by Myln Hurn
“Silly twit.” AnnaBelle reached over and squeezed Tatiana’s hand. “So, Lamenta, Fauster’s plans ended with Hunter’s refusal to participate? He never made any backup plans?”
“Every so often he’d pop up with something, but I always put him off the idea. You see, Hunter should have been my child, but Fauster refused me the one thing I most desired. No, don’t ask me why I’ve stayed with him. The day will come, and when time passes, you will probably understand. Now, I had chosen Hunter’s bride years ago, in spite of what Fauster had planned.”
Lamenta watched as Tatiana looked at AnnaBelle. “You see, Fauster’s biggest downfall is that he always underestimates me. He has never respected the power of the witch or Mother Earth. In his mind there is only human and vampire. The power in between demands recognition whether he believes in it or not. AnnaBelle, you are learning to harness the power through casting spells. Just as Blue is learning. But Tatiana is able to do more than just combine ingredients and speak fancy words. One day she shall possess a power greater than hers, or mine. From birth, Tatiana, you have had more strength than I, but your stupid father would not allow me to nurture it.”
Suddenly the door to the ladies room opened and the woman who had taken their order came inside. “I am so sorry to intrude. I’ve just served your food and there are two very handsome men, and one quite nasty and rude one, demanding your presence. Please go back so they will leave me alone!”
Lamenta nodded first. “Very well, dear girl.” She reached into her purse, pulling out several folded envelopes. “Open these tonight, with Hunter. Promise me you won’t open them before.”
Tatiana nodded slowly, looking at the envelopes before pushing them into her purse. Lamenta stood and looked from Tatiana to AnnaBelle. “You are both such dear girls. I don’t know how Iain and Hunter got so lucky!” She then led the way to the table like a proud queen leading her troops into battle.
Epilogue
Hunter stretched out across the king-sized bed in the bridal suite he had rented for two nights. Tatiana was still in the bathroom and he turned down all the lights before he opened the chilled bottle of champagne that Iain and AnnaBelle had sent up to the room a few minutes after they said goodbye to the others after their meal.
Blue had to be persuaded to leave with the promise of her favorite video and a stop for some “real” ice cream. She didn’t know that “her Tat” would be leaving in a few days for Australia. Tomorrow they were stopping by to bring up the idea, and then return to the hotel. The following day they would return to get the rest of their belongings before their flight. Hopefully by presenting the idea she would adjust as well as she had to her parents being gone. Of course, Blue would still have her mommy and daddy this time, but even they knew the extent to which Tatiana was a big part of all their lives.
It would take a few days to finish his business in Australia and close his apartment. He wanted to show Tatiana a few of his favorite places in Oz and then they’d come back to New York City. Despite Iain’s protests that they were welcome at his home, Hunter knew it would be best for them to find a place of their own. Somewhere close to both AnnaBelle and Tatiana’s aunt would be ideal, but they’d worry about that later. For now, he was going to enjoy his wedding night…and his bride.
The bathroom door opened and a moment later Tatiana was standing in the doorway. Dressed in the palest of pinks possible, she looked beautiful. A long silky nightgown draped her body, one moment revealing her shape, and then just as effectively concealing her enticing curves. It was made of silk with skinny, fragile straps. The urge to ease those straps off her slender shoulders and down her arms until her breasts were slowly revealed was close to overwhelming. Instead, he jumped to his feet to pour the chilled champagne.
“I thought we would try the champagne that Iain sent up.”
Tatiana came toward him, smiling. It took him a moment to realize that she was looking at the silky boxer shorts he was wearing. He had refused a bachelor party, but Iain, Fauster and he had enjoyed a drink late yesterday afternoon. Iain had handed him a small wrapped box, muttering something about saving it to open on his wedding night.
“I like the shorts,” Tatiana whispered, accepting the glass of bubbling liquid.
Hunter flushed. The shorts were a cream-colored silk, decorated with bright red hearts. Gesturing toward them, he explained. “A present that Iain gave me yesterday, with strict instructions not to open until tonight. Now I know why!”
Tatiana laughed softly. “No, really. I like them.”
“Great! I married a woman with the same sense of humor as my sister! The note inside the package was written in AnnaBelle’s handwriting.”
“What did it say?” Tatiana asked, sipping from the tall fluted crystal.
“It said ‘follow your heart.’ I should have guessed since I was told not to open it until we were alone. Iain must have been under penalty of banishment to get him to deliver it to me without a warning.”
“It’s sweet, really.” Tatiana set her glass aside. “Actually, I have some things from Lamenta. Remember how she changed the topic each time you brought up where we might live?”
Hunter nodded, sitting on the bed as Tatiana walked over to her purse. A few moments later she returned with something in her hand. Once she was seated, she sorted through them. The thickest she passed to Hunter.
“That is the deed to Lamenta’s building, Hunter. She had already completed everything, transferring ownership to me.”
“When she refused to discuss the subject after you returned to the table, I thought she was offering to let us live with her for awhile. How can we accept this? It’s way too much.”
Tatiana held her palms up, her frustration obvious to him. “I know, I know. But nothing I said made a difference. She finally handed me these envelopes and made me promise not to open them until tonight, when we were alone. Oh, and there was one more thing.”
Hunter glanced up from the deed. He had just seen the appraised value for the building and was still reeling in shock. “Damn! She can’t afford to do this! Sorry, go on, sweetheart.”
“She insists that she can afford it, and that she will be fine. And no, she isn’t going to live with Fauster. That was made abundantly clear.”
“They must have had a huge fight in the loft before Iain and I got there to pick them up. There was this stony silence all the way to the courthouse, except for her telling Fauster to ‘bite her,’ and it wasn’t said in a jesting manner.”
“I could tell something was different. She was upset with Fauster, but it goes deeper than what she is willing to discuss with me.” Tatiana paused for a moment. “Did you talk with AnnaBelle?”
Hunter looked up from the deed again. He saw the uncertainly in his bride’s eyes. “Yeah, we talked. Thanks for pushing her to approach me; otherwise I doubt I ever would have said anything.”
“I know you didn’t want to risk your relationship. But I think the two of you will only be stronger because of sharing this. It isn’t your fault that Fauster has been so single-minded about this whole silly thing.”
“He’s gotten it into his mind that some terrible evil will rise up in the future and no human or known vampire will be able to fight it. Maybe he’s right, but I’ve never seen any signs of it, nor has Iain. After things settle down, I will look into it more thoroughly. Hopefully I can set Fauster’s mind at rest.” He folded up the deed and replaced it in the envelope. “What else do you have there?”
“I’m not sure. I wasn’t supposed to open it until tonight.” Tatiana opened the sealed envelope and pulled out one of Lamenta’s signature pieces of paper she used to write letters to her friends. The unusual scent Lamenta used drifted out as Tatiana opened the paper. “It’s addressed to us both.”
“Go ahead and read it, darling. I can’t imagine she’s given a gift greater than a place to live.”
Tatiana smiled and nodded her head.
“Dear Hunter and my dearest Tatiana, this is a day
I have looked forward to for more years than I can possibly say. There is so much to tell you both and yet I am unsure as to where to start. I guess the beginning was forty-five years ago when I first met Fauster. For a man over seven hundred and fifty odd years old, he knew precious little about women, and even less about the world he lived in. I was foolish and let my heart guide me to him. Needless to say I couldn’t sway him from his chosen path, but I could sway others.”
Tatiana looked up and met Hunter’s eyes staring right back. He couldn’t find the words at the moment, but he was guessing that Lamenta referred to Fauster’s “grand scheme” for breeding a super-human vampire. Tatiana could tell it unnerved him, though, when she spoke of “swaying others.” A few seconds later Tatiana shrugged and went on.
“I knew you well enough, Hunter, to know long before Fauster that you would never agree to such a ridiculous plan. I had my own plans, you see. Hunter, do you remember receiving a letter a few months ago that had little cut out faeries that were from Blue?”
Tatiana looked up and Hunter nodded. At the time he had thought it was such a sweet little girl thing for Blue to do, send him these tiny pixie outlines in sparkling paper.
“Well, they were also from me, Hunter,” Tatiana continued. “It was a spell I cast to bring you to New York City. I felt the time was right, and I believed that Tatiana was finally healed from her ordeal. Yes, Tatiana, I knew all along about your father. Release your guilt, my dearest niece. That wretched man your father forced you to wed didn’t die because of you. As for your father, once I had you safely over here with me, I gave him a nasty case of boils for a year.”
“Oh my God!” Tatiana interjected as she lowered the paper. “My mother said my father was seeing the doctor a lot, but she never said why!”
“Well, it kept him out of the pig mire anyway!” Hunter grinned when Tatiana giggled a moment later.
“We are bad,” Tatiana added before she continued reading from the letter. “As far as my diary goes, Tatiana, I lied. The name you saw written in next to Hunter’s was a deliberate deception on my part. I know how people can get when they think someone is meddling in their lives. Even if all you do is put two eggs into a bowl. That doesn’t make it your fault if they crack and make an omelet.”
Tatiana stopped again as Hunter covered the letter with his hand. He waited until she lifted his eyes to hers. “Hello, egg, nice to know you.”
The knowledge and meaning of his words dawned on Tatiana and she shook her head. “She couldn’t do that. I mean, she would not do that. All my life, as far back as I can recall, Lamenta talked about using one’s power wisely and how much trouble you could get into if you tried to manipulate life events and people.”
“Why in the world did I suddenly decide to come and visit AnnaBelle and Iain, just when they are going to be out of town? I mean, sure, we had talked about celebrating the birthday, but nothing was set in stone.”
“What about the sudden replacement needed at the conference in Europe? Surely she didn’t manipulate… I am sure this is all just wishful thinking on her part, Hunter. It is quite possible, due to her feelings for Fauster, that she wanted to have a permanent link with him, through us.”
Hunter grinned and curved his hand to cup her jaw. “It is possible, my love. Only since I met you have I come to truly believe in the power of love.”
Tatiana turned her head and pressed her lips to his palm. As she looked back at him, she smiled. “I love you so much, it aches.”
“I know, Tatiana. I feel the same. The ache stops when we are together. Does she say anything else in there before I start making some mad, passionate honeymoon love with you?” Hunter added a moment later, grinning.
“She says that she loves us both and doesn’t want us dwelling or worrying in the past. That’s it.” Tatiana folded the letter. “Oh, and she said she had just one request for giving me the dowry of the building.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that. Okay, what is it? It better not be for our first born child.”
“No. Lamenta just wanted to recommend a name for a daughter, should we have one.”
Hunter shook his head slowly. “Why do I have the feeling that she already knows how many kids we will have and what sex they will be?”
Tatiana giggled. “Don’t be silly, darling. Nobody knows that kind of stuff. She said she liked the name ‘Taryn’ and if she’d had a daughter, that’s what she’d wanted to name her.”
“Taryn. I like the name. Taryn Blue.”
Tatiana moved the envelopes and papers off the sheets and comforter before she pushed her husband back on the bed. Lightly leaning on his chest, she pressed her lips to his for but a second. “I was thinking about combining our last names.”
“Taryn Silverthorne-Blue? With a hyphen?”
“No. I like Taryn Silver Blue.”
Hunter rolled them in the bed. He began sliding the straps down her arms, caressing her soft skin as he went. When he covered her right breast with his hand, his eyes met hers again. “That, my love, is the name of a super-heroine if I’ve heard one!” His mouth hovered above hers for a second to whisper. “Now let’s get busy and make her!”
--The End--
About The Author:
Mlyn lives in Indiana, USA. She worked as a Registered Nurse for 23 years in Pediatrics. Reading Barbara Cartland and Harlequin romance novels in high school spurred her to start writing. She did technical writing for her employers until she started writing erotica four years ago. She began her own website for people to view her stories. Mlyn is single and lives with her cranky cat Georgia, whom she named after her favorite artist for inspiration, Georgia O’Keeffe.
Mlyn welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at P.O. Box 787, Hudson, Ohio 44236-0787.
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