Elizabeth never turned around at any point of the noisy entrance Mel made. Sara watched from her position on the floor as Elizabeth offered her cheek to Mel. “About time,” she grumbled to her.
“
Are these the two people you were referring to? Seems to me this evidence alone should be enough to stop this stupidity err...I mean hearings. Again...what did you call him, love?”
Startled out of her amazement at seeing them all together, Sara answered. “Huhhhh, Shermie, mistress. I call him Shermie. He doesn’t care for it, though.”
“
Well, that’s what makes it fun, doesn’t it?” She said with a wink. “Shermie, I’d like to have these proceeding stopped. Right now!”
~~~
Thomas looked from Sara to the man. “Well, what the hell is she?”
“
Incredible! Yes, Sara is incredible,” Phillip said for perhaps the eighth time. “And I’ve never come across anyone so strong. How on Earth have you stayed hidden for so long? No, don’t answer that, you’ve been building up your shield to be as strong as your powers as they have increased, haven’t you? Yes, that’s the only way you could have stayed unfound like you have. Incredible!” James had been saying the same thing since they’d left the antechamber and adjourned back at the MacManus mansion.
“
Phillip, dear,” Elizabeth said, giving him a pointed look, “stop saying that. You’re irritating me, and I have the patience of that very nice man Job. I can well imagine how you are affecting everyone else in the room.”
She looked kindly toward Sara. “Child, we should have done this prior to invading you. I’m Elizabeth, as I’ve said. This is my mate Phillip. The woman to my left is Savannah, and the man next to her is James. We’re Melody’s grandparents; Savannah and James are her parents. Melody asked us to come here to see if we could aid you in any way during those horrid trials. And I’m so glad she did. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“
But we have met, haven’t we? You are the woman from the shelter.” The memory had clicked the moment she said she was Mel’s grandparent.
“
Yes. I wasn’t sure you would have remembered. You were only a child at the time. Less than a year, I believe.”
“
Eleven months, I was eleven months old. My mother left me there. She said that she couldn’t raise me without help, that my father was a no account liar, and I would be better off with the state.”
“
No, he wasn’t,” Elizabeth said as she sat down hard in one of the chairs. “Matthew was with me when she left you there. Matthew is, was, my son.”
“
Grandma, what do you mean ‘your son?’ I...isn’t my mom your child? Matthew can’t be your son. You’re confused,” Mel said to her grandmother. Sara burst out laughing at the look that passed between the two women. If looks alone had any power, Mel would be a pillar of salt about now.
“
No, I had two children. I should know that, you insolent child. Matthew was born right after Phillip and I were mated. He was a lovely boy, but not a daughter, so we had your mother. This was before the High Council decided that we should only have daughters and as we lived forever, that only having one child would not over-populate the kingdom. I didn’t think about the consequences at the time, or how it would affect future generations, so I agreed. I’m so sorry everyday that I agreed to such a cruel law. Had I known what it would do to my family, I would never have done it.”
“
But that doesn’t explain why you were at the shelter. How did you know I was there?” Sara asked.
“
Dawn, your mother, had told Matt that she needed money. He was to meet her somewhere with it and she would give him something to hold in trust for it. He didn’t know about you, none of us did, actually. He came to me right before he was to leave to say he was very ill. Something in the human world had made him sick. You see because he wasn’t female, he could be hurt and killed like all other mortals. He didn’t get better. A week after he came to me, he was dead. He told me all about the meeting and the arrangement that he was to bring her money for something she had for him. I went to look for her, to tell her what had happened. I couldn’t leave him…not then. I had her money, but was hoping I could bring her to the castle to live out her days. Matt had loved her so much, you see. I couldn’t find her, but there was a trail, a signature that led me to the shelter. Now, I can only assume it was you.”
“
Do you have a tattoo, darling? Not the one Melody gave you, but another?” James asked her.
“
Why do you want to know?” Sara asked suspiciously.
“
Where is it? I’d like to see it, if you don’t mind.” He didn’t answer question, but these people had saved her life. So Sara pulled up the sleeve of her t-shirt.
With her shields down, the tattoo was visible for anyone to see. It was the same as Melody’s but with a set of crossed swords across the base of the tree. It, too, was in full color. James looked at the mark for a long time, and then threw back his head and laughed. He had tears streaming down his cheeks his happiness was so great. It was a good long time before he could talk.
“
Mine is different from Mel’s. I have the swords. I never thought about it when Mel touched me to mark me. I’d hidden if for so long...I guess I never thought about it anymore,” she explained.
“
Yes,” Phillip said, “you would. The swords belong to me. I was a member of the Royal Guard when I met Elizabeth. The crest for a member of the Royal Guard back then was a pair of crossed claymores, and nothing else. It looks to me like the combination of the two Royal Crests is what you carry. That would explain your power and your ability to fight. You are my blood, Sara Temple. You are a true immortal. Welcome to the family.”
Then Phillip stood before the large vampire and demanded, “Now there is the matter of you, my fine sir. What are your intentions for my granddaughter?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“
I want you, Sara. I want to be buried deep inside of you soon,” Aaron whispered to her.
“
Yes, please. But I need a bath. Will you bathe with me, Aaron? Wash me clean for you, get me all wet? Wet for you?” She purred at him.
Aaron growled at her from deep in his throat. He could already smell that she was wet for him, and it had nothing to do with the bath tub. He carried her to his lair, down under the deepest part of the house. When they entered his bedroom, he turned the taps on to the tub, never taking his hands away from the delectable woman in his arms.
“
Sara, I want to feel you against me, against my skin. How fast can you get out of these clothes, love?” Suddenly, they were both naked. She had removed both their clothes with a thought. Oh, he could get used to this.
“
Me too. I want to taste you, Aaron. I want to bite you, please? I want to taste your blood in my mouth, on my tongue. I want to give you the same pleasure you give me when you drink from me. Tell me how.”
He looked down at her. Was she asking to bond with him? Did she know what her bite would do to them as a couple?
“
Sara, do you know what you are asking me?”
“
Yes, I want to be yours, for eternity. Please, tell me what to do.” His cock hardened against her belly. He knew he wouldn’t last long.
“
Sara, God, I can’t wait on a bath. It has to be now.”
Aaron sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her to his lap, her legs wrapped around him, and so that her chest met his. He needed to be inside of her when she bit him, and this was the perfect position for her to reach his vein, and he, her pussy. He was throbbing with his need for her. He reached between her legs to see if she was wet enough to take him quickly, and she soaked his fingers, drew them into her with the slightest movement. He could feel his release gathering up, ready to explode forth. Before he got any more desperate, he lifted her up and lowered her slowly onto his cock.
Inch by inch, she took him in, her heat and cream bathing him. He looked down at them, watched as she took him in, as he entered her. Her pussy widening for him, the tightness and heat overwhelming, nothing had ever felt this good. When he was finally seated inside, he moved up into her deeper.
“
God, Aaron, don’t move, or I’ll come now. Show me. Show me what to do so we can make love. Fast.”
“
Lick…lick my pulse, feel where it is.” When her tongue began its journey down his neck, he thought he’d pass out from the sensations. She was making him wild with his need to take her. “Oh God, Sara, that’s it. Bathe it with your tongue. I’m going to...oh baby, please. I’m going to open my vein for you. When I do, I want you to take as much of me as you can. When you put your mouth over me and suck, I’m going to bite you. There will...we need to exchange our blood at the same time we climax for us to be truly bonded. Hurry baby, or I won’t last.”
Sara laved her tongue over the fast beating pulse once more and bit sharply into him. He moved her aside gently as he extended a sharp claw at the end of his index finger. With a quick slice, his blood poured forth. This time, when she laid her mouth over the pulse, his blood filled her mouth. When she suckled at the opening, pulling more of him into her, he screamed her name out with his release. He rolled them over, turning them around, and slammed her down on the bed onto her back, pumping into her pussy deeper and harder. He bit her then, rolling her into her own release like a tornado touching down. Every part of his body felt it. When she started to come again, he began pumping his seed into her, harder and harder with every stroke until he emptied himself deep inside her.
Aaron rolled over onto his back, pulling her with him. He was spent, and had used the last of his reserves just doing that simple task. He held her close to his body by the weight of his arm and nothing more. Soon they both were asleep.
~~~
After a short three hour nap, they refilled the tub and were now cuddling in the warm water. “You know, now that we’ve mated, you’re a true immortal as well,” Sara said. Aaron watched as she lifted her leg high out of the water and ran the sponge down the length. Staring at her, he nearly missed what she was saying. “Will I change into a vampire now?”
“
Honestly, I don’t know. It’s hard to say what your body will do, if anything at all. However, I have to tell you, the thought of you having fangs is really sexy sounding.”
As she was sitting between his legs, it didn’t take much to show how sexy he thought it was. He was hard every time he was near her and now wasn’t any exception.
“
Is that all you can think about is sex?” She groused at him.
Aaron thought about it and grinned, but didn’t put forth too much effort and answered her. “Yes. Of course, but only when you’re around.” His smile was pure sin.
“
Good save and good answer.” She turned around to his body, and straddled his lap. She began to move up and down, back and forth across his erection, riding him. He reached out to lift her breast, pulling her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard.
“
Sara, I want to bite you. I want to bite your nipple and nurse from you.” She moaned hard and deep at his need.
Sara didn’t answer him with words, but lifted herself up and over him. She reached down and pulled him up, stroking his cock once, and fit him into her. She slid herself down onto him, seating herself fully before she began rocking against him again. Leaning forward, she lifted and gave him her breast, moaning loudly when he again pulled her nipple into his warmth. He looked into her eyes, seeing her trust, and bit. She began bucking hard down on him, nearly throwing herself off until he grabbed her hips, grinding her down harder, helping her reach her climax. He drew her essences into him, suckling at her nipple like a babe at the breast. He came with a groan, spewing into her again and again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“
Duncan, do you think you and I can manage a few people over tonight? I think maybe ten at the most. I don’t know how to go about it, but Aaron said you could handle anything,” Sara asked Duncan the next morning.
Aaron had said no such thing, but she wanted Duncan to like her and it was just a little fib. They were to go to the castle for a ceremony then back here for drinks and whatever Duncan could dream up.
“
Why of course, my lady. Anything you’d like. I understand you have found your family.”
“
Yes, it seems as though I’m the queen’s cousin.” Sara grinned at him. “She wants me to work with her in the Royal Court, as her advisor. She’s thousands of years older than me, and she wants my advice. What on earth do I tell her, I ask you? Oh well, but the first thing I did tell her was to abolish that stupid rule about only having one child. Maybe she’ll find a mate again and have hundreds of rug rats for me to play with. I can be the wonderful aunt, don’t you think, Duncan?”
“
Yes, my lady. You would be wonderful at anything you set your head to,” He said in all seriousness.
She grinned. She so loved the way he butchered the sayings. She seldom corrected him. She wasn’t sure how he would take it yet.
~~~
Sara had taken time to dress and arm herself. She was dressed in her full armor, chainmaille and all, as she’d been asked to by Phillip, err, Granddad to do. He said that he’d like to honor her as his granddaughter and as a Royal Guard. He was so excited about it that she couldn’t refuse him.
When she fled the castle four years ago, she had hidden this dress uniform away, thinking never to wear it again. Now here she was, not only dressed again in her first uniform, but waiting to perform a ceremony of sorts.