by Martha Woods
“Sure you will, you’re already making progress. Almost halfway there.”
Tessa’s bottom lip stuck out in a pout. Then, her expression shifted and looked up at him again. “What are you still doing up, though?”
Kristian’s teeth gnawed softly at the flesh of his cheek. Could he tell her about his and Veronica’s conversation? It felt so early to be having that conversation… Hell, even if they had been together since the moment they met, it would have been soon to be talking about having children together. “Just thinking about things.”
“How very vague of you,” Tessa mumbled, sitting up from his lap. Her fingers brushed through her disheveled raven hair in attempted to tame it. “Are you going to tell me, or do I have to prod?”
Shifting his eyes from her, he quickly tried to reach a decision. “There’s nothing going on, really. Just thinking about things. About us, our future and all.”
Momentary panic flashed across Tessa’s face before she composed herself. “What about us?”
“Relax,” he cooed to her, reaching for her and lightly stroking her bicep. It was so intriguing to experience Tessa as a vampire, as a mortal. Even just to feel how icy her skin was, was thrilling and new to him. “It’s nothing negative or worrisome. Just the opposite, actually.”
Tessa noticeably deflated from relief before the slight smile returned to her face. “Then, what is it you were thinking on?”
Kristian could only shrug, still not sure he wanted to come out with it… He needed some time. “About how I want to spend time with you, and only you. Maybe we should go out today.”
“That sounds nice,” she nodded. “But, I think you should get some sleep first.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You’re a human right now, Kristian. You have to have sleep, or you’ll fall out,” Tessa insisted.
He loved that she worried, but he knew his own limits. After all, he had centuries of pushing them. Kristian gently pulled her into his lap before his hands cradled her face and his lips pressed to hers. Shivers ran through his body when Tessa’s hands rested on his shoulders. Her kiss was just as sweet and passionate as his was. God, how he had missed her lips—and really, every inch of her. When Tessa pulled back from the kiss and stared down into his eyes, he let his hands fall to her hips. “I promise you, I’ll be fine. I may be tired, but I don’t think I would be able to sleep anyways. Let’s go do something.”
Even though Tessa looked hesitant, she nodded and pecked his lips once before getting out of his lap and standing from the bed. Kristian sat and watched her sashay her way to the bathroom, nothing on her body but a pair of panties. It was beautiful how she was so unaware how stunning and sexy she really was. When her figure disappeared through the bathroom door, Kristian finally found the strength in himself to climb out of the bed and follow after her.
* * *
What a blissful three days it had been. Tessa and Kristian had been completely on their own, talking and embracing one another’s company. To let Kristian, get the most out of his human days, they spent some time at the nearby lake. Letting him soak up the sun, and feel warm sand between his toes, things he would never experience quite the same again. They traveled into the nearby town as well, enjoying meals out. Tessa loved watching him eat, trying to process the fact that food had changed so drastically since he was last human. The joy on his face when he tried something he loved, the look of disgust when he tasted something that didn’t exactly titillate his taste buds… It elated her. Though, it paled in comparison to seeing him enjoy his own cooking. Tessa remembered when he would cook for her when she was human, and recalled well how delicious it was.
Once when he was cooking, he nicked his finger with a knife and stood there staring at it, waiting for it to heal. Tessa boldly walked over to him, and took hold of his hand, attentively licking the wound before taking the fingertip into her mouth and drinking the blood. It was the first time she had ever bloodlet with him as a human. Kristian had been set ablaze with desire as well, rushing her to their room for ardent, fiery sex. It was like a whole other world with him being human. While it wasn’t like she preferred one over the other, Tessa did her best to savor the time while they had it. Their time together those few days left her feeling like her months at the Calder compound had never happened. That they were right where they left off, only stronger it felt. They were so close, and she could feel the love and admiration radiating from him. It completed her in ways she never expected. Tessa had been terrified that Kristian wouldn’t be able to move past her leaving in the first place. He appeared to understand and forgive her for being deceived like she had been. For his forgiveness, she was forever grateful.
The only question burning in her mind then, was when was Kristian going to make the transition to be vampire again. Tessa dreaded when he made the decision, knowing how much pain he would go through. The thought was looming over her as they laid out in the grass outside of the cabin, watching the sunrise. There was something Kristian wasn’t telling her, and she had a feeling it was that he wanted her to be the one to change her—and that the decision was coming soon. It wasn’t like Tessa would tell him no, even if the task would be done with a heavy-heart. It was the anticipation that was getting to her.
She looked over to him, studying his face as he stared up at the dark sky that was starting to brighten right above the trees, pale yellow and peach pink streaking the horizon while the stars slowly faded from sight. After taking a few moments to gather her courage and strength, Tessa called to him, “Hey, Kristian?”
When he turned his head to look at her, her breath caught in her throat. His face was lit perfectly in the early morning lightly. The shadows of his face accentuated his angular cheeks and prominent brow, while the soft light made his pale complexion look utterly flawless. “Yeah?”
“When are you going to want to become a vampire again? Not that I am rushing you at all. I’m just curious,” she asked him, looking down at the grass as her fingers nervously twisted around some blades and pulled them from the earth.
Kristian pulled his arms out from under his head and sat up. He brushed off the dirt and grass that clung to his shirt, and then ran a hand through his brunette locks. Tessa could feel an anxiety coming from him. Was it just thinking about the transition that made him so nervous? Part of her was tempted to peak into his mind to see what was really going through his head, but Tessa didn’t want to betray that trust. His hands came together and he wrung his wrists nervously. “Well… That’s… that’s something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you, but wanted to wait for a good time…”
“If you’re nervous about asking me to do it, don’t worry… I will. I wouldn’t turn you down.”
“No, that’s not what I need to talk about…” Kristian murmured, still staring down at his hands.
“Then what is it?” she asked, her brows knitting together. If that wasn’t what he was anxious about, then what was?
“It’s about something that we could maybe do before I become a vampire again…” Kristian admitted. Tessa could see him peeking at her from the corner of his eye to see what her reaction was.
It was only confusion. “What do you mean?”
Kristian bit down on his lip before sucking in a deep breath. “Well, I don’t know how you’ll feel about it. It’s just something that Veronica brought up, and it has sort of gotten stuck in my mind…” His voice trailed off and he stared off into the distance. “It just feels so quick, especially since we just got back together and all…”
Tessa reached over and held his hand. “What is it, Kristian? You can tell me… I promise to keep an open mind. And I would never get upset with you for just having an idea.”
He nodded and continued to stare off. She watched his chest rise and fall as he took deep breath after deep breath. “Okay. Well… I know this is a lot to even think about, but this could potentially be our only time ever to do it… To have a baby.”
Her jaw dropped instantly. A
baby? It blind-sided her. Out of everything that could have passed his lips, that was possibly the last thing she thought would be said. Tessa composed herself, blinking rapidly and clearing her throat before looking off herself. As she sat in silence, trying to figure out how she felt about it, Tessa could feel his anxiety worsen. She shook her head, “Sorry… I’m just collecting my thoughts. It’s not that I’m resistant to the idea. Just something I hadn’t thought about, you know? You were a vampire when we met, and now the tables are kind of turned…”
“I know it’s a lot to throw on you… That’s why I wanted us to have time to ourselves, to get back to where we were before talking about it. I just know that this window of opportunity is slim. That if I were to ever have a child, it would have to be soon.”
Tessa nodded in understanding, trying to wrap her head around the idea. A baby… How would that even happen? Her face scrunched in confusion as she tried to figure it out, looking over to him. “Are you asking permission to have a child with someone else?” she questioned.
“No… I’m not. I don’t think I would want that… I was thinking that maybe we could try and make a Calder connection. Maybe they could make you human too, since they made me human. And us stay human long enough to have one together. I wouldn’t want a child with a random woman, Tessa. I would want a child to have two parents, two that loved it and made it out of love.”
She swallowed hard. If she wanted to do that, would they even be able to accomplish it? Tessa didn’t know how to sort her thoughts nor her feelings on the matter. Stress was building on her shoulders, knowing that this was a decision they would have to make quickly. With every passing day, it was likely that the Calder were rebuilding, organizing, and getting stronger. Meaning that Kristian was left vulnerable for attack. Tessa sat in complete silence for minutes on end, thinking through every detail that came to mind. She knew her silence was getting to Kristian, but at the same time, Tessa knew that it wasn’t a decision he would want her to just say yes to.
The sky was turning light blue with wispy white clouds coming into view by the time Tessa was finally reaching a conclusion. It was a once in an eternity opportunity, which would perhaps not even come to fruition if they could not find a witch that would be willing to help them. Tessa didn’t want to look back at this time in decades or centuries to come and regret not even trying. The very least they could do was attempt to make it happen. Tessa nodded once she came to the conclusion. “Alright. I think… I think we should at least try to.”
When she looked to Kristian, his eyes were as round as marbles in awe. “Are you sure about this?” he asked her in a soft breath.
“As sure as I’ll ever be,” she assured him.
Kristian threw his arms around her, squeezing her as tightly as he could to his chest. Her arms wrapped around him as well, but was mindful to keep her grip light, not wanting to hurt him. She could feel his breathing shallow and his muscles tense as he started to cry. Tears and kisses alike fell upon her shoulder as his hands pressed her lower back further into him so that her entire front was pressed to his. It wasn’t tears and cries of sadness, but happiness. Tessa couldn’t begin to understand how it would feel to feel something that you had been wanting for centuries to be right at your fingertips—but still out of reach. “Thank you,” he breathed into her skin.
“No, thank you,” Tessa purred to him, lightly rubbing his back as they embraced. “I know that I messed up, even if it wasn’t entirely in my control. You didn’t have to even consider including me in this, but you did. It means so much to me that you are so serious about us staying together… I can’t put into words how awful I felt at the Calder compound. You were my only thought, Kristian. I was completely lovesick, and certain that I would never see you again…” A glossy sheen glazed her eyes, and she shut them tightly, as though to keep herself from crying. As if it were even an option. That was when it was sinking in that Kristian was crying for the first time since he became a vampire. It was tears of happiness because of her willingness to have a child with him. It pulled at heart strings that Tessa wasn’t even aware she had, touching her very core. She snuggled into his neck as he showered her shoulder, neck, and head with kisses.
Tessa’s hand slid onto his chest, resting right over his heart to feel the rhythmic pounding in his chest. When his kisses traveled back to the side of her head, she turned her cheek to collide her lips with his. Every time they kissed since he was human, it was like a new sensation. His skin was soft and hot against hers. When he caressed her tongue with his, it would make her lightheaded from the adrenaline and passion that it caused to rush through her veins. Tessa wondered if Kristian had felt the same when she was a human. If so, she understood how they had fallen into a passionate throw so quickly. It was addictive, and she was certain it was magnified by the love they felt for one another.
A spark was ignited instantaneously between them. Their mouths attacked one another’s in a fury of love and fervor. Hands explored clothes, pulling off the layers that kept them from making skin to skin contact. Tessa found the shudder he always had when their skin first touched simply delicious. In an act of lust, Tessa pushed him back into the grass, doing her best to scale back her strength because of his human form. She climbed on top of him before lowering her face to his. Their kisses resumed, their tongues moving in a battle for dominance. Once he shrugged down her bottoms, Tessa wasted no time to press her pelvis down onto his, his erect member sliding into her wet center. Emotions were so high between the two of them, that it made it feel so much more intimate than it already was.
Blissful moans sounded from Kristian, his head falling back into the grass and dirt, his hands keeping a firm hold on Tessa’s hips. He helped her rock in a divine rhythm. “Fuck,” he groaned as he finally found it in himself to open his eyes and look up at her.
Tessa smirked, her lips parted as uneven breaths escaped her. Her lips connected with the skin of his neck, sucking gently on the sensational skin. Kristian’s hips excitedly flicked upward, his hands bringing her hips down into his. A moan of her own escaped her with immense ease. She couldn’t believe they were having sex out in the open like that, even though it was dawn and the vampires would all be getting ready to sleep for the day. Still, it added to the sensuality of it all. Tessa could have lost herself in that moment for the rest of eternity and been happy.
The pleasure of it all proved too much for Kristian’s patience, rolling Tessa over onto the grass before then turning her onto her stomach. A bolt of arousal shot through her as she propped herself up on her knees. His member slid into her, the slight decline they were on helping position them perfectly so that his tip pressed into her g-spot. Tessa’s nails dug into the dirt beneath them, keeping herself steady. Kristian also kept a firm grip on her hips as he rocked into her. Her back arched inward from pleasure. Her teeth sank into her lip to keep from crying out too loudly. Kristian’s hand moved to the small of her back, his nails lightly scratching against her skin.
“Oh god, Tess—” he exclaimed, before his body quivered and ceased movement. Tessa, unable to stop herself from giggling a bit, turned her face to look at him. His face was flushed, his chest heaving from trying to catch his breath. Poor thing had become far more sensitive since becoming human once again. She didn’t mind, though. Tessa pulled back from him and moved to grab her clothes when his hand caught her wrist. “Stay right where you are,” Kristian demanded of her. He then positioned himself back behind her, and crouched down to lower his face to her still exposed sex.
His hot tongue trailed up her lower lips, causing her entire body to quake. Her front sank to being propped up on her elbows. Kristian licked in long, slow motions, giving her complete pause. Tessa’s eyes fluttered close, wanting to completely soak in the moment. He gently sucked on her pink flesh, making gasps sound from her. Her head was swimming in ecstasy and desire. She had already been so titillated by the actual act of sex, so she was ridiculously sensitive. Two warm fingers touched her sex,
spreading her lower lips apart as the tip of his tongue pressed into her. It gave her shivers to know that his fluids lingers there, and that he still gleefully performed oral on her. His hot flesh swirled around her swollen walls while the pad of one of his fingers caressed her clit. Her jaw involuntarily released her lip, a cry of pleasure resounding through the nearby trees.
Her legs began to quiver as she was overcome by pleasure. Kristian knew her body better than she did herself, knowing exactly how to rile her up in the most delectable ways. Tessa rolled her hips instinctively when his tongue began to caress her lower lips again. Her hands clasped together, her hands turning white with how hard she gripped them. Within no time at all, an orgasm built deep within her core, building exponentially before coming crashing down. Then, with just a few simple licks and rubs, Tessa’s entire body buckled, indistinguishable sounds vibrating from her lips. She allowed herself to fall into the grass, an arm tossing over her head as she simply enjoyed the tingles still traveling through her body.
After a period of time that Tessa couldn’t even begin to estimate, Kristian covered her back in kisses. A smile curled her lips, and she began to try and compose herself. His fingers brushed her raven hair off her shoulders, kissing along them as well. “We should probably head inside. There’s lots to plan and discuss,” he chuckled softly.
Tessa grumbled in protest before finally forcing herself to sit up. He collected their clothes from the ground around them. As they began to pull her undergarments on, she looked over to him. “So what’s first?” she questioned, not sure where to even begin.
He cleared his throat, a look of disdain coming to his features, “I think the first thing we need to do is talk to Benjamin. He’s probably our best shot at making a Calder connection.”
Tessa sighed heavily, not even liking the thought of trying to track down a Calder witch, but knew that it had to be done. “Alright, then. Let’s go talk to him.”