Seared by Desire

by Jennifer T. Alli

  “I’ll feed tomorrow.”

  “Yes tomorrow…” she replied languorously, lethargy taking a hold of her.

  “Sara?”

  “Mmm?”

  “Marry me. I want you to be mine in every way that you can be. Maarrrryyy meeee,” he slurred.

  Her tiredness vanished at his words and her head shot up to look at him. She sighed when she found his eyes closed in sleep. She gently touched the messy locks of his hair, stroking her fingers down the pale skin of his cheek. “You look so peaceful when you sleep. I want you to be at peace forever. William is going to give you peace Lucian even if I have to burn it out of him and then yes, I will marry you.”

  Her eyes wandered the room, satisfied that all the curtains were closed and that the harmful rays from the sun wouldn’t manage to touch him. For added reassurance, she pulled the thick cotton sheet over their heads, enveloping them both in the darkness before laying her head down on his chest and succumbing to sleep.

  Chapter Fourteen – An Intimate Betrayal

  Rising should have been an easy task for a vampire, one of the simplest that they completed in their daily lives. All it required was one deep breath to bring their bodies to full consciousness, for their hearts to beat at full pace and for blood to rush through their veins. They didn’t feel the human sensation of sluggishness after a day’s rest. Once they were awake, they were fully prepared to go about their tasks for the night, full of energy and vigour but tonight was different. When Lucian inhaled deeply, he still felt tired. It was a struggle to even open his eyelids and his limbs felt as though they each weighed a tonne. His stomach clenched painfully and the reason for his exhaustion became clear. He couldn’t remember ever being so hungry but he’d never had to heal from sunburn before either.

  He’d felt tired since he’d risen the night before but had shrugged off his tiredness in face of the upcoming meeting with William. The journey to New Malden had passed in a blur, his exhausted mind drifting in and out of consciousness and he’d pushed his tired body to the brink when he’d taken Sara’s luscious little body. As the previous night’s events flooded his mind, he became aware of the weight on his chest.

  Sara, he gasped, forcing his heavy eyes to open.

  He could barely see her face through the thick curls that were scattered all over his chest. He was debating the merits of letting his eyes slide shut when she moved, forcing him to remember the intimacy of their position. Her body was still joined with his and as his tired mind processed that fact, his body rushed forward, his shaft hardening within her in preparation for a second bout. Sara winced, reminding him that their joining had not been entirely painless. Cursing his body for its inconsiderate demands, Lucian tried to take his mind off his little bride and the easy way she affected him. His attempts to take his mind off Sara backfired as hunger rushed to the front of his mind. The pain was so intense that he could barely think. Hunger was never a good thing for a vampire and hunger to the extent Lucian was feeling was dangerous. His eyes wandered back to Sara and as fangs exploded, sharp and deadly, in his mouth he knew that to stay with her any longer was to put her in danger.

  Groaning, he rolled them over until Sara was once again beneath him. It was only the pained expression on her face that prevented him from thrusting his hips against her and bringing her back to full consciousness. He stroked her cheek gently as he withdrew, reassuring her without words that all was well. Though she grimaced and scowled, she didn’t wake and it was on a relieved sigh that Lucian pulled free from the grip his bride had on his body. The smell of dried blood in the air was making his fangs drip with thirst, the monster within him desperate to sink them into her flesh and drink her until it was sated. He threw himself away from her and the room seemed to rotate. It was an effort to stand and he had to stagger back to his clothes, his head spinning as he donned breeches his mind too worn out to bother with a shirt.

  With a final glance back at her, Lucian stumbled out of the room only to be greeted by a crowd of his people clamouring for his attention. As soon as they saw him voices were raised and bodies thrust closer towards him. He rolled his eyes at the display; it was as if they couldn’t function without him telling them expressly how to do so. He let the voices wash over him for a minute before he remembered Sara’s sleeping face. He didn’t want her to see him feed and if the noise continued she would soon wake and leave the bed to find out just what was causing it. While feeding was natural to all vampires, mortals often found the process unnerving and in some cases simply disgusting. Imagining Sara’s beautiful face contorting into a mask of loathing as she watched him do something so vital to him had his already dangerously long fangs lengthen even further.

  “Enough,” he hissed. His voice was low but all those gathered heard it as if he’d shouted. “You will not say another word here. There are two things I want to be done now. Firstly, I want someone to run my bride a hot bath.” It will ease her aches.

  Eyes widened in shock as Lucian confirmed the rumours that had been flying about all night. But none said a word in regard to his revelation; it was easy to believe that Sara was Lucian's bride. He treated her differently to everyone else and sometimes acted as though he were a completely different person when she was nearby.

  “And secondly I want two…” The words trailed off as he began to fully understand the extent of his hunger. When he was exceptionally hungry, he could easily drink from three different sources and he was even hungrier now. “No. I want five donors brought to me.” Sara’s face flashed into his mind, her normally smiling face overcome by betrayal. His heart stuttered, missing a beat. “Men,” he amended. “I only want male donors. Do not bring a woman to me. I will only send her away and be angrier for having to do so. Until both of those tasks have been taken care of I don’t want to hear what you have to say. Am I understood?”

  “Yes my Lord,” the crowd murmured before it began to disperse. All gathered knew that when their Lord had set his mind on doing something in a particular way there was no way to move him from his path.

  “My Lord,” Russell began as he bowed. “You may use my room to feed in if you wish. It will give you some privacy and when you’re finished I’d like to talk to you. It’s important.”

  “Fine,” he growled. “We’ll talk after I’ve fed and then I’m going to deal with William.” His eyes flashed red. “I don’t like the way he was eyeing up my bride last night. I need to make him pay for that and then there will be no doubt as to who is the stronger and more able to lead.”

  Russell nodded, leading the way for Lucian to follow.

  Sara woke not long after Lucian left as though her body had sensed his absence and wanted her to go to him. His strong arms were no longer wrapped around her body, his heartbeat was gone and the peace his cool touch brought had all vanished in an instant. Wincing, she rose from the bed, her eyes scanning the room for traces of him. Her heart sunk when she realised he’d left without even a parting word but she forced the sense of disappointment from her mind. He won’t have gone far, she decided, stunned that she had so quickly come to believe in Lucian. She wrapped her small body in the long length of the cotton sheet before walking to the door, easing her head out of the crack. She didn’t see Lucian but three women saw her. The door was pulled from her grip and she was led forcefully from the room.

  “What are you doing?” she screamed, struggling feebly against their grip as she sought to keep the sheet in place and protect her modesty.

  “We’re taking you to a bath Lady Sara, Lord Lucian has commanded it.”

  “Oh,” she responded inanely, the fight leaving her in an instant. Maybe Lucian's already there waiting for me. Her step quickened.

  The bathing room was small and contained a single ceramic bath. The tub had been filled with hot water and steam flowed freely from the water’s surface. The tiles beneath her bare feet were a calming blue, inviting her to step into the bath, to wash away the sweat from her body and ease the pain she was feeling in h
er unused and exhausted muscles. Though her heart had fallen when she’d realised Lucian wasn’t in the room, the bath was tempting her, beckoning her to sink into its depths. I’ll find Lucian as soon as I’m clean.

  She turned to the three women who’d led her to the bathroom, eyeing them expectantly. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome Lady Sara. Please step into the bath and we will see to your needs.”

  “Excuse me?” she asked incredulously.

  “Step into the bath and we will help you bathe.”

  “I’ve been washing myself for a very long time, I’m sure I can manage without help.”

  “We have to help you Lady Sara, Lord Lucian has commanded it.”

  “He told you to wash me?”

  “He asked that we prepare a bath for his bride. That means you are to be treated as a Lady of the highest standing. No lady washes or dresses herself.”

  “You want to dress me as well?!”

  “Of course.”

  “I won’t stand for it. Just let me do it myself.”

  “We can’t Lady Sara. If Lord Lucian were to find out he would have our heads.”

  “You’re kidding me. Look,” she sighed. “I won’t tell him anything ok?”

  “He will know if we lie. Please, just let us do our jobs.”

  Her body trembled with embarrassment but she let he sheet drop and rushed into the water. The bath was mercifully quick, in all likelihood because Sara scowled every second, cursing fervently and instructing her attendants to hurry. She had let them dress her as well and cursed her way through every second, making the process that much faster. It was not as though she were incompetent; she’d been taking care of herself for years and she had every intention of telling Lucian exactly that when she next saw him. Finally bathed and dressed, she stepped out of her room into the corridor in search of Lucian.

  “Gareth!” she called when she saw Lucian's right hand man walking alone along the corridor.

  He stopped turning towards her a deep frown etched onto his features. “Yes?”

  “You’re in a bad mood,” she commented as she approached. She wanted to find Lucian but she was beginning to care for the people that surrounded him, people who were willing to give up their lives for the sake of his, even Gareth who had acted so aggressively towards her when she’d first arrived.

  “I don’t trust William. He has the blood of a snake running through his veins. I can’t believe that we let Lucian come here in person. He should have just sent me, I would have dealt with it.”

  Sara frowned at his words. “Gareth, I know I haven’t been here for all of your war but from what I’ve seen you’d be the worst person to send to discuss peace.” Gareth scowled. “Don’t misunderstand me,” she rushed, eager to clarify her earlier words. “I know you want peace, everyone here does but you want peace through the sword.”

  “And what exactly is wrong with that? You’re a sword smith, I would have thought you of all people would understand.”

  “I craft swords Gareth, I rarely wield them and I won’t fight this war alongside you, Lucian knows that. I won’t hurt people that have done me no wrong.”

  “You have very lofty morals for a swordsmith.”

  “I’ve killed innocents Gareth, I won’t kill again. Lucian knows that and understands the reasons behind my decision.” Gareth was momentarily stunned into silence at her admission and Sara was stunned that she’d revealed so much to a man she knew so little about. She shook her head in an attempt to focus. “Where’s Lucian? I want to see him.”

  “He’s feeding,” Gareth shrugged dismissively.

  “So? I want to see him, will you take me to him?”

  “Of course my Lady.” His humble bow made Sara frown in confusion, her brow crinkling in a silent question.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as he stood, drawing himself to his full height.

  “Lord Lucian has acknowledged you as his bride and when he is King you will rule beside him. I am only paying my respects.”

  She scowled. “Well don’t. I’ve had enough respect paid to me this morning already.”

  “It’s night my lady,” he corrected gently, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.

  Her scowl deepened. “You know what I mean. Now take me to Lucian.”

  The walk to Russell’s chambers was blissfully short but in the brief time it took to walk to Lucian's side, Sara’s mind was plagued with fantasies about what she would say to him when she saw him. He might have acknowledged her as his bride but it didn’t mean that he had the right to change her life. There would be no more showers where she was forced to endure foreign hands on her body, she could dress herself and had been doing so alone for many years now and there was no need for people to start bowing to her either. It was with a sense of righteous indignation that she threw open the door to Russell’s room.

  Strength was returning to Lucian's body by the time he was almost finished with the fifth donor, the blood of so many strong vital warriors flowed through his veins rejuvenating him. He was glad that he’d chosen to have so many assist him and by the time he’d drunk his third donor he was even gladder that he’d chosen all men. When he’d first started feeding he’d been voracious, uncaring of how much blood he took and taking far more from the males than any female could have survived giving him. His fangs were still sunk deep into the man’s flesh when he realised something was amiss. Though he was in the middle of feeding, the taste of blood left him cold, the skin beneath his mouth was unwanted and the body near his felt wrong. An intoxicating aroma wafted to his nose and it was then he realised he was being watched. His eyes flew open, locking with Sara’s as she stood frozen in the doorway.

  He pushed the male away from him and swiped the back of his hand against his mouth to remove any lingering traces of blood. He began moving towards her, his mind panicked, frantically trying to think of what he could say to her to reassure her that he wasn’t a monster even when he knew that was exactly what he could become. His step faltered when she began walking towards him, his panicked mind confused by her actions. When she stood directly in front of him, she lifted her hand and cupped his cheek tenderly, a smile emerging on her beautiful face.

  “Are you feeling better now Lucian?”

  “What?” he asked, clearly stunned by her concern after what she had just seen.

  “I said are you feeling better now? You’ve eaten right?” Her hand moved from his cheek to his brow, instantly noting the flush to his skin. “Do you need more? You always seem unwilling to take from me but I’m sure I can find you more people.” She turned away from him to face the door. “Gareth?” she began only to be cut off by Lucian's breath stealing embrace. His arms around her were like iron, strong and unyielding as they held her close.

  “You don’t fear me now that you’ve seen what I really am?” Was it possible for her to be so accepting of his vampiric nature even when she hadn’t been raised around them?

  “Lucian, I’ve always known you were a vampire, why would I be afraid of you now?”

  “Humans have often found our feeding habits to be disgusting. It’s one of the reasons why we put them into a daze when we feed from them. The donors here understand our needs, they have lived among us for so long that they’re as much my people as any vampire, but you, you’ve lived your life among mortals, aren’t you even the slightest bit shocked?”

  “When you’ve seen me at my worst?” she scoffed, laughter spilling from her lips. “If anyone should be scared, it’s you. Seraphina is a monster; she’s spoilt, violent and has no regard for life. How can I be scared of you feeding when I’ve got to deal with her?”

  His grip tightened at her words, he shrugged off the pain lancing his arm as he held her, wanting her body as close to his as possible. Heavens above I love this woman. The words echoed around his mind, the certainty in them becoming increasingly firm. I love Sara.

  Unaware of his state of mind, Sara continued to speak intent on venting her anger
at the man before her. “Now Lucian, I came in here to talk to you about something important. I don’t want people to treat me differently just because we’re together. Do you know what I’ve been through today?” She looked up at him, noting that his dark eyes seemed focused on something far away. “Lucian!” He blinked, turning to look at her upturned face. “Have you been listening to me?”

  “What would you like me to say?”

  “I’d like you to say yes but is obvious you haven’t.”

  He nuzzled her cheek, peppering kisses over her face. “I’m listening now.”

  Her cheeks flushed as his kisses began to rob her of her senses, making her increasingly light headed. Her hands lifted to his chest, running over the hard muscle lovingly. When she realised what she was doing, she scowled at herself, coughing to regain a semblance of balance. “Yes, well as I was saying, I don’t want people to treat me differently. I don’t want people bowing to me, calling me Lady and I’m perfectly capable of bathing myself.”

  “There are some things even I can’t change Sara. You’re my bride, to call you a Lady is the least people ought to do, I can’t change that. And as for bowing? All people are taught to respect their superiors.”

  “I’m no one’s superior Lucian.”

  “Again Sara, you’re my bride. That makes you superior to all but me.”

  Sara’s cheeks warmed at the compliment and she felt her anger slipping away until there was only one point left. “I won’t be moved on the bathing and dressing issue Lucian. I can do both of those myself.”

  “Did you not like the feeling of being pampered, taken care of?”

  “I can take care of myself. Oh and Lucian, I think you should know that if I find out that strange women are bathing you, running their hands all over your body, I will not be happy. And if you insist on keeping up the tradition then I will simply return the favour and have strange men see to me in the bath.”