Authors: Lori Perry
"What does that mean? You want me to be a vampire too?" Her brows furrowed slightly as if she were hearing herself ask the question without thinking it.
"Yes, I want you for eternity."
"Eternity." She whispered then reached out to touch his face. He closed his eyes reveling in the feeling of her skin against his as she traced the planes of his jaw and cheekbones. When her fingertips reached his lips he opened his eyes and leaned closer to her.
"Let me see." He lifted his lip slightly. "Will it hurt?"
"No Rhamah, quite the opposite." He smiled. "I'll answer every question you have, but we must go." She took a deep breath and nodded.
"Ok, I'm ready." He lifted her into his lap then Orlando laid his hand on Michael's shoulder and they traced to Diviana.
Danielle blinked and was being cradled in Michael's arms at the crest of lush green hillside. Looking down, she swore the view was Eden. Waterfalls roared into a cloud of mist, vine covered trees of the darkest green scattered across the landscape and a towering monument in the center; glowing gold in the
sunlight.
"Where are we?" She was in awe. "The sun is shining? You're a
vampire.
"
"Diviana." He smiled holding her tightly. "We're safe here Rhamah." Danielle stood and wrapped her arms around her waist. "This place is for immortals of all realms, to live and enjoy eternal life." He continued as she soaked in the view, the war of emotions obvious in her features.
"Am I dead?"
"No…" The burst of laughter made her turn to look at him.
"Well, look at this place. Should I believe this isn't a figment of my imagination? Two seconds ago we were in London in my hotel room. And now here we are." She caught movement at the base of the hill and realized it was Orlando and Cassie, hand in hand walking toward the temple. "Is he going to
turn
her into a
werewolf
?" She asked
"Yes, very soon I would say." His smile was seductive as he answered her.
"I don't know what to believe, Michael. How can this all be real? How can you be a vampire, and Orlando a werewolf? Those are
mythical
beings, not guys running around on islands and back streets of London. Well at least not in real life."
"I assure you, Rhamah, we are real. And we're not the only ones."
"What else is there?" The skepticism was back in her voice.
"Witches, valkyries, demons, guardians. Among others."
"So we're in a
special land
where all things mythical exist?" She opened her mouth to speak again but Michael held up his hand with the pendant dangling from his fingers.
"Turn around." She hesitated a moment before turning, allowing him to fasten the necklace around her neck. "This will make you remember everything." When she turned back to face him, he steadied her as a white haze drifted over her eyes.
The pub was full of them tonight, lurking about, acting as if they belonged; all manner of immortals milling about. Ana sat shrouded in darkness toward the back watching them, senses fully engaged then
he
walked in. Perfect. One by one the crowd turned to face him but he saw only her.
"Ana, you're looking deadly tonight, as usual." His cool seductive tone heated her. Their last encounter had been a mess of seduction and escape. She knew it was his game; dizzy her senses with lust then disappear before she could relieve him of his fangs. Tonight she'd try to keep her head and finish the job. Though there was no bounty on his head, she needed him dead nonetheless. He had an effect on her that no one ever had; made her question her destiny. Immortals were an abomination that needed to be eradicated at any cost, this seductive vampire was no exception; spending her own gold to make that happen was worth it.
"As do you." She replied then took a swig of her ale.
"I have a trinket for you." Pulling the pouch from his belt he retrieved a necklace, displaying the large red jewel in his palm. It was beautiful and she glanced around quickly to see if anyone else had caught the glimmer of candlelight shining in its depths.
"No thank you." She wanted the necklace but to accept a gift from a monster was accepting their kind, something she would never do.
"Come with me." He stood then drained her ale in one gulp.
"I'm waiting for someone." She lied, somewhat. In truth she had been waiting for him.
"It will only be a moment. I vow it."
"A vampire's vow… hmm, what to do…" she tapped her slender finger against her chin as if contemplating her next move. "Again, no thank you."
"You need to come with me now, Ana. It isn't safe for you here." Placing both palms on the table he leaned in close to her. The day she went willingly with a bloodsucker would be the day she died.
Michael knew she wouldn't heed his request no matter how he tried to persuade her. Slipping into the seat beside her, he lifted his arm draping it across her shoulders.
"Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice." He leaned in and took her lips with his own, penetrating her warm mouth with his tongue exploring the sweetness. She tensed for a moment but as his lips moved over hers and his tongue stroked deeply, she softened to him. When he broke the kiss they were on his bed.
"Bastard!" His head still swimming from their kiss, he watched her try to find the way out but couldn't. He needed to finish what he'd started, needed to explore her entire body with his tongue, needed to stroke cries of pure pleasure from her.
"Ana, you're safe."
"Ha! Safe with a vampire. I'd rather die."
"You would have died had I not taken you from that place. Did you not know you were in an immortal's pub?" He stood now slowly walking toward her.
"Of course I knew! I hunt and kill immortals. What better place to do my work?" His shaft was pulsing as he watched her slide her hands along walls and bookshelves, standing on her toes to reach ledges and jutting stones. He would claim her tonight.
"Ana." His tone was gentle. As she turned, he noticed the hatred that had been blazing in her eyes had dimmed. "Forget your duties, just for tonight. I promise I'll not keep you from them again."
"What are you asking of me?"
"Let me please you." The hatred in her eyes was gone replaced by a lustful smolder.
"I want nothing to do with you. You're not human." He could see she lied, and the scent of her passion filled the air. He pulled his shirt off then stepped back toward the bed and slowly sat on the edge.
"You lie Ana." She stepped closer to him as he spoke until his legs were on either side of her.
"You mean to turn me into what you are."
"I vow, I will not. I'll not touch you if you fear it. Though I have to be honest, that will be a very difficult feat." His hand lifted to stroke her hip, but before it did he paused, "Do you wish it?"
"I, I…" pressing her palms against his bare chest Ana lay him back against the bed then shed her own shirt. She leaned forward to take his lips again; as her breasts grazed his bared chest his hissed with pleasure.
"Oh Ana." Many times he raised his hands to take hold of her hips, to grind her heated core into his swollen shaft but he had vowed not to touch her. Instead, he lifted his hips slowly making circles, stroking himself with her body. Her mouth covered his hungrily as her tongue plunged deep, matching the thrust of his hips. She broke the kiss then buried her face in his neck nibbling the skin there.
The feel of his mate taking pleasure from his body couldn’t be compared. She matched each thrust of his hips with her own as she trailed kisses down his chest. When her hands began to explore the planes of his body he had to wrap his fist tightly in the satin sheets for fear that he may break his promise to her. Losing her trust was not something he would ever do.
A sense of urgency drove her into motion. She needed to have him, needed to fill herself with his shaft and sate the hunger she'd had for him. As she moved down further on his body, she noticed his hands gripping the sheets at his sides as his hips rolled to keep contact with her. Slowly, deliberately she ran her fingers under the waist of his breeches dipping her fingertips toward his pulsing sex.
"Yes Ana." He groaned throwing his had back against the bed. "I want to touch you Ana." He pulled at the material balled in his fist.
"Soon vampire." She teased. Letting go of the sheet he grabbed hold of his breeches and yanked them down, his shaft bouncing free. She was in awe, how she didn't graze the tip when she was teasing him before she didn’t know.
"Touch me." His voice was hoarse with passion. As she stared and the vulnerable immortal laying beneath her, she knew she couldn't resist him. Tracing her fingers across his hard abdomen she glanced up to see him studying her intently. "Please." He breathed as he waited. Gently she let her fingernails scrape the flesh near his large shaft making it jerk with anticipation.
She teased and tormented him, kissing and licking the sensitive skin surrounding the place he ached for her to touch the most. Slowly she grazed his cock with her palm and it jumped into her hand. She wrapped her fingers around its girth then slowly stroked up and down.
"Let me touch you Ana." He begged, propping himself up on his elbows. She kept milking him forcing him to wait. When she finally nodded her head he pulled her roughly to him crushing their bodies together. Thoughts of enemies vanished completely from her mind as she lay encircled in his arms. Gently he rocked her up and down across his body plundering her mouth, stroking her bared flesh. His hands locked against her hips, she had no desire to leave his embrace.
In one fluid motion he rolled her to her back then stripped her of her breeches revealing skin sprinkled with scars. She wanted to hide them; she didn't want him to see her battle wounds, the wounds she got killing his kind. For a moment, her body stiffened but when he didn't seem to notice or care about her scarred flesh her body softened to his touch once more.
His body moved to partially cover hers, leaving her breast exposed to him. Nudging her knees apart he nestled his hips against her core, sliding his shaft between her folds.
"I can't hold back any longer Ana," he breathed then moved to take a pebbled nipple between his lips. "I need to feel you." She had no protest on her tongue; she wanted him inside her too. Letting her legs fall wide she watched his eyes smolder with passion as he slowly guided his tip into her. The need to feel release from him overwhelmed her. She wrapped her legs around him and encouraged him to take her fully, as deeply as he could.
"Michael." She whispered his name for the first time sending him over the edge. He bucked into her releasing his pent up lust, matching her thrust for thrust until the release they both sought swept them away.
When he was sure she was pleased beyond measure he rolled to his side and once again pulled the necklace from the pouch then placed it around her neck.
"It has been blessed by Theana, an immortal goddess." The ruby lay delicately between her breasts rising and falling with each breath. "It will protect you Rhamah."
As she watched behind the haze of white, different lives passed before her; memories accumulated throughout the centuries, her memories. Her face was always different, but in the end they were all her; the same soul fated to live eternally with Michael. She watched him struggle to save her each time as she lay dying; the raw emotion that threatened to rip him apart shining in his tears.
As the images faded, she longed to hold Michael, to tell him this time would be different. The woman she was in this reincarnation finally understood and would lay her trust in his hands.
"Ana?" Michael's voice was soft and concerned as he watched her relive her past lives.
"Michael." Her eyes fluttered for a moment then returned to their natural color. "I understand." Swiftly he went to her then they both fell to their knees embracing. He stroked her hair, kissed her cheeks and lips. There was nothing in his world, or any world that matched the feeling of her in his arms.
"I've missed you Ana." His soul was flying; elated to finally hold Ana with her knowing everything, and she didn't run, didn't turn on him, and didn't reject his existence. As one of the older vampires, Michael was entitled to live in Diviana; coming and going as he pleased. He earned the right by protecting the race and the elders. They would start their life together there in the immortals Eden.
Chapter Seven
A commotion from the valley below forced them apart. Battle began to rage within the protective realm, the first in history. Michael tensed, tightening his hold around her as he searched the valley for the enemy. Bellows and shrieks erupted as the peace that was so sacred in Diviana was shredded. Black tendrils of smoke began to curl around the trees; then Michael looked at his fragile Ana, so beautiful and vulnerable, staring into the destruction unfolding beneath them.