Free Romeo & Juliet & Vampires by William Shakespeare

she cried, her cheeks flushed with shame.
    â€œBelieve me, if I had not interrupted, you would have suffered far worse,” the nurse shot back.
    â€œWhat do you mean? That gentleman was nothing short of perfect!”
    â€œJuliet, that gentleman was Romeo Montague,” the nurse said firmly.
    â€œYou…you must be mistaken.” Juliet could barely hear her own voice. It sounded faint and weak, like a phantom echo from another time and dimension.
    â€œIt is the truth, child. I swear it.”
    Juliet didn’t need to look the nurse in the eyes to know she was being honest. She covered her face with her trembling hands and surrendered to the waves of grief that were suddenly crashing down upon her.
    There was no way in hell that a Montague would have anything to do with a half-breed, let alone a full-fledged Capulet vampire. Not only that, but when Juliet thought of Romeo and his “family heirloom,” she couldn’t stop herself from imagining how many of her kin had been executed with something just like it. The weight of this revelation was just unbearable.
    â€œPlease, Nurse, do not follow me,” Juliet murmured. Then she whipped around and ran out of the orchard with tears rolling down her face.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    R omeo was dumbstruck when the girl and her nurse disappeared around the corner while his body was still bent at the waist in a bowing position. He was clueless as to why the nurse had disrupted their unexpected rendezvous, but one thing was certain: he had to uncover the girl’s identity so that he could see her again. Romeo glanced at the people who were scattered around him, searching for Benvolio and Mercutio, but all he saw were ruby-colored eyes and skin as white as snow.
    A determined Romeo decided to approach the most reserved-looking vampire: a petite golden-haired woman dressed in a black gown. She was sitting quietly on a purple settee, observing the crowd. The corners of her mouth turned up when Romeo came before her and bowed. This respectful gesture was probably abit much, but he was willing to swallow some of his pride in order to learn the name of the woman who he wanted by his side for the rest of his life.
    â€œI am sorry to trouble you, my lady, but did you happen to see me and a young maiden talking over there?” he asked.
    â€œYes, I did,” she replied.
    Romeo swallowed hard. “Do you perchance know her name?”
    The woman’s eyebrows raised, but not one wrinkle formed on her forehead—another perk of immortality, Romeo thought.
    â€œI was wondering why you were pursuing her to begin with. But now this makes perfect sense. You are unaware of who she is.”
    Romeo became defensive at the caustic tone of the vampire’s voice. “On the contrary, I know everything I need to, with the exception of her name. Please, do not toy with me.”
    â€œOr what?” The woman snapped, leaning forward in her chair and glaring at Romeo. “You will pull out a wooden stake and run it through my heart, just like your father did to my father?”
    Apparently, Romeo’s disguise was not as good as he had thought. A part of him wanted to apologize to this woman on behalf of the Montagues. But when he recalled how the Capulets had butchered and fedoff of thousands of innocent people, his urge to make amends quickly vanished.
    â€œNo. I will simply take leave of you,” he said, backing away.
    The woman’s haughty smile returned to her face as she declared, “Her name is Juliet…and she is Lord Capulet’s only daughter.”
    Romeo stumbled over his own two feet, but he was able to catch himself before spilling onto the ground. The woman of his dreams was not just a Capulet—she was the child of his father’s worst enemy.
    â€œJuliet,” he said to the vampire, his voice faltering a bit.
    â€œIn three days, she will fully become one of us.” The vampire’s tone was quite jovial now