The room was intimate even though it was packed with other diners. It had a warmth to it that felt like home and from the second I stepped into the room, I knew it was going to be better than our disastrous lunch. James suggested that I order the lobster as Porter had suggested, having never tried it I agreed until I saw the price and then flat out refused. Opting for something a little more realistically priced, I went with the salmon dish. Much to my annoyance, James ordered the lobster for himself, stating that I had to try a bit. I didn't mind tasting new foods, I just didn't see the point in spending so much money on it.
When dinner was done, the lobster had been tasted and liked, we ventured from the restaurant on a long slow walk back to my home. The night had started off pleasant, a cool wind whipped down the road as we walked to the restaurant but our path home was a frosty cold wind. James pulled me to his body, wrapping his arm over me as I wrapped mine around his. I looked up at him with a big grin, one that was found because I was so full and just a little happy. He smiled back at me as the wind howled down the road, it felt like there were little shards of ice in it. We had reached the main doors to my building as the wind dropped completely, not a sound to be heard. When James leaned down to kiss me good night, the wind picked up again and blew a gale past us. A shiver went up my spine as I broke from the kiss, looking around the darkened city street. We weren't alone.
“Lunch tomorrow?” He whispered.
“Uh sure.”
I worried as to what might be hiding in the shadows, I could feel something not human nearby.
“James, get in your car and lock the doors, go home… now.” I said quietly.
His body tightened as Lonna drew closer. “My lady, I must press that we move on. It is not wise to linger.”
“Will you be safe?”
James nodded with a little chuckle. “Knowing of what roams this land, I live in a fortress. Don't worry for me, now do as your guard says and I will see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, bye.”
Lonna let me stay by the doors until James was in his car and on his way home. As soon as he pulled away, Lonna was pushing me in the doors to the lobby.
“What was out there?”
“Dark being.”
We entered the lift, Lonna looked at my face as he pressed the button, with a large sigh he continued. “Can be a lycan, vampire or a witch. I'm leaning towards lycans considering your recent run-ins with them.”
“Why would the timing for me entering your world be important?”
“Who said that?” He frowned.
His body lifted from the smoky glass wall and stood menacingly over me.
“When my mother and I were at the witches house, we heard Gerard say that the timing was important.”
“Oh. There's an anti-fae movement whipping through the elven land at the moment, it's likely that they have come into this world to seek the lycan support. If they can get them into our world unnoticed, they could have them rip through the fae lands while looking completely innocent. Either that or they would take you in there and hold you hostage until your grandfather hands over the crown.”
I gasped, widening my eyes. “He wouldn't do it, would he?”
“For his only grandchild? Of course he would. He may not have met you but that does not mean he does not love you. You are the product of his only child, a son that he adores. This is why you have me in your life. Your grandfather sent me specifically to protect you and you alone.”
I had fallen into a deep sleep after spending the evening playing some bizarre game that my mother had found when shopping for my birthday present. It was a two person game, we had little coloured discs that we had to drop into a panel and form four of our colour in a row without the other person interrupting the line. The sound of the disc dropping into the panel and onto the other discs reminded me of the clicking noise from William's house when he was changing things. It sent a shiver up my spine and I was grateful that neither my mother nor my father noticed. But the sound plagued my dreams, it was one sound at first, then after some time there was another. It woke me from my dream, the haunting sound that made me feel morose. Tears rolled down past my temples as I laid on my back staring at the ceiling. Will I ever be free of his memory? I froze when I heard the sound again, I wasn't asleep and I wasn't dreaming, yet there was the distinctive sound of things altering. Another click, followed by silence for a few seconds, then another.
Slowly I edged my way up the bed so that I was sitting up against the headboard, looking across my bedroom. It was lit from the light of the moon, the curtains were pulled all the way back to allow the light to shine through. Nothing had changed from what I could see, except there was one area that was pure darkness. My walk in robe. I moved from my bed, edging to the door when he appeared, standing at the threshold of the room and the walk in robe. It was hard to restrain myself from throwing my arms around him and telling him how much I missed him and loved him but I had to be strong. The look on his face wasn't one that would be inviting to that kind of behaviour. In fact, I think getting out of my room would be wise. Alerting Lonna maybe, though his room was in the staff quarters. The only ones close enough would be my parents and by the way that they were acting as we were playing the game, I'd say that interrupting them wouldn't be wise. This is William, why was I scared of him? Because you know he has a dark side and he doesn't remember you my mind whispered cautiously. But all I could think was, why was he here?
Chapter Seventy-two
I watched as the first step was taken, then the next as he slowly crept his way closer to me. Stalking me in my moon lit bedroom. His clothes were shabby and it was like he had gotten up and not cared what he put on which was so unlike William it wasn't funny. He looked tired, pale and strung out and I was seriously worried. Walking in on my parents seemed like a good idea now, I'd rather face two naked parents in the middle of god only knows what than a vampire that was seemingly at his wits end. I turned to the door to open it, the cold flooded the air around me as a hand appeared over the crack between the door frame and the door.
“I have questions for you.”
His voice was hot and husky and even though I was scared of him, I was seriously turned on. I turned around and watched his eyes lower over my body, the fact that I was in a tiny crop top and shorts didn't help. It was incredibly revealing and by the smirk on his face, I'd say it was pleasing to the eye as well. I tried to move away but only got a step before he stopped me.
“Are you going to hurt me?”
“That will depend on whether I find your answers satisfying.”
He moved closer as I pressed into the wall, I was a conflict of emotions. Scared that he was back to his cold nature but happy that he was here. “Why were Martine and Nicolas visiting you?”
“They missed me. If you had stayed in the memory pool you would remember that we are friends.”
One hand pressed against the wall by my head as he tilted his body over mine. I stared up into his eyes wishing that he would kiss me. That all of his memories would come flooding back and all the pain of the past few days would wash away. “I can smell him all over you, are you sure you're not more than just friends with Nicolas?”
“You broke your claim over me William, my love life is none of your business any more.”
He lowered to my ear, his breath was warm and excruciatingly painful for my libido. “That's not answering my question. Are you two lovers?”
“No. He gave me friend kisses, that's what friends do when they greet each other these days William. Get out of the past and wake up to the new world.”
His eyes narrowed at me as he lifted from my ear, the other hand pressed against the wall on the other side of my head. “And what of the boy you had dinner with? That was a kiss that seemed to be more than just friends.”
My eyes widened, Lonna had presumed wrong. It wasn't a lycan that was watching us, it was William.
“Like I said, none of your business. Get back in the memory pool
and remember me, then we will discuss my love life and how it no longer concerns you.”
I flinched when his fingers dragged over my cheek to my lips. “So feisty. Is this something that attracted me to you?”
“Get in the pool and find out.”
Tears snaked down my cheeks, William wiped them away and trailed his wet fingers down my neck. “You've got bite marks.”
His fingers lowered to the thin strap of my shirt, pulling it over my shoulder to reveal the edge of my cleavage and more bite marks.
“Who gave you these marks?”
“You did.” I hissed through the tears. “Stop touching me.”
A grin curled into the corner of his lips as he raised his eyes to me. “You are my claim.”
“You broke the claim and cast me aside like a worthless piece of junk. Get out of my home.”
He shook his head with a dark chuckle. “Not until I have the answers that I came here for. Tell me why my days linger from one to the next without purpose. Tell me what you have done to me.”
“This won't help you, you need to get into the pool. Stop being so stubborn, damn it.”
I pushed him out of my way but my efforts to get away from him were pointless. He grabbed my arm, ignoring my protests as he swung me around and pulled me to his body. In one sweeping movement he had me locked in his arms and was kissing me hard. I squeaked at first, caught by surprise. I thought that this would never happen with his mind the way that it was. The kiss was forceful and demanding, true to William's nature. It was something that I missed about him, his kiss was always so intense. My tongue scraped over his fangs and it broke the skin sending blood rushing out. My body eased into his as I soaked up the sweet coppery taste that I had missed. His body tightened as it trickled out, the hot liquid heightened his blood lust making him break from the kiss. I craved to taste him again, pulling away the hooded jacket that he was wearing, my fangs appeared as I searched his neck for a vein. He let out a low groan as I sank them deep, his hands pushed me tight against his body. I missed this so much, I missed feeling how bad he wanted me, I missed being wrapped up in his arms.
The frantic patter of his heart heightened my blood lust, it had been only a few days away from him but I now understood why I was so lethargic and at odds with my body. I was craving the blood, my body hadn't altered away from being around vampires and it still yearned for their sustenance. He didn't stop me when I pulled the zip of his jacket down, nor did he stop me when I opened it to a shirt below and kissed his chest. In fact, he removed the jacket and let it drop to the floor. Heat soaked through my body, feeling sated for the first time in a long while. The yearning for blood made my mind frantic and now that I had just a small drink, I was feeling better. I lifted from his neck, the blood trickled a slow line down to the clavicle and I desperately wanted to lick it up. The smell of the blood was making me dizzy with need. William gripped me by the arms, drawing me out of my blood lust.
His fingers touched the wounds on my neck, they were almost gone now. He had bitten me there not that long ago but it seemed like a distant memory. His fingers trailed down to the ones at the edge of my breast. The frown deepened like he was struggling to comprehend that he was the one that put these marks on me. I pulled the shirt lower, showing him more marks, it seemed to be his favourite place to feed, much to my annoyance. His eyes widened at the view, watching his fingers as they trailed around the curve of my breast to the fang marks on the underside.
“Why can't I detract my thoughts from you?” He whispered.
I ignored the question, sick of hearing myself saying the same thing over and over again. His hands found the edge of my shirt, finding a path to the skin below.
“I missed you.” He whispered again.
His face was solemn as he looked down at me. “I know that I miss you but I don't know why.”
“Get. In. The. Damned. Pool.” I hissed.
He shook his head as he herded me backwards to the bed. “I want to remember unassisted, why… why do I miss you?”
“Because you love me.”
I pulled from his embrace and stepped away from him, giving me the distance that I needed to think straight.
“Are you trying to make me jealous?”
I frowned at the question, watching his dark gaze as he lengthened his body.
“Well?” He snapped quietly. “You know that I can feel the feelings you have for him, I know he makes you happy. Did you do it to make me come here?”
“What are you talking about?” I hissed.
“Oh don't try to be so innocent. I can see you are a light being, you know how claims work. You knew that I would sense it and I would come running, just like you wanted.”
Anger swelled in me, he dared to come here and accuse me of things that he was making assumptions on. “If you had your memory, you would know that I have only just found out that I am a light being and as such I know nothing about your world or theirs. I didn't do any of it to make you jealous or to make you come running. I did it to try and forget about you, to forget the pain that you have caused me. So many times you told me that you loved me and to be rejected so cruelly…” I shook my head, trying to hide the pain that was resurfacing. “You know that your mind is telling you that I mean something to you yet you refuse to get into the memory pool, all because you want to remember it for yourself. It won't happen, you know how that thing works. Go home and get in the pool.”
I figured I could go blue in the face saying it and it would make no difference. He knew how the thing worked yet he still wanted to remember me by himself. Why did I get involved with a stubborn vampire?
Chapter Seventy-three
Wandering to the window, I watched over the quiet city and hoped that he would leave. I didn't want him to go but I knew that we would go around in circles if he didn't get in that damned memory pool. Taking a deep breath as the cold pervaded the air around me, I readied for the next wave of the argument. Except that it seemed he was taking a different approach. My body came alive as his hands settled on my hips, his nose ran along the edge of my shoulder and up my neck.
“Marty and Nick said that you haven't been feeding properly.”
“Is that right?” He whispered huskily. “Offering, are we?”
He pulled me against his body, the heat he was emanating was warm like a humans body. I was expecting his fangs to sink into my neck, lengthening my neck for him. He didn't bite me, instead his kissed his way up to my jaw.
“You're warm.” I whispered. “Have you fed already?”
“As much as the animals do well to abate the need, it does not solve the long term problem. So yes, I fed. I knew that to come here after so many days without a human meal was not wise, so I found something rather tasty.”
His lips nipped at my skin as he moved closer to my ear, his hands slipping under the band of my shorts to the skin below. “He was nowhere near as satisfying as what I am used to.”
I gasped lowly as I closed my eyes, folding back against him. His breath on my skin was intoxicating, his proximity was killing me. My anger at him was slowly dissipating away into nothing but heated lust. He didn't remember me but I didn't care. I remembered him and I missed him and that's what I cared about at this point in time. It was selfish of me but he was the one that came here, he might have thought it was to ask questions but the look in his eyes when he got closer to me told me different.
William turned me and pressed me against the cold glass, his fingers dancing under my night shirt as he kissed his way up my neck. He stepped away, leaving me bereft. The trail of blood had slipped onto his chest, now dried and crusty but still so tantalising. His eyes poured over me as he stood a step away from me, greedily soaking in the view.
“You are so beautiful.” He whispered. “And you are far too overdressed.”
He shot me a heated smirk as he closed the gap between us and lifted my arms over my head.
“Do not move.”
The threat was subtle, lac
ed with desire it could have been mistaken for a request but I knew better than to think it was. His fingers moved over my body like little feathers, gliding down over my arms and my breasts. I gasped with a slight moan as he curled around the curve of my breasts, his eyes shot up to me in warning. I had moved, I had squirmed with the glorious sensations that were starting to build fast. His fingers curled around the hem of my shirt, teasingly bringing it higher. When he got halfway up my arms, he stopped removing my shirt. It also covered my eyes, the tight tank top was stretchy but I knew I wasn't allowed to move and so the material bunched together, blocking the majority of my vision. I could feel his grin as he pressed his lips against my sternum, his fingers sliding down the inside of my arms.
His achingly slow movements were intentional as his fingers crossed from my arms to my body, drawing out every single second into a torturous but delicious moment. They moved deftly through the valley and over the creamy hills, taunting me with his soft touch. I gasped when he cupped them, toying with me as his kiss pulled away from my sensitive skin. His lips found mine, gently tugging on the bottom lip as I gasped again, desperate for air as his fingers continued their sensual assault on my breasts.
“Do not move.” He said quietly against my skin.
I mewled in his kiss, again it was forceful and dominating. His arms wrapped around my body as he pulled me tight against him. Two searing hot hands splayed out over my spine, my back had been cold from the glass, now it was patchy warm from his hands but it was amazing. I craved to feel the heat from his skin against mine. He had to be shirtless by now or at least I hoped he was. I loved the view of him without a shirt on, not that I could see anything like that but the thought of it was driving me crazy with carnal need.
He pulled away from me completely, already I felt lost. I still couldn't see much, if I looked up I could see the ceiling. If I looked down I could hardly see anything, just the edges of my chest. His touch found me again, one finger pressed against my sternum, pushing me back to the glass. The cold burned against the warmth that I had felt for a brief moment but it was all forgotten the second that one little finger moved. It slid down my sternum and through the valley between my breasts, never venturing to either side. My stomach shrank as it slid through the gap between the rib cage and onto the navel. Lower and lower it went, eventually reaching the band of my bed shorts. It curled under the elastic of the band, soon joined by a solitary finger from his other hand. I could feel the two digits pulling the pants and my underpants down, over my hips and then letting them fall to the floor.
Deadly Beasts (The Curse of the Rose Book 1) Page 46