Eternal Breath of Darkness

by Candice Stauffer

  In the past, she’d often imagined the way he would feel and the hungry, passionate look in his eye, but she was far from being prepared for the pleasurable sensations that were riveting throughout her entire body. Gasping, struggling to catch her breath, she called out his name, her voice desperate and hungry. Her body gripped his cock, mercilessly squeezing it, as he entered her again and again, thrusting deeper and harder, creating the most delicious friction as it stretched her. Arching her body, meeting his every move, her body was on fire. He whispered her name in her ear, along with many indiscernible endearments, his voice a raspy, barely audible whisper.

  The pleasure was too much; it was too great, bordering on pain. He felt his control slipping away. He struggled to catch his breath, his pleasure growing with every thrust of his hips. Her fingernails were digging into his back, scraping his hips. He slowed the pace, wanting to draw it out. He finally had everything. He was finally alive. They were finally one. He would never allow anything to come between them. He kissed her deeply, putting every ounce of his love for her in to it. For several moments time stood completely still.

  Feeding on his love, she returned the kiss, and all of her love for him, so pure and abundant, poured into it. Her thighs quivered against his sides as she met his powerful thrusts with her own.

  Suddenly, she went completely still, shocked by the fire burning in her core. He kept moving, creating hot friction, building the fire, pushing her further, taking her far past pleasure. Don’t leave me, little love. Rejoining him, she frantically met his thrusts with her own, holding onto him, her nails biting into his shoulders, terrified she was going to shatter into thousands of tiny pieces. The explosive climax he brought her to was alarming, but so wonderful.

  He felt his body quickly losing all control, his erection swelling, growing impossibly hard. He couldn’t succumb to the pleasure before her, but the more he fought the more he was desperate to succumb to it. Just in the nick of time, he heard her cry of ecstasy muted against his chest. Her body tightened and released in powerful spasms around his cock, pushing him far past the point of control.

  He released a roar, his body shuddering, every muscle tightening to the point of pain that turned to intolerable pleasure, as his orgasm violently ripped through his entire body. In a very strange state of shock, his focus remained fixed on the sensation of his cock pulsating, jetting his seed into her body. He’d never seriously entertained the thought of having children, but he wanted his child inside her body. He tried to stop the thought, knowing his kind had control over whether or not they reproduced, but it was too late. He knew a child had been conceived by their lovemaking. His arms buckled, and he fell full weight, in a helpless state of awe, on top of her.

  She wrapped her arms around him, trying to hold him even nearer, her legs trembling against his body. His flesh was damp and feverish, droplets of sweat covering him. After several moments, he lifted his upper body and looked down at her. Perhaps he should warn her. Better yet, he was still hard and swollen; there was no reason to deny either of their bodies any pleasure. He decided it would be better to wait. There was no reason to tell her now. It might dampen her mood.

  Smiling, she reached up and caressed his face. “Why do you look so guilty?”

  Lowering his head, he kissed her. Tears slowly welled up in her eyes and trickled down the sides of her face. “Are you okay?”

  “I never imagined it would be so wonderful.” Blushing, she giggled. “And I’ve imagined it many times.”

  “Me too.” He leaned down and kissed her as the intensity of his desire grew once again. “I love you, Caylee.” He would never get enough of her. He wanted and needed to make love to her again and again.

  She kissed him deeply. “I love you with all of my heart and soul, Haden.”

  Rolling off her and onto his back, he sat up with his back against the headboard. “Come here.” He reached for her and encouraged her to sit over his lap. Tilting his head back, he looked up at her.

  Feeling shy, she crossed her arms over her breasts. “Forget it.” He grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms to her sides. “I want to see you.” He framed her face with his hands and drew her nearer. “You’re absolutely beautiful.”

  Looking into her eyes, anger filled him. He would seek justice for her. He needed to kill the men that had hurt her.

  “You look mad.” She leaned back. “What’s wrong?”

  Laughing softly, he pulled her closer. “Everything is finally right.”

  They kissed. It was a deep, sensuous kiss that went on and on. She wasn’t sure when it ended, but she became aware of it as he kissed the warm, soft flesh of her breasts and drew her nipples in his mouth. Her body tingled in response to his mouth and tongue on her sensitive flesh. Reaching around her hips, he lifted her and then lowered her until the heat and tightness of her soft sheath enveloped his cock. They made love for hours, worshipping each other, until they collapsed in each other’s arms.

  ~ Twelve ~

  CAYLEE STARTED TO fall asleep, but then she panicked. It was too late to leave Haden. Opening her eyes, she turned and looked over her shoulder. He would never allow her to leave. Not now. Not after they’d made love. Oh God. He was going to discover her secret.

  Haden knew why she was panicking. He slowly allowed his hands to slide down her arms.

  Savoring the flicker of hot desire racing through her body, her breaths came in short gasps. What was wrong with her? Her life was about to be ruined, and her flesh was tingling and her sensitive breasts ached, craving his attention.

  He turned her around. He looked so sexy, wickedly hot, his sensuous lips curved in a naughty smile. One thing was for sure: he was pure sin, she was addicted, and no patch would ever get her through the withdrawals. “You have nothing to fear.” He gently pulled her against his body. “I’ve allowed you to keep a secret from me for a very long time now, but I’ve decided it’s time for you to tell me about it.”

  She bit her lower lip, chewing on it. “When you discover the truth you’ll never look into my eyes as you do at this moment. Your love for me will be replaced with disgust.” She looked down to hide the shame in her eyes. “You will never forgive me.”

  He lifted her face, but she directed her gaze away. “Look at me, Caylee.” Whimpering, she met his gaze with tears streaming down her face. “My love for you could never turn into disgust. Trust me.” He kissed her. “Tell me your secret.”

  Taking her life was the only plausible way to end the agony. It was too painful and exhausting, always knowing that each second they spent together was a second closer to the moment she would lose his love.

  He held her against his body. “Don’t even think about it.”

  She needed to get out the bed. She tried to get free, but it was no use. His arms were like steel bindings, holding her captive. Desperate, she whimpered. “You’re hurting me.”

  “I’m not hurting you.”

  She buried her face against his chest. “You’ve no idea what I’ve done.”

  “Look at me.” He wanted to tell her he knew everything, but he knew it would devastate her. She needed to trust him. She needed to tell him. She needed to have absolute, blind faith in his love for her. There could be no doubt in her mind when it was time to give her immortality.

  She met his gaze. “Please.” Gasping for a breath, she sobbed desperately, her eyes pleading with him to stop. “Don’t try to see it.” Tears streamed down her face. Heartbroken, he reached up and gently wiped her tears. “Please,” she gasped, her throat closing. “I can’t tell you.”

  “Breathe.” He wrapped hands around her throat. “Nothing will ever come close to destroying my love for you.”

  “Please,” she pleaded, “don’t make me tell you.” She knew in her heart he would never let her go until she told him. Taking a deep breath and holding it, she looked up at him for a few seconds. Ashamed, she turned her head to look away from him.

  He waited for a few moments, and then he turn
ed her face toward his. “You can tell me.”

  “I lived in Portland with my father. He was a very cruel man, worse than my uncle. I tried to run away. I never made it very far out of the city.” After a few moments of silence she looked up at him and shook her head. “Please.” She paused for several seconds. “Don’t make me tell you.”

  “Tell me what happened.”

  “It was late,” she said, her voice weak, “but I kept going through the night. I wanted to get as far away from the city as possible. My father would come after me in the morning. My car broke down. I was in the middle of nowhere. My first thought was to go back to the city. But I couldn’t. My father would’ve kept such a close eye on me.”

  Pausing for a moment, she took several deep breaths. “I kept walking until the sun came up, and then I left the road. I didn’t want my father to find me. I walked several hundred yards into the forest, and then sat down and leaned against a tree and waited for nighttime. I fell asleep. I heard their voices. When I opened my eyes they were standing over me.” She buried her face against his chest and wept heavily.

  Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he should’ve never hidden from her that he’d known all along what had happened. Taking a deep breath, he tightened his embrace around her and caressed her back.

  “You’ll despise me once you learn the truth.”

  “No.” He leaned back and held her face in his hands, forcing her to look up at him. “I’ll love you forever.”

  She whimpered, her body trembling, as she took several rapid breaths. “You don’t understand. Please don’t make me do this. I can’t live through it again.” She paused for moment. “Not with you.” She shook her head. “I would rather die than watch your love for me vanish.”

  “It will never happen. I will always love you. You need to tell me.” His voice was calm and soothing. He felt her body tense, as she struggled with the past. He waited, holding her against his chest.

  The tension in her body eased up as she listened to his steady, strong heartbeat. She closed her eyes and thought of the love they’d shared in his bed. He was right. She needed to tell him. She owed him the truth.

  “I knew they intended to harm me.” She paused for a few moments, gathering enough courage to continue. “I tried to run away, but they chased after me. Someone hit the back of my head. I lost consciousness. I woke up chained to a stone altar. My head hurt. I couldn’t see straight. I kept going in and out of consciousness. Eventually, I remained conscious and I was more aware of my surroundings. I tried to get free of the chains, but it was impossible. The chains were so tight. They dug into my flesh.”

  She was thankful for the way he was caressing her back, quietly allowing her to take as much time as she needed. “They raped and beat me so badly they thought I would die. Before I lost consciousness, I heard them discuss what they should do with me. They planned to bury me. But when I woke up I felt the warmth of the sun, of your touch. You were holding me, healing me, whispering to me, willing me to live.” She was silent for several moments. “At first I was so very angry with you. I wanted to die.” Biting her lower lip, she frowned. “I knew you wouldn’t allow it.”

  He’d made sure she’d never learned she had been buried in a shallow grave when he found her. He gently lifted her face to his.

  She closed her eyes to avoid the anger and disgust she was certain to find if she met his gaze. Bending his head, he kissed her lips tenderly. “Look at me, little love.”

  She opened her eyes. Tears were streaming down his face. Shaking her head, she reached up and placed her hand on the side of his face. “I’m so sorry, Haden. Now you know why I never wanted to tell you.” She sat up. “I’ll go home.”

  He captured her arm. “You’re not going back there.”

  She looked up at him and saw no sign of anger or disgust in his eyes. Instead, she saw love, sadness, and pain.

  He leaned toward her and gently kissed her lips. “I’m deeply, completely and forever helplessly in love with you.” He gazed into her eyes for a few seconds. “I’m afraid you’ll be stuck with me for the rest of your life.”

  “How can you still love me? You’ve made love to a woman that has … oh, Haden.”

  It was time. She needed to face the truth. “Deep down, you know I’ve always known what happened. I found you. I healed you. I let you pretend I didn’t know. I knew you weren’t ready for me to know. I knew we belonged together.” He paused. “Caylee, I made love today to the only woman I’ll ever love.”

  “You knew?” She shook her head. It couldn’t be true. She got up from the bed and paced back and forth. “You’re lying.” She sat down on the floor. Leaning her back against the wall, she rested her forehead on her knees. “How could you want to be with me?”

  He knelt down in front of her. “None of it was your fault.”

  “I should’ve known better. I never should’ve tried to do it.”

  “You were trying to escape abuse.” He pulled her up with him as he stood, and then he gently wiped her tears.

  Perplexed, she looked up at him. Was it pity? The thought frightened her. His attitude was completely opposite to what she expected. “Why are you doing this?”

  “What do you mean?” Reaching behind her and pressing her body against his, he leaned down and kissed her deeply and passionately.

  Pulling away from him, she stared at him for a moment and shook her head. “What are you doing? I was raped over and over again by group of men. How can you act as if the thought of being with me doesn’t make you sick? Tell me you resent ever knowing me, but don’t you dare do this. I don’t need you to feel sorry for me. Don’t pretend it doesn’t matter.”

  “I love you, Caylee. You’re everything to me. I can’t image a woman more beautiful than you. I can’t even begin to imagine a life without you.” He took possession of her mouth roughly, passionately pouring every ounce of love into the kiss. “I can assure you my love and desire for you has nothing to do with pity.”

  Waving his hand, he caused flames to ignite in the fireplace. “I need you more and more with each breath I take.” Kissing her deeply, he wedged his body between her thighs. “I could spend the rest of eternity making love to you and still need and want more of you.”

  A fire spread from her breasts to her most feminine place between her legs where his cock was pressed so snugly. She arched her hips in invitation, her body weeping for his to wash away the pain and loneliness she’d endured for her entire life. She needed him to take her farther away from her past. Only he could heal every wound that her mind and body had sustained since her conception. Her flesh tingled. Her breasts, overly sensitive, ached for his touch.

  His lips brushed her breast, his tongue swirled over her nipple, sending fire blazing through her body. Flesh to flesh, he was so hot and hard, pressed against her opening. She wiggled restlessly beneath him, arching her body toward his, needing him to fill her. Starting from the center of her throat, he rubbed his calloused fingertips down the center of her chest, down her tiny flat belly, and lower to the soft mound between her legs. Savoring the satiny texture of her warm flesh, he parted her feminine folds, and then he pushed the head of his cock inside her.

  Cupping her breast, he swirled his thumb over her nipple. He took her mouth, his passionate kiss driving her insane. She wanted more. Needed more. Her nails dug into his shoulders, her body trembling with the fiery sensations racing through it. She tried to arch her hips to get more of him inside her, but he captured her hips and pinned her down. “I love you, Caylee. I will love until the end of time. Do you believe it now?”

  She reached up to his face. “I know it now. I know you love me. I know you’ll always love me, no matter what.”

  He bent his head and kissed her. “And?”

  “I will love you forever, Haden.”

  “Good.” His fingers digging into her hips, he pulled her closer. “Now, wrap your legs around my body.”

  The moment she locked her ankles around his body, h
e slammed deep and hard. She cried out, her body tightly, mercilessly clamping down on him. He thrust harder and faster, stretching her tight muscles, filling her, creating the most sensational flames of pleasure. She moved with him, lightning ripping through her body, as she took pleasure from his fierce lovemaking. She loved that he was wild and out of control. He continued to pound into her over and over again, thrusting wildly.

  Finally, after hours of lovemaking, they collapsed in each other’s arms and slept in front of the fire. It was the end of life as she knew it and the beginning of a new, eternal life. Together until the end of time they would share a love too few would ever know. Very soon, she would be ready and he would take her last mortal breath and replace it with his immortal breath.

  ~ Thirteen ~

  STANDING NEXT TO CAYLEE’S car, Paul lifted his head and drew in a deep breath from his nostrils, allowing the intoxicating scent of her fear to fill his lungs. He opened the driver side door and climbed inside. Settling into the seat and gripping the steering wheel, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes. Her sweet aroma was so concentrated in the confined area that it wrapped around him and would no doubt cling to him for hours. Groaning aloud, he savored the lust consuming him.

  It went against Paul’s nature, but Caylee was no longer just a source of entertainment and nourishment. Fangs lengthening and mouth watering, he imagined what it would be like to take her hot blood into his body. Oh yes, he would drink her blood, but not until he was buried deep inside her body. His need for her was driving him crazy. He knew he was tumbling into a state of madness, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t care. He couldn’t contemplate a future without her.