“
Mmm…yes,”
he growled against my ear. “
I would ravish your body. Send you into a
world of bliss you never experienced before. Make you cry out in pleasures you never imagined.
Make you cry out my name until you were breathless. Oh yes, my lovely, I would make you sing a
beautiful song.”
“Richard…No…” I begged.
“
Yes,”
he hissed softly.
“I would take you places you never imagined. Tell me Julie. Tell me
you want me. Tell me you want me to do those things to you.”
“
No!”
I whispered but my thoughts betrayed me. I could envision every moment; every touch; every moan. Every cry of pleasure he described.
Richard inhaled a deep breath. His chest rose against mine, sending me into another wave of heat flustered madness. Why me? Dear Fate! Why me? I buried my head into his shoulder.
“Your body betrays you, my lovely,”
he cooed softly. His breath cursed my skin.
“Please…stop.”
He was right; my body had betrayed me, so had my words.
“You want to know what it would be like with me. I told you. I told you exactly what I would
do to you. And you alone. Tell me yes.”
“N-o.”
“Yes, Julie. Tell me yes and I will end this burning inside your body. The desire you need to
be satisfied. The desire that makes your body aches for me to be inside of you. Tell me yes, and I will
put an end to all of this.”
Another pant escaped me.
“
N-o…I…”
His lips pressed against my ear. He inhaled a soft breath. “
Just tell me yes. I want to
hear you say my name. Say it like you did when I first kissed you.”
My breath shuddered. Overwhelming feelings of desire rose inside me. Dear Fate, was I going to take him right here on the dance floor? Did he have any idea what he had put me through? Of course, he did. It was his seduction. I was a fly. A fly caught in his web! I was powerless. A helpless victim caught in his web of seduction. How could any woman resist him? He was a vampire, an inhumanly beautiful vampire skilled in the art of seduction.
“Just one more time.”
The sultry tones of his voice shook me.
“Let me hear you say it.”
His lips trailed down my jaw, lingering lightly against my lips.
The soft floral fragrance consumed me. Yes, I was his, my will was no longer my own. The woman who desired him had won. I was without a doubt, under his spell. I was intoxicated with his wine called desire. The wine that tempted and challenged my very soul.
His head moved to the side of my face, inhaling another breath. A soft growl rumbled in his throat. The hot fevered blood pulsated through my veins. The woman who desired to be unleashed, she called to him, arching herself to his lips. Satisfied, he responded. The coolness of his lips pressed against hers. My body trembled with excitement. My eyes closed tightly.
Our bodies moved together, swaying in a soft and sensual dance. He took every bit of resistance I had, tossing all cares aside. At that moment, there was nothing left of me.
The only thing on my mind was Richard.
“I know you want me, Julie.”
His voice filled with lust. “
I can smell the desire within your
veins.”
“
Richard…”
“
Ahh- it sounds so good to my ears. Tell me what you want me to do.”
My lips trembled against his wanting more of him, wanting to taste him, to reenact our first kiss.
“I…”
Before I had the chance to answer, I was suddenly ripped away from him. Swaying wearily, I felt my body hit something hard and hot. It was Daniel. Mithras moved beside Richard. Richard‟s eyes flared toward Daniel. A menacing growl, deep and throaty rumbled loudly from Richard.
“We had an agreement!” Daniel roared between clinched teeth.
“Come now, Daniel,” Mithras cooed. “A vampire is a vampire. You don‟t expect Richard to give up that easily. Do you?” He coughed out a laugh.
“She is mine. Not his!” Daniel‟s eyes darted to Mithras.
“Yes, that may be true enough,” Mithras touched Richard‟s shoulder with his hand.
“But, you see, there is one distinct difference between us. When a vampire sets his sights on something…there is nothing any one can do. They are powerless against the will of a vampire.” He laughed again. “If I heard correctly, your agreement with Richard was to take care of her in the event of your death? Is that not correct?”
“So I survived,” Daniel growled.
Mithras released a haunting laugh. His eyes twinkled. “Your ignorance amuses me.
She is marked. There is nothing you can do about it. I assure you, killing Richard is the last thing you will want to do.”
Daniel‟s eyes narrowed. “Marked?” His gaze immediately went to Richard. “You told me the effects would wear off!! How can this be? You lied!”
Mithras slithered between the two of them, his eyes still twinkling with delight.
“Daniel, I think you should understand where you are. You are in the middle of a club filled with vampires. Now, take a moment to digest it. You wouldn‟t make it out alive.
Then she would be Richard‟s … forever. Do yourself a favor and let it go.”
Turning to Richard, Mithras‟ hand rested on his shoulder again. “Come now, Richard. Let us leave. I have much to prepare for.”
Richard gave Daniel one last growl before turning swiftly. Daniel‟s body pressed against mine as he returned the growl. Daniel‟s thoughts were raging. He was going to kill Richard at the first opportunity he had. Richard‟s life would end. Daniel planned on killing him when they met at the mountain.
Daniel grabbed my arm. His fingers tightly gripping me as he pulled my vampire intoxicated body out of the club. He dragged me to the car. I couldn‟t speak. I barely could walk. Daniel was furious. He knew how very dangerous Richard was to me. He saw firsthand what this had come to. A series of curses streamed from his lips as he started the car.
There was nothing I could say to him. My mind was still drug intoxicated. My drug…Richard. I felt the overwhelming need to be with him. Dear Fate…I could even feel him calling to me. Drawing me to him. I had to go.
Daniel hit the interstate, his driving erratic. He rolled the windows down on the car. The fresh air did not help. The smell of Richard still lingered in my senses. My thoughts were irrational. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I was with Daniel. But I felt dreamy, like I was walking on a cloud, living in a dream world. I knew I was married to Daniel. I knew Daniel was my one true love. But…I also knew I longed for Richard.
As my muddied state of mind continued, I could feel Richard‟s pull. I could almost sense him; feel him calling to me, willing me to come back to him. Totally consumed in my own thoughts, I realized something else. I couldn‟t hear Daniel‟s thoughts.
Daniel drove fast. The car‟s tires squealed as he turned off the interstate onto the secondary road to our driveway. The engine whined as he pressed the accelerator to the floor. I didn‟t care. I was in a state of euphoria. I longed for Richard.
The night air blew into the car, chilling me to the bone. The air was cold enough to freeze me. I sniffled a couple of times, shivering against the cold night air. It still didn‟t matter. My thoughts drifted again.
We arrived in front of my house, but I sat motionless in the car. Daniel huffed a deep breath as he slammed the car door. The car rocked for a moment. I supposed I should move. Where would I find the strength? My hand moved toward the car door. It was snatched away from me. Suddenly, my body was jerked from the seat, lifted into the arms of this madman.
“Put me down!” I growled.
Daniel ignored me. His strides were long as we entered the front door of the house.
He promptly placed me on the sofa, then left for the kitchen. I heard footsteps moving down the staircase behind me, Heather and Jason.
Jason paused as Daniel came from the kitchen. His eyes remained black as night.
Wearily, I looked toward Jason and Heather.
“What happened?” Heather shrilled.
“That damn vampire! I am going to kill him!” Daniel roared.
Heather moved to me. Her petite figure knelt down in front of me?
“What‟s wrong with her? Why does she look like this?” Her eyes were wide. “Julie, can you hear me?”
I nodded. “Yes” My voice was still weak. I couldn‟t believe everyone was so alarmed. I just wanted to sleep.
“He will die!” Daniel roared again.
“Daniel? What exactly happened?” Jason asked. He pushed Heather aside and carefully examined me.
Daniel paced back and forth. He had the cell phone against his head.
“Richard! That‟s what happened!”
“Did he bite her or something?” Jason moved my head from side to side, looking for bite marks I presumed. I pushed his hand away.
“No. But he may as well have bitten her. Look at her!” Daniel snapped.
“What happened with Mithras?” Heather turned to Daniel.
“That arrogant….” he shot out.
For the next few minutes, I listened. My mind was cognizant; I just couldn‟t shake the effects of Richard from me. I remained silent while Daniel explained the conversation he had with Mithras to Heather and Jason.
Mithras knew about the item hidden somewhere in Fort Mountain. It turned out that he was the one who sent it over to the New World. America. Mithras would not divulge the identity of the item itself. Mithras himself would go to collect this secret item because he didn‟t want the werewolves to have it. He said the evil it contained could destroy all of us.
A pact was made between Mithras and Daniel. For one night, together, the vampires and Lycans would go to Fort Mountain. They would find the item and Mithras would return to his home with it. Daniel mentioned he had pressed the issue of having the item destroyed.
Mithras claimed, “You can‟t destroy evil. Evil in itself lives in many forms.”
The plans were set forth to meet under the next full moon. The Lycans would keep the werewolves busy, distracting their attention from Mithras. The vampires would also play their part in killing off a few of the stinky creatures.
I listened further as Daniel told Heather and Jason of his plan. He didn‟t trust the vampires. According to Daniel, if this item was pure evil then it needed to be destroyed.
He would make sure the item was annihilated Then together the Lycans would finish off the vampires.
The next full moon there was going to be a war like no other. I knew it. The war that brewed was not one I wanted to be a part of. Killing all the vampires? Daniel had lost his mind. Something had changed inside of him. Death and killing had become more a part of him than I had ever imagined.
Worse yet, he was going to lead an entire group of Lycans against a pack of deadly werewolves. Becoming a Dark Wolf had changed Daniel. It had changed him into something deadly, far worse than a vampire. He was not evil but his thoughts of killing evil were precise and calculated.
Thomas and Charlotte showed up for the final debate. Why did everyone look at me with such sympathy? The debate continued for another hour or two, I‟m not sure. I rested my head against the pillow on the sofa and slowly I drifted off to sleep. The sound of voices continued to rise and fall as I sank deeper into my slumber.
The room was dark when I opened my eyes. I was in my bed, restless and couldn‟t sleep. Daniel slept quietly. Thoughts ran wild through my mind. Visions played before my eyes. Richard. Mithras. The chill of their blue eyes played over and over again.
Someone had dressed me in my nightgown. Carefully, I moved and grabbed my silk robe. A breath of fresh air might do me good. The replays of Richard lingered on my mind, the longing, the need and the desire.
Quietly, I padded down the staircase and outside to the patio. The air was cooler, but not to the point I couldn‟t stand it. The sky was a dark essence of blue hues. The clouds, silver toned cotton balls floated slowly in front of the half moon. My instincts were higher than normal. Richard flooded my mind again. I closed my eyes. What had he done to me? This wasn‟t just the venom. There had to be more of a reason than that. I could feel him. Feel his presence somewhere nearby. Feel the longing that stirred inside his immortal heart. The wind stirred slightly, bringing to me the mysterious scent of a vampire.
“Out for a breath of fresh air?” His voice broke through my thoughts.
My eyes widened as I saw him standing in the backyard. I couldn‟t speak. My thoughts soon faded. Through the dark night, the inhumanly beautiful creature looked even more appealing than in the day. Richard stepped lightly up the stairs of the patio. I froze. My breath seized.
“I…” he began. His gaze dropped to my trembling hands. Slowly, he took a step closer to me.
“
Stop.
” My lips quivered.
The brown eyebrows met in a frown. “Julie,” he began, “I cannot live this way any longer.”
“Richard…no…please.” I begged again.
“You
haunt
me. I cannot stop thinking about you. Everywhere I go, I cannot escape you. Your eyes. Your lips.” He moved closer still. “
Your kiss
.” He whispered.
I turned my head to the side. In that moment, I couldn‟t bear to look into his eyes.
Worse yet, I didn‟t want him to see the pain I felt for him in my own eyes. The closer he came, the stronger the essence of his being pulled me to him. It drew me to him like a magnet. My eyes closed tightly as I felt his body only inches from mine.
“Only you can release me.” The coolness of his breath fanned across my face.
My eyes lifted to see the tortured look on his face. I could see the mental anguish he had been dealing with and pain swelled inside my heart. He was locked inside a living hell. There was no release for him and no relief in sight. Casey was right. Richard was unfathomably in love with me. His cool fingers slipped around my hand and brought it gently to rest over his heart. The slow beating heart of this vampire now raced against the palm of my hand.