like her if that makes any sense?”

“Yeah I mean I get it, like if she were a stranger you met in the street you wouldn’t associate with her.” I say

“Yeah the only thing that ties us together is blood…well blood and hunting.”

“She’s the only Family you got left.” I said.

“No she’s not. I got you…family don’t end in blood.”

“I never had any siblings but I could never ask for a better sister than you.” I said honored that Serena felt so strongly about me.

“Well I’ve done all I can do…now go get in the shower, the warm water should help with those tense muscles too.”

“Okay and thanks again Serena, for everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

When I enter the bathroom I undress and throw my clothes into a old wicker laundry basket we kept in the bathroom. The layout of the bathroom was as fallows: the first thing you when you walk in is the toilet and next to it was a pedestal sink with a big round mirror over it. There is a waste basket under the sink and next to the sink was a small table with things like a hand held mirror, hair brush and toothbrushes in a cup. Next to that that is a linen closet for with extra towels, washcloths etc. A claw foot bathtub sat against the back wall.

I turn on the water and hold my hand under it until it is my preferred temperature and then pull up on the little lever to turn the shower head on, I step in and pull the shower curtain closed. A small shiver runs through my body as the warm water makes contact with my skin. I stand under the water and Serena was right, it did help to relax my muscles and I sigh in relief. I only wished my mind would relax. Although things had turned out alright with Serena it didn’t mean Draya and I were out of the woods yet .Draya still had to talk to Celeste and David and even then there were gong to be a lot of challenges for us to face.

I stay in the shower a long time taking my time to wash my hair and body and decided to actually take the time to shave my legs. I know that it my seem gross but I don’t usually wear anything where my legs show and in training we were only allowed 5 minute showers. In fact that’s one of the reasons most girls cut their hair short like Serena. I left mine a little longer just to wear the ends could brush against the top of my shoulders. Although I needed to get it cut as my hair currently fell just past my lower shoulder blade.

I finish rinsing myself off and turn the water off. I grab my robe off a hook on the wall near the tub, put it on and tied it shut and wrapped my hair up in a towel that was also hanging near the tub before getting out. The bathroom was completely fogged up. I walk over to the mirror and wipe a layer of fog off in order to see myself properly. I looked at my reflection, I didn’t look any different than I had yesterday, same brown eyes and a fair unblemished complexion that I had always had, looking just the same if not a bit tired. It was funny how nothing about me had really changed and yet my life had drastically changed literally over night. I sigh and grab my tooth brush out of the cup, put some toothpaste on it and brushed my teeth. When I am finished with that I take my hair down out of the towel and hang the towel back up before going back to the bedroom.

When I entered the room Serena was laying on her stomach with her head at the end of the bed propped up by her hands and her legs bent up at the knees kicking them back and forth in the air.

“I was thinking why don’t we have a sleepover?”

“Serena we share an apartment and a room isn’t every night kind of a sleepover?” I say walking over to the dresser and taking out a two piece pajama set and throwing it on my bed. I also got out a pair of panties pulling them on right away.

“That’s not what I meant. I was thinking I could gather up all the junk food in the apartment, bring it in here and we could just stuff our faces with stuff that is definitely not good for us, stay up all night long talking and telling stupid ghosts stories and maybe have a pillow fight or two and then end up sleeping in the same bed like when we first started being friends even though we were supposed to be full fledged hunters.”

FLASHBACK

I remember meeting Serena; we had just received our hunters marks, which are basically tattoos. I chose to get mine on my upper bicep. Serena had gotten hers on her inner forearm. My eyes were all teary from the pain of getting the mark, but not Serena. The girl was like a rock never showing pain.

I had never met Serena before and the rest of my squad was still in training at the time.

When you begin your training to be a hunter you are separated into squads of five or six, in my squad ther was Lonnie, Kyle, Ryan, Asher, Cassandra, (Cassie for short) and me.

We were a team and more importantly we were friends.

I was the best in my squad, so good in fact that I was eligible to be sworn in early. Unusual yes, but for someone showing so much promise and with such highly respected parents they made an exception. When I got the news I was honored and excited and I thought my friends would be supportive and happy for me. Instead they seemed to think that I thought I was above and better than them. They all turned on me and gave me the cold shoulder, didn’t even say goodbye or wish me luck nothing.

I never felt more alone in my entire life.

So there I am, a newly marked hunter and this girl comes practically bounding over to me and says “Hey! Just get marked? Me too hurts like a son of a bitch doesn’t it?”

I don’t say anything but the girl is undeterred.

“So what room are you in?”

I show her the piece of paper with the sector and room number I would be in.

“Oh you are in the room right next to mine, cool. I’m Serena by the way. I have a feeling we’ll become fast friends.”

I cried the first night. I thought I was being quiet but apparently I was wrong when I heard a knock at the door. “Who is it?” I ask trying to keep my voice from quivering.

“It’s Serena, can I come in?”

“Yeah…sure.”

Serena opened the door and crept inside and came over to sit on the bed beside me.

“I was on my way back from the bathroom when I heard you crying. What’s wrong?”

“All my friends hate me.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes it is. They hate me because they believe that I think I am better than and above them because I was sworn in early.”

“I don’t hate you.”

“We’re not friends, I don’t even know you.”

“Not yet, we just have to get to know each other.”

I say nothing.

After 20 minutes of silence Serena speaks up. “Wait right here, I’ll be right back.” she left the room returning not long after, her arms filled with candy and chips and all kinds of other junk food. “Swiped this stuff from a room with all kinds of contraband stuff because all the kitchens have here is health food, but I thought we could use a bit of junk food.”

I to this day don’t know how Serena got into the contraband room as the door always had a lock on it that could not be picked and could only be opened if you had the key.

Serena and I spent the rest of the night talking and eating junk food and getting to know each other. Before we fell asleep Serena said “Let’s make a pact.”

“What kind of pact?”

“A best friend pact that from now on it doesn’t matter what they do to us nothing really bad can happen as long as we have each other because I look out for you and you look out for me.”

I smile at her “You promise?” I say

“I promise.” she said holding her pinky finger out to me. I hold mine out too and she linked our pinkys together we,ve been best friends ever since.

END FLASHBACK

I smile at the memory. “Okay Serena we’ll have a sleepover.”

Serena clapped her hands and let out a squeal of glee as she practically leapt off the bed and exited the room to retrieve the snacks while I changed into my pajamas. It wasn’t long before Serena returned with all the junk food we owned which included two big bowls of ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate syrup complete with cherry on top. “Better eat the ice cream first before it melts.” she said thrusting one of the bowls into my hands. I take a bite and smile at the sweet taste of the frozen treat. We didn’t talk much while we ate our ice cream and when we finished Serena stacked the bowls and set them on the night stand saying something about “taking care of them in the morning.”

“So tell me about Draya.” Serena said as she reached into a bag of potato chips.

I nearly choked on the gummy bear I had just eaten “What?” I said when I regained the ability to breathe properly.

“Tell me about Draya, we have never really talked about her outside of hunter context and I think I would like to know a bit about the beast who has stolen my best friend’s heart…and when I say beast I mean that in the most respectful way possible… like beauty and the beast.”

“Okay, well, she’s artistic, in fact the second time we met she drew a picture of me and titled it hearts desire.”

“Wow…that actually sounds romantic.”

“Yeah, she’s also affectionate and gentle, but respectful too. When we spent the night together in my safe house she wanted to tend to any injuries she caused during our fight, attempted to calm my anxieties I had about all the difficulties we will have to face and then she held me all night.”

“She sounds…sweet.”

“She is, she’s also very bright and so…charming I guess even by vampire standards.”

“What else?”

“She loves me; at least I believe she does. It’s like when we’re together, I’m just me, without the pressure and burdens of a hunter. No expectations or anything really, we’re just us. It’s a freeing feeling really, I even felt that way before she knew that I was a hunter. When ever I am with her I’m not Shaylyn the monster hunter, I am just Shaylyn the average American teenager in love. I don’t get to be that version of me very often, even with you.”

“Ouch, you wound me girl!”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong you’re the greatest Serena. If it weren’t for you I don’t know how I would’ve even gotten through my first week. I felt so alone and you were there and have been ever since and nobody knows me better than you do but with Draya it’s just different.”

“I can understand that because you and me never knew each other outside of hunting. I mean yeah sometimes we just do normal teen stuff like now but the hunting stuff is always kind of hanging over us like some kind of ominous cloud or something. With Draya she brought out the girl in side you. The one that secretly wants to leave the world of hunting and the supernatural behind and she gave you these small opportunities be that normal girl, to nurture and cultivate that part of yourself.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“I can’t answer that one for you, it’s something you gotta figure out for yourself.”

“Why me? Why do I always have to be the ‘special’ one?”

Serena hits me on the top of my head with a pillow .“Don’t be so full of yourself.” she teased.

I smile at her “Can’t have me getting an over inflated ego huh?”

“Nope especially since I am going to kick your ass in a pillow fight” she said hitting me over the top of my head with her pillow again.

“Oh, you wish.” I said grabbing my pillow and hitting her back and then we were laughing and whacking each other with our pillows until Serena’s split open sending feathers flying everywhere and we both fell into a fit of giggles which turned from giggling into full blown laughter and we laughed until we had tears in our eyes and our stomachs hurt.

When we had finally calmed down enough to speak again I said “We’ll go out tomorrow and get you a new pillow Serena.”

“I needed a new one anyway. This one had lost its fluffiness and that was before all the features came out too.”

I laughed a little at what she said “I will help you clean up in the morning before we go out.”

“Okay. Speaking of we should probably go to bed it’s hella late.”

I nod in agreement and we place all the snack food on the floor by the foot of the bed to be put away in the morning. Serena and I shared my bed for the night, but before falling asleep Serena whispered “Hey Shaylyn?”

“Yeah?” I answered.

“I don’t know why, but I am rooting for you and your forbidden love.”

“Forbidden love?”

“Yeah, whatever you and Draya have is like way Forbidden. It doesn’t matter wether she’s good or bad. That doesn’t matter. Our laws against it are very cut and dry, black and white, you guys just aren’t supposed to be. Talk about star crossed lovers.”

“We are star crossed lovers, like Romeo and Juliet.”

“Romeo and Juliet got dead and I am not about to watch that happen to you Shay. I want things to work out for the both of you but love does not conquer all.”

“You could be right, but I don’t know, something about this it feels right like meant to be.”

“Okay so true, forbidden love. It’s still forbidden.”

“That’s an oxymoron.”

“It’s not actually but not the point forbidden or not, true or otherwise, I’m rooting for you two.”

“Thanks Serena…I think.”

“Let’s go to bed Shaylyn as I said It hella late, just know that no matter what happens I’m on your side, even if it doesn’t seem like it.”

“I appreciate that Serena.”

“Good night Shay.”

“Good night Serena.”

And with that we both drifted off to dreamland.

THE END

to be continued in Forbidden Love Part 2

It took me longer than I expected to write this but I at least I got it out quicker than last time. Thankfully life is calming down a bit so that’s good and I already have a start on Forbidden Love Part 2 so hopefully I can get that out soon too.

Leave me some awesome feedback even just a ‘Good job’ keeps me motivated to continue writing. I am always open to constructive criticism too if you have any as it helps me to improve my writing skills.

33 and still learning lol.

Hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to part two!😃💜