by Jane West
His compelling blue eyes, the firm contour of his lean muscles, the confident set in his shoulders sent shivers to my toes. Still wet from his shower, disheveled black curls fell loosely over his face. I bit my lip as my eyes drifted south, spying beads of water sliding slowly over his well-defined abs, ending at the towel wrapped low at his waist. He looked like he’d been sunbathing for days, sun-kissed to a golden brown. Hot damn!
Bane cleared his throat, jarring my ogling. My defiant gaze snapped back to his face. There were touches of humor encircling his mouth and spreading to his blues.
With cheeks set ablaze, I broke the uncomfortable moment. “Where do you want me?” Oh, geez! That did not come out the way I meant. I hid my gaze under my lashes, cheeks burning shamefully.
“You may enter through the opening in the pentagram, but you have to leave your towel here.” his brow arched.
“Huh, right now in front of you?” Nervously, I swallowed.
Humor toyed with his expression. “Princess, it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked.” His eyes swept over me as he drew back a lopsided grin.
“Okay.” I exhaled. This was one time I wished for the dark. "Hmm, can you turn around, please?" I rolled my eyes as I clung to the towel, my security blanket.
Bane smiled, his blues bounced with amusement, not uttering a word, he turned his back to me. Though he didn't make a peep, his shoulders shook. I knew he was laughing. Whatever, dude!
With reluctance, I dropped the towel, gathering my arms tightly to my chest. I didn’t know why my bareness bothered me now when only minutes ago I was completely full throttle. I reckoned the shock canceled out my shyness. Geez! I was about to hand over my virginity, and all I could think about was if he thought I was fat. This was not how I’d imagined my first time. "Okay, all naked." I held my arms tight across my breast.
Bane slowly turned to face me and my eyes locked with his as he dropped his white towel too. I reckoned, he was trying to make me feel more at ease, but standing close to him, naked as a jaybird made me even edgier.
“Shall we enter?” he extended his hand to the opening.
“I guess,” At this point my heart was hammering so loud, I couldn’t hear myself think.
I followed his lead and passed through the opening to the inside of the star. Bane entered after me, closing the opening with a short-fat piece of white chalk. I focused on the fireplace as I listened to the chalk scraped across the wooden floor.
I waited, standing in the center for further instructions.
After Bane had finished closing the circle, he turned to me, the full Monty. I tried not to let my eyes wander south, but they had a mind of their own. He was stunning, standing there in the candle light before me. Every line of his hard body sent waves of ecstasy to a place deep within. Not having a lot of comparisons, I reckoned I wouldn’t have any complaints, judging by the size of his erection. Obviously, he was ready for me, and the thought made me trembled. “Hmm, where do you want me?” my voice quivered.
Bane’s brows drew together. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
I nodded. “Just nervous!” I forced a smile.
He stepped up to me, his warm breath caressed my cheeks. A vaguely sensuous light passed between us. “We can take it slow.” He whispered. “We have time.” His finger tenderly traced the line of my cheekbone. Silence lingered as his gaze was as soft as his caress. I tried to harness the dizzyingly current racing through me. “You’re so beautiful.” His velvet voice was low and purposely seductive.
“Thank you,” I said stiffly.
Still holding my arms tight against my breast, Bane gently pushed the wet hair from my face and asked. “Let me see you.” A faintly eager look flashed in his eyes.
I nodded, unable to speak or peel my eyes from his. As soon as his reaching fingers touched the warmth of my hands, I felt safe.
“Ah!” he murmured. “Much better.” His blues brightened with pleasure. I stood there frozen with a mixture of unchartered feelings swirling in my head. I held my breath in silence as he slowly and seductively slid his gaze over my body with approval. When his blues returned to my face, my cheeks burned. “You’re breathtaking, Love.”
It was easy to get lost in those pools of blues. I tilted my chin unknowingly, lips parted, and before I realized it, Bane had claimed my lips, crushing me to him. Oh, geez! His tongue sent shivers of desire charging through me. One hand slid down my stomach to the swells of my hips. His touch was light and painfully teasing.
I pulled away, feeling a wave of apprehension. “Uh, are we going to do this on the floor?” It suddenly dawned on me the bareness of the floor, no pillow, no blanket, just the bare, hard floor.
“Yes, the spell is very specific.” Bane’s eyes smothered with tenderness.
I couldn’t possibly understand the full meaning of this act. I hardly knew anything about my inheritance. I was a lab experience with angel DNA.
One thing I knew for certain was that I wanted to be with Bane as long as he’d have me. Nothing else mattered.
“Hmm, do we need to get in position?” I shrugged.
“Yes, it’s getting close.” Bane touched his forehead to mine, his hands rested on my hips. “Princess, are you sure this is what you want?”
I nodded, reassuring him that I did.
“All right, then,” he sighed. “Let’s take our places.” He stepped up to the one point of the star. “Here,” he drew my hand. “Lie here, arms straight out, even with the side points of the star. Your legs will be spread out even with the two points at the end.”
I gawked at him in disbelief. “Really?” this was nothing like I’d envisioned.
“Baby, no one but me will see you. Besides, how else will I enter you?”
I rolled my eyes. “It just seems to be more for show than ” I covered my breast with one arm and the other spot with my hand. “I’ll do it.”
Just as he asked, I laid down on my back flat against the cool floor in the position he instructed. I shut my eyes tight and spread my legs wide apart.
Bane joined me as he sat with his legs tucked under him, weight placed on his heels and knees at the crest of my core.
My eyes flew opened as I caught a flicker of silver and instantly gasped. “What are you doing with that knife?”
“We have to bind our blood. I slice my palm and then you slice yours. Then we grasp each other's hand together binding our blood as one.” Bane paused, his face pinched. “That’s when I enter you. It’s going to hurt, but the pain will only last for a second.”
A tingling bristled my neck. “How much pain?”
Bane’s face twisted, “Because it’s quick and harsh, it will hurt.” He gave pause. “I’m not going to soften the works of the spell. You need to understand the full ramification of what we are doing.” His explanation though with good intent didn’t help with my anxiety.
“How many virgins have you deflowered?” I put it delicately.
Bane stifled a laugh. “Not as many as you think.” The corner of his mouth tipped upward suggesting a smile.
My heart sunk, thinking about what the uncertain future held for us. “So what are we?”
“What do you mean?” he gave me a sideways glance, brows knitted.
“I mean… where will we go from here? From this night?”
“Oh! Our future. We get married and live in bliss.” He spoke very sure of himself. The shock of his announcement hit me full force. My mouth hung open like I’d been catching flies.
Bane smiled like a cat that had eaten the Carney. Apparently, he was taking pleasure in my reaction. Suddenly, the humor dropped from his face. It was time. “Let’s proceed.”
All of a sudden, my breath stalled.
Bane opened his right palm and with no hesitation, he grasped the hilt of the blade and sliced a cut in his palm. Cuffing his bleeding palm, he gave the knife to me. I mimicked Bane, cutting my right palm. My hands trembled so much it was hard to steady the blade. Somehow, I mana
ged as I flashed Bane a weak smile.
In the next breath, we bound each other’s bloody hand, extending our arms to the ceiling. Bane commence with the incantation in a language that I didn’t recognize.
Following immediately, without a chance to catch my breath, Bane was on top of me, thrusting inside me. The pain was so blinding that it felt as if my insides were jammed up to my throat. I screamed as tears streamed down my cheeks.
Directly after, the pain ceased. But before I had a chance to realize it, we were thrown into a whirlwind. If I thought fading was a violent twister, this had to be the Mac Daddy. It was as if aliens had seized the world. Everything began spiraling, lightning shattered around us. Magick crackled in the air. A strong force shot between us.
I swore, when my eyes cut back to Bane’s face, his eyes glowed like marbles of fire. Some strange force of white energy viciously ripped through both of us down to my core. Without warning, an explosion licked through me, shattering around Bane, as he seemed to have the same reaction as his body quivered against mine.
When the spell finished, the room ceased spinning. In a blink, the candles blew out, even the fire suddenly died. The cottage stilled and Bane and I both collapsed. Our hearts pounded against each other as we both heaved for air, laying in each other’s embrace.
The Rose
The endless night had finally grayed into dawn when my eyes opened. Slowly, fighting a throbbing headache, my memories began to seep back into my skull. Bane must’ve carried me to bed last night. I no longer felt the cold floor against my body. Instead, I laid in a soft cloud of feathers, the white linen bed.
I stretched and yawned as a sudden soreness struck the lower region of my body. “Damn!” I muttered, drawing my legs to my chest and rolling over to face Bane. His side was vacant and the only proof he’d been with me last night was the slight dent in his pillow and the rumpled sheets. The cottage was still, and he was nowhere to be seen.
Then I spotted a note with a long-stem, red rose on the nightstand.
I scooted over to his side and snatched up the note and the rose. I sat up, legs drawn to my chest and I tipped the rose to my nose and inhaled the aroma of sweet pepper. “Ah! I love roses.” I whispered to myself. I nearly had forgotten the note. My eyes dropped to the white folded paper in my hand. I unfolded the letter as an unexpected wave of nervousness washed over me. The first thing that came to mind was a Dear-John letter. My eyes brushed over the words,
Getting breakfast. Be back shortly.
Yours forever!
Aidan
I didn’t know why but seeing the note laying there felt as if the rose’s thorn had stabbed my heart. Why didn’t he wake me up? I sighed feeling like a possessive girlfriend. Then again, after everything I’d been through, it was understandable why my nerves might be frayed.
Last night was wild. The spin-tale crazy shit, a storm of fireworks that charged through us.
My eyes raked in the one room. It was fair in size, yet tiny as an ant in comparison to the castle. Over by the front door, which I hadn’t a clue if the door was an actual entrance, I spotted a stark white love seat. A coffee table distressed wood with a vase sitting in the center filled with pink roses. Fresh too. On the other side, I spotted an overstuffed couch in the same theme color nestled in front of the fireplace.
My brow arched when I noticed no traces of burning wood.
By the bed another vase filled with deep purple hydrangeas placed on my nightstand.
Funny, I didn’t see Bane in this little house at all. I wondered if he’d conjured up this quaint little spot? The cottage’s décor appealed more to a woman's taste. Funny, I recalled him mentioning that no one knew about this place.
I scooted off the bed and padded my way to the bathroom. I probably should shower before he returned.
***
I walked out of the bathroom after a nice long hot shower and instantly, my gaze gravitated to Bane on the sofa by the fireplace. I noticed he’d found new clothing, jeans, shiny boots and a sweatshirt. His cologne wafted in the air, his signature woodsy scent that I could never get enough of. I still had the same towel from last night wrapped around my body.
Bane’s head snapped up in my direction. His blues sparkled. “Good morning, Princess. I trust you had a restful sleep?” His perfect smile was the kind that you wanted to fall into.
“Yes, thank you.” I made my way to the other side of the sofa and seated myself, opposite to Bane. I fiddled with my hair, still wet and dripping.
Bane had his head buried in the newspaper. He seemed preoccupied. The silence grew and so did my uneasiness. “Umm,” I cleared my throat. “Where you’ve been?” I asked, nonchalantly.
He poked his eyes barely over the rim of the paper. “I went to get our food and clothes. It’s over there on the table. Hot coffee too.” He nodded over at the bed. “Everything you will need is laying on the bed.” He tossed a curt smile and went back to his newspaper.
“How considerate,” My voice bounced off more agitated than I intended.
Bane arched a brow and dropped the paper on his lap, giving me his undivided attention. “Is there something on your mind, my love?”
“I’m just feeling a little uneasy about where we go from here.” The ire in my voice was much more profound this time.
Bane drew out a long sigh. “Are you having second thoughts?”
His blues were like a chisel chipping away at me.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “No,” I paused, “But I would've liked waking up next to you this morning. You could’ve at least awakened me before you left. ”
He smiled. “I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you, you were sleeping soundly.”
“Oh.” Now I was acting like a possessive girlfriend. “I’m sorry too. I guess I’m a bit on the edge.”
“It’s fine, Love.” There was a faint glint of humor in his eyes.
I wanted to change the subject. “So we are safe from your uncle’s clenches?” I couldn’t let go of this nagging feeling that something was off.
“Now that our powers are linked, Van can’t touch you. I imagine he’ll be fuming for a while, but he won’t go against the councilmen now that they know about his defiance.”
“So now that we have this bond between us, we can’t ever be separated?”
Bane paused for minute, eyes sharp as a tack. “Do you wish we part our ways?”
“No!” I was startled that he’d asked such a question. “Do you think I would’ve agreed to last night if I wasn’t in this for the long hall?”
Bane’s eyes softened. “I don’t think the works of last night has completely hit you, my love.”
“Then help me!” I insisted.
“It will take time. Be patient.” Bane smiled, yet it didn’t reach his eyes. He went back to reading his paper.
My eyes shifted down to my lap, and at the fireplace, trying to gather my thoughts. Then I fixed my gaze on Bane’s face. “Well, I have questions.”
The paper ruffled as he folded it and laid it on the other side of him. “For example?”
“For example did you ever meet my father?” I held my fix on his face.
“No, but I knew of his good deeds. He was a Samaritan.”
“Really, like how?”
“Jon believed in the good of the people. If a person needed his services and didn't have the money, he’d handle their case anyway. That was one of the good things about him. Unlike the Family, he didn’t need money.”
Tears began to surface, but I held them in check.
“Did my father know that the Family had chosen you?”
“Yes. Jon was informed.”
“Did my dad know that you were a Druid and immortal?”
“Yes, he knew.”
“Why didn’t my dad meet you?”
“The Family would not permit it. Some technicality in the contract.”
“Did my father approve of you as my chosen mate?”
“Quite frankly, I think that’
s why he agreed.”
I sat back, baffled. “Then why did Dad change his mind?”
“I think when Jon realized the great lengths that Sara had gone to betray him, it opened his eyes and he proceeded to stop her.”
“Why does Van hate my father?”
Bane drew in a sharp breath. “Hmm, who knows with my uncle? Your father was a well-liked man and those he stood firm against, hated him. Van and Jon had butted heads a few times. I think Jon saw Van’s turpitude.”
“Why was Van blackmailing you? What did know about you that forced you to partake in his rebellion?”
His expression churned with bitterness. “Love, in my world, our world, sometimes we are forced to make harsh decisions. Decisions that those on the outside might not understand.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Can we leave it as that and you trust me for a change?”
I smiled back even though my heart ached for him. I could see in his expression it was a painful memory that he didn’t care to rehash. I just needed to trust him that some secrets were best left alone. “Okay, I’ll pass on that one.” I paused. “The blonde you were dancing with last night is your sister?” I still felt a little sting from that. Maybe it was because I felt more of an outsider and inadequate to be an equal partner.
A sparkle danced in his eyes. “Ah, yes, Helen.”
I felt my neck bristle. “Just Helen?”
Bane sighed. “Helen Claire DuPont.”
“Her name suits her. She’s very elegant.”
“Yes, for a sister I suppose.” The warmth of his smile echoed in his voice.
“I have more questions.” I’d rushed my words before he closed me off again with his nose back in the paper.