by CJ England
The room was silent as they felt the Power leave as gently as it had come. Kira and Gallegar turned and looked at each other.
He shook his head. It was strange. Even though the dream had reminded him of who she was, they were still strangers in so many ways. But at the same time, it was as if they had known each other always. It explained the feeling of familiarity he had felt when he saw her for the first time. It also accounted for the deep desire and need he felt for her.
"A Ghra ... Forgive me for not remembering you. For hurting you.” Gallegar pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I am sorry."
Kira smiled at him once he'd raised his head. “We understand each other now. I too had the dream, but in vision form. But it did not help me make you understand.” She caressed his jaw with a soft hand. “I am sorry I hurt you."
Gallegar snorted. “It was barely enough to pull me back. I would rather have ceased to exist than to stop tasting you.” His eyes glowed for a moment. “You were too good to let go. It was not just your blood, but your power that drew me."
Kira nodded. “It is the power that draws us together. I knew I needed to come to you since I awoke."
"Awoke?"
"Yes.” Kira looked away from him and her thoughts showed plainly in those expressive eyes.
He noticed her neck was still bleeding and, with a curse, he raised himself up and took a handkerchief from his pocket.
"Here,” he muttered as he pressed it down on her ravaged neck. “This will stop the bleeding."
He rearranged them on the couch more comfortably, pulling Kira gently into his lap. “Tell me about this awakening. How did you come to be here?"
Kira stared at him thoughtfully. “It is hard to explain. I remember waking up in this room lit with a blue light. I lay naked on a table, but I was not cold. I was alone in the room and was frightened. I did not know who I was or where I had come from. My past was lost to me. While I had knowledge of how to live, and the experience to know many things, much was kept from me. I sat up on the table and looked around for something to help explain where I was, but the room was empty. Just the table, me and the blue light that came from nowhere, yet filled the room."
She shivered and Gallegar tightened his arms around her. “I felt her presence come into the room."
"Her?” Gallegar questioned intently.
Kira shrugged. “I think of the Power as female. Something about the way she speaks to me and how she moves.” She shrugged again. “It is hard to explain."
"Not so hard. Now that you say it, the Power did have a feminine feel to it. Almost a mothering sense to her."
"Yes!” Kira nodded in agreement. “That is exactly what I thought."
"What happened next?” Gallegar couldn't help but brush his lips over her hair as Kira settled closer to him.
"Clothes appeared and she told me to get dressed. She gave me the coat and hat and my backpack filled with supplies and extra clothing. She made me eat something. Once I was done, she led me outside and gave me the vision that told me my name, where I was to go and who I was to find."
"Me,” Gallegar said huskily.
Kira nodded. “You. She gave me the words to say and told me not to worry, that she would help me when needed."
He gently removed the bloodstained cloth from her neck and checked the wound he had made. “She almost left it too late. Vampires have an anticoagulant in their saliva. It takes a while for a wound to stop bleeding, but yours seems to be stopping quickly."
"My power?"
"Perhaps.” He smoothed her hair away from the torn skin, wishing he could remove the wound all together.
"Anyway,” Kira went on. “I walked to the outskirts of town and found a cab. He brought me here, even though I had to argue with him to do so.” She frowned at the memory.
Gallegar chuckled. “You are not the type to come play at my club. You look human. We are not."
"I may have been human once, but I am not anymore,” she stated and there was conviction in her voice. “I do not know what I am."
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then put a finger under her chin to bring her face up to his. “Whatever you are, why ever you have come, we will find out together."
She smiled tremulously. “For the first time since I woke up on that table, I feel safe.” She laughed. “Fancy feeling safe with a vampire.” She smiled wider. “I know the stories. You were very scary. But now you are not so bad."
Gallegar grinned at her and then, not being able to help himself, brought his lips gently to hers.
Kira's laughter shut off immediately as his lips moved over hers. Her breath stopped in her throat as a wave of feeling went through her. He groaned against her mouth and she couldn't help a shiver of emotion that made her tremble. His arms tightened around her, but he moved his mouth so it caressed her cheek. He slowly kissed his way up her jaw line to her ear and his hands began to move possessively over her.
"Closer, A Ghra ... I need to be closer to you. The Power spoke to us of joining. What must we do to join? Show me what I must do."
She took a deep breath and went still ... waiting.
Gallegar stroked her hair and relaxed, remembering the Power's promise the knowledge would be there when it was needed.
After several long minutes, she stirred in his lap. Sitting upright, she met his green eyes with hers. Her fingers trembled as she began to unbutton the close fitting shirt he wore.
"I must be able to touch your skin."
"What do I do?"
"Joining is not only a physical act, but a psychic one. Our souls will unite and it will leave a mark on our bodies for all to see."
"What kind of mark?” he asked. “My people heal and do not scar."
"This one will. It will be a brand that shows our joining."
"What do I do?” he repeated himself.
She hesitated.
"Kira?"
She sighed and looked at him. “You must reopen the wound on my neck."
"Bite you there again? Are you sure?” He was surprised the Power would want him to do that a second time.
"You need blood to live. It must be a part of the joining."
"Am I to feed?"
She didn't answer for a moment. When she raised her face to him he could see the confusion. “I am not sure. I think we will know as we join."
"And what is your part in this?” Gallegar asked, searching her eyes.
She bit her lip. No answer.
"Kira?"
A sigh. “I will brand you with fire."
He started to laugh. He kissed her again when Kira looked at him like he had lost his mind. “If we hadn't been so hasty before, we could have joined the first time I fed on you."
She snorted. “I do not think joining was on our mind at that time. Both of us were too busy fighting with each other!"
"Too true!” Gallegar agreed. He caught her hand where it rested against his bare chest and raised it to his lips. “But there will be no more fighting between us."
She smiled, her eyes caressing him and he felt something move in him he thought was long dead.
"No more fighting,” she agreed.
He arranged her on his lap so he would have easier access to her neck. “I am ready. Can you get to where you need to?"
"Yes.” Kira's voice was soft and when he looked at her, he saw her eyes had started to glow. His eyes answered hers with their own hot glowing green.
"A Ghra..."
"Now! Do it now!"
At her words, Gallegar sank his fangs into her neck, precisely in the same wounds he had made before. He was more careful with her this time. Gentler. As the blood began to flow, he somehow knew he was to feed, but lightly. It was the transference of the blood that made the difference, not the quantity. She stiffened and moaned as the pain took her and without thinking, he used his power to gentle her, to stop her from hurting.
Kira felt the pain lessen and as she lay in his arms, the knowledge of what she needed to do f
illed her mind. She spoke...
” Gallegar, King of the Vampires.
I am yours and you are mine.
We share one heart, one soul, one mind.
My heart is yours, my blood is thine.
Together, peace we both will find.
My heart to yours, to bring you life.
Your life to keep me from all strife.
Together we will always be.
One soul throughout eternity."
As she spoke, Gallegar felt the power flow from her and into him. It was hot and wild, filled with strength and emotion. He felt her move her hand beneath his shirt and press firmly over his heart. A moment later a sharp burning bit into his flesh. He groaned into her neck, uncomfortable, yet at the same time feeling the need for something more. As if in response to his unasked for plea, the power moved from her hand and ripped into his heart.
Gallegar's body arched in reaction as his heart, six hundred years inert, came apart within him. He lifted his mouth from Kira's throat and screamed in agony. Her power soothed him as it caressed his heart with unseen hands.
Thump ... Thump ... Thump ... He could feel the power squeezing his heart in rhythmic beats. Once ... twice ... a third time. Then the power slipped away from him, yet his heart continued it's pumping.
His heart was beating again!
Gallegar wept into Kira's neck, mixing his tears with her blood. She had made a miracle happen.
He was alive.
The words for their joining were placed in his mind.
"Kira ... A Ghra...
You have shared with me your heart,
You have shared with me your blood.
Forever I will stand by your side.
Taking care of you ... protecting you ... loving you.
I am for you, you are for me.
One soul throughout eternity."
At his words, the pain in Kira's neck lessened. A sensation of coolness moved over the wound as his tears washed over her. Kira took his face between her hands and looked at him, emotion sparkling in her eyes.
"I give you my heart. You give me your life. Together in eternity ... forever."
She kissed away the tears on his face. His hand was once again in her hair as he moved her lips to join with his.
"A Ghra ... You give me your heart. I give you my life. Together in eternity ... forever."
He spoke the words just before his mouth came down on hers. This time there was heat mixed with the gentleness. Kira tasted both her blood and his tears. As his lips parted hers in an intimate kiss, the taste became stronger. His tongue moved against hers in a fiery dance that matched her heartbeat to his. She could feel his newly beating heart pounding against her breasts. His hands caught both sides of her face as he deepened the kiss.
She tasted like he'd always known she would. In the dreams, he had awoken before he could kiss her. Here, the dream was real and he was kissing his lovely moon flower deeply, with a depth of passion he was just beginning to remember.
He pressed her against the back of the couch enjoying the feeling of her softness against him ... of their hearts beating in tandem. His hands left her face and ran down her sides. He grasped her soft hips and pulled them against his, pressing his throbbing erection into the junction of her legs.
He was so strong, so hard. Just as he should be. Kira felt him press into her body, felt his throbbing presence against her thigh, and she melted against him. The new emotions she was feeling swam through her. She put her arms around him and met his kiss with one of her own. Long, deep ... hard. She heard him groan into her mouth and suddenly they were lying flat on the couch, him above her, his arousal pressed into her softness.
"A Ghra...” he murmured as his hands ran over her body. He cupped her breasts in his hands and massaged them gently. He yearned to feel her naked skin against his palms, as he moved his hands across erect nipples.
"Gallegar!” Kira gasped, her body writhing under his knowing hands. She was drowning in his taste, his smell, the feel of him. Her hands traced the muscles in his chest, and she felt a female triumph as he shuddered under them.
Their lips met once more, tasting each other. Her tongue hit one of his fangs and was nicked. His inhalation of breath as he tasted the fresh blood made her tremble, but he flicked the drop of blood away and used his mouth to gentle her once again.
He felt her trembling grow stronger. Groaning, he removed his mouth from hers. He found he was shaking as well. “Are you all right?"
Kira opened her eyes, her brain fuzzy from his nearness. He leaned over her, his eyes intent.
"I do not know what I am feeling.” She traced her finger across his lips and reaching up, ran her fingers through his long hair. “I am hot all over, and I want to be even closer to you than I already am. How can that be possible?"
Gallegar shivered as her fingers moved, massaging his scalp. He sensed her inexperience, but that innocence was part of what attracted him. He would be the first to try the passion that shimmered underneath her surface. That thought made him go rock-hard with need. He drew away and lifted himself up on his elbows above Kira. He gazed down at the glowing eyes and kiss-swollen mouth.
"You are so beautiful,” he said hoarsely. “I have been waiting for you all these years.” He brushed a kiss down her nose and pressed one more on her lips.
"We are just beginning ... you ... and me. My heart and my body want so badly to continue this, but I believe a more private place is needed. Will you go with me? Will you allow me to love you the way I have dreamed of doing for a century?"
Kira lay quietly staring at him. Her body was warm and willing for him. He was still hard and she could feel him throbbing against her, yet he was allowing her to decide what happened next. Then she remembered something.
"What about that woman ... Charlotte?"
Gallegar stiffened. He opened his mouth to tell her it wasn't her concern, but shut it abruptly when he realized if she were to be his mate, as he was hoping, then it was. He met her gaze squarely, wanting to be honest with her.
"Charlotte was ... a distraction. Nothing more. There was nothing remotely serious between us, no matter what she would have liked you to believe. The moment you walked through the door, she ceased to exist for me. I never understood until now, but I have always been waiting for you."
Kira put her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. As his tongue slipped into her mouth to begin its erotic dance, she surrendered to him. She believed him. The past didn't matter. More importantly, she was astonished to discover she had feelings of love for him. So fast. Was it normal to feel so strongly, so quickly? Or have I been created loving him?
She sensed the Power moving in her mind and as she understood the meaning, she tore her mouth away from his. Tears filled her eyes.
"A Ghra...” Gallegar exclaimed, pulling her tighter against him. “What is it?” He kissed a tear as it ran down her soft cheek. “Tell me."
"I cannot ... not yet,” she stammered. At his puzzled look, she sighed. It was so hard to tell him. For a moment, she rebelled against the need to do so. All she wanted to do was have him hold her ... to love her.
The Power moved again, insistently and she crumbled, leaning her forehead against his. “We now have the ability to share thoughts. It is easier to share this than to speak it.” She met his eyes and he relaxed, understanding this form of communication.
But as what the Power had told Kira filled his mind, Gallegar's entire body tightened. He tensed his jaw and swallowed the knot that formed in his throat. Her eyes overflowed again, and he lifted off of her and sat up so he could pull her into his lap and waiting arms.
"Shhh ... shhh. It will be all right,” he comforted her. He moved back so he could look at her. With his thumbs, he gently wiped the tears from her face.
"But we ... we cannot. I must be...” Her voice trailed off into a sob.
"You must be pure. Chaste.” Gallegar smiled grimly at her. “I understand. But the Power did not
say this was forever. Only now. At this time."
"But I..."
"Being with you is a great gift.” He caught her face between his hands again and kissed her firmly. “As is my newly beating heart. As is your life. We have been blessed. But you have a mission and I am to help you. Perhaps if we ... loved each other physically, it would distract you from your purpose."
Kira looked at him. She blinked the tears away. “But will it not...” She blushed. “Will it not hurt you?” Her cheeks filled with color.
Gallegar grinned. He couldn't help it. His body was still so hard he did ache, but seeing her blush made it almost bearable. “I want you. I want to join our bodies as we have joined our hearts.” He forced her to look him in the eye. To see his desire for her. Fiery green to glowing gold.
"But we can't. Perhaps you could come to harm. I will not put you at risk. We don't know what else is to happen in the future. I can wait."
"You have been waiting a long time."
"I am an immortal. Time has very little meaning to me.” He didn't want her feeling guilty about not being able to mate with him.
"I do not know what I am,” Kira whispered.
"You are mine,” Gallegar growled possessively. He clasped her against him. “Whatever happens we know we belong to each other. Your purity may be a strength you can use to protect yourself. To make your power stronger. No matter how much I want you, I will not take that strength away from you."
Kira thought that over, chewing her lip as she stared at him.
Gallegar smiled at her and tapped his finger against her mouth. “This lip is mine to chew on.” He bent and nipped her full lower lip, then kissed her once more.
When he was finished, he tucked her against his chest with a sigh and willed his body to believe what he had said. A thought crossed his mind.
"Does it bother you I am a vampire? That she sent you to one such as me?” He tensed as he waited for her answer.
Without hesitation, she shook her head. “No,” she said, and her voice left no room for doubt. “You are who you are. Vampire or human, it matters not to me."