The Forbidden Chapters Part 1: Afterlife Saga

by Stephanie Hudson

  “And handling a Demon, Angel half breed King of the supernatural world, comes naturally to me?” I asked getting high-pitched and this time Vincent shrugged his shoulders and said,

  “Point made but you have to understand that Draven has never loved this way before. He doesn’t know what it means to be in a relationship that is equal. He doesn’t know what it means to have to explain himself to another or be accountable for his actions. He has never known any other life, Keira and for all intents and purposes, he is still trying to rule over you, like he does his kingdom.” I listened to what Vincent said and I put myself in his shoes as an outsider looking in and seeing his brother struggle like never before.

  I got that, I really did but now it was time for him to see it from a different side…a very human side.

  “And you have to understand this from my point of view, Vincent. Draven isn’t alone in the world he wants me to live in but I am. I’m the only human in this life, his life…one that I chose to step into and one I gladly took out of the love I have for him but that still doesn’t mean I don’t get lost in it.” I took a deep shuddering breath, trying to rein in my emotions so that I could carry on and carry on I did.

  “Lost Vincent, and when I only have Draven to guide me…well, then, what do I do when he rips his hand from mine? Where does that leave me…I will tell you where Vincent, in a world I don’t belong in, standing there alone, lost and confused, that’s where.” Vincent nodded as what could he really argue with.

  “I don’t have the all the answers Keira, only that you will have to take that up with my brother and now it seems is…” He was about to tell me something important but I cut him off getting up out of Draven’s chair as my frustrations drove my actions. I placed my hands on the table in front of me, letting the robe I still wore cover them.

  “Yes, well that would be too easy now wouldn’t it because last time I checked Vincent, he cast me out like I was some silly little human that needed to leave his sight. ‘Get her out of here’ I believe was his command to you Vincent and now you want me to believe that all it will take is a little chit chat and all will be hunky dory again!” He raised an eyebrow, looked behind me once and then back to me again and said,

  “So, what is the issue, you don’t think he will want to talk to you after this evening?” I slumped back down into Draven’s chair and told him the truth,

  “What I am saying is that given the way your brother turned his back on me tonight, well I think that speaks volumes on what Draven wants and I…I think it should tell me something about how much he cares.” I added this last part losing some of the fight and letting the hopelessness of the situation sink in.

  “Then maybe you should be the first to turn it around.” Vincent offered and I raised my head, swiped at my tears and said,

  “I slapped him remember. I wouldn’t be surprised if he turned his back on me because he wanted to end things between us. So how do I do that…how do I turn things around, Vincent?” I asked in a dire tone. He stood up, walked a step towards me and then bent down to whisper in my ear,

  “You can start by facing him.” Then he walked past me and before I could ask where he was going he spoke again, only this time it wasn’t to me.

  “Brother, be gentle with her heart, for in it lies all the truth you need.” Then I heard the door close and my head snapped up to see him standing by the bar looking on.

  He had heard everything.

  Draven had heard my heart…

  Breaking.

  Chapter 22

  Make up or Break up.

  Book 2

  NEW

  Draven stood there looking at me, no longer wearing his robe but a fitted t shirt instead, one that looked as though he had put on whilst running. Had he been desperate to get to me? This question allowed that flower of hope to bloom deep inside me. The other question on the tip of my tongue was of course the one I asked.

  “How long have you been stood there?” He gave me a pointed look and said,

  “Long enough to have heard all I needed to hear,” he told me and I nearly choked on the lump I tried to swallow. He had heard everything and that flower of hope quickly dried up and crumbled away in the wind of disappointment. Any minute now, he would simply ask me to leave and he would turn his back on me for the last time. So, what was left for me to do…beg?

  Plead with him to listen to me? Tell him how sorry I was and ignore the hurt he inflicted just so that I could keep him? I knew he was worth that sacrifice to my pride but that wasn’t the question that needed answering…it was, what did I really mean to him if he would so easily cast me aside?

  In the end, it didn’t matter. Not when the next question voiced came from him.

  “You think I want to end things between us?” The way he asked this was as though he was barely keeping his anger and hurt in check. I bit my lip and tried to focus on the pain I inflicted, not the pain he inflicted with his harsh tone.

  “I wouldn’t blame you if you did.” I told him in a small voice looking down at my hands.

  “And what of you?” he asked and my gaze shot to his.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do I grant you the same blame for wanting to end things with me?” His question took me off guard and I shook my head a little as if trying to make sense of what he was really saying.

  “I…I…” I started to try and find the right answer to his question but his building anger wouldn’t let me.

  “And explain to me exactly how is it is even possible you think I could just end the feelings of my heart?” he asked after interrupting me. I gasped praying he meant what I thought he meant.

  “Draven, I don’t…” I tried once more to speak but he was too far gone.

  “If you think I am just going to stand by and let you walk out of my life, then you are very much mistaken, Keira. There is no ending things…” He paused and suddenly he was pushing off the bar and storming his way over to me. I got up out of his chair and just as he reached me he took me in his arms, pull me close and said,

  “…There is only fighting for them.” Then he crushed his lips to mine in a heart stopping kiss. It was so powerful that I opened up to him, almost praying that he would consume me whole. I knew that it wasn’t goodbye, just the opposite in fact, as I knew that by the way he kissed me now, he would never let me go.

  He lifted me up so that I was sat on his table and he spread my legs so he could step into the space he created. It reminded me of our first kiss in his bedchamber after placing me on his desk. And just like back then, it was as if he couldn’t get enough of me.

  Finally, he tore his lips from mine and before I could utter a word of protest, he pushed me back after knocking the empty glasses and almost full bottle to the floor in his haste.

  The sound of smashing glass was the only other sound to be heard, other than our heavy breathing. I was about to sit back up but he growled down at me, his demon side telling me to stay where I was. I couldn’t help it but his possessive actions turned me on and I let myself be pushed back down with a strong hand to my neck. Anyone else looking in would have seen the aggressive gesture as threatening. I, on the other hand, knew it for what it truly was…my demonic king dominating me and expecting my submission.

  One I gave him freely.

  He leaned down over me and whispered,

  “I told you, you’re not going anywhere, my little trouble maker.” Then his hands tore down the robe, letting it fall around me, framing my body like a prize for him to play with…and play with it he did.

  “Answer me, did you really think I would just let you leave me?” His question caught me off guard as his hand roamed down the length of my torso. I arched myself up and pressed my body into the feel of his flat hand, desperate for him to take hold of my breast and apply greater pressure. But the opposite happened as his touch left me altogether. I moaned at my loss, something he was counting on.

  “I am waiting…” he told me softly, speaking over my
neck and then moving slowly over my lips to finish his next command,

  “…for your answer.” Then he pulled away and smiled when I bit my lip, for he knew that he had me.

  “I thought you would want me to leave.” I told him and he raised an eyebrow in question.

  “And why would you think that I wonder?” he asked in an amused tone.

  “I slapped you.” I told him in a way that I thought was obvious.

  “And what of it, after all, I certainly deserved it…that and more for not believing you,” he said picking up my hand and running his fingertips over the mark the door had inflicted on me. This was all the proof he needed and I pulled my hand from his, realising it wasn’t my words that had made him trust me, it was what he had seen.

  “You didn’t trust me,” I stated firmly, sitting up and thankfully my tone told him to let me. He sighed heavily and took his seat as he knew the time for action was over…now it was time to explain ourselves.

  “That is not entirely true,” he told me and I couldn’t help but blurt out,

  “Bullshit! You did everything short of calling me a liar,” I told him crossing my arms across my chest. He closed his eyes briefly as if this would help in looking for the answers.

  “You must understand Keira, that no access has ever been granted to a human and even those of my own kind that are allowed to enter, do because I deem it so.”

  “So, what you’re saying is it seemed impossible for me to enter on my own?” I asked making him nod at me in return.

  “But isn’t your world also full of impossibilities…including me?” I asked making him frown.

  “What do you mean?” he asked me back, doing so with obvious caution as if I was trying to trick him in some way. I almost found myself smiling had we not been talking about something so serious.

  “Well you said yourself how surprised you were after I witnessed you that night in your true form, the night I was stabbed, how I came back the next day and confronted you.”

  “I am afraid I don’t follow.”

  “What I am trying to say is that even someone who has shared this earth with humans as many years as you have, that one still surprised you… that a human still managed to find the courage to face you, even after all the impossible facts you first made her face.” He obviously saw where I was going with this as his eyes went soft, and he reached out to me. I allowed myself to be pulled into his embrace and sit on his lap where he wanted me. He cupped the side of my face and said,

  “You are right. You are the impossible made possible and I should have trusted in all that you have shown me…I was foolish.” I bit my lip to stop my smug smile but it was like locking it behind a cage…you could still see it behind the bars.

  “Getting cocky now are we, Keira?” he asked raising a brow but also trying to hide his own smile.

  “Well, what can I say, you must be rubbing off on me…that and I am a girl so, enough said really,” I added making him laugh.

  “So, this is the battle of the sexes, is it?” I gave him a cocky grin back and shrugged my shoulders as my answer.

  “Right, well time to prove the power of your sex, I think,” he told me confidently and I was only left to wonder and worry about what he meant by that statement. I wasn’t left to worry for long. He pushed his chair back and pulled the robe from the table in one quick motion, creating a cloud of red to one side. Then he picked me up and raised me high enough until my feet were at the table in front of him.

  “Draven?” I said his name in question but he simply nodded for me to step on to his table. I did as instructed and soon found myself stood before him feeling uncomfortably ‘on show’. However, this was nothing compared to what he said next.

  “Now strip.” My mouth dropped open comical style, something he found great pleasure in.

  “What’s wrong, Keira?” he asked with a feigned concern as he knew exactly what was wrong.

  “I can’t strip…not here.” I said in hushed tones making him laugh once.

  “Why not?”

  “Because someone might see.” I told him sternly but it went over his head as he was clearly enjoying himself too much.

  “Now you know I would never allow that,” he said clicking his fingers so that the double doors at the back slammed closed and the distinct sound of a lock turning could be heard swiftly after. Then my head followed the echoing sound of all doors around Afterlife locked one by one. I looked back to Draven who sat back down and once comfortable, he held out a hand to indicate I could now start.

  I nervously played with the cuff of my sleeve and bit my lip looking down wondering how I ended up here so quickly. Being cocky, that was how I thought scolding myself.

  “Another problem, Keira?” he asked making me jump a little.

  “Well I…um…” He could see I was struggling so decided to take pity on me.

  “How about this, we will play a little game…you ask me a question and in return for an answer, I get a piece of your clothing.”

  “Like strip poker without the poker?” I asked making him smirk and nod. I thought about all the things I could ask him and smiled back but then I wanted to be sure.

  “I can ask you anything?”

  “I think it’s only fair.” he replied softly.

  “Alright…I can do that,” I told him making him smile his bad boy grin before saying,

  “Excellent.” Then he clapped once making the light dim lower which I wasn’t going to complain about as it would only make it easier for me…well that was until he turned on the stage spotlights so that they were now directed solely on me. Purples and pinks lit me up and I blinked a few times to adjust to the lights. This wasn’t the only change in our sexy setting as he also brought life to the speakers downstairs. So now some rhythmic beat created the perfect background noise to what was starting to look more like the beginning of some private striptease. I looked down at myself and swallowed hard knowing I would soon be standing there naked.

  “What is your first question?” he asked making me jolt out of my internal panic.

  “How did you get here so quickly?” I asked, blurting out the question quickly.

  “I flew half the way and ran the rest,” he answered quickly.

  “But why?” I asked but he shook his finger at me,

  “Tut, tut sweetheart, that’s not how we are playing this game, now is it?” he reminded me and I blushed. Then I smirked as I lifted up a foot and tore off one running shoe and threw it to him. He caught it one handed and I nearly laughed when I saw him squeeze it hard enough that he was close to breaking it in two. Then he let it fall from his hand and nodded for me to continue.

  “Why did you run?” I asked, repeating my earlier question.

  “I was concerned.”

  “That I would leave?” I asked and before he could demand another item I threw him the other shoe making him smirk.

  “Yes.”

  “And you thought I would leave because…?” I let my last question hang in the air, waiting for him to fill in the blanks. Draven could see where my questioning was going. He had an elbow propped against his armrest and his chin held in his hand as he watched me like a hawk.

  “I turned my back on you,” he answered honestly so I lifted my leg ready to pull off a sock and he cleared his throat.

  “I think I have had enough footwear, time for something bigger,” he said nodding to my top and I rolled my eyes once before unzipping my sweater and throwing it towards him, which again he caught one handed before letting it fall from his hand like he had done my shoe.