Within The Shadows (17 page)

“
You have no obligation to those hounds. You didn’t sign
anything, so step up, and do the right thing by your family.” Anger
filled his words.

“
You have no idea what commitment I have made to these
people. I wasn’t thinking straight when I left, and, well, I made
some stupid mistakes. Now it’s my duty to fulfil my obligation, and
don’t dare lecture me on what is right or wrong. You haven’t come
close to earning a say in what I do.”

I had hurt
him. Regret drowned my heart as I watched him walk away. It was
better that way. I was protecting him from the truth. If he knew
what I was going to do, I think he would have taken on anything to
stop me. I could not live with his death on my conscience. I loved
him too much.

Behind me, a
voice I knew well spoke up. “I trust you have made up your
mind?”

“
Antoine, why
didn’t you stop him from coming here?” I questioned him.

“
Because, sweet Princess, Leonid is not our foe. He will
take on the role of Alexander. As I said before, we do not have
much time, and, well, you can figure out the rest
yourself.”

“
So you weren’t really protecting me from anything. You were
just safeguarding your own plans.”

“
No, Giselle. We were protecting you from your eventual
death. This way, you get to live, and see your child grow up to be
a master among his followers.”

“
Aren’t I still bound to Alex? He’ll sense me with another,”
I asked curiously.

“
Your bond cannot be broken, but the distance can weaken it.
The less you consume of each other, the more fragile it will
become. And, of course, if Leonid successfully impregnates you, the
likelihood is that your bond with Alexander will eventually die.”
Confidence flowed from him.

“
I thought I
could trust you, Antoine.”

“
Dear, sweet Giselle, I am the only one you can trust. Well,
myself and a few others, but none-the-less, I am thinking about you
and your safety. At the same time, I admit that I cannot deny my
people their rightful heir.”

“
So I guess I am still a prisoner, right? I mean, what
choice do I have?” I spat through gritted teeth. “Hmm? Exactly.
Just as I thought.”

“
Giselle, I fear that coming home has brought out the devil
in you. I like this feisty side, but, alas, you do have a choice,
and you really ought to choose wisely. Leonid can be quite the
monster when pressed hard enough.”

It was all
so easy for him. He had no family or sick mother to worry about. I
knew I would agree, and that was something that sickened me all the
more. I had lost my fight, but I had a request of my
own.

“
Okay, but I want something in return.”

He shuffled
uneasily, not knowing what I was going to say. “Within
reason.”

“
I want one last night at home, and I want to spend it with
Marc. I want to be with him just this once. To know what genuine
love feels like.”

He did not
answer me for several minutes. He eyed me as I anxiously waited for
his approval. “Okay. You have until sunrise. And, Giselle, give me
no reason to come looking for you.” He left, while I stood watching
the water as it trickled on the stones in front of me.

I envied
those with a simple life. Without a second thought, I ran back
towards the house. No one heard me as I crept in, and carefully
climbed the stairs to my room. I packed lightly, only taking the
necessities, and some pictures. I sat at my desk, and
brokenheartedly wrote to my mother.

Dear Mom,

I’m so sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you.
If I had just confided in you about
the whole mess with Marc, maybe things would have been different. I
don’t know what to do. I’m bound by some crazy deal I made when I
left, and there’s no get-out clause.

I know
Daddy hates
me, and blames me for your illness, but please believe me when I
tell you that I love you more than anything in this world. You made
me a good person. I know that, at times, I make silly choices, but
I’m still your little girl. I always will be.

Poor Ryan and Kevin are going hate me for doing this, but
I’ve got to go. Please go easy on them. They don’t make half the
mistakes I do. They’re great guys, and you should be proud of
them.

I need you to get well, because when I get back, I’m going
to need you more than ever. You’re my backbone, Mom, and don’t ever
forget that!

Tell Daddy I am sorry, and that I love him.

I’ll be in touch as soon as I
can.

I love you!

Giselle

X
XX

I left the
letter sitting on my bed
, walking quietly
down the stairs, and out of the house. Goodbyes are hard enough
without the knowledge that you may never see your mother again.
Thus, I left the place where I belonged, and carried the burden
heavy on my heart.

***

Walking down
Elm Grove seemed to take an eternity.
I
passed people who were surprised to see me, but the only person on
my mind who mattered was Marc. I had one chance to be with him,
body and soul, and I was not willing to let anything get in my
way.

I had made
this same journey many times over the past four years. Not once had
I ever felt this nervous. My insides twisted with anticipation, and
with worrying every so often about the possibility of Marc
rejecting me. I would not be able to handle that. After his being
with Evie, it was now my personal mission, and I had to fulfil that
ambition.

When I
approached the drive, I noticed that neither Richard, nor Deborah’s
cars were home. I continued up the path, only pausing for a few
minutes, composing myself before I rang the doorbell.

Breathe, just breathe!

Marc came to
the door before I had the chance to press the bell.
He was as surprised as I was to find I had
actually gone to him.

“
Err . . . hi!” I said sheepishly.

“
Hi!”

“
I . . . I didn’t want to leave without having the chance to
say goodbye properly.”

“
I was just heading out,” he murmured, barely looking at
me.

“
Can’t I come
in for a minute?” I asked, trying not to sound
desperate.

“
Um . . . Yeah sure.” He avoided making eye contact with
me.

I followed
him inside. Our argument from before still lingered in the air, and
I could sense the awkwardness that was building between us. He
looked gorgeous. He wore his usual distressed jeans, white t-shirt,
and open shirt combo. Freshly shaven, and totally
irresistible.

“
What do you
want, Giselle?”

“
I want you. No one else, just you. I can’t leave with so
much anger between us. I want us to clear the air, once and for
all. Please.” Finally, I begged.

“
Okay. We’re done. You forgive, and well, I . . . I’m ready
to call it quits. I won’t be bothering you anymore.”

I could not
believe what he was saying. This was not going the way I had
planned. I felt like a failure, but with a little more fight
inside, I refused to admit defeat.

“
Marc, I want
to be with you tonight. I want us to be together, even if it’s just
this once.”

I moved
closer to him. My heart pounded within my chest as I touched his
face. Its smooth texture felt like silk. I longed for him to touch
me back. I wanted to feel the electricity flow through me, and
wanted to give myself to him completely.

It was not
long before he looked into my eyes. My heart ached when I saw the
want in his. I gently took his hand in mine, and led him up the
stairs to his room. We stood in silence by his bed. Nerves built up
inside me as we moved closer together.

Marc drew me
close to him. The aroma of his skin smelt sweet and woody, and made
me want him even more. I could feel his heart pick up pace as he
kissed me gently. I parted my lips, and the kiss intensified,
becoming urgent as our tongues slid over each others. I pulled at
his shirt, letting it fall into a heap on the ground. As he undone
my shorts, I slipped my t-shirt over my head. His hands gently
touched my back as he opened my bra, revealing my bare skin.
Touching him through his jeans, I could feel how aroused he was
becoming. I tugged at his belt, and unfastened the fly; jeans and
boxers fell to his feet.

Collapsing
onto the bed, Marc was on top of me, kissing my collarbone as his
sweet breath danced across the surface of my skin. His fingers
explored my body as my hands ran feverishly over his back. My heart
blazed like the sun as our bodies wrapped around each other, our
flesh becoming one.

In time with
each other, our bodies moved with eagerness. He felt so good to me.
Not one moment went by when he did not look into my eyes. He
watched me as he brought me close to climax, pressing his body
harder and closer to me. When I reached orgasm, my body exploded
like a burst of stars falling from the sky.

Marc gently
moaned as his body shivered on top of me, contracting his muscles.
The intensity of his climax floated into me, and I tasted his
energy, its fire exhilarating my very core. And then I panicked,
and pushed him off me. I did not want to drink from him. Confused,
he lay beside me, breathless as I controlled my urge. Closing my
eyes, I willed the desire for his life source to go, and slowly, I
opened my eyes. Finally, I was able to rest my head on his chest,
and I waited for sleep to come to me.

Listening to
the sound of his heart beating in time with my own, I felt the
touch of his hand against my back. His fingers gently circled
around me, sending a shiver down my spine.

“
I love you,”
he whispered softly.

“
I love you, too.”

“
Then don’t
go,” he said with sadness in his voice.

“
Oh, Marc . . . I wish I could stay, but I
can’t.”

“
Why? Surely, you can just walk away from this commitment
you’ve made?”

I sat up,
pulling the covers over my chest. “It’s not that
simple.”

“
Come on, Giselle, please. No more lies,” he pleaded with
me.

Grabbing a
hold of his white t-shirt, I pulled it over my head, and sat back
down beside him, letting him wrap his arms around me.

“
You wouldn’t
believe me.”

“
Try
me!”

“
Okay, but you won’t like it,” I warned him.

“
I’ll be the
judge of that.”

“
Alex isn’t who we think he is. Remember that guy who came
round earlier? He is Leonid Baranski, Alex’s dad.” Confusion swept
across Marc’s face. “I kinda left with Alex the night of the prom.
He took me in, and whilst there we kinda hooked up. Now, he wants
me back, and I’ve kinda made a promise, a favour to him and his
family. They now want to call in that favour. That’s all I can tell
you.”

I left out
the bit that described them as blood
-sucking monsters, and incestuous, as well as the fact that
I was to have a baby who was to be a saviour to some and a dictator
to others.

Marc
loosened his hold on me. “You mean to tell me that you and Alex . .
.”

“
No. We didn’t, although it was close,” I lied.

“
So, what is
this promise you made?”

“
I can’t . . . I’m sorry. I know it sounds so frigging
screwed up, and, believe me, I don’t understand it, but I’m going,
and there is no stopping this.”

“
I won’t let you go,” he shouted. “I’m not going to sit back
on my ass when my girlfriend is being forced into something she
doesn’t want to do. Hell, I’ll shoot the mother . . .”

“
Marc, listen to me,” I interrupted him. “You cannot mess
with these guys. They are so deadly, you would never stand a
chance. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”

He shook his
head. “Jesus, G, this is totally insane!”

“
Promise me, Marc. If you love me, you will do this one
thing for me. Stay away.”

I threw
myself into his arms, crying. I felt him tremble as he shed his own
tears.

“
I just can’t give up on you!”

“
Then don’t! Just wait for me.”

He did not
argue with me after that. Eventually, I fell asleep in his
arms.

Chapter
Fourteen

THE MORNING
LIGHT
woke me. Marc was still fast asleep
beside me, his breathing soft and relaxed. He looked peaceful.
Intent on keeping it that way, I gently climbed out of the bed, and
dressed. Careful not to make a sound, I tiptoed to the side of the
bed, and bent down. I kissed him softly on the forehead.

“
Goodbye. I will always love you,” I whispered as tears
filled my eyes.

Leaving the
room, I did not look back, and silently snuck out of the house into
the morning sun and the waiting car. I left what had happened
behind at the door, and prepared to embark on the rest of the
nightmare that was to become my life.