Unwanted Inheritance

Zane lay there, allowing a moment of rest. His chest heaved as he tried to bring air into his aching body. He waited for the dust to settle, then forced himself up off the brick littered ground. He noticed that he couldn’t hear the pump of his heart anymore, the fear that it had inflicted upon him had drained away but so had the focus it had gifted him.

The first thing he saw was Carson’s back, leading Melly from the alleyway. His hand twitched, he yearned to finish this, but something appeared in front of him.

“Don’t be stupid,” it hissed, “You make a move and your dead, he’ll kill you.”

He stared up at this creature of the night, disgusted by its beauty. He growled at it and stalked off in the opposite direction. He heard its soft chuckle behind him, then silence. He had better not meet that thing again, or he’d cut its tongue out. His urge for his violence hadn’t lessened with the end of the fight, but his logic had caught up with him. He dimly acknowledged that the creature would most likely kill him on their next encounter.

He continued to walk, unaware of his surroundings, focusing on the events of the night and nursing his wounds. There was a time when he thought being a slayer was enough, he could get by and defeat anything with his current skills, yet tonight had shown him
otherwise. Vampires who could move faster than sound, men who could shoot a butterfly miles away and a girl with the strength of nature’s fury behind her.

He came to the obvious conclusion, he needed to train. He thought this as he opened the door to his apartment and swung it shut. He continued along this mental chain of musings until he toppled over on his bed. Train he would, after a good night’s sleep.

---Flasback---

He loved Alanna, the thought finally struck him as he walked towards her place two months after they had begun going out. She was everything he had ever wanted in a girl, he treasured her above anything else, and tonight he was going to make special just so he could show her that.

He knocked on the door to her house, flowers at the ready and waited. A few moments went by and he heard footsteps, the door swung open and…

His jaw dropped, he had never seen someone more beautiful than the girl before him. Her flaming, red, hair cascaded down her shoulders in soft ringlets, shaping her oval face, pert nose and clear green eyes. Her dress was marvelous, but only because it brought out its wearers best traits, hugging her slender body in a tasteful, subtle way. He could stare at her for hours, memorizing her every detail. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t speak, he loved her so much, perhaps too much, he thought, as she began to speak.

“What’s wrong with you? Shut your trap before a bird flies in there or something!” she said, but her blush took the sting from her words.

Zane wordlessly handed her the bouquet of roses, buying himself time as words still escaped him. She took them and placed them behind her on a table by the door and took his arm.

“So where are we off to tonight? You told me to dress nice, but… I can’t stand surprises! Where are we going?!”

He gave a soft chuckle at her words, earning himself a punch in the arm, “You’ll just have to wait and see. Patience is a virtue, you know.”

“Oh, shut up! Like I need a lesson in morality from you,” she said as she poked him in the rib.

“Well, maybe if you’re quiet for a few more minutes you’ll be rewarded,” he growled at her playfully.

They continued their banter as they walked for a few more blocks. They entered a park and he felt Alanna’s hands tighten around his arm. He knew it was dark, but he had been setting this up all week and he wasn’t going to let a bit of fear get the best of her. He slid arm up and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as they continued their walk. Reassured, he felt her loosen up, leaving him with only a faint pressure.

As they reached their destination he swung around to face her.

“What are we doing here Zane? If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was about to become a rape victim,” she said in an almost joking tone.

He let his actions speak, and flipped a switch. The world around them exploded with light, the trees, the walkway, the very ground was covered in various lights. He heard Alanna gasp, her mouth making a round O in joyous surprise. He let her marvel for a few minutes, enraptured by the glowing lights. Then he leaned in towards her, a question in his eyes. She smiled up at him, an answer. They kissed and Zane’s world exploded into its own separate world of light. The action made better by what he knew what it was leading up to. He let his nervous energy guide him as he moved his head back to take a breath.

“Alanna, I love you,” he said softly.

The world went quiet for a few unbearable moments, then the sound of pure bliss.

“I love you too.”

---End of Flashback---

He woke up with those words on his lips; face filled with a tenderness the last year had hardened out of him. He allowed himself a few moments of peace, brought by the memory. Then he got up and grabbed some weights, his time of contentment, over.