"Oh God; what have I done?" Victor whispers, his head still in his hands, but I can hear him as if he had shouted from the mountains. My senses are high and I cannot understand why! "She almost killed that bastard, which in it's self would have been a good thing. But at what price?" His voice held all the self-loathing that I would have seen in his eyes if he were looking at me.
My soul recognizes his pain and I speak, even though my voice is rough and hoarse from lack of use. "Victor," I say trying to capture his attention.
"She was never meant to inherit the curse. He promised that it wouldn't be passed along to her. What if it's killed her? What if it's killing her slowly? Oh God, what have I done?" Victor says again, unable to hear my hoarse voice over his fear and worry. So I try again.
"Victor," I say forcing my voice to be louder so that he can hear me. I see him freeze and then slowly, oh ever so slowly he turns towards me. His hands drop into his lap and he slowly lifts his head though his eyes are still downcast.
"Victor?" I ask, curiosity mingling into my voice. I am wondering as to why he will not meet my eyes, and then he speaks up.
"What if you're a dream? What if I've fallen asleep, and when I wake up I find you're not here, that you've left me. What if I find your cold, dead body Anna? What do you expect me to do if you're dead?" His eyes rise up to meet mine as he says these last words, fear and hope dancing in his eyes.
"Victor, listen to me, I'm alive and I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Come here and kiss me, feel my warmth, listen to my heartbeat. Please Victor, take away what that devil has done. Make it right with your touch." I watch him as he comes to his decision, to come near or to draw away, but when he makes his decision, I know what is going to change his mind and I watch in joy and hope as he came towards me.
At first it is just a simple touch of his hand over my heart, to check that it is beating, to check that I am indeed alive, here with him, watching him and waiting. His eyes quickly shoot up to meet mine and when our eyes meet, I can see his joy, his hope and most of all his love. He knows! He knows that I am alive. I smile up at him and it grows as his lips take mine in a searing kiss, which leaves no doubt of his love.
"Anna," He breathes, I can feel his lips pull up at the sides in a smile, as our foreheads lean against each other. "I thought I had lost you, I thought you had died." There is still a sob in his voice, though it is no longer painful for I know it is tears of joy bring on his soft sobs now.
"I know Victor, but I'm here. Please, do not make me have to ask for your touch again," I plead. I'm not sure what it is that drives him on, whether it is the need to touch me, to make me know his love, or if it is the pleading tone in my voice, but without another word he gets above me and kisses my lips once more, his lips are fierce, hungry and rough. His kisses soon leave my lips, trailing down my neck, travelling down the track Christian went down before. Victor's lips upon my skin erase the remains of Christian's kisses. It feels right and I moan, the sound hoarse but it is loud enough to be heard. It causes a growl to emit from Victor's hungry lips. His lips travel across my shoulder blade and down my chest, he slowly kisses me above my heart and another moan escapes me, I can feel his lips pull up into a smile as he kisses me again before he bites down into my flesh. His teeth tear through my soft flesh, and suck roughly upon the vein he had bitten into. I moan again as he continues to suck on me, I can feel him inside of my mind, his words a whisper; soft as a cloud and thin as fog.
Anna, I love you. Tell me when to stop and I'll stop. He promises but his bite is more pleasure than pain, and I moan again in ecstasy trying to tell him to go on. It seems that he gets the message as he continues with his ministrations, his lips wet and warm upon my soft skin. I want him, all of him; I want him to touch every part of me, to love me until our final breaths.
Victor, please, I need more. I think, hoping that he will hear me. For a moment he stops and he pulls his fangs out, licking the wound he created. He waits for me to open my eyes and when our eyes meet he says "Are you sure Anna? Do you truly want this?" He asks, trying to keep the emotions out of his voice, but his eyes betray him, for I can read everything within them.
"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure," I say, sitting up and kissing his lips. He slowly lowers me back down, before hoping off of the bed and removing the sheet that covers my lower waist. He then helps me to take off the simple nightgown that covers me. He sits back for a moment, taking in my naked form. His jaw is slack and his eyes vacant as he stares at me.
"You're beautiful," He whispers, the words come forth from him when he sees me. I blush slightly, but I ignore the heat in my cheeks as he quickly undresses himself, and lowers himself to kiss me once more. I can feel his hard body pressed against me, I can feel every inch of my skin meeting with his. I moan again as his lips meet mine in a fiery dance. As he hears my moan his hand travels slowly down my arm and then across my chest, feeling every inch of my skin with his bare hands. He traces patterns across my skin, feeling and massaging my flesh. I lose myself in his touch for a few precious moments, whilst the world sleeps and we are the only ones who matter. This moment that is so beautiful, so fragile that it has to be treated carefully.
He pulls away from my lips, just for a moment to look down into my eyes, a lazy grin on his bloodstained lips. "I love you Anna, I have loved you for all of my life. I've known of you since I was young; an angel promised my father that a human would bring salvation to my people. But I never knew I could love you like this. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without you. I know this is not the right moment to be asking, but I'm not sure what will happen after I leave today," He says before getting off of me, so that he can sit beside me. The early dawn light gives him a soft glow, which illuminates his ivory skin making him look like a god in the soft light.
"Anna, I love you more than words could ever say. I promise to love you for every day of forever, I promise to never leave you, I promise to treat you right, and I promise to give everything I have - and will ever have - to you, if you can promise me two things in return, your love and your hand in marriage. I bear this ring, the ring of my mother's engagement as the solitary item to symbolize the truth of my words. Will you marry me Miss VanDyken?" Victor asks, though he is not on one knee I don't expect him to kneel in his stark nakedness on the cold tiled floor. I have kept his gaze as he testifies his love, and makes his proposal, and the smile on my lips has only grown as each word comes forth from his lips. There is nothing else for me to say than "I do," the words tumble from my lips in their haste to depart from me. Victor's eyes go wide and then the lazy grin on his face grows into an outright smile. He is overjoyed and he quickly pulls my face in for another kiss, this one lasting for what seems like forever, sweet and warm, yet firm and wanting. It is everything that I want, everything that I need, and his lips, let alone he himself is now forever mine, and I forever his. He kisses my hand in a show of affection before he places the ring on my finger.
"Get dressed Anna, we must tell everybody," Victor says, getting up and flashing about the room in his unnatural speed. He is dressed in the blink of an eye, and he is passing me day clothes to get dressed into myself. Victor helps me to get dressed quickly and we are ready in a few minuets. As dawn breaks out across the sky, we race down from the infirmary room, and down into the study room. As we sit down Victor closes his eyes for a few moments and starts to concentrate very hard. I know that in some fashion he is contacting everyone whom is important to him, to call them to join us in the study room.
We sit in silence for a while, Victor just holding my hand, which bears his mother's ring, now my ring and simply smiles as he keeps his eyes on mine. It is a while before anyone even enters into the room and the first present are Kayden and Shade, who seem to be more awake for somebody who was woken at this ungodly hour.
"Why have you called us here Victor?" Shade asks, before Kayden quickly adds "Is something wrong?" Victor simply smiles up at them, before his eyes fall down to my h
and again, the hand that he has been holding, and Kayden's eyes fall down as well and widen as he sees the ring.
"You didn't?" Kayden says, but whatever he is asking is quite the rhetorical question.
"I did," Victor replies, hopping up from the couch to approach his Oath Brother.
"When?" Kayden asks, smiling from ear to ear.
"Just now, I was in the infirmary hoping and praying that she would awake, but dreading the worst," Victor says, stepping in front of Kayden. "And She obviously said yes," Victor whispers his joy. He seems to be glowing, iridescent even in the soft morning light shining through the open windows.
"Congratulations Vic, I wish you both all the happiness in the world," Kayden says, before drawing Victor into a hug. They hug and slap each other on the back, as Shade stares at me from across the room. I know he doesn't trust me, but I simply smile at him. Once Kayden releases Victor from their hug, he comes and picks me up from the couch, twirling me around in his broad arms before placing me back on my feet and hugging me fiercely.
"What is all the hugging and celebrating over?" Augustus asks as he and his wife enter into the room. There is a shock stricken look on Augustus face as Victor literally bounces – yes, he is that overjoyed - over to them as they hover at the door.
"Augustus, Astoria you have been the next best thing to parents. When they died you took me in and raised me as if I were your own son. I wanted you to be the first to know but unfortunately Kayden and Shade got here before you," Victor says grinning from ear to ear. "I have good news, I have officially asked Anna to be my wife, and she said yes!" Augustus claps Victor on the back as Astoria lets out a shriek of joy.
"Well done, Victor. Your parents would have been proud of you, especially today," Augustus says, before he too comes over to congratulate me, as Astoria says her congratulations to Victor before she too makes her way over to me.
"Well done my dear, today I get to welcome you as part of the family," Astoria says, as she kisses me on both cheeks before she too pulls me into a hug.
"Today is a day of celebration," Meg says. It is only then that I notice her waiting at the door. I walk over to her and hug her, sharing in a moment that is happy for both of us, a moment she will never be able to have with Simon, before showing her my ring. There is no need for words for us, she knows how happy I am and she is happy for me.
"But it is also a day of farewells. This is the other reason why I have asked all of you to come here. As Kayden and Shade are aware of the plans they don't really need to be apart of this. I must depart today with the special force soldiers. I, no we have wasted too much time to wait any longer. I know that the Skin-walkers have already started to recruit and even at this very moment they are training men who have been born as werewolves into mindless, killing beasts. We need to take action now, we need to move and recruit or we'll be without an army to be reckoned with and the Skin-walkers could very well win this war. Our time of waiting has run out. By the sunset the Acer Tempesta soldiers and I will be departing," Victor says, erasing all of the joy out of the room. This is something new to me and as he meets my eyes, I can see the apology in them. He is sorry for fleeing as soon as he has proposed, but I know that it is necessary. We have to defeat the Skin-walkers and Christian if we are to ever have our happy ending.
Chapter 12 – Doubts and Farewells
Anna's P.O.V
"What do you mean depart this afternoon?" Lord Baron demands, as he makes his presence known, his voice rising to shouting levels.
"The question you should be asking Baron, is why he hasn't brought this up sooner! Astoria and I should have been told what you were planning Victor. We all want the Skin-walkers to be gone, but you deny us the right to fight beside you? Your father would have been disappointed in your rash decisions," Augustus says, rising from his chair as well. Victor seems to be unaffected by Augustus last words, but I know that it has hurt him to hear that his father would have been disappointed in him.
"I'm doing what I must to protect the people I love and my kingdom. That's something I know my Father would have understood, and I know he would have been proud of me for doing what I must to protect my people, rather than running away like a coward. Besides, I didn't tell you Augustus, because I knew you would have wanted – that you still want – to join me, and I knew that I would have had to deny you. I need you to be safe and sound, to protect Anna and make sure nothing touches her, and because if something were to happen to me, I would need you to take my place, as king. My father would have wanted it so, and so do I," Victor says rising up to meet the challenge in Augustus's eyes. They stare into each other's eyes, seeking out each other's truths and bluffs, and after a long time Augustus steps back, his chin still raised high but the challenge, the defiance that had been spelled out in all of his features is gone.
"Good, at least I know that you will take responsibility for your actions. I still believe that your making a rash decision, but not with the mind of a child. You obviously know what you're getting yourself into," Augustus says, plopping back down into his chair.
"How can you just let him go through with this Augustus? He could get hurt or worse killed!" Astoria begs of her husband, her eyes wet with tears.
"Astoria I no longer have that right, we no longer have that right. Perhaps when he was a child we did, but that was simply because he needed parental guidance. He's no longer a child Astoria, he's a man. He is also Phillip's son, and thus just like his father, his mind cannot and will not be changed by what I have to say," Augustus says and there is defeat in his voice.
Astoria starts yelling at Augustus again and that causes a chain reaction with the other occupants of the room. Soon everyone is yelling, shouting and bickering and it brings that same sick feeling to my stomach. It is then that I realized it isn't because I had kissed Christian - disguised as William - that I had started to feel sick, it was because I had been getting upset, and then angry, in a very short procession of time. Anger must be the trigger, I think and so I try to control how I am feeling but I cannot. I am angry that Victor has not told me of his plans, I am angry because he is running away from me and the promise he has made me, I am angry because he can die at Christian's hands. I can feel my blood bubbling and boiling underneath my skin, I can feel the dryness in my mouth and as I rise to my feet, a scream of sheer anger and pain rips from my mouth.
"Shut up; Shut up; Shut up," I scream, there is a collective gasp of shock and then screams of pain echo around me. I stare in horror at the scene unfolding before me. Those who were standing fall to their knees, and those who had been seated topple out of their chairs. Each of them has a mask of pain upon their faces. I wish that I had the power to stop, that I had the power to stop the anger from taking over my senses, but I cannot stop it and no matter how much I wish it, my prays are not answered. There is only one who is still standing and it shocks me to see that they are unaffected. Meg is the only one who is not affected by my curse. Perhaps only the supernatural were affected by my affliction.
Meg slowly makes her way across the room to me and she becomes more affected the closer she gets towards me, but she ignores the pain, the agony and wraps me in her arms. I push Meg away, I don't want her pity and I don't need her to comfort me, not in this.
I make my way to the door, but before I leave I turn and look Victor in the eyes, "The next time you plan on leaving, I would rather you tell me about it, rather than proposing and making promises that you cannot keep," I say, loathing filling my voice before slamming the door behind me.
Victor's P.O.V
She has my curse, not the full curse per-say but still close enough to cause self-loathing. She was never meant to inherit it when my soul slipped into her, passed down by her father, but that wasn't the biggest concern of mine. My biggest concern is what she meant by her last comment. I would have remembered if I had asked her to marry me, I would have remembered her answer, and yet I have no memory of doing such a thing. The last thing I remember is sitting on A
nna's bed in the infirmary. The next thing I remember after that was being in here telling my friends and family that I was leaving. Between those moments was nothing but a blur, as if I had blanked out between those events. The only thing I have to blame that on is shock and horror and confusion.
Then again, Anna could have been with someone else last night, someone else who had proposed to her, and although the idea makes me furious it is a little bit more easier to accept. The only thing that could have passed being disguised as me though is a Skin-walker, and none would know the location of my castle, let alone the fact that Anna is living within it. However, even that shouldn't be a problem. Skin-walkers as far as I know are scared of Vampires, afraid enough to not dare changing into one of us. I cannot dare to think what would happen if they had gotten over their fear, enough to change into my kind. It would be disastrous, to say the least. I look up as a hand is thrust into my face, to find Kayden offering me a hand up. Everyone has already gotten up from Anna's attack, as I sit on the floor, my thoughts swarming within my mind.
The Fire Within (The Fire of The Soul Series) Page 11