Authors: Lydia Michaels
“Mine.”
The word was a crude
formed syllable. An audible breath was drawn in from everyone around.
Ezekiel’s eyes shut for
a moment as his chest rose. He covered Isaiah’s hand and said. “Mine.”
Isaiah turned and his
gaze landed on Cybil. His hand withdrew from his brother’s chest and he pointed
to her. “
Mine
,” he said and every jaw seemed to unlock.
“No, Isaiah…” Ezekiel
whispered and Isaiah’s gaze snapped back to him as a threatening growl filled
the room.
“Yesssss,”
Isaiah hissed through
bared fangs. “She. Is.
Mine
.” His hand went to his chest and he shut his
eyes. “
Mine
.”
Dane studied the animal
from his long, dark hair, to his untamed beard. He was more beast than man.
When Isaiah stepped forward and placed a hand on Cybil’s bloody cheek, she shut
her eyes, a look of serenity overcoming her features. “
Mine
,” Isaiah
repeated, and then stepped back.
Enough already. “Do
something!” Dane hissed.
But there was nothing to
do. Isaiah pointed to her cell and then slowly returned to his own, stepping
over the mutilated bars.
“Let her go,” Ezekiel
whispered.
“Ezekiel—” the bishop
warned.
“See what she does,”
Ezekiel snapped.
The bishop nodded. “Let
her go.”
The elders released
Cybil and she looked to Isaiah. Isaiah pointed to her cell and she lowered her
head and silently stepped over the bars until she was once again inside.
Dane gaped at the
elders. What were they doing? They couldn’t leave them here. Someone had to do
something!
Ezekiel stepped in front
of his brother’s cell and pointed at Cybil. “Yours?”
Isaiah met Ezekiel’s
gaze.
“Ainsicht.”
The unfamiliar word broke past Isaiah’s lips and the
elders seemed to take a great deal of meaning from it.
Dane frowned. What the
hell did that mean? The men stepped back. Bishop Eleazar gave Ezekiel a worried
look. “She is young, Ezekiel. Far too young to be his mate.”
“What?”
Dane snapped.
Ezekiel turned to the
bishop. “For nearly a century, has my brother not remained in this area?
Perhaps his calling was early, Eleazar.”
The bishop shook his
head. Thank God someone was keeping their wits.
“It is unheard of.”
Ezekiel’s expression
grew tight with anger. “Do you presume to know more on the issue than God
Himself? You are but a man! Your mate resided houses away from you for fifty
years, married to a monster whom you gave her away to.”
The bishop growled. “Do
not speak to me of—”
“Do not speak to me as
though you hold all the answers!”
Ezekiel snapped. “He is my brother! Has he not
calmed since being placed in this cell beside the girl? Clearly it was not the
bars that held him here.”
“She is ill, Ezekiel.
She is but a child,” the bishop tried to reason.
“And what if she had
been called to my grandson, Cain?”
“I would have made him
wait until she came of age.”
“And so shall my
brother.”
“No!”
Dane yelled, stepping
forward. “No! She’s not for him! He killed our mother! Don’t try to put your
twisted beliefs on the messed up situation. I’d see her dead before I allowed
her such a fate.”
Isaiah growled and Dane
turned his rage on him. “And I’d kill you before I ever let you lay a hand on
her,” he sneered.
The bishop’s hand
clamped down on his shoulder. “Dane. Be calm. No decision has been made. Your
sister is in my care and I do not take that lightly. She is but a
sixteen-year-old child incapable of deciding for herself. I would not submit
her to such a thing. We must wait until she is of age and then we shall decide.
Who knows what will happen in that time.”
“But what if the bonding
can save them both?” Ezekiel asked and in that moment, the gentle man who had
given Dane so much, became his enemy.
“No,” Dane growled.
“It could save her,
Dane. Do you not want your sister back?” Ezekiel asked.
“My sister is
dead
,”
he said through gritted teeth. “And so is your brother. Kill them both and be
done with it.” Unable to take any more, he turned and ran from the cellar.
* * * *
Eleazar sighed as the
cellar door slammed behind Dane. “David,” he called.
“Yes, sir,” David said,
stepping forward.
“We will move Cybil and
Isaiah to new cells until these are mended. I want you to remain here. If she
is truly his mate, I find it hard to believe he holds the restraint to wait
until she is an adult. I do not want them neighboring each other’s cell. The
child is my responsibility. I will have a cell built elsewhere for her
tomorrow. Until then, I want someone on guard at all times.”
He turned to Isaiah. It
was unheard of for a
feeish
male, gone as far as Isaiah to suddenly
assume the means to communicate. Moments like this, he wished he had an
immortal older than himself to offer advice.
“Isaiah,” he said. “I do
not know if you understand what I speak, but you shall not touch her or by all
that is holy I shall destroy you and her.”
Isaiah growled, telling
Eleazar perhaps he did understand. The bishop turned back to Ezekiel, “I hold
you responsible for her safety. She is lost, but still innocent. Do
not
sacrifice
your morals for a male who, although is your kin, has broken more laws than we
can count.”
“She will be safe,”
Ezekiel promised. “The years leading to her adulthood shall be long, but I give
you my word, he shall not lay a hand on her before then, so long as you allow
him to live.”
“He shall live until he
proves again he is not worthy of this life. One immoral act and I shall relieve
him of the gift.” Facing the others, he ordered, “Move them. I need to tend to
Adriel.”
As the others arranged
to shift the cells of their two captives, Eleazar entered the cell that held
his friend. Today had been a nightmare. He had suspected it would be, with
Dane’s request to discuss the execution of Isaiah, but never had he imagined
this nonsense.
His fingers brushed over
Adriel’s pale cheek. What was he going to do about Cerberus? Perhaps he should
allow her arms to protect herself, but there would be no weapon strong enough
to more than sedate an immortal of her mate’s age.
The Schrock territory
was isolated, far from the other families on the farm. He did not like the idea
of Adriel returning to her vacant house alone and unprotected. He could ask
that Christian take her in for the time being, but Christian was busy with his
new mate. Perhaps she would agree to stay with them at the Safe House.
“Shall I assist you?”
Eleazar turned and found
Christian standing in the entrance of the cell. “Have they moved the others?”
Christian shook his
head. “Indeed. The two are being quite docile. Why do you suppose that is?”
Eleazar shrugged.
“Perhaps Ezekiel is right.”
“Do you truly believe
that?” Christian asked. “The girl was not yet born when he started dreaming.”
“Do you recall the fire,
several centuries ago?”
“I do,” Christian said.
“Ezekiel would have
died, had Isaiah not saved him.”
Christian frowned. “No
one was in the building.”
“That’s right, because
Isaiah had a vision and made sure his brother was safe. He had a gift for
seeing events before they unfolded. Perhaps he saw her before her time, knew
she was coming. Was he not there, in the woods, when her mother died?”
“He killed their
mother.”
“Yes, but perhaps the
girl will grow to resemble the woman. Perhaps he saw her and thought…I do not
know, Christian. I only know that God has a plan and sometimes, when we try to
talk before He speaks to us in His own way, things can go very, very wrong.”
“Like with your mate and
Silus.”
He lowered his gaze.
Millennia could pass and he would still blame himself for placing Larissa in a
marriage before she was called to him. “Yes. We must allow time to bring about
clarity. It will all come to light in the end.”
Christian nodded. “What
of my mother?”
Eleazar sighed. “I shall
invite her to live here for a while. It has been centuries since I have seen
your sire. I do not suspect he will take long in finding her, especially now
that he has learned of your existence. I cannot imagine the betrayal of
discovering his mate bore a son and hid it will suit him. He will seek
vengeance.”
“He perhaps has many
sons, Dane for instance.”
“In the eyes of a male
like Cerberus, they are but bastards. You are of his mate’s womb and, just as
he saw her, you are a possession to him.”
Christian scowled. “Why
have I never, in three hundred years, been told his name until now?”
“It was only to protect
your mother.”
“And if he comes for
her, Bishop, do you intend to intercede? Will you violate your own laws and
interfere on their rightful privacy as mates?”
“Will you?” he tossed
the question back at Christian.
“I will kill any thing
that threatens those I love and gladly pay the consequences.”
Eleazar nodded in
agreement. These were his loved ones and he would not stand idly by while their
safety was threatened. “I’m going to bring her upstairs,” he said, nodding
toward Adriel. “Perhaps you should check on Delilah.”
He nodded. “Let me know
if you need me.”
“Thank you, Christian.”
Chapter Thirteen
The door opened and
Delilah turned, relief easing her tension as Christian stepped into the room.
“You are alone?” he
asked
“Larissa went to check
on Mariah.”
He nodded and shut the
door. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. Is your mom
okay?”
The tension of the day
showed in the lines on his face. “The bishop is tending to her. She is a strong
female.”
He looked weary and she
wanted to comfort him. He was hers, after all. Shouldn’t she tend to his needs
as he did hers? She scooted over on the bed and patted the mattress. “Take a
load off.”
His collar was undone,
something Christian didn’t often do. He was usually so put together. As he sat,
she climbed behind him and massaged his shoulders, feeling the tension knotted
in his muscles.
“Soooo…” she said as she
worked out the kinks in his back. His head lowered and he gave a contented
sigh. “That guy was your dad.”
“So it would seem.”
“They said he would have
recognized you immediately from your scent, but you didn’t know it was him?”
“I have never met the
male.”
“Do you think he’ll come
to the farm?”
Christian sighed. “I
would hope that he not, but the likelihood does not seem to be in our favor.”
“He’s a real dickhead,
huh?”
“Yes, I believe one
could call him that.”
She smirked behind his
back. Usually he corrected her coarse language. The fact that he didn’t when
referring to his father spoke volumes. “Your laws…will your mom have to go with
him if he wants her?”
He took a long time to
answer. When he did, his voice was quiet. “Our laws state that the business
between mated or married couples is no concern of outsiders. However, the
bishop and I are in agreement, no one shall hurt those we love.”
“You’re pretty close
with the bishop.”
There was a hint of
sadness in his voice. “I am close to no one,
pintura.
I have waited close
to three hundred years for you, hoping you would be my solace, my company.”
His words enveloped her
in a sense of belonging that was new to her. “I don’t have many friends either.
I mean, I have acquaintances, but I’ve always been sort of a loner too. Maybe I
was waiting for you and didn’t even know it.”
He reached over his
shoulder, catching her massaging fingers and stilling her hands. He squeezed
affectionately. “I hope to be everything you need, Delilah. I may not be the
easiest male to deal with at times, but if there is one thing I am certain of
in this life, it is that I am intended to be your other half. I wish to make
you whole, as you have already begun to fill the emptiness I’ve always abided.”
She eased off the bed
and turned to face him. Her fingers went to the back of her apron and worked to
undo the pins.
Stupid prairie garb.
When she had the material loose, she
let it fall to the floor leaving her in only her chemise.
“Let me take care of
you, Christian. Take what you need.”
His eyes dilated in the
dim room, taking on a slight feline shape. “What are you offering,
pintura?
”
“I sense your hunger.
Feed from me.”
His chest lifted as he
breathed in a deep breath. Lifting his hand, he reached for her and pulled her
gently to his lap. Every time he’d bit her it was in the throes of wild sex.
She was a little scared it would hurt without the erotic mojo pumping, but she
wanted to do this for him.
He settled her on his
lap as his fingers went to her hair. Pins pulled from her braids, making soft
pinging sounds as they landed on the floor. Once he had her hair loose, he ran
his long fingers through the strands. Every gentle tug sent a shiver down her
spine.
Fanning her hair to one
side and pressing it behind her shoulder he leaned close and kissed the tattoo
of a vampire bite. He breathed her in as though memorizing her scent, savoring
it. His breath caressed her skin just below her ear as chills skated up her
arms.
“You are such a gift,”
he whispered, his words tickling her skin.
Lips dragged over her pulse,
teasing and causing it to leap. His strong fingers curved around her hip
through the thin fabric of her gown and her body tightened. He did not bite
her, only seduced her flesh with soft traces of soft lips.
His hand coasted to her
abdomen and his fingers flattened there like a star. “One day my seed will grow
here and we shall have many babes that are both the best parts of you and me.”
She hadn’t really
thought about children, but the idea of having some with Christian awakened a
desire in her she never allowed herself to acknowledge. Her hand covered his as
she tipped her head to the side. “Christian…”
“Delilah…”
His tongue warmed her
neck and then there was a sharp but delightful pinch as he sunk his teeth in.
As his lips sealed to her flesh and he pulled from her vein, her womb
tightened. She rocked and moaned slowly, keeping rhythm with every suckle.
His hand cupped her
breast and massaged softly. Feeding was erotic no matter if they were having
sex or not. Her sex contracted and her heart beat rapidly.
When he licked the bite
closed, she turned and caught her mouth to his, tasting her blood on his
tongue. She eased him back and straddled him. Her fingers lifted the chemise
off her body and tossed it to the floor.
Christian drew in a
breath as his hands caught her hips. Leaning down, she slowly undid his shirt
and spread it wide. Her mouth closed over one pierced nipple and then the other
and he hissed, his fingers tightening on her skin.
“I love that you did
this for me,” she said, flicking his barbell with her tongue.
“I’d do anything for
you. You are my mate.”
Lifting, she opened the
fly of his pants and pulled out his erection. Her fingers wrapped around his
flesh and pulled. “Maybe someday I could pierce you here.”
He grunted and she
laughed. “I believe I’ll leave that part as God intended,” he said.
“God intended it here,”
she said, rubbing his soft skin over her dewy folds.
His hips lifted and he
moaned. “Put me inside of you, Delilah.”
She lowered herself and
he filled her. It was the first time they made love slowly. It was beautiful,
full of heartfelt promises and tender caresses. He never took his gaze off of
her.
Her hands spread wide on
over his muscled chest as she took him. Never before had she felt so at ease to
be herself around a man. Never had she known such a security that, no matter
what, he would desire her. There was something very special about having a
predestined mate.
What she had learned
about Cybil and the others, that if a human was turned by someone that was not
their intended mate, they would go mad, proved that he was truly hers. She’d
always been a bit off, but she was far from mad. After spending so much time
with his people, she realized that, had the shoe been on the other foot, she
would have done the same. He was her mate and there would have been no stopping
her from claiming him.
He flipped her to her
back, his muscles tensing with every measured thrust. “I’ll never let you go,
Delilah.”
She met his gaze, her
palm cupping his strong, shadowed jaw. “I don’t want to leave.”
He stilled for a split
second, his eyes meeting hers and then he kissed her. It was the best kiss of
her life, holding more meaning and intension than any promise. It was a vow of
eternity in its own right.
Hours later, they lay in
the small bed of the Safe House. Their hands had never left the other’s body.
Christian’s face rested on her pillow, close to hers as they whispered and
watched each other in the darkness.
“You do things to me,
Christian,” she confessed quietly.
His mouth curved
wickedly. “I intend to do many things to you,
pintura.
”
She laughed. “Naughty
Amish man.” Then she sobered and took his hand, placing it on her chest. “You
do things to me here.”
“You do the same to me,
my love.”
The words teased at her
mind, wanting to come out, but she was afraid to set them free. What if he
changed his mind and got tired of her?
“I hear your thoughts,
Delilah,” he whispered softly. “My mind will never change. You are the other
half of my soul. Nothing can ever change that. I know what you feel. I’ve heard
it since the moment you first thought it. Love is an action, an emotion, not a
word.”
She sucked in a breath.
It never occurred to her that she’d already told him she loved him without
speaking the words.
You’re so nosy.
He chuckled.
Only
where you are concerned. You fascinate me.
She smiled at him in the
dark.
I love you, Christian Schrock.
I know. I love you too,
Delilah.
* * * *
Christian awoke with a
sense of danger.
Delilah.
He climbed out of bed
and sifted his legs through his pants. His finger pressed to his mate’s lips as
her eyes fluttered open, warning her to keep silent.
What’s happening?
Her startled question
filled his mind.
Do you sense it?
Her eyes scanned the
room.
Evil.
Yes. Stay here and stay
silent. No matter what, do not leave this room.
What is it?
I believe my sire has
arrived.
He kissed her mouth and
went to the door, his fingers slowly turning the knob. He sent a call to the
bishop.
Eleazar, do you feel it?
The bishop’s voice
filled his mind.
Yes. Tell your mate to stay put. I am dressing now.
Christian quietly crept
into the hall and padded toward the steps in bare feet. A flash of motion
caught his eye and he breathed in the malevolent scent of his father. Where was
his mother?
He took the stairs
carefully, eyes peeled for any sign of movement.
I know you are here.
He
sent the thought outward, not wanting to make a direct connection with the
other male’s mind. If he pushed into his thoughts, chances were the male would
find his way back into Christian’s.
There was a gravelly
chuckle and he turned. There, by the entrance to the den, was his father. He
did not look like the rest of them. This male was clothed in a modern day
English suit. His skin was marked like his mates. A tattoo coiled up his neck
and around his dark eyes.
Christian noted in that
brief moment that he resembled his father more than his mother. He steeled his
expression and faced the male. “You are not welcome here.”
The male smiled, his
fingers grazing the simple candle on the mantle. “Interesting set up you have
here. Amish,” he laughed. “I would have never thought of that.”
“We do not wish for
conflict. Please go.”
His father’s eyes cut to
his, full of malice. “I am looking for a few things. One, the girl that belongs
to me. I believe she is your mother, no?”
“She belongs to no one.”
The man chuckled and
pushed the candle aside. “Fool. Had I raised you, perhaps you would be smarter.
She is mine. And I will claim what is mine as I
always
get what I want.
Two, I believe there is a male here, dark hair and black eyes. Eleazar, I
believe his name is. I want to see him.”
“There is no one here
for you to see. You must leave now.” Christian did not chance cautioning the
bishop to stay put. It was too much of a risk that Cerberus might hear the
warning. He hoped Eleazar was within hearing distance and had the sense to
remain hidden.
“Perhaps if you will not
aid me in my request I’ll find Ms. Starling and have a word with her.” He
sniffed the air, drawing a long breath into his lungs. “Mmmm, she smells
freshly fucked.”
Christian growled, his
vision changing as his eyes flashed and turned feral. “You do
not
go
near her.”
“Oh, I’ve already been
near her. As a matter of fact, I found her before you, boy.”
“I am not a boy.”
“Then be a man and step
aside. I want my mate and I am not leaving until I have her. I also do not
intend to leave until I square up some loose ends with the black haired male.”
“Cerberus,” Eleazar
said, stepping into the room.
His father bared his
fangs and smiled viciously. “Ah…the traitor I was hoping to find.”
“You will leave this
place and never come back,” the bishop said calmly.
“I will leave when you
are six feet underground and I have my mate. Where is Girl?”
“She is not here,”
Eleazar lied convincingly.