Even Monsters Get Lonely
Chapter 16

Shannon carefully made her way to him, biting back the pain as she knelt next to him. She wanted to give him comfort, to let him know she still loved him. So, pulling him into her arms, she used her hand to push his head down to rest on her chest.

He was stiff, but he didn’t resist.

“You aren’t a monster,” she whispered to him as she placed a kiss on top of his head. She then told him, “Baby, that man over there that I called dad was more of a monster then you will ever be. All you were doing was protecting me, and I love you for that.”

Pulling away from him slightly, she cupped her hands around his cheeks, forcing him to look at her.

His eyes were still black, his fangs still out and bloody, but he had never looked more handsome.

“Baby, listen to me,” she whispered as she gazed into his eyes. “You are the love of my life. Before you came, I just existed but you gave me a reason to live. I love you.”

“How? How can you love me still after seeing what I’m capable of? I killed them Bien-aimé, all of them,” he told her. “When I made it to the café, they were waiting for me, eight of them, and I killed them all, thinking nothing of it.”

“What were you thinking about when you did it?” she asked him.

“That I needed to reach you, to protect you,” he told her.

“Not about how much fun it was to hear their bones breaking, or about the joy you got out of watching them bleed?” She asked then.

Vampire frowned and cocked his head as he asked, “Non, why would I think those things?”

Shannon gave him a sad smile as she ran her fingers through his hair before saying, “Those would have been my father’s thoughts. He once told me he enjoyed watching me bleed. He broke my arm, more than once, and a few ribs. He told me it was music to his ears to hear them snap. That my love, is a true monster, and this world is better off without him in it.”

Vampire just sat there staring at her.

She watched the change come over him.

His eyes turned hazel, his teeth retracted, his features became less sharp, and he was André once more. Still, he sat quietly.

After another moment, she his feelings began to once more pour over her like flood waters.

There was happiness, so much happiness that she didn’t hate him for what he had done.

There was a joy because she was still willing to be his after seeing him lose himself in killing.

There was a sense of peace. Peace within himself because he no longer felt like a monster, but like a man, a man who deserved to be loved.

Finally, he spoke, “The night I found you, I was looking for something, although I had no clue what it was. I knew my life was becoming boring and mundane. I had left my own home that night to get away from my “friends” because they annoyed me. All their talk about women and parties, I wanted no part of it. Then I found you,” he finished as he reached out and gently cupped her cheek.

Shannon closed her eyes at the coolness of his hand against her bruised skin because his touch felt so good.

“Until I met you, I didn’t realize...”

“Realize what?” she asked when he paused, her eyes fluttering back open to gaze into his.

“That even monsters get lonely,” he explained. He then continued, “That’s what I was though, lonely, and you were exactly what I was looking for, even if I didn’t know it at the time. I love you so very much my Bien-aimé. Gone is the lonely monster, and in his place is a loved vampire.”

Shannon smiled because she knew neither of them would ever be lonely again. She leaned in to kiss him just as a strange feeling came over her and she felt André stiffen.

Suddenly, Vampire was back and standing with a hiss, bringing her with him. He then gently moved her behind him. He then hissed, “Who are you?”

“Has it been so long you have forgotten me?” A man asked in a thick French accent.

Shannon peeked her head around Vampire’s shoulder to gaze at the stranger facing them. He was a big man, maybe six foot four or five. His hair was so blonde it was almost white, and his skin was alabaster white. His strange golden eyes telling her he wasn’t human.

As if he felt her scrutiny, he looked at her.

She gave a gasp, feeling as if his eyes looked straight into her soul. She had no idea how she knew who he was, but somehow, she did. So, she whispered, “You’re André’s maker.”

“Oui and you are his Bien-aimé. I’m quite jealous you know, for I have not found mine yet and I am much, much older than he,” the big man said before returning his gaze to André. “When I left you there that night, I thought you were dead. It would appear your will to live was strong since you still live.”

That was when Shannon heard the sirens. She turned to look at André. He was tense, but his fangs were gone and his eyes once more hazel. She whispered, “Police André, we need to go!”

André glanced down at her then. For the first time, he really looked at her, and she heard his sharp intake of air.

“Now is not the time Baby, the police can’t replace us here with Dad’s body!” Shannon told him.

André looked over at the body of her father then, as if trying to figure out what to do.

The sirens grew closer and she began to panic.

“Nobody, no problem,” the big blond vampire said. He then turned toward the body and muttered a few words and suddenly her dad’s body was a pile of dust!

She felt her jaw drop and she turned to question the blond vampire.

“No time for questions, we should leave now,” he told her.

André gave a nod of agreement as he picked her up.

She whimpered in pain.

“I’m sorry Bien-aimé. I’ll call Doc to look at you when we get home,” André softly murmured. Then he was moving fast, faster than any human.

When they reached his truck, he gently sat her inside and drove home. They arrived a few moments later to replace the blond vampire was already there waiting for them.

“How did he...?” Shannon murmured quietly as André took her out of the car.

The blond vampire heard her though, and said, “Vampire speed.”

Walking inside, André lay her down on the couch and gently ran his hands over her body.

She groaned and winced a few times.

“Nothing is broken, just bruised,” André said as he sat back. He then turned to stare at the blond vampire who was standing silently watching them.

“What is your name?” Shannon asked since it looked as if the men were only going to stare at each other.

The blond turned those strange golden eyes toward her. Then giving a slight bow he said, “My name is Broadrick von Golden.”

“Why have you come here?” She asked then.

Broadrick sighed, then said, “When I left this young Frenchman in that cave, I really did think him dead. I was young and stupid I suppose for not making sure, but I was in a hurry to be home before the sun rose. I don’t even know how he could have gotten my blood in him, although, I was injured and bleeding badly, and he was also injured. It wouldn’t take much to guess that my blood dropped somewhere on an open wound. It would only have taken a drop or two since I am the son of the Original eight.”

“So, you are one of the twins?” Shannon asked.

“Yes, Rodrick and Broadrick,” he said with a snort of amusement. “What was my mother thinking when she named us? Anyway, I left believing him dead and it wasn’t until...”

“Until what?” André asked when Broadrick paused.

“Until I began to feel a strange pull, a... drawing to something unknown to me. I had been getting these feelings of depression and loneliness for weeks when it suddenly changed to fascination. I had no idea where all these feeling were coming from or what they meant. So finally, I went to my mother. She asked if it was one of my descendants, I was confused because I had none, thinking I needed to have children for that. My mother said, no, that I could turn someone and have descendants that way also,” Broadrick explained.

“So, what did you do?” She questioned.

Broadrick sat down, crossing his arms over his chest as he said, “I took a deep breath and concentrated on the link between myself and my descendant. Eventually, I found...” He nodded his chin toward André, “him.”

“So, it was you in the house next door?” André asked.

Broadrick nodded. “When I found you, I realized the fascination I had been feeling was your feelings for a woman. It didn’t take me long to realize she was your Beloved, yet you seemed clueless. I realized then how little you really knew about yourself and the vampire world.”

André stood then and began to pace. “I believed myself crazy, for I was told that I was one being. Yet, I could clearly talk to my vampire as if he were separate from me.”

“If you had been changed by a made vampire, then that is what you would be. You would be one only because the human in you would be taken completely over by the vampire. However, I am a born vampire, there is no human in me. So, it would have been as if a vampire was “born” within you, making you two. I know it is confusing but...”

André turned quickly and interrupted, saying, “NON! Non, it is a relief! A relief to finally know that I’m not insane or delusional.”

Shannon smiled at his words. He was finally at peace with who and what he was, and she was so happy for him.

“So... you are not angry at me for changing your life so completely?” Broadrick asked.

“Non, I was over my anger a long time ago, my sadness, not so much,” André answered before sitting down. He took hold of Shannon’s hand, gazing into her eyes as he concluded, “What was killing me was the loneliness, but now I have my Bien-aimé and my life is complete.”

Broadrick chuckled causing them to look over at him as he said, “Actually your life will be complete in about...” He cocked his head, “about nine months.”

“What!” They exclaimed at the same time.

Broadrick laughed, and said, “Your Bien-aimé is pregnant. I’m guessing you must have gone through your “lusty” stage as a vampire.”

Shannon felt her face heat, and she buried it in André’s chest.

André chuckled, reaching over to gently rub her stomach.

Shannon gasp then, raising her head as tears flooded her eyes. She whispered, “André! Dad hit me, so many times in my stomach!”

André’s eyes widened.

“Give her a bit of your blood just in case, but vampire babes are much stronger than human ones. Speaking of, because André is my descendant, the babe will be one hundred percent vampire. You know this, right?” Broadrick asked.

“Oui, I figured as much,” André murmured.

“It will also be the only one you ever have, although... I have a twin so, your chances of two are high...” Broadrick told them.

“Twins? That would be....” Shannon gulped, “kinda scary.”

“Yeah, but I can’t wait,” André said, then he kissed her.

Nine months later

“André, I feel odd tonight,” Shannon said as she stepped into his home office.

“What do you mean by odd?” He asked, glancing up from his computer. He then stood up and walked around the desk toward her.

“I don’t know,” she said rubbing her bulging tummy. “It doesn’t feel like contractions exactly since there isn’t much pain. It’s just a heavy feeling in my lower abdomen along with nausea. Maybe we should call Tamara.”

Shannon knew this pregnancy would be different, mostly because her baby was a vampire. Not human, not half vampire and half human, but all vampire. They knew they were only having one, not twins, but they didn’t know yet if it was to be male or female.

Over the course of nine months, André and Broadrick had become good friends. She thought Broadrick, and his twin brother Rodrick was almost as excited about the baby as she and André were.

The most amazing thing had happened though. One evening Broadrick came to the house while Tamara was here checking on the babe, and he realized she was his Beloved! It was so awesome to see because Broadrick had given up looking for his Beloved a LONG time ago.

Yeah, ’cause he’s REALLY OLD!

André spoke then bringing her out of her reminiscing thoughts. “I’ll call her in a moment if you think I should, but first are you hungry?”

“No, I...” Shannon gasp.

A sharp pain suddenly tore through her stomach, causing her to grab at it, and she felt something wet running down her leg. Looking down, she saw the red liquid, and almost freaked out, until she remembered. Tamara had said that the sack around her baby would have blood in it because of the baby being a vampire.

André,” she screeched as another pain hit.

He had his phone to his ear even as he picked her up and carried her to their bedroom.

“Tamara, her water broke! Okay... yes, I put her to bed... just hurry please!” He growled before hanging up. “She’s coming, and she said if your water has broken, then the babe is coming fast.”

Shannon yelled again as another pain hit, saying, “André, I feel like I’m being ripped apart!”

“I’m sorry sweetheart, so very sorry, and I wish I could take this pain from you,” he murmured softly in French.

“I’m here, I’m here!” Tamara said as she suddenly speeds into the room. “Now, let’s take a look shall we.”

Placing a sheet over Shannon’s lower half, Tamara removed her pajama pants and underwear. Then she bent Shannon’s knees and spread them. Once that was done, she knelt between them, and said, “Yep, I can already see the head. Girl, when you decide to have a baby it’s at warp speed!”

Shannon giggled, saying, “Not warp speed, just vampire speed... ooowww!” She ended with a scream as a contraction hit.

“PUSH!” Tamara demanded.

So, Shannon pushed, and pushed, and pushed some more. After what seemed like hours, her baby was born.

The baby let out a cry as Tamara said, “It’s a boy!”

Shannon looked at André who had a proud look on his face. She asked him, “It’s a boy, what are we going to name him?”

Tamara cleaned the baby, after cutting the cord. Then she wrapped him up and gave him to Shannon.

“I don’t... I don’t know. We never talked about names,” he murmured as he stared down at the babe.

“How about you name him André Michael?” Broadrick questioned from the open doorway.

Shannon looked over at him as he stepped closer.

“Why Michael?” Tamara asked as she stood up and threw her gloves away.

Broadrick smiled at her, his golden eyes glowing with his love for her, as he said, “Because André is my descendant. So, I’m going to be the boy’s honorary grandfather, it’s only right he be named after me, as I was named after my father.”

Looking down at the beautiful baby who lay content on her chest, Shannon stroked his cheek as she softly said, “A family name, André Michael, I like it.”

André Michael’s little eyes opened then. He looked at her and his father before giving what sounded like a sigh of content.

“I believe he likes it,” André said. “I make you a promise my little vampire. I promise to be a good father so that you will always feel loved and never feel lonely.” Then, he kissed his babe’s cheek before looking up at Shannon, his eyes turning black. Vampire spoke then to say, “Ah, Bien-aimé, you have made me a very happy vampire. I am no longer the lonely monster I once was, and I have you to thank for that.”

“It is my pleasure to make you happy Baby,” Shannon said as she reached up to cup his cheek. “You are a husband and father now, and you are truly loved.”

THE END!