by Julia Mills
Walking to Katarina, Asclepius laid a disc of the light green apophyllite crystal inscribed with his insignia of the serpent wrapped around the staff of life upon her chest. The god then said, “Health and happiness be with you all the days of your life, Katarina Romalesky. Know that the gods watch you and yours.”
Without another word, Asclepius walked into the gardens, disappearing into a shaft of sunlight. Viktor rushed to his mate, pulling her into his lap as he took a seat on the stone bench she had been resting on.
He gave thanks to the gods for their help while waiting for any indication Asclepius’ blessing had worked. Just as the last rays of the sun disappeared into the horizon, Katarina took a long, deep breath and opened her eyes.
The breath was ripped from his lungs when she smiled a lazy smile and whispered, “I knew you’d come.”
Chapter Seven
The last thing she remembered was Bjorn’s hands around her neck, so waking up cuddled in Viktor’s arms was literally a dream come true. It didn’t hurt matters in the slightest that her cheek was pressed to the warmth of his bare chest or that the steady beat of his heart sounded better than any symphony ever written.
It was hard to pinpoint the exact moment Kat had fallen for the elusive billionaire. She wasn’t quite ready to say she was in love with him but as the girls in her sorority used to say, she was in some serious like.
For almost three years, Kat’s dreams had been of a faceless man who made her feel things she believed only happened in fairy tales. Then she’d heard Viktor’s voice and he’d immediately become that man. It was as if he’d always been that man. But nothing could’ve prepared her for meeting him in person. The connection was instantaneous. She was hooked. Then they kissed and all bets were off.
His chest vibrated against her cheek as the low rumble of his voice rolled through her body. He held her so lovingly and looked at her like she was his whole world. Kat’s eyes filled with tears. It was the first time in her life she remembered ever feeling cherished.
“Why the tears, amica mea? Are you still in pain? Do not fear—Bjorn is dead and gone, never to return.”
His look of concern only added to what she already felt for him. Shaking her head, she said, “No, not at all. I just...well...it’s that...”
Kat didn’t know what to say. It appeared from the look in his eye and the way he held her that Viktor was just as smitten with her as she was with him, but Kat couldn’t be sure. The fear of putting her true feelings out there for all to see, for Viktor to see, was scary. What if he rejected her? Maybe there really were things that were better left unsaid.
As if he could read her mind, Viktor began to speak, “Before you continue, I have a story to tell you. One that I think may answer all your questions and calm your shaky nerves.”
Kat went to sit up but Viktor slowly shook his head. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to hold you for just a bit longer. I was frightened I had lost you. If it is okay with you, I need a tad more reassurance you are really here before I let you go.”
Grinning from ear to ear, not afraid to let him see how she liked the fact that he wanted to hold her, Kat reached up and placed her hand on the nape of his neck. It took little encouragement for Viktor to lean forward. Their lips met. It was as if a match had just touched the edge of the kindling of a fire. It began as a spark that radiated and built throughout her body. It burnt all her self-doubt. Eliminated all her insecurities. This amazing feeling left Kat anticipating the eternity Viktor’s embrace promised.
Their kiss was life affirming, all encompassing, and she whimpered as he pulled away. Opening her eyes, she found Viktor smiling and knew without all doubt it had been just as devastatingly beautiful for him as it had been for her.
Mocking annoyance, he raised an eyebrow before saying, “There will be more time for distractions later, Katarina. Now I need you to hear what I have to say.”
“Then you have to let me sit up. If I stay in your arms any longer I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
His expression of surprise at her boldness made Kat laugh out loud. She grinned over her shoulder when the proof of his attraction rubbed against the back of her thigh as she scooted from his lap. Kat immediately regretted her decision to leave the comfort and safety of his arms, but she could tell Viktor felt strongly about what he wanted to tell her and she respected his judgement.
She smiled as he fussed to make sure she was comfortable and then he held her hand lovingly as he began to speak. The deep baritone of his voice mixed with his exotic accent wrapped around Kat, transporting her to the place and time Viktor spoke of.
“Long ago, very near where you sit right now, a warrior, a commander in the ancient Grecian army, was wrongly accused and executed. He suffered because of another man’s jealousy.”
It all came rushing back. Kat remembered the story Bjorn had shown her with his magic apple and nodded. She was surprised at Viktor’s calm demeanor as he continued the story she knew was about his death.
“But this isn’t the important part. What is paramount to this tale is what happened after. The commander had relentlessly prayed to Zeus, the Father of the Gods during his trial. So, because the commander was faithful and had been his entire life, Zeus came to the warrior in his final hour with a promise of retribution and resurrection. He told the commander that he would indeed die a traitor’s death but that his journey was not to end there.
“For you see, Zeus, in his infinite wisdom, knew that the world would always need honest men to right the injustices and defend the weak. So he told the warrior that his traitor’s grave was the just the beginning. The great god told the commander that because he had been a faithful servant in his original life, he would be given eternity to continue his crusade.
“Zeus gave the warrior’s body thirty days to lie dormant and rejuvenate before he rose under a new moon on the darkest of nights. He called this warrior the Unum, which in the language of my youth means the One, and he said this warrior would be the leader of the Kings of the Blood.
“The Father of the Gods let the Unum call the men who had been loyal to him in his original life into the service of the Kings, with a stipulation. The men had to freely accept what the commander offered at the time of their death. The responsibility to serve a higher purpose and to remain unknown for their heroics was non-negotiable. They were to be unseen at all costs. Zeus went so far as to allow the Unum to give the gift of their eternal fraternity to the ancestors of the men he had fought beside.”
Kat squeezed Viktor’s hand in support, waiting patiently to tell him the bastardized version of his story that Bjorn had shown her.
“As with everything, there was a price for everlasting life. The Unum and his comrades would live as they always had but once a month, on the night of the new moon, they would need to consume blood. Not as a parasite, but only taking the small amount needed to maintain their God-given powers. They were commanded to leave the donor as they found them...unharmed and healthy.”
Viktor stopped speaking, raised Katarina’s hand to his lips, and lightly kissed each of her knuckles. The look in his eyes coupled with his lips on her skin, was making clear thought harder to achieve. With a twinkle in his eye, grinning like he knew what effect he had on her, Viktor went on, “Now, amica mea, this is the part I want you to pay special attention to. It’s the best part of this tale, in my humble opinion.”
Kat laughed out loud at Viktor’s comment, and said, “When have you ever been humble.”
Shrugging with a grin, Viktor continued, “Zeus did not want his champions to live a lonely existence so he made a promise to the Unum that each King would have one woman to love, one woman to share eternity with. She would be all the King ever needed. The light of his soul and the love of his heart. She and she alone would possess the ability to communicate directly to his heart and know his secrets, both spoken and unspoken. This woman would know his truths and share his beliefs. His mate would be his only nourishment. He woul
d know the instant the keeper of his heart, or his custos animae, was born and their bond would be immediate.
“Now, the Father of the Gods was smart and having loved many,” Kat chuckled at the raise of Viktor’s eyebrows as he gave mention to Zeus’ many affairs, “knew that if a man had the chance to know when the woman of his heart was born and could track her at any time, he would most likely be there to claim her as soon as she was of age. So Zeus made an absolute rule for the Kings—he said the custos animae had to come to her King of her own freewill and in her own time. The only exception being if her life was in mortal danger.”
Viktor paused and Kat watched emotions flow through his dark eyes. Unconsciously nodding, he began again, his voice lower, more serious than before, “The only other stipulation was that their mating, blessed by the gods and completed according to Zeus’ law, was consummated by the King’s three thousandth year. If not, the King would die, and because of his service enjoy eternity in the Elysian Fields and the keeper of his heart would be free to live out the rest of her days as she saw fit.”
Kat started to speak, but stopped when Viktor slowly shook his head. For several seconds they simply stared into one another’s eyes and then, as if reaching a monumental decision, Viktor stood and pulled Kat up in front of him. With her hands in his, holding her eyes hostage, he spoke with a certainty that made her tremble, “You, Katarina Romalesky, are my custos animae, the keeper of my heart, the woman I have loved since before you drew your first breath. Look into my heart as only you can. See the truth of my words. Feel the strength of my love. This is all for you. I offer myself and all that I am to you. I am yours to love or to leave, the choice is yours.”
There were no words. Her heart was beating so hard and fast Kat thought she might pass out, but there was no denying the truth. It was just as he’d said...she knew. It was all right there. She could see who he’d been and who he wanted to be, what he’d done and what he wanted to accomplish, everything was in her consciousness as if she’d experienced it herself. It was all so amazing and miraculous and that was just the tip of the iceberg, because at the forefront of three millennia of life was so much unconditional love and acceptance that Kat couldn’t stop the tears that flowed freely down her face.
“Oh, amica mea. Don’t cry. You are not stuck with me. It is your decision.”
Shaking her head so hard she felt a little dizzy, Kat tried to speak through her emotion but barely managed a whisper. The look on Viktor’s face changed from disappointment to confusion, which she could tell he wasn’t at all used to. For some crazy reason his befuddlement gave Kat a case of the giggles and before she knew it, she was gasping for breath.
Holding tight to Viktor’s hands, she took several deep breaths and once Kat could speak again, she said, “No, you big dope, I want to be stuck with you. I mean...I want us to be stuck together. No, hell, that’s not right. I’m screwing this all up. You were so eloquent and I sound like a hooker trying to get out of community service. What I’m trying to say is I love you. I never imagined it was possible and we have a serious age difference, but I love you with a love that defies an explanation.”
Without another word, Viktor dragged her up against his naked chest and claimed her lips in a kiss of raw passion and possession. His hands moved frantically over her body, completely removing her blouse and bra in one swift motion. A primal need grew between them. It became a necessity that they feel every inch of one another. The need to be one was a living being within both Kat and the man of her heart.
He kissed across her jaw. His teeth grazed her collar bone. He sucked her nipple into his mouth and Kat threw her head back, arching into his touch, her hands in his hair holding him in place. All she could do was feel. It was a pleasure so intense, so perfect, Kat never wanted it to end. Releasing one nipple, Viktor immediately moved to the other, giving it the same fierce attention.
Kat rolled her hips, trying to feel the length of his erection against her wet, throbbing center. She groaned when their pants stopped her quest. Then sighed as Viktor began an erotic dance that caused his cock to bump her excited clit with his every motion. Lights flashed behind her closed eyelids. How had she ever been afraid to admit her feelings.
Ready to lose her mind from Viktor’s expert seduction, Kat slid her hand inside his pants, running her fingertips over the engorged head of his erection. He shivered in her arms and her world tilted on its axis. There was nothing better than knowing how deeply her touch affected him. Wrapping her hand around his shaft, she rubbed her thumb across the tip, spreading proof of his excitement all around. Viktor shuddered and groaned against her breast. The vibrations caused goose bumps to rise all over her body. Viktor slowly pumped his hips, running his erection across her palm.
Letting her nipple fall from his lips, Viktor groaned as he moved his hips even more vigorously. Pulling back, it was Kat’s turn to groan as his erection slid from her hand and her hand from his pants.
Kat squeaked her surprise when in the blink of an eye she went from standing beside beautiful flowers to lying on a soft patch of grass between two large bushes with the man of her dreams staring down at her. With his hands planted on either side of her head, Viktor held his body above her and began to once again roll his hips. The friction of their clothing against Kat’s aroused flesh pushed her passion higher.
Viktor threw his head back in pleasure, compelling Kat to raise her lips to his skin and pay homage to every ridge and valley of his spectacularly muscled neck. Viktor laid his pelvis onto hers, the weight of his body pressing his erection against her aroused clit with such force Kat felt the contractions within her channel intensify and the resulting wetness on her thighs. Her eyes opened just as his head fell forward and she was immediately ensnared by his dark, hypnotic gaze.
Lifting his hips again and holding himself above her on one arm, Kat was in awe of his strength as Viktor quickly removed their remaining clothing then slowly lowered his body until he was braced on his forearms with only a few inches separating their mouths. Kat’s lips tingled in anticipation of Viktor’s kiss, but all thought was driven from her mind as he slowly slipped inside her wet warmth. Inch by spectacular inch, they became joined...one to the other. Her inner muscles contracted, pulling Viktor farther into her. Sweat gathered on his upper lip as he fought to go slowly. If possible, Kat loved him all the more for trying to be careful with her, but excitement was pushing her out of control.
Seated completely within her, Viktor held utterly still. One perfect moment to be remembered for all time. Their souls became one even without whatever ceremony he had talked about. She could hear his thoughts and knew he could hear hers. There would never be a time Kat would be without Viktor again. Her eyes slid shut but Viktor immediately commanded, “Look at me, Katarina, look at your King, the one who loves you more than life itself. Who worships you as no other.”
Helpless to deny him anything, Kat watched Viktor’s every emotion as he showed her how much she truly meant to him. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Kat held tight as his casual in and out slide began. She met him stroke for stroke. Their pace accelerated from one breath to the next. Viktor was instantly driving in and out of her, pushing them both to the release they so desperately sought. Kat loved the feel of the well-toned muscles in his butt as they flexed under her calves while he worked deeper and harder into her.
Shifting his hips, Viktor caused his pelvis to bump against her clit and his cock to rub the sensitive bundle of nerves at the top of her channel with every well-placed stroke. Thought became impossible. Kat’s orgasm was building, careening through her body like a runaway train, bigger than anything she’d ever experienced, and the whole time Viktor held her captive with his gaze. “Come with me, my Queen, my custos animae.”
The feel of him deep inside, touching places Kat hadn’t known existed before Viktor, owning all that she’d ever been or would ever be, completely undid her. Kat’s muscles contracted so tightly around him she had no idea where she e
nded and Viktor began. His voice rolled over her and added to her excitement. “Trust me, Katarina. Let go and trust me to be right there beside you. I have you and I am never letting go.”
Kat nodded and Viktor thrust so hard she felt him bump her cervix. The exquisite sensation undid the last of her resolve. She let go and trusted...trusted the man she loved like no other to be there with her. They came together with such force their bodies shook. Lights flashed and colors resembling fireworks burst into the darkness, and then everything was black. Kat floated back to earth and smiled at the feel of Viktor’s soft kisses on her face and neck.
The man she loved rolled to the side taking her with him. Kat ended up sprawled across his body, boneless and spent. A peace she hadn’t known possible flowed through her. Glancing up, she found Viktor looking down at her with such love and affection a lump rose in her throat. It took a few seconds for Kat to find her voice and when she did speak, it sounded rough and gravely, coming out barely above a whisper, “I love you, Viktoras Katsaros.”
“And I love you, Katarina Anna Romalesky, with all that I am, for all eternity.”
The air chilled as the couple spent the next few hours gazing at the stars and discussing everything that came to their minds. Kat was amazed to find out she’d been healed by an actual god and Viktor bristled at any mention of Bjorn’s name. He did explain the names he was calling her in his native tongue and informed her that over time, she too would be fluent in his mother tongue.
Kat shivered and Viktor immediately sat up, bringing her to his side at the same time. “We need to get you dressed and inside. You are not yet immortal, my love. I cannot risk your health.”
He brought them both to their feet, handed Kat her clothes, and took the few steps to his pants when Kat offhandedly said, “Yeah, I meant to ask you how that all works. How I become like you? I’ve kind of been avoiding the whole ‘vampire’ discussion.”