by Maya DeLeina
Steffan cupped his face in his hands and ran his fingers upward, through his hair. “So, I truly died here tonight, as I was supposed to have done in 1917.”
“Yes.”
“Then that explains a lot.”
“What do you mean?” Anya asked.
“Because of what I saw,” Steffan replied.
“You remember seeing things?”
“Yes. It was confusing, but it all makes sense now. ”
“What did you see, Steffan! Tell us!”
“I saw…” Steffan started his story of the journey his spirit took in the next world for vampires.
Chapter Thirty
Chloe walked down the stairs, smiling at all of the faces she could catch in the immediate area. She looked down at each step, carefully moving with the woven basket balancing in the crook of her arm. With each step she took, the bottom of the basket plopped against the stair treads.
The sight sent a light, warmhearted laughter throughout the crowd.
Once at the bottom of the stairs, Chloe walked slowly, counting to herself. With every few steps, she stopped, dug into the basket, and sprinkled white rose petals along the black-carpeted walking path. She rounded the foyer, heading into the living room and her eyes met Steffan’s. She was on the verge of sprinting toward him just as he caught her intention from across the room. Steffan shook his head and motioned his hands to slow her down.
She smiled wide and continued to scatter her rose petals.
Steffan watched the little girl with whom he’d played Superman earlier in the day resist her instinctive movements and continue to maintain her rehearsed gait. Her smile beamed ear to ear as she strolled down the carpeted path, her white crinoline dress swaying to each side like the motion of a bell.
Steffan’s heart melted at the scene.
Giggle monster, Steffan mouthed in her direction as he playfully scrunched his nose at her.
Chloe scrunched her nose back at Steffan in response and continued her pace.
Steffan stood at the top level of a tiered platform in front the wall of windows alongside Eilian, Rhys, and Griffin. The men were draped in elegance. Steffan was clad in a black-on-black tuxedo. His jacket remained open, exposing his sleek black vest and tie, his white shirt radiant under the tone-on-tone dressing. Eilian, Rhys, and Griffin were clothed in the same attire, black tuxedos paired with black shirts contrasted by a pearl-white tie and vest.
Behind the men, sheer white curtains spilled down the length of the floor-to-ceiling windows, pooling gracefully on the floor. Clusters of black wrought iron floor candelabras lined the lightly dressed widows, adorned with pure-white pillar candles. The flicker of the warm candlelight exuded an undeniable romantic flair.
The invitation to the evening’s affair was completely unconventional. It was held at the midnight hour and the required attire was all white, yet every guest had answered yes to the RSVP. Mortals, immortals, Wiccans, and intuitives alike clamored for the chance to be part of the event held in Y Castlle O Cerddoriaeth, as dubbed by Steffan and Anya.
Their home was the talk of Colorado, a recognizable landmark in Manitou’s mountainside, serving as the new home of Heartstrings. Together, Anya and Steffan had expanded the nonprofit organization, supplying unlimited resources to offer free music lessons, award music scholarships and offering their private residence as a venue to showcase their musicians.
The guests looked on as the wedding party made their entrance to Ray of Light, performed by musicians of Heartstrings. Michelle paraded down the grand stair case, followed by Brynne and Catrin. The women were elegant beauties, dressed in matching A-line, strapless, white-satin gowns. They all carried bouquets of black roses and pure-white baby’s breath. Michelle took her place at the riser while Brynne and Catrin fell into place below Michelle.
The flavor of the music changed as the Heartstring’s group played My Beloved. Although no one was familiar with the piece that Steffan had composed just for Anya, the guests immediately recognized it as the signaling of the bride’s entrance.
Vaughn appeared at the top of the staircase dressed in an angelic white tuxedo. He bent his arm in an old-world gesture.
* * * *
Anya stepped out of the hall and strolled down the length of the catwalk to murmurs in the crowd. She was regal, graceful, and confident in her every movement as she entwined her arm in Vaughn’s.
On the inside, she was shaking like a leaf.
“You are simply stunning, my dear.”
“Thank you, Vaughn.”
Anya selected a black, sleeveless gown for her wedding dress.
Black lace in a delicate pattern wrapped high around her neck, flowing down and overlaying a plunging neckline bodice. The bottom of the dress draped in black satin with rhinestone-tucked embellishments. A slight train finished the A-line gown.
Anya had her hair completely done up with a long black veil with rhinestone fittings tucked high on her head, cascading freely all around her.
“Steffan has waited almost a century for this moment. Shall we?” Vaughn said with no hint of hesitation.
“What? You know about Steffan? About all of us?”
“Yes. Ever since the enthrallments started to diminish.”
“Diminish?”
“I have been diagnosed with a brain tumor, Anya. Since then, I seem to retain bits and pieces.”
“Vaughn! Does Steffan know? Don’t we frighten you?”
“No. He doesn’t know yet. Besides, I’m not scared. ”
“You’re not scared of living among vampires who feed on you or you are not scared of the tumor?”
“Well, both actually. The way I see it, I am blessed. Once I have gotten everything in order, I will approach Steffan and make my case for the possibility of turning me. Not many people with an inoperable tumor have this choice.”
“I can’t believe this!”
“Enough about me, Anya, Steffan is waiting.”
Anya turned her head around slowly to look down behind her and caught a glimpse of Steffan waiting down below. Their eyes locked. Racing heartbeats and butterflies overtook them as they freely shared in each other’s emotion.
Come to me, cariad, Stephan whispered inwardly.
I’ll be right there, m brenin golygus, Anya responded.
Steffan chuckled in their mind sharing.
My love,your Welsh is amazing.
Thank this vampire ability in learning things quickly. If I were still human, I would sound like an idiot.
Enough talk. Come to me. Becomemy beautiful queen.
* * * *
Her hand molded into his.
They fit together, like a puzzle—cast, sculpted, and designed just for one another.
They held each other close, gazing at one another, gliding to the music.
The guests watched Steffan and Anya take their first dance as man and wife.
“You’re dancing with your husband, yet you’re thinking about Ryan?” Steffan whispered in Anya’s ear.
“I’m sorry. I can’t seem to shake the feeling that we’re not entirely safe with him still out there.”
“Right now, let’s just focus on us. My mind is incredibly at ease with the way the situation stands right now. Chariana’s sense of the future for Ryan and for us has not changed, and I appointed Alex to head up our security from within the precinct. I don’t know about you, but I seem to think that his disfigurement was punishment enough.”
“You’re right.”
Steffan motioned for the guests to join them on the dance floor, taking them out of the spotlight for the first time that evening.
Steffan’s voice resonated in her head.
My dear, I’ve noticed we have a few mortals here who’ve had a bit much to drink.
And?
And, you will have to start feeding from live humans soon. You can’t be sustained from the bottle only.
You’re suggesting here? Tonight? Hesitation marked Anya’s response as she surveyed the r
oom.
It’s perfect. When you enthrall, you can help them by erasing the possibility of a hangover come tomorrow.
How convenient. But there are so many people around. How am I going to do this? Anya looked around the room at the endless faces that cast smiles and gazes her way.
Let’s mingle with our guests. I’ll show you how to remain unnoticed even in the thickest of crowds.
Steffan and Anya worked the room, greeting their guests and sampling tastes here and there. Anya watched as Steffan extended his boundary, lacing it with enthrall to radiate around them. He plunged into their victim’s flesh from behind and drank very casually, in an absolutely nonchalant manner. Anya followed his lead and seized the crooks of their necks head-on, taking in the blood essence from humans for sustenance only.
The blood was fulfilling, but no one tasted quite like her mate or Brynne.
Steffan taught Anya how to seal their guest’s wounds immediately and restore the areas to their natural state, as if nothing happened. Except for the other vampires, the guests were unaware of their part in Anya’s lessons.
The ability to feed freely without harm or detection intoxicated Anya.
* * * *
The sound of the rolling waves of the ocean surf was mesmerizing. Anya kept her eyes closed as she drifted in and out of sleep. She took in a long, deep breath to allow the aromatic air bathe her senses. The smell of the surf was tantalizing. The scent of the warm sunshine was inspiring. The sweet bouquet of pikake and puakenikeni was romantic. Yet, it was the subtle trail of their lovemaking that lulled her from her dream state. Traces of her Tahitian coconut lotion and his spicy cologne mixed with their raw sweat, amplifying her arousal and desire to become one with her husband once again.
Anya lifted her head from Steffan’s chest and perched herself up on her elbow, absorbing his naked form.
He lay in a pool of pure-white sheets in the four poster bed carved from koa wood. His left hand tucked behind his head exposing the definition in his arm and the endless knot tattoo that wrapped around his biceps. He was the epitome of pure masculinity and sensuality.
Anya sighed. Steffan Matthews was hers.
And he was hers for eternity.
There was no more talk about death.
After everyone regained consciousness that chaotic day in the Nemesis, Chariana and Alex explained everything to the council that proved Steffan’s innocence. The council exonerated Steffan of all the charges and moved to restore his role as leader. Eilian regained his seat in the council, and Steffan appointed Alex as Madeleine’s replacement at the precinct.
Life was good.
Life. Anya chuckled to herself.
She had always associated life with that of a mortal. But mortality had nothing to do with life and everything to do with death. Being mortal meant everyone had a death, but not everyone had lived a life.
And immortality is where she found her life to live.
Anya looked down at Steffan and kissed him gently on the forehead. “Good morning, my wife.” Steffan smiled at Anya, lazily coming out of his sleep.
“Good morning, my husband.”
Steffan pushed himself up and sat up against the headboard. “I love the sound of that.”
Anya took in a deep breath. “I am in Hawaii, celebrating our marriage.” Anya looked down at her ring and shook her head.
“I wanted it for you,” Steffan replied as he read her mind.
“But it’s my third wedding. People with that many weddings under their belts shouldn’t have something that fancy.”
“Says who? I saw all of your recalls and could gauge your feelings on your past weddings. I know that you got married by a judge with Ravi. And then I saw the extravagant wedding with Ryan. I could sense what you always longed for, and I wanted to give that to you.”
“Thank you. I must say, I loved being in control of what I wanted. I guess that’s why I wanted everything for our wedding as untraditional and nonconforming as possible. The wedding planner that Ryan insisted I work with would have had a heart attack with just the mere mention of the color black in a wedding.”
“I couldn’t imagine any other way. It was perfect,” Steffan said as he leaned over and kissed Anya. “And besides our honeymoon, we have a lot more to celebrate. You and Eilian did it. I’m so proud of you. Soon, we’ll offer sds720 for sale to the families. I’m thinking about marketing this one as Defender X.”
“Why X?”
“Extreme. This is a hell of a long time to be out in the sun. I’m going to forget I’m a vampire.”
“Is that why you chose Hawaii, because we have more time in the sun?”
“Twelve hours of being in the sunlight safely? Having the ability to watch both a sunrise and sunset? Of course! I couldn’t think of any place more beautiful than this.” Steffan pointed toward the glass doors,
A look of pure delight washed over him.
“The beach and the islands right outside our door. I’ve only seen this in photographs, postcard, and calendars.” Steffan paused, in complete awe of the scenery that lay just mere steps away. “When Brynne became part of our family, I poured through her photographs to see what it actually looked like through her eyes. She would tell me all about this place, and I was absolutely mesmerized. I’ve always dreamed of being here.”
“So Brynne and Rhys honeymooned here as well?”
“No. Brynne is from Hawaii. She grew up playing on that beach right out there.” Steffan paused and shook his head. “Makes you wonder how she could leave all of this and move to Colorado.”
“Colorado is beautiful, but it’s definitely not this! And how long do we have this beach house anyway?”
“A month.”
“A month in paradise? I could get used to this.”
“Anya, let’s get dressed and head out.” Steffan sprung from the bed naked and slid his swim trunks on.
“But, husband, I was hoping we could…” Anya responded with a pouty lip.
Steffan handed Anya her bikini and flashed a big smile. “I know my love. That is my intention as well, but not here.”
“Where then?” Anya said as she slipped on her white bikini top.
“Out there.” Steffan stepped to the sliding glass door and opened it wider, gazing at the sparkling turquoise water that led up to the two islands that sat in the distance.
Anya slipped on her bikini bottom and wrapped a gauzy white sarong around her waist. “There?” asked Anya.
“There,” Steffan replied. He reached for Anya and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Those are the Mokulua Islands. We’re going to kayak out to that one on the left, Moku Nui.”
“Oh my, listen to you with the pronunciations! Brynne has taught you much about this place,” Anya said as she smiled. “And what do you know about this beach town’s name?”
“It means heavenly water,” Steffan responded with no hesitation.
Anya turned around and looked at Steffan.
“As I said, I always dreamed of coming to this place.” Steffan looked down at Anya and smiled.
* * * *
They stepped out of the sliding door. The cool grass was spongy under their feet as the coconut palms swayed above them. The air was warm and carried the ocean mist that tickled their skin. They walked across the lawn, down the stone stairway onto the beach.
The sand was fine, a powdered-sugar-like quality that extended for miles.
Anya carried the back end of the kayak, helping Steffan maneuver it down to the water. They paddled toward the island, gliding over the placid water. The crystal-clear water afforded unobstructed views of the coral reefs alive in the ocean, just below the surface.
A green sea turtle popped its head out of the water next to the kayak and startled Anya. “Look, Steffan!”
Steffan looked behind him and smiled.
Anya was full of wonder and excitement.
As they neared the island, Anya could make out the number of people and kayaks that dotted the beach
on the tiny island. “There are too many people here, Steffan!”
Steffan turned his head toward her and rolled his eyes.
“Oh yeah. I keep forgetting,”
Steffan smiled and returned to navigating the kayak in the direction of the island.
Anya watched the sunshine beam off of his back and shoulder muscles. Beads of sweat dripped down the defined ridges of his muscles as he paddled. She was rapt in arousal, daydreaming of the waves rolling around them as they made love on the sand.
* * * *
Picking up her images and sensing the urgency building inside Anya, Steffan paddled faster and quickly released his boundary. Like clockwork, the group of kayakers instinctively paddled off the island, curiously passing Steffan and Anya on their way.
Boats in the area seemed to suddenly change course.
They neared the sandy shore of the island. Steffan jumped into the water, guiding the kayak up onto the beach. Anya had barely stepped onto the warm sand when Steffan whisked her off her feet.
“Steffan!” Anya shrieked.
“I can’t wait to feel you wrapped around me,” Steffan said lustfully into Anya’s mouth as he hungrily feasted on her lips and neck.
Steffan kneeled down on the wet sand and gently laid Anya down. The waves rolled in, the cool water tangling around their sweat-laced bodies. Steffan gazed at Anya as she lay in the sand, drenched in sunshine. Her black hair and olive skin were luminous against the white sand. The crystal water shimmered all around her, their ebb and flow wrapping her in pure sensuality, wreaking havoc on his self-control.
“You are so deliciously beautiful, you quench the hunger in my eyes.” Steffan shook his head and slowly moved his hands behind Anya’s neck, untying her bikini top.
“Hmm, so that’s all I do for you? I just quench the hunger in your eyes?” Anya asked teasingly as she slipped off her top, her nipples hardening instantly as the water danced around her skin.
Steffan’s eyes widened as he exhaled. “Woman, you know what you do to my body.”