Sara’s armory was a chainmaille sleeveless vest called a cuirass that fit her like a glove, molding over her back and breasts, ending at her small waist. Her greaves were made of a superior metal that was made especially for her, protecting her lower legs from vicious kicks and blows aimed to take her feet from under her. Her shoes, the softest material produced in the castle, gripped any surface she stood on. Whether it was wet, dry or icy slick, they held her fast. Her gauntlets were just fingerless gloves, made of leatherlike material that was by far more superior to that of its counterpart, which ended a few inches above her wrist, protecting her hands from any nicks. She carried a flail around her waist, the spiked ball strapped to her leg with a quick release belt to hold it safely against her leg. At her back she wore a war mallet, its head blunt, and its nail sharp. In her hand was her favored weapon, a sword that looked a great deal like a highlander claymore, but a much smaller version to fit her hand and stature.
All her armament had been charmed with magic. Mel had it fashioned for her and she was the one who had given it the extra bit of magic to keep her friend safe. The other blades on her person were hidden from view, but easily accessible to her. She was exactly what she looked like, a beautiful trained killer.
When Sara walked into the throne room later that night, she found Sherman standing on the seat of her throne, prying jewels out of the head board. Mel was nowhere to be found. He’d even put on one of her crowns. It was actually too feminine to be worn by a man. Somehow, though, it suited him perfectly. She hated the man, all that he stood for, and what he had done to her and to those she loved.
“
What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Sara asked, startling him to have him nearly fall. “You are by far the stupidest man I’ve ever met, do you know that? I’ve always wondered if you need to carry around a timer. I wondered if you needed something to remind you to inhale and exhale so you don’t pass out. Where’s Mel?”
“
My mate? How the hell should I know?” he snarled back. “And you know what? I could care less. I’m taking what is owed me. I was so hoping that bitch would come in, but this is so much the better. I can ruin that fucking vampire and Melody at the same time by your death.”
With a small nod of his head, someone came at Sara from behind. She knew he had been there, awaiting Sherman’s signal. She turned and sliced the man in two, her blade catching him off guard. She was sure he’d not known she was aware of him. Before the man fell to the floor, four more came at her.
Sara was incredibly strong, and fast, her speed no match for the men, mere children in their stance and ability to fight, especially someone as talented as she. She worked her way through them in three minutes. When she turned back to the man on the throne, she smirked at him until she noticed that he’d taken Aaron as a captive. He must have entered when she was fighting. Damn it, where was Mel?
“
Sara, dear, I have something of yours,” Sherman said in a sing-song voice. “And I plan to kill him slowly. Maybe I’ll stake him in the sun to die. I believe I would enjoy that to the very end.”
“
You’ll die. I will relish killing you very slowly, you filthy bastard.” Her voice was calm while inside, she was seething with barely suppressed rage.
Sara had been distracted or Sherman would never have gotten as close to Aaron as he had. In those few precious seconds she was defending herself, he’d attacked.
Sherman worked his way to the door to the main hall. He was completely hidden by Aaron who hung limp in his arm. He had a blade at his throat and his arm about his waist. Sara, a blade in each hand, stood before them blocking his exit.
“
You’ll not get away from here with him. You have to know that. Even if you were to get out of this room alive, I will hunt you down for the coward you are. And mark my word, you will not go so easily. Let him go now. Or are you so afraid of me, Shermie, that you need to hide behind someone?” She had not one nick on her flawless skin. “So afraid of me that you send others to do what you know you cannot? Like defeat me?”
Sara looked at the man she loved and her heart swelled at the look he gave her. He was smiling. He trusted her.
“
I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t know what to do,” she whispered to his mind.
“
Of course you do, love. You need to kill him. And the sooner the better. I want nothing more than to peel each piece of the sexy armaments from that delicious body of yours, kissing each exposed succulent inch of you as I do.” She suddenly realized what he was doing. She felt more relaxed, less terrified.
“
I love you, Aaron. So very much.”
“
I know that. And why wouldn’t you? I’m awesome.” She heard his laughter as it raced along her spine.
Maybe if she pissed Shermie off enough, she thought, he’d make a mistake and she could overpower him. But her prime objective was to get him away from Aaron.
Sara felt Mel seconds before she came into the room, and when the door crashed with a resounding boom against the tapestry on the wall behind it, she made her move. She lunged at Sherman and took his blade away from him, freeing Aaron in the process.
With a quick flick of her power, she threw Sherman to floor and bound him to it. As she walked toward him, pulling her claymore from its sheath, she stripped him of Mel’s crown and jewels with a bit more magic.
“
Oh, Shermie boy, now what do you think?” Sara asked as she stood over the man. “What did you say about staking my mate to the ground? Oh yeah, I can see by the look on your face that you’d no idea about that. Maybe I should let him drain you...no, I’m thinking that might leave a bad taste in his mouth.” She put the point of the claymore at his throat and held it there. She didn’t apply enough pressure to draw blood, but she wanted to.
“
Sara, honey, I have something I’d like to say to my mate, if you don’t mind? I believe it will make it easier for you to finish what you so desperately need to do,” Mel said just behind her. In a voice clear and distinct, she heard Mel say, “Sherman, I denounce you before all that are assembled before us.”
The second the words left Mel’s mouth, not even echoing throughout the cavernous room, Sara rammed the blade home. The force of it nearly severed his head from his body a mere second after Mel stripped him of his immortality through their bond. Before her blade could touch the floor through his neck, blood splattered everywhere, and Sherman disappeared.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“
So, is he dead?” Sara looked at Aaron and sighed at his question.
Was he? She didn’t know. He’d been such a huge part of her life until now she wasn’t sure what to believe about him. She knew that her sword should have severed his head, but he’d disappeared.
Sara and Aaron had gone back to his bedroom in the sublevels of the house where they had slept for most of the day. Her armaments lay scattered all over the room, as were his clothes, or at least what was left of them. Aaron and she were now lying on his big bed.
“
I really don’t know. Shermie has a great deal of magical resources to fall back on. I can’t feel him, but that could only mean that he’s hiding behind his magic. Black magic is so different than mine.”
Sara wanted to believe him dead, but knew that he’d show up again. He hadn’t finished with them yet. Especially Mel. When Mel had taken away his immortality, she’d literally taken away his livelihood.
Sherman was without money, without a home, and injured, so where would he go? Mel had been his mate and his means to money or whatever else he desired, as well as things he just wanted because he could. She could only imagine what he’d do now.
“
I think he’s alive,” Sara reasoned. “I’m not sure why, but I do. He would have had a backup plan. He was a lot of things, but he wasn’t stupid. I’m sure that he had monies enough to keep him comfortable for a while, but it won’t last. He probably had homes throughout this world and maybe a few on the other side, though I don’t see him showing up there too soon. He’d need to gather his strength, to maybe lay low for a time until he was fit, stronger.” She looked over at the man she loved with all her being. “I’ll protect you, no matter what. I’ll keep you safe in my life and in my heart. This household, these people...I don’t know what I’d do without them, without you.”
Aaron rolled over to blanket himself across her body; she could feel him hard across her. “I love you, Sara. I never thought to love or be loved in my life. When you stepped up to me that long ago summer evening, I thought I was looking at a beautiful woman. Now I realize how wrong I was. I was looking into the eyes of my life, my future, and my mate. I was looking at the only woman I’d ever love, ever want to love. Sara, will you become my mate in the tradition of my kind?”
Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at him. Her throat closed up around the lump that had settled there. Sara nodded to him.
He reached beyond the bed to the side table and pulled open the drawer to it. Inside there was a bejeweled dagger and a box. Aaron pulled out the dagger and slipped it under the pillow. The box he laid beside her.
“
For many centuries our kind had chosen a mate based on their ability to feed from them. There was never a time when we thought to mate with another simply to have the pleasure of being with that one person for all of eternity. Love was never a part of it. I’ve known many men who would shun the idea of taking a mate, especially a human mate.” She watched as he opened the box as he spoke. “But none of them had the love or the power of that love to show them what they were missing. I love you, Sara Temple MacManus. I’ll love you until the end of all time and beyond.”
Aaron kissed her then, deep and strong. His tongue stroked hers with possessiveness and heat. Sara moaned long and felt his responding groan rumble through his skin.
“
Aaron, please. I need you inside of me now.” Shifting slightly, he surged his cock deep inside of her hard and fast, her wetness making the slide easy. Lifting her legs up, she encircled them tight around his slim hips and using his ass as leverage, lifted herself up to meet his downward thrust.
“
Baby, we have...Christ, but you’re hot. Baby, please, we need to complete this.” He rocked again and again, sweat beading on his forehead. He finally pushed his weight onto hers, stopping any movement.
“
Aaron, no!” Try as she might, she couldn’t make him move again. Aaron nuzzled hard against her throat and she gave it to him. Anything to get him to finish her.
“
We have to...Sara, will you drink from me? I’ll...I want to fuck you. Stop moving, damn it.” Laughter laced his voice. She smiled and squeezed her thighs tighter around him. His groan of approval made her laugh out loud. “I’ll cut my vein and when you come, I want you to drink from the wound. I’ll bite you at the same time. We have to come at the same time,” he admonished her.
“
If you’re as close as I am, then it won’t be a problem. Hurry, please hurry.” To prove her point, she tightened her muscles around his cock again.
He cut into his throat and surged into her hard and fast. His body pumped hard into hers and she welcomed each thrust.
“
Now, baby, now!” With a final push, he took her over the edge and she screamed as the most powerful orgasm ripped through her. As she felt him lick her pulse, she fitted her mouth over his wound and sucked. Stars burst behind her lids at the sensations rioting thought her. When he sank his teeth deep into her, she came again, convulsing and tightening around his cock as she came over and over.
~~~
When it was possible for him to move again, Aaron shifted to his side, pulling her with him. His body had never felt so relaxed and sated before. Breathing deeply, he pulled her scent into his lungs, tasting her on his tongue, feeling her throughout his body.
“
Sara? Are you all right?” He smiled as she moaned instead of answering. He kissed the top of her head and reached for the small box he’d put on her pillow earlier. “I have a gift for you. Do you want it?”
“
Does it involve sex? If it does, you’ll need to give me a few more...I don’t know, years to recuperate.” Stretching, she looked up at him. “I love you.”
“
And I, you. Marry me, Sara. Be my wife as well as my mate.” He slipped the diamond ring on the ring finger of her left hand and kissed it. He hoped she’d say yes, but with Sara, one just never knew.
“
Oh, Aaron, oh my...I love you.” Each word was punctuated with a kiss to his face, his chest, his neck. When she got to his mouth, he stopped her progress with a hand to the back of her head and deepened the kiss.
“
Sara, love, you didn’t answer me,” he whispered against her mouth. Spending an eternity exploring this woman might not be enough, he decided. Then again, it might just kill him.
“
Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you.”