Secret Worlds (221 page)

His lips grazed the inside of her thigh. He nipped at the skin, and she just wanted to push his head toward its goal. She ached to feel his tongue on her sex. The memory of Michelle’s tongue drove her desire to recreate the feeling.

Then it came. His tongue flicked against her clitoris, and all she saw was white light. It bathed her for a split second and then was gone, along with his tongue. Moving from her clit, he positioned his tongue over her slit and began to lick, long, luscious strokes of his tongue that seemed to delve into her. It was amazing. It was more than amazing. It left her with a yearning to feel a completely new sensation: him inside her. As much as she loved this, it wasn’t enough. She needed him inside her, filling her, and she needed to feel his weight on top of her, grounding her, keeping her body connected to this world as her mind spun into space.

She needed him. He seemed to sense it because he removed his mouth and came up to kiss her again. Thank goodness. She didn’t think she could handle another flick of his tongue. He sat up on his knees again, this time undoing his trousers. Amaia couldn’t help the silly grin that broke out on her face. She had never seen him completely naked. She had seen thousands of men, but never the one who mattered.

When he removed his pants, she couldn’t help squirming in anticipation. His cock jutted out from his body, thick and weeping with desire. A sudden fear shot through her. What if he didn’t like it with her? She had only been focused on herself and how this all felt for her, but what about him?

Michael’s mouth descended to hers again, momentarily dragging her mind away from her thoughts. The familiarity of his mouth calmed her. Michael appeared to notice it because he took the opportunity to slide his hand down and guide his prick into her. Amaia gasped into his mouth as he rubbed against her clitoris. His thrusting started slowly, but Amaia had no patience for it. She felt her own aura become more frantic as she desired more of him, and he seemed to feed off her energy, increasing his speed. For the first time, Amaia noticed that he did indeed take some of her energy as she took some of his.

He hit her sweet spot with every thrust. The mixture of the intense sensations of their lovemaking, his intoxicating energy, and the passion of his kisses left Amaia grasping for anything to ground herself, which resulted in her hands digging into Michael’s back. It took more self-control than she knew she possessed to keep from hurting him. He didn’t seem to mind. He pulled back from her mouth and stared down at her, their eyes locked as they jointly rose to their impending climax. Amaia had never felt more connected to another person in her life.

One instant, she was wrapped in the intensity of the moment, and the next she felt her mind disconnect from her body. Suddenly, she was looking down at the beautiful scene of her and Michael melded together in mutual ecstasy. When the waves of her orgasm had passed, her mind and body reconnected. Michael rested on top of her, and she felt his heart beat against her chest. She clung to him, not only needing him to want her, but needing to protect him, to keep him safely ensconced in her arms.

“I love you, Amaia. I will always love you. Please, don’t be scared.”

She knew the source of his words, but there was no need for him to worry.

“I’m not, Michael. I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

“Good. I’ll hold you in my heart forever. You don’t need to worry about that.”

They rested entwined, neither one wanting to break the spell. Amaia wished she could stay like this forever, but they were being hunted. Michael’s head became heavy as he drifted off in ignorance of the danger his lover presented. It was impossible for him to grasp the situation she had placed them in. In a matter of hours, he would wake, and they would have to start planning their next move. But for now, they were the lion and the lamb, lying together. Only Amaia felt distinctly like the lamb.

Odessa, June 1820, 10 months later

Doing without blood took its toll. Feeding from energy required that she replenish herself almost constantly. It also meant she couldn’t always obscure her energy. Life had settled into the steady rhythm of traveling from town to town, staying a few nights, and then moving on until it seemed almost normal.

“What is it, Amaia?”

They cuddled in front of the fire at a tavern in Odessa, listening to a patron singing. Michael couldn’t understand the language, but the singer’s voice was rich and melodious. Amaia had been whispering the translation in Michael’s ear when an energy variant stilled her.

“Shh. Don’t use that name. Someone’s here. We’ve got to go.”

The procedure was, by now, familiar to Michael. He followed her out of the tavern. Amaia identified four distinct energies. It was strange for so many to travel together. She’d been careful. How had they found her? They approached rapidly. There was no way to escape in the guise of a human. She needed to get herself and Michael away. As soon as they were far enough from the tavern that no one would see them, she turned to him.

“I need you to jump on my back.”

“What? No.”

“Michael, we don’t have time to argue. This is serious. Please, hop on my back. I need to carry you.”

“I’m too heavy for you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I can run faster if I’m carrying you. There’s no way you’d be able to keep up with me. Don’t make me wrestle you, Michael.”

“Fine.” Michael put his arms around her neck, and Amaia grasped his legs.

“Remember, I don’t need to breathe, so don’t worry about choking me, just hold on tight.” As soon as she had a secure hold on his legs, she took off. It was more difficult running with him on her back than she had anticipated, mainly because she had to worry about branches hitting him. She ran as fast as she could, searching for a place to hide. Off to her right, she spotted a cave entrance. Exploring the area with her senses, she determined from the scent and energy that it was being used by a pack of wolves. It would suffice.

“Do you trust me, Michael?”

“Yes. With my life.”

“Good, because that’s what I’m asking. Stay calm, and everything will be all right.” Amaia dashed into the cave and set Michael down. “Be quiet and follow me. There’s a pack of wolves in here, but they won’t harm us.”

“How do you know?”

“Trust, Michael. Remember?”

Amaia reached for the energy of the wolves, studying each intricacy. Then she set to work manipulating her and Michael’s energy to mimic that of the wolves. If she succeeded, they would be undetectable to the other vampires. The pack kept their distance from Amaia, their instincts warning them of danger. For good measure, Amaia worked to calm their energies. She didn’t need their unease betraying her and Michael to whoever hunted them. The wolves merely glanced their way until Amaia and Michael were settled on the stone floor, and then laid their heads back on their paws.

The vampires were nearby. Amaia and Michael were trapped. They would have to wait, and it could be days. Amaia realized her folly. It would have been much wiser to stay in town where she could have fed off the energy of humans, even though it would have been harder to hide. At least here she was sure they wouldn’t be found. The vampires would eventually give up their search. Amaia slowed her heart and only used the energy necessary to alter their auras. With luck, their pursuers would resign before Amaia’s energy depleted.

***

Late the next day, Amaia could barely move. The effort it took to keep their energies humming at a different frequency was taking its toll. She’d carefully rationed her energy, but she didn’t know how much longer she could last without replenishing.

“Drink their blood.” Michael nodded to the wolves near the cave entrance.

“No. Animal blood will drive a vampire mad.”

“Well, I feel fine. Draw more energy from me.”

“I’m not pulling energy from you, Michael.”

“Then what are you living off of, Amaia? You must take care of yourself.”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“It’s my prerogative to worry about you. Who else is going to do it? You’re mine to worry over. Now, why won’t you feed off of my energy?”

“I won’t take anything from you. I’ve already taken your life once. I won’t do it again.”

“This is completely different.”

Of course it was. Amaia knew that. While she spoke the truth, it was only half the reason. She didn’t want to give voice to her deeper concern—that taking too much of his energy may bond her to him enough to lead her to seek death when he inevitably died. She couldn’t afford to risk it and miss out on his next life.

“I’m not going to do it, Michael, and that’s the end of it. They’ll move on soon, and then we can get to a city.”

“I’m not sure you can make it that far.”

In truth, neither was Amaia. She knew starving wouldn’t kill her, but she didn’t know if energy alone would be able to revive her if she weakened much more. “I’ll be able to. Now stop talking before you draw them to us.”

***

Twelve hours later, Amaia felt the vampires’ energies recede. She didn’t dare say anything to Michael until she ceased feeling them for four straight hours. She didn’t want Michael risking their lives by racing out at the first word that they were leaving.

When she was sure, she broke the silence that had enveloped them. “They’re gone. We can go now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. It’s been hours since I last felt them.”

“Good. Let’s get you out of here.”

Her body was stiff and hard to move. There would be no running. She couldn’t even walk. Michael carried her through the woods.

“There’s a human nearby, up ahead to the left. Must be a hunter. I can take a little energy from him to get me to the next city. I don’t want to get close enough for him to see us, though. I don’t want to rouse his suspicions.”

Michael grunted. “Why won’t you let me provide for you? I don’t mind you taking my energy. It’s yours.”

Amaia sighed. “I can’t do it, Michael. There are too many implications.”

“I love you and want to take care of you.”

“That’s exactly why I can’t feed from you, Michael. I love you too. I won’t be a parasite to you. I already take too much of your energy during sex. Given our bond, I fear what would happen if I take more. It’s dangerous.”

“How can that be true?”

“When a vampire mates, it’s for life, Michael. If I were to fully mate with you, then the next time you die, I would die too. I don’t know how it works with you being a human, but I don’t want do anything that may fully mate us to one another since sex alone hasn’t done it. I don’t know if it can happen between a human and a vampire—probably not—but I’m not going to test the theory.”

Michael’s grip around her waist tightened, and his face turned thoughtful. He didn’t say anything on the matter, even after they were safely curled together in bed in yet another new town. Amaia watched him sleep, warm in his embrace, and knew that she was a fool. They were as bonded as two people could be.

Padua, April, 1821, 10 months later

“I have an idea.” Michael’s words broke the silence. Nights like this made Amaia feel life was worthwhile. They cuddled together on the sofa before the fire in their room, content with just being, not having to speak or do anything. Amaia had stolen some money from one of the homes she had shared with Lawrence. It had been risky, but she had gotten away with enough that they wouldn’t have to worry any time soon.

“Hmm. What’s that?”

Michael’s arms tightened around her. “I think we should try to surrender to our love for each other. It may keep me from dying this time if we had vows binding us. I know I’ve asked you before, but I’m going to ask you again.” He took Amaia’s hand, grasping the ring Amaia still wore. “Marry me.”

“Are you asking me or telling me, Michael?”

“Please, Amaia. Stop with your silly games. I’ve wanted to marry you for as long as I’ve known you. We’ve tried it your way. I’ve followed you, run with you, hidden in a wolves’ den with you, everything. This is the only thing I’ve ever asked of you. Marry me. It’s what I want, and I’m sure. I don’t care if you don’t believe in it. I don’t care if you’re mocking God in your head while we say our vows—”

“Yes, you do, Michael. You care a great deal.”

Michael sighed, exasperated. “Maybe I do. But can you at least try? For me?”

Amaia had hurt him so much. She had turned his life upside down. Not just his life, but his eternity. It was all her fault. The least she could do was give him this. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

“What? Are you serious?”

Amaia giggled. “Are you really that surprised?”

“Yes, I am. You’ll marry me?”

“Yes. But don’t expect me to get all fluttery about it. Let’s just do it. All I want is the bare minimum. A priest and a church. The church is optional.”

“Fine. I don’t care. We’ll do this any way you want to. I only care that you’re agreeing to it.” Michael pulled her closer and kissed her cheek, his warm breath sweet on her skin.

“When do you want to do it?”

“As soon as possible.”

How was he so sure of their love, of his mission, when she wasn’t? He had always been that way. Maybe it was time she followed his blind faith to see where it led them. It couldn’t be anywhere worse than the future of running and hiding that stretched in front of them.

***

Their wedding day was beautiful. No bride could have asked for more. The sun shone from a clear, blue sky. A soft wisp of wind drove away any heat. A recent rain left the countryside a rainbow of vivid colors. The little stone church sat idyllic and quaint on the outskirts of a quiet hamlet near Padua.

Amaia never thought she’d be walking down the aisle of a house of God under these circumstances. She had seen countless weddings over the years. The brides always looked so virginal and cheery, as if they glowed. She wondered if she glowed for Michael. She felt ridiculous. This was crazy. There was no God. She had desecrated many a church in her time, feeding from the faithful. The truth that God didn’t exist was evidenced by the fact that the church was still standing after she had made her marriage vows.