As his eyes took in what he was seeing, Adam couldn't comprehend what actually was happening. Despite the fear urging him to run, he knew that to not be his way. Reda, or Angelina, as she was now known, needed him, no matter what doubts he may have. He willed his breathing to slow and looked into her livid face, filled with so much animal desire. That desperation was for his blood apparently, a thought which sent a horrified chill through him. But behind her frightening mask of black death, he could see the real woman struggling to control the evil. She would take a step towards him but then tense and step back two paces or more. Back and forth, she struggled until the animal part of her seemed to win. A snarl came forth as she inched closer, lowering to her haunches and baring her teeth. Her long, dark hair fell down her back and the wind caught it, making her look more beautiful than he had ever seen her.
Working himself away from the tree, he backed up slowly, reaching out a hand towards her. "Angelina, I know you're in there...please, you don't want to do this. This isn't you, my sweet, this isn't you. Come on, give me your hand and feel my touch. It's alright. I'm here and not going anywhere."
As he spoke, a change began to occur. Angelina shook her head viciously and a howl erupted from her open mouth. But instead of calming down, her eyes glowed hotter. In one instance, she sprang and pounced, moving faster than his eye could follow. He found himself on his back, her hand tightening around his throat and a look of pure lust entering those red eyes. His self-preservation overcame his love and he tried to break her grip. Much to his dismay, she held him down without any effort at all and a hopelessness welled up in him. He gasped for breath, clawing at her hand but to no avail. Her grip simply tightened further and he began to pass out. As her livid face drew near, his head was forcefully tilted away and held down. Her fangs sank into his neck, a growl vibrating from her throat. A feeble cry, one of fear and heartbreak, pierced the forest and only in retrospective would he realize that it had come from himself. A weakness instantly consumed him, paralyzing his attempts at freedom. He was only vaguely aware that she had recoiled almost immediately, writhing in the grass as if in pain.
His throat released, Adam reared up, gasping and coughing as his body sucked in precious air. Lying face down, he breathed deeply. As he lay there, the sound of sobbing came to his ears. Painfully, he braced his hands and raised his upper body off the ground. Angelina lay a few feet away, curled into a fetal position and wracked by sobs. One resolve in mind, he drug himself the distance and crumpled behind her, panting heavily from the exertion. His arm curled around her trembling waist and his head was laid behind hers.
"That must have been so horrible for you," he whispered, pressing his lips to the back of her neck.
There was silence but he felt her trembling lessen and heard her sobs began to fade. He tried to think of something else to say that didn't sound so lame but he couldn't come up with anything. He lay quietly, feeling weak and beaten. A pain burned deep in his chest and a cough caught his lungs. He tried to contain the spasms but she stirred and sat up. While covering his mouth, he looked up and caught her gaze. He was relieved that his beautiful girl had returned but then another series of coughs overpowered him, their pain making him groan harshly.
"I...I am so sorry," she whispered, "So very sorry...how could you only be concerned for me when I have brought this hurt upon you? I tried to kill you."
When able to catch his breath at last, Adam shook his head and managed to grope for her hand. "No...that thing inside you...tried...tried to kill me, not you."
He couldn't speak further and sank back, his head resting among the violets. Fatigue consumed him. His neck hurt, his body ached and he felt cold. He felt her hand settle on his chest and watched as she closed her eyes, cocking her head. He wondered what she was doing but didn't have the strength to think further.
"Your lungs are filling with fluid again. I need to get you out of this cold mountain air so I can care for you. I do not suppose that you will trust me now, after what happened."
"How do you know...oh, never mind," he sighed, feeling too dizzy to think. "Yes, I trust you. It is a good day to die anyway, as they say."
She gasped, starting to sputter until he caught her eye with a smile. Then her face softened into a light laugh and he joined in, the levity lightening the tense atmosphere between them. He stared up at her, thinking that if he was to die, why not by her beautiful hand? The thought made him chuckle harder which led to another bout of coughing.
She ran to grab his coat, forgotten in the violets, and returned to help him into it. She held his shoulder and put a hand to the side of his head, stroking his hair gently. "But, do you want me to take you to your friend? He may have missed you by now."
"No, my brother won't be expecting me for some time and he was going to camp for the night. I want to be alone with you." She looked at him with amazement so he made to explain. "You haven't told me one vital piece of this puzzle."
"What is that?"
Smiling, he raised a hand to her anxious face, caressing the porcelain cheek to be found under his fingers. "I want to help you. What is the cure for this curse? Tell me what you need and I will assist in any way possible. I want you, Angelina, I want you very badly. I want to love you and to take you back to The Ponderosa with me. I want to present this beautiful girl to my family and see their reactions! I want to travel, see all of the sights that I have dreamed of but I want to do those things with you by my side! I want for you to share my bed and I want to be your husband. I want to adore you in the darkness of night and I want to wake up next to you each morning. You can't get rid of me any time soon, no matter how many times you growl at me."
A tear escaped from her left eye as she laughed softly. "You are the most forgiving human that I have ever come across." Her face fell and turned away. "But you will not like what the cure entails and I cannot ask it of you."
"No, please tell me. Don't shut me out again, sweetheart."
Opening to reveal apprehension, her blue eyes turned to him. "The curse is a double-edged sword. I can live indefinitely, having done so for one-hundred-and-fifty-one years thus far, but the price for my eternity is that I crave the blood of all living creatures..."
"A hundred-and-fifty-one years? So...you were born in...seventeen-hundred-and-fourteen?"
She nodded, a sigh escaping and her face looked weary. "The only way that I can ever die is by the hand of The One I love. But also, the only way that I can become human again is if I...I ingest my beloved's blood. Then...you or...he would have to use a special dagger, given me for the purpose, and drive the blade through my heart. I will have to die looking into his eyes and then awaken as fragile as he."
Adam sat up quickly, shaking his head. "No...no, no, no! I lost you once, I will not murder you! I would never raise a hand to a woman, much less drive a dagger through your heart!"
"But it is not murder, my love," she said, smiling sadly. "It is life. If you want to be with me, this is what you must do. If you cannot bring yourself to help me, I must leave you behind. I will not live near you when, all the while, that monster in me is wanting to kill you more with each passing day."
"But...how can I ever choose? Either way, I lose you. This is madness!"
Looking a bit exasperated, she shook her head and took his hand, helping him to stand. He was guided to a jagged tree stump from which a flowering bush spread its pink branches outward. He looked at her questioningly and she smiled, bending down to break off a cluster of flowers. Bringing the blossoms up to his nose, she spoke quietly, "From death is created life, Adam. That is the fundamental law of all nature. When a body dies, it decomposes and from that sadness is sprung the seed of another life, as beautiful and special as the last. I explained this to the only other man I ever trusted with my dark secret but he did not listen. His heart was not good, as the curse demands it must be for the cure to work. Yours, on the other hand, is as pure and radiant as the most precious of gems. This is the curse, Adam, and this is the ultimate decision you must make."
Adam could only stare at her as his thoughts raced, taking him into the most unbelievable places. "I couldn't do that to you...I can't lose..."
"Shhh, my darling, you never will lose me if you truly want me," she whispered, bringing her mouth to his.
Her kiss was deep and probing, so deep as to sear his soul, it seemed to him. The love that touched his heart proved too strong and he drew away, holding her close and kissing her hair. "I don't know why I am agreeing to this but I am. I will do whatever you say but I want it clear that I love you and I won't let you leave...ever!"
She shuddered in his arms. "I have loved you ever since I saw you, walking so proud and tall. I knew you were The One for me, even though I knew not what your name was. Adam Cartwright, I adore you, my prince."
He smiled, bending down to kiss her again. But as they came near to one another, the cough took hold and he was forced to turn away. The pain stabbed through his chest and he groaned, fearing that his illness was returning. He felt her light touch upon his arm.
"I can heal you, Adam. Come, let us go to a cabin that is quite near here. It is secluded and will give us the needed space to relax. I want to care for you...please let me, my darling."
"But how will we get there? We will have to go back for the horses."
"I have another way," she said, a strange smile spreading across her face.
He was confused somewhat as she turned him to face parallel to herself. "What are you doing?"
A grin lit her face suddenly as she wrapped her right arm around his waist and effortlessly lifted him off the ground. Suspended against her side, he was speechless. In response to his incredulous expression, she laughed and kissed him quickly.
"Have no worry, Dearest, I have you and will never let go. Hang on to me, this is going to be unsettling."
Hesitantly wrapping an arm around her slim shoulders, Adam wasn't ready for the rush as she took off. Her legs were a blur, moving so fast that his eyes couldn't keep up. The wind stung against his face and the landscape was streaking by, so fleet-footed was she. An excitement filled him as he was borne along. Never had he experienced this level of speed and, as a man who craved such fleeting pleasure, he loved the sensation. Disappointment became him when she halted, a cabin directly before them in a golden field of prairie grass. Disengaging himself from her, he looked about and found that he knew the place.
"Ah, this is one of the Ponderosa's line cabins. My favorite one actually! When the rising sun hits those twin mountains over there, the first beam of sunshine pierces the shadows and hits this cabin perfectly. I can't wait for you to see that," he said, finally looking at her beside him. "Sorry, I am not sure what just happened so I am changing the subject. It's what I do and it drives my family crazy."
She giggled, reaching up a hand to touch his forehead and press against his cheek. A frown tainted her pretty mouth. "I need to hurry. A fever is gaining strength and I will not have you ill again. Come with me, darling, come with me."
He watched as she walked to the door of the cabin and turned, extending a hand to him. His heart beat faster as he joined her, slipping his fingers around hers. Giving him a quick smile, she disappeared inside the dark interior. He paused, taking in the majestic twin mountains and the afternoon sun deepening the shadows at their base. Night would fall soon, the cold creeping in, and he realized that a shiver was coursing through him. Taking a deep breath, he turned and entered the cabin. Determined to forge a path for his and Angelina's future, he closed the door on his past and all of its sorrows.