He stepped forward and took my hands, “I don’t know why it’s happening so soon, mi amado, but I do know that…I love you. I’m not questioning the way things have happened. I’m just following my heart.”
This was no surprise to me. I knew deep down that I loved the warrior standing in front of me, there was no denying it. Remembering back to that dream, I truly thought he was mine. After all the years, the dream finally makes sense. I took one of his hands and placed a kiss across his knuckles. “D…Dragus, mi amor, I love you, t…too.”
“Come, you need not worry about my clothes. Let me take care of your needs first,” he whispered as he pulled me toward the basement stairs. “We only have a few minutes before Lydia gets here, and I must return to the forest.”
Having Dragus there, helped with the shaking in my hands, but until I’m able to sink my fangs into his neck, my throat would still feel parched. Once inside the room, he dropped his leather jacket in the chair by the door and then took a seat on the bed.
I immediately sat across his lap and nuzzled his neck. After a kiss on his vein, I bit into his tasty neck. The blood flowed into my mouth and I was so relieved to have him here. Bagged blood could not compare to the blood of a warrior. Man, I wanted to stay here and nip on him all night, but I knew our time was limited. I released him and healed his neck before he tossed me on my back across the bed. This was his preferred method of taking blood from me. I didn’t care, because I felt safe while he would hover over me during his feeding. It was an obsessive, primal act on his part; like an animal protecting its kill.
That was the first time in a very long time that I had let myself get almost to the point of bloodlust. Now that I was back to normal, Dragus and I needed to talk about this bonding.
Bonding was a very odd and complicated thing that happened between immortals. It’s an internal magnetism that draws two soul mates together. Everyone I have ever met who has been through this says it’s pure unadulterated magic and to never question it. Once you find your true soul mate in the world, the bonding just seals the deal. Was Dragus my soul mate? My heart clinched when I imagined him not in my life and it swelled when the idea of us forever blazed into my mind.
Before I opened my mouth to speak, I heard Lydia entering the kitchen above us. Her tiny heels clicked across the tile floor and then her voice echoed down the stairs. After a soft kiss on his lips, I got up to greet my guest. Our conversation would have to wait.
Once in the kitchen, Dragus and Ashby spoke for a few minutes. I eyed the soiled boots by the back door. The need to clean those boots was gnawing at my gut. My mind was fixated on them sitting there just waiting to be cleaned. He needed to be taken care of. Dragus caught my arm as I walked past him to the laundry room.
“Leave them,” he whispered. “They’re just going to get muddy again.” I nodded and looked over to see Lydia staring back at me puzzled. After a swift kiss, the Krieger exited the kitchen door to resume their search of Shepherd’s Forest.
“What’s with the boots?” she asked, skeptical.
“They were dirty. I just wanted to clean them for him.” I shrugged, because I wasn’t ready to tell her about the bonding.
“Why are you so worried about the boots, Charity? Now if it were your boots, I could understand the panic, but Dragus’. I mean, come on! Why…Oh!” Her assessment stopped dead when she realized what was going on. I flinched as she stared. Then I swear I saw the light bulb flicker over her head; blaring to life. “You did it! Didn’t you? You’ve bonded with him.”
“Not completely, but it’s starting,” I admitted. “Don’t make a big deal about it. We haven’t had much time to really be a couple yet, and we surely don’t understand it.”
I took a seat at the kitchen table while Lydia poured herself a glass of wine. She watched me carefully for a few minutes before asking questions. “What happened?”
Explaining was a hard task to accomplish, but I managed to word it enough for her to understand. The feeling of knowing when he is close; the pull of his body and mind to mine was the hardest to explain. Lydia was fascinated by the whole process, just as much as I was. I continued on with the feeling of being whole when we were together, and the feeling of being safe around him.
“Those boots triggered it, I think,” I paused to take a deep breath. Remembering his dirty boots caused a miniature tremor to rattle my body. “Damn, Lydia, I was so obsessed about cleaning those boots, I forgot how thirsty I was. Dragus had to shake me to get me to think straight again.”
“From what I understand, it’s a natural thing and don’t fight it. Fighting the natural instinct that is your vampire nature will only cause more heartache. As long as you love him, you need to just go with it. He loves you. Anyone can see that; the way he watches you, it’s like he’s looking at the sunrise for the first time.” She shrugged and refilled her goblet, this time adding a little B positive to the mix.
A couple of hours before sunrise, Ashby and Dragus returned from the forest. The search had been called off for the night and it was time for Lydia to return home. We hugged and she promised to come back over the next night, right after she made her trip to the Red Cross.
Dragus had removed his filthy boots in the laundry room and I noticed his pants were wet all the way up to his knees. Before I could be stopped, I materialized next to the washing machine and grabbed them. Once I had them in the sink, I started meticulously scrubbing and scraping the mud off of the soles.
Now that I was content that all of the muck was removed, I turned to Dragus, who was sitting patiently at the kitchen table. His pants legs had been rolled up so they wouldn’t drag on the kitchen floor.
“Now strip,” I ordered. “Let me throw those in the washer, then I want you to go shower.” He smiled; a little smug. I held out my hand and watched him peel off the jeans and Krieger shirt that was covered in grass and mud.
Dragus stood in his birthday suit in my kitchen while I tossed his clothes in the wash. When I turned around, it took all of my willpower not to stare at his muscular chest or any other part of his body. But I was on a mission. He needed to get clean.
“Come, mi amor, let me bath you,” I purred. He reached out for my hand and pulled me to his chest. His brushed his dirty knuckles across my cheek, but I didn’t care. He tucked me close to his side and we made our way into my bathroom.
I pushed him under the warm spray of water as he smiled. I lathered up a washcloth and started on his shoulders, methodically working my way down each arm. The dirt and grime washed down the drain with each pass of the cloth. His chest was fairly clean, but I still paid close attention to it anyway. I was infatuated with his smooth muscles that contoured his body there. His legs and feet were next. After I washed his back, I turned him around and placed my hands on that chest I loved so much. Of course, I did not resist the urge to fondle his dark nipples until they were tight. Although he was hard for me, I ignored the pulsing muscle between his legs.
Dragus took the cloth and repeated the favor to me this time. His massive hands touched me softer than a feather when he caressed my breasts, paying close attention to each one. I moaned when he rolled the ends between his fingers. The action made the spot between my legs ache for his touch. He must have read my inner feelings, or his own desire was too much to handle. He finished in quite a hurry and then dried me off before using his speed to take me to the bed.
“I love you, mi amado,” he whispered as he kissed a trail down to one breast.
“Mi amor, mi vida,” I moaned as he took my nipple into his mouth. His tongue rolled around its peak, with an occasional nip from one of his fangs. As he moved over to the other breast, he slid his hand down to feel the wetness at my core. I arched my back as he slid his fingers across my clit, teasing it. Dragus slowly dipped his fingers inside me, finding me eager for him.
My hands grabbed a handful of his hair as I pulled his face up to mine. My need was peaking and I couldn’t wait much longer. My hands slid down to cares
s his length. The result was a primal growl that vibrated the bed beneath us. The ability to sense his emotions only increased the desire for his body.
The electricity in my body peaked and I begged him to take me. When he entered me, I gasped from the intrusion, but it was still welcome. He must have felt my tension between my thighs and paused for a second. I dug my nails into his hips, urging him forward. “Dragus, please,” I begged. We moved together as one in a beautiful dance. His eyes never left mine as he moved slower within me. The feeling of pure love assaulted my senses. My mind took in all of his emotions openly.
The need for his blood spiked. I struck his vein like a rabid snake, but I couldn’t help myself. Only a few mouthfuls before I felt the charge in my body ready to explode. Before I could release him, his own need took over. Dragus pumped faster causing me to let go. He immediately bit into the vein on my neck and I lost it. I came with such force that I couldn’t get him inside me fast enough, deep enough. We both growled as we came together and then Dragus collapsed beside me on the bed.
“I love you,” I whispered. My body relaxed and I felt at ease. It was a combination of the love we just made and the pull of death coming quick, as sunrise was only minutes away.
Dragus wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. I breathed in his musky scent and I felt myself relax. “Sleep, my love, I will be here when you awaken.” With nothing more than a slight brush of lips on mine, I went under as the sun came over the horizon.
Chapter 11
Charity
I awoke to find Dragus’ yellow eyes peering lovingly into mine. His golden stare reached into the depths of my soul. The magnetic pull all but vanished when we were close. Something was off about his stare, and it only took seconds before I realized what it was. His expression was as shocked as I felt when I realized his eyes were no longer blue.
“Your eyes!” we both spoke at the same time. Dragus pulled me out of the bed. We materialized in front of the mirror over the bathroom sink.
“What happened to our eyes?” I whispered as I stood there looking at us in the mirror. His breathtaking smile mesmerized me momentarily.
“We’ve completed the bond, my lady,” he bowed, traditional style; hand over heart. He looked a little strange standing there completely unclothed. “You are now mine, and therefore I am now yours.”
Our love making the night before sealed the bond between us and now we were considered as one. Now everyone around me must address me as ‘Lady Charity’. It was official; I was a Lady of the Krieger. I had heard of this before. As a bonded mate, my eyes would change color showing that I was mated to a warrior. This also meant my status within the vampire world had just jumped up a hundred fold. Dragus being the head of the Krieger in the area meant I was now like the First Lady of our kind for Port Royal. I am officially a princess!
“We must contact the Queen,” I whispered. “Prepare her for The Joining.”
“I will send the request for the Queen immediately and you, my love get to plan the ceremony,” he laughed.
The Joining was similar to a human wedding ceremony. An elegant dress, the exchanging of vows, and a blood exchange will complete the bond. The thought of it made me want to jump up and down. The little girl inside me was overjoyed at the thought of The Joining.
I grabbed a clean towel and slung it over my shoulder. Dragus followed me into the shower, since he couldn’t seem to be away from me this evening.
“Dragus, you are going to have to let me go sometime,” I laughed, a little later while we were curled up together in bed. His hands never left my body; always touching, stroking, memorizing every part of me. He kissed my lips, my face, and my shoulders so many times I lost count. At no point, since we awoke this evening, did Dragus remove his hands from some part of my body.
“I will never let you go, my lady,” he smiled.
“You know what I mean,” I laughed.
After a quick frolic in the shower, we were dressed and upstairs when Lydia arrived. There was no hiding the bond from her, so I made sure she was able to see the beautiful gold color of my eyes when she stepped in the door.
“Oh! Oh! Charity,” she seemed at a loss for words. She looked back and forth between us with her mouth gaping open. Reality struck her and she automatically curtsied with a fist over her heart. “Lady Charity.” When she looked up there were tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.
“Lydia, you do not need to call me that,” I begged. It was a little uncomfortable having my maker and best friend address me as royalty. Dragus pulled me closer to him and leaned in to kiss the top of my head.
Before Lydia could berate me any more on my new status, Ashby and Rowland walked inside the kitchen. They didn’t hesitate, like Lydia, when they noticed my new eye color. The warriors immediately bowed; fist over heart.
“My lady,” they both greeted me in unison.
I started to protest, but Dragus stopped me with a kiss on my lips. “I must start work, mi amor. You and Ms. Lydia better get to preparing for our Joining.” One more kiss and they were gone.
Lydia watched my every move from across the room. While I sat there letting Lydia look over me, like I was a whole different woman, I felt Dragus getting further away from me. The magnetic pull didn’t hurt me, but the further away he was, the tighter the pressure in my chest was. I looked out the window over the sink to see if I could find him. The only thing I saw was the back of his jacket as he disappeared into the trees. I sent him a silent message, be safe, mi amor. In response, I felt the velvet touch of his lips to mine.
“Okay,” I turned to see Lydia still looking at me like I had grown horns or something. “What!” I had to snap my fingers in front of her eyes to get her attention.
“How?” she stuttered.
“I don’t know how. It just happened,” I shrugged. “We made love last night and I woke up like this.” I gestured toward my eyes.
“I’m happy for you Charity. I just don’t understand how it happened so quickly,” she paused. “Do you love him?”
“Oh, yes! He’s so different with me than he is when he’s in his warrior mode. Lydia, I’m so happy,” I started crying, happy tears.
For the next few hours, we talked about plans for The Joining. We used the internet to look at dresses and banquet halls for the ceremony. Lydia took it upon herself to be the planner. This made things so much easier for me.
My cell phone rang right around midnight; it was Kai. “Dr. Mason and I have gotten the Wolfsbane and are working on mother’s potion. Tell Lydia I said ‘Thank You’ for the help with the herbs.”
“How much longer before you have something to try?” I asked, skeptical.
“A day or two, maybe,” she paused. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time to talk. I just wanted you to know what’s going on. Dr. Mason is waiting on me in the lab. I’ll call you later.”
The potion may be ready in a few days. I wondered where Adam was in the forest. He wasn’t very happy with me the last time we connected. Lydia wondered if I should try to connect with him, but I wasn’t sure. Adam is getting close to the end of his transformation and may not be able to use his telepathy.
“I’m going to try,” I whispered. “Dragus will be mad, but I need to check on him.”
“Should you call Dragus first?” Lydia asked.
I laughed and then sighed heavily, “No, as soon as I try to use my telepathy, he will know. Doesn’t matter anyway, he can’t stop me from using my powers.”
Lydia and I both knew that as Dragus will be mad, but we didn’t care. She knew that I was stubborn enough to continue to try to help.
Just as I stood up, the pull on my mind increased and I knew that there was no need to connect to Adam, because he was calling to me.
“Lydia,” I gasped. “He’s trying to connect to me.”
“Go ahead, Charity,” her voice faded in my ears.
I closed my eyes and stood there in the doorway to the living room; arms raised out to my s
ide.
“Adam, come to me,” I begged. Adam’s mind was almost a complete blur. I couldn’t see where he was or what he was seeing. A red haze covered his vision as I tried to get inside his mind. He was deep inside the forest as far as I could tell, with the limited site I had through his mind. His thoughts were jumbled and I only caught parts of what he was thinking. Instead of speaking aloud, I used my thoughts to try to connect with his.
Adam? If you can understand me, I want you to meet me here at my home in four nights. We may have found the potion you need. A witch, Mistress Kai, is working with the doctors to find a cure. I waited and all I got were feelings of mental relief and of physical pain. Now that I knew what to expect, the pain in Adam’s body was almost tolerable. Although the connection made my head throb, I managed to hold onto his mind long enough to catch a few words.
Can’t…attacking…stop…try…help. And that was all I could get out of him. He was changing fast and only had six days before the next full moon. I tried to clamp down on the connection, not wanting to give up, but just like all the other times, his mind slipped away too soon.
My eyes flashed open and I was looking up into the eyes of several Krieger and Lydia. Had she run for help when I was under? If she did, I was going to smack her pretty little head. Dragus was peering at me through the slits in his yellow eyes. They all breathed a sigh as I tried to get up from the floor.
Dragus held out one hand and of course, like an idiot, I took it. He took us directly to the bedroom in my basement. He was angry.
“Why…What…Why did you connect to him?” Oh boy, he was so mad, he couldn’t speak. His eyes were the color of blood and his lips were pulled over sharp fangs. This was not a good sign. I flinched back from him when he let out a territorial growl. Honestly when he did that, it scared the hell out of me. Then my fear turned to anger.
Blood & Roses: Warriors of the Krieger Page 17