Ben laid next to Emily after the amazing chase they had. They made love in the stone tour at the top of the hill then again when they got home. The whole experience really got his blood going and really got him turned on but it also stirred up a lot of questions in his mind.
Ben loved her more than life itself. He became a vampire and even almost died defending his love from another pure blood vampire. The problem he had was after seeing what she could do and how powerful she could be if she wanted to, why did he have to fight David?
He felt ashamed of that question as it flowed through his mind. He would give his life for her whatever may come, but he couldn't shake the idea that with her level of power she could have killed David easily. On the other side of the coin it had to have been tough to kill someone who was once a friend which Ben used to try to rationalise this but it still sat ill with him.
The more he thought about it he realized that it wasn't the idea of him having to kill David that truly bothered him it was something else. He soon realized that what was really bothering him was that he didn't know. They had been together for years now and she was still hiding things from him which was odd because he could see blood memories and still not know she was that strong.
He rolled out of bed as this was keeping him from sleeping so he gave up. He grabbed his robe and went to leave when he heard Emily.
"Everything alright?"
"Huh?... oh I'm fine, go back to sleep."
"What's wrong Ben?"
"Nothing I'm fine."
"You know I can tell when your lying right?"
"It's nothing really, at least nothing worth discussing."
"Well it obviously is if you aren't sleeping." She said getting out of bed and walking towards him. "Tell me."
"It's just... you are a lot stronger than I thought you were."
"Does that bother you?"
"No, and I love you, but..."
Emily looked into his eyes for a moment before the thought finally struck her. "This is about David."
Ben didn't know what to say for a moment and didn't want to even look her in the eye for the shame he felt for feeling the way he did.
"You want to know if I could have killed him don't you?"
"Actually I don't think I do."
"I never thought of that when I showed you my abilities."
"All I want to know really is why did you hide this from me? Why are you still hiding things from me?"
"It... it's my nature, it's who I am."
"What does that mean?"
"Ben I love you with all my heart, I have told you more than I have ever told another living soul but... we all have our secrets."
"But we shouldn't, I've told you everything about me."
"Look Ben, was I strong enough to kill David, maybe but I..."
"Emily I would never have asked you to kill a former lover or best friend, I understand that much."
"But I need you to understand something, and this is what Vlad is afraid of with you, with great power..."
"Comes great responsibility?"
"I really didn't want to say that... but in a way yes, if I used my true power as often as someone like David did, it can start to corrupt you, change you, I'd become something I don't want to be."
"You don't want to become a monster?"
"You've seen what I can do when under stress, you saw what I did when my parents died."
"I understand but... I just feel like every few years I learn something new."
"I like to keep this interesting."
"I'm serious Emily, what else are you hiding from me?"
"Woah... I've never heard that kind of tone from you before."
"I'm sorry it's just, I don't like secrets and when I find out something new about you it almost makes me feel like you still don't trust me."
Emily back away from him a few steps with a shocked look on hee face. "How can you say that?"
"I... I need to go."
"It's still daylight out?"
"I just need to clear my head is all."
"Ben... please don't leave I..."
Ben walked over and kissed his wife trying to assure her that he still loved her. He knew he did and he knew that would never change but he was still struggling internally and of this conversation continued before he had time to process it he was afraid he would say something to hurt her.
"I love you!" She said holding him tightly with tears in her eyes like she didn't want to let him go.
He wiped a tear from her cheek and said "You know I always will." Before he kissed her again and headed out the door.
Ben headed to the garage and got in to his car before heading out. He wasn't sure where he was going, he just needed to think things through. He drove for a long time until he found himself in the white mountains of New Hampshire.
The sun was just starting to go down so it was low enough that the sun would not bother him. He opened his door and stepped into the cool mountain air. He looked around and could not see or hear anyone for miles and he loved it. He ran into the woods just enjoying the wind against his skin. He wasn't even sure where he was going he just ran. He found himself on the top of a hill looking out in to the distance. He could see very well at night so navigating the forest was easy. He thought about his run with Emily, the fear, the adrenaline, it all turned him on so much that he was finding it even harder to be angry with her.
It wasn't really anger he was feeling he was actually more hurt than anything. The hard part was she had done it for him to bring the thrill of fear back in to him so that just made it more difficult. He looked out at all the mountains in the distance just enjoying the view. He breathed in the fresh air when he suddenly felt light headed.
He wasn't sure what was happening bur he suddenly couldn't focus and he could feel his heart racing. He grabbed his chest and fell to his knees not sure was happening to him. He thought of Emily and started to worry, if this was his medical issue and this was the end he really wished she was there. It suddenly didn't matter what she hid from him, he just wanted to hold her in his arms again. The world began to spin and he fell flat on his back as every began to go dark. He tried to stay awake but it was no use. He stared up at the stars admiring their beauty knowing it was still nothing compared to Emily's as his eyes closed.
Hours later he awoke and jumped to his feet almost out of pure instinct. He looked all around him listening to the heartbeat of every woodland creature for miles. It was still very peaceful but he knew he must had been out for a while as the moon had shifted in the night sky. Something was strange though and he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He felt amazing, he felt healthy like he could take in the world. He looked at the trees blowing in the wind and when he focused it was like he could slow down time and watch the leaves move in slow motion.
Ben felt a calm that he hadn't known for a long time and it was great. His heart was steady and his senses were sharp as steel. He felt his chest checking his heartbeat when he noticed something even stranger. He opened his shirt and looked all over his chest. The large scar he had received from his fight with David was gone. His skin was smooth and flawless not even a single ridge of new skin.