The Defender (The Elkavians Book 1)
Page 24
He kissed her lips as he gently felt the inner warmth of her body around him. She grunted. “Don’t stop,” she said. He did as she wanted and continued. “Let it free, Samil,” she asked. She wondered why it was taking him so long to let his power flow out of him.
“I’m afraid I might hurt you, Al.” He hoped she wouldn’t be able to tell he was giving her only part of the truth.
“You won’t.” She stroked his face. “Let me feel you,” she begged, her eyes taken by passion. He voraciously kissed her, and as he climaxed, he allowed her to feel him like no one had ever felt. A huge amount of power flowed from him to her, their fingers entwined. Alexis was impressed by his immense power. She instantaneously climaxed again, this time a longer and more powerful orgasm. Samil gazed at her expression of complete pleasure. She moaned loudly. Luckily for her, he had made sure that no sound made in her room could be heard outside it.
He caressed her hair. “I…,” he swallowed hard; Alexis’s heart skipped a bit, “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
She tried to conceal her frustration; she was expecting him to say something else. “You didn’t,” she said calmly. He kissed her lips and lay down beside her. “This has been the best moment of my life,” she said.
He smiled. “I’ve never given myself to anyone like that,” he said sincerely. The truth in those words concerned him. He had never allowed himself to be so vulnerable as he had done with her. He had to be careful not to lose focus. Other people depended on him.
“What is troubling you?” she asked seriously.
“Excuse me?”
“There is a lot of worry in the energy that came from you. Share it with me. Let me help you,” she said sweetly, her hand caressing his chest.
“I’m worried about your safety, that’s all,” he embraced her. He could feel her heartbeat pulsing on his skin. Her smell was inebriating. He rolled her over and kissed her lips, his hand wandering from her neck to her waist, mapping every inch of her. “I could stay here forever without ever wanting to leave,” he said lovingly.
Alexis was on the verge of crying. She deeply loved him and feeling loved by him was divine. “That would be a dream,” she gently pushed him so that he would lie down on his back. Then she got on top of him and let her hands stroke his face, the contour of his lips, the muscles of his chest. She admired the sweet but lascivious look in his deep green eyes. It felt good to have him admiring her as she took control of the situation, his hands gently caressing her inner thighs while she allowed him in once again.
When she woke up, Samil was still sleeping. She gazed at him for a while, his perfect nose and lips, his strong body. She still couldn’t believe how amazing her night had been. The tip of her nose softly followed the outline of his, her lips touching his lips without kissing them. A smile appeared on his face. “Good morning,” she whispered sweetly.
“Good morning,” he said opening his eyes to look at her, his hand going up and down her naked back. “Promise me you’ll always wake me up like this,” he asked warmly.
“That’s a promise I can make and easily keep,” she said as she stroked his face. He rose to her and passionately kissed her lips. Her body immediately responded letting him know that she was ready for him.
“I must go,” he said firmly.
Alexis was disappointed. She was not ready to let him leave. “Stay, 30 more minutes.”
He chuckled. “I’d love that, but your mom will be up any minute, and we don’t want her to have a bad first impression of me. Besides, you need to get ready to leave. Have breakfast with her; you both need to have a last moment together before you are gone for a while,” he licked her earlobe and continued, “we’ll have lots of opportunities to stay 30 more minutes in bed. Don’t worry.” He bit her lower lip before kissing her again. “You are perfect, Al,” he said seriously, his eyes on hers.
“That word suits us both,” she said passionately, her hands caressing his chest. It all felt so good, so right that she feared it. She was happy, and one thing that she had learned in her life was that nothing that brought her an ounce of happiness lasted long; she could only fear that something that made her the happiest she had ever been would not even last a day. If she could, she would stop time and keep them both stuck at that moment forever.
He could see the shadow of fear in her eyes, “I’m not going anywhere, baby,” he said reassuringly. He put a strand of hair behind her ear, “I’m yours… I want you to know that just as I know you are mine.” He gave her a short loving kiss. “There’s nothing, no one, that can take me away from you.” The tears that filled her eyes made him change his mind about leaving. He kissed her while making her lie on her back. Then he slowly kissed, nibbled and licked from her ear to her toes worshipping her body, her soul, her power. The way she moaned while saying his name drove him crazy. He completely ignored the fact that Anna could knock on Alexis’s bedroom door interrupting them and he kissed her inner thighs going up to spot he had visited several times the previous night.
Alexis had nothing in her mind but him. “Samil,” she said in between sounds of pleasure, “I want you.” Her hands got his head and pulled him up to her belly. He licked his way up to her lips. He had no intention whatsoever to refuse to fulfill her desires.
Samil was glad that they had not been interrupted. He kissed her one last time before leaving the bed. “I’ll be back at 9. Do you think you’ll be ready by then?”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes closed, her body still taken by pleasure. He nibbled her thighs provoking her. “Oh, you are naughty,” she said lightly. He burst into the most delicious laughter she had heard him give. She smiled and opened her eyes to look at him.
He finished putting his clothes on knowing that her eyes followed his every move. When he was ready, he gave her a long and slow goodbye kiss. There was no need for words, so he opened the window and left. Alexis stayed in her bed for several minutes, feeling his smell on her bedsheets, on her skin, still mesmerized by every word he had said, every kiss he had given her, every touch, every sound he had produced.
The sound of Anna’s bedroom door being opened brought Alexis back to reality. She ran to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She desperately hoped her mom would go down and prepare them breakfast. If she walked into Alexis’s room, she would know what had happened. There were signs of it everywhere, clothes on the floor, messy sheets, a drop of blood, the smell of lust and of Samil. She left the shower and put on her clothes as fast as possible. She opened her window to allow some fresh air in. She made her bed and magic took care of the blood drop leaving the sheets completely clean and white. Now that she had taken care of the easy part, she would have to manage not sharing what had happened with her mom; concealing her happiness would certainly be challenging. She took a deep breath and went down the stairs. As she had expected, her mom was making them breakfast. “Good morning,” said Alexis trying her best not to sound too excited for the moment.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” asked Anna casually.
The question took Alexis by surprise. In a lifetime, her mother had seldom asked if she had slept well. She told herself a simple yes would do, “Yes,” she said calmly. “You?”
“I didn’t sleep much,” she said sadly.
Neither had Alexis, but she was sure that her mother had very different reasons for staying up for the most part of the night. “Mom, I’ll be fine, I promise.” All she had to comfort Anna were words. She gave her a long hug. “I’ll take care of myself. Trust me.”
“I trust you, dear. Is he coming?” Anna was anxious to meet Samil.
“Yes, he’ll be here around 9 o’clock.” Talking about Samil without showing any sign of affection had just proved to be more difficult than Alexis had expected.
“I’m concerned that you are leaving with a man who I have never seen before and in whom I do not trust,” said Anna bitterly. “I thought a lot about it last night, and I really think I should be going with you,” she insisted.
“What if I don’t allow you to go?” asked Anna rudely. She was nearly shouting. All her agony and fear expressed in her tone of voice.
“Mom, please, let’s not do this,” Alexis begged. The last thing she wanted was to leave home after arguing with her mom.
“I may not let you go!” Tears rolled down Anna’s face and wetted the pancakes she had made them.
Alexis was sure her mom knew that it would be impossible for her to keep Alexis in town. She could simply leave in the middle of the night or even during the day without her knowing. Alexis held Anna’s shaking hands. “Mom, please. I need your strength,” she said honestly. Leaving home heartbroken would make her weak and unfocused.
“I’m sorry, Al,” Anna sobbed. “I love you the most, and I’m afraid I won’t get to see you again,” she cried helplessly.
Alexis knew that fear quite well; she feared the same. Telling her mom that wouldn’t do them any good though, so she made a promise she was unsure she could keep. “We will see each other again, I promise. Look at me, mom. I promise we will hug each other again, we will talk again, we will have breakfast together again. I’m coming back home safe and sound, I promise you that,” said Alexis firmly. For the first time, she felt the amulet with her in a way that was different from its previous manifestations. The amulet was making that promise to her mom. A strong feeling of peace filled her heart, and she understood that as a good omen.
The confidence Anna saw in Alexis’s eyes told her that she was emotionally stronger than she had ever been and that pleased Anna. She wiped her face, “Let’s eat this salty and wet pancakes,” she giggled nervously.
They had barely finished having breakfast when the doorbell rang. Alexis’s heart raced, it was him. She walked to the door and opened it. She felt her cheeks blush. He was so handsome that she felt like kissing him that very moment regardless of whether her mom would approve it or not. Noticing what she was about to do, Samil slightly shook his head while giving a lopsided smile that did nothing but tease Alexis even more. She was glad that her mom showed up beside her before she did anything stupid.
“Good morning,” he said politely and firmly.
“Good morning,” said Anna with some hesitation. She was astonished at his beauty and lordliness. “Please, come on in,” she said tensely.
“Thank you,” he said formally.
“Have a seat,” said Anna trying to break the unbearable formality he was imposing. “Al, please leave us alone,” she commanded. Alexis was about to protest when Samil looked at her and nodded almost imperceptibly.
“I’m sorry if I sounded too formal.” It was crystal clear to him that Anna was displeased with his behavior. It was up to him to fix that. “I just want you to know that I’m not frivolous and that there’s nothing I wouldn’t and won’t do to keep Alexis safe.”
“My question is why? Why would you risk anything for her?” she asked harshly.
“Because I love her,” he answered promptly without deviating his eyes from hers, trying his best to show her that those words had meaning for him.
For some reason, Anna felt all her anxiety dissipate. She found comfort not only in his words but in his presence. All her hostility was gone. She trusted the man in front of her. Samil gave a smile; he loved how easy it was for him to influence people’s thoughts and feelings as if they were his puppets.
Alexis would be suspicious if that conversation lasted only two minutes, so he had to carry it on for a while more. “Is there anything else you would like to know?” he asked.
“When do you think she’ll be back?” Anna asked anxiously, fearing the answer to that question.
“In no more than a month,” he said firmly.
“A month?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes, but don’t worry, she’ll keep in touch, and I’ll be with her at all times,” he got closer to her. “There is nothing to worry about.”
Suddenly, a part of her that had been hidden until that moment came to surface and it viscerally despised him. “What are you?” she asked incisively.
He snorted, amused by her perception. “Alexis takes after you, doesn’t she?” he smiled. He got further in her mind, feeling her emotions and thoughts in the palm of his hand. “I’m a friend.”
Anna felt her doubts and uncertainties being washed away. She couldn't understand what had just happened, but she blamed herself for being so rude to such a gentleman.
“It’s time, we must go.” He stood up. “Thanks for your time.”
“My pleasure.” Anna was pleased that they had met. After seeing how righteous and protective of Alexis he was, she was sure that her daughter would be safe. She had no more concerns in her mind.
Alexis was impatiently waiting for them to leave the room. When her mom opened the door, she was relieved to see that both of them looked satisfied with the outcome of their conversation. Anna went to her, “I love you, Al. Please keep in touch,” she said caringly.
“I will, mom.” She hugged her mom and closed her eyes. She wanted to imprint in her memory her mom’s smell and the warmth of her hug. “I love you," said Alexis warmly. Samil deviated his eyes. He missed having such strong family bonds.
“I love you too, baby girl.” Anna’s heart was drowning in sadness. She already missed Alexis so much that a part of her seemed to have been ripped from her. Samil got Alexis’s suitcase and went to the car. He would wait for her there.
Ethan woke up to the sound of the phone ringing. He opened his eyes, but all he saw a huge blur. He was exhausted. “Hello,” he said a low voice.
“Ethan?”
The recognition of that voice made him jump out of bed. “Yes?”
“We need to talk,” said Denise calmly. “It’s about Alexis.”
“Where are you?” Receiving a call from Denise could not be a good sign. He wrote her address down, washed his face, brushed his teeth and left. It didn’t take him more than fifteen minutes to get to her house. Denise was waiting for him on the porch. He knew it was her because of the energy she emanated, not because of her appearance. She looked completely different from the last time they had met. Even though they had did not have the same purposes and goals, Ethan respected her and her kind for being good and loyal to their nature. Without saying a word, she opened the door and walked into the house. He followed her.
“Samil killed Phillip,” she affirmed, tears wetting her face.
“Excuse me?” asked Ethan confused.
“You heard me. He killed Phillip!” she shouted. “They had an agreement, and I didn’t do what I was supposed to do. I didn’t honor it,” she sobbed.
“What agreement?” Ethan was even more puzzled. Having allies was not Samil’s style.
“I would push Alexis to him and against you, and Samil would not influence on her decisions regarding the amulet,” she said, ashamed that Phillip had made such deal with Samil. “I couldn’t do that, I couldn’t push her to him knowing what he is.”
“What does that mean, Denise?” He felt his blood freeze. He knew Samil was a sorcerer, but Denise didn't seem to be referring to that.
“You don’t know?” she asked, intrigued.
“No, I have no idea what you are talking about. Tell me,” he ordered.
Denise covered her face with her hands. “I should have told you. I couldn’t imagine you didn’t know. I hope it’s not too late,” she cried.
“Tell me!” he yelled.
“He is a Norus,” she said unable to face Ethan.
Ethan couldn’t find air to breathe. He felt his legs weak, his head spinning. “That’s not possible. They are all gone,” he said furiously.
“He was a child back then; he couldn’t be blamed for his family’s actions, so he was spared,” she sobbed.
“He was spared?” asked
Ethan incredulously. “Don’t you think I should have been told that a long time ago?” he asked between his teeth.
“I thought you knew it,” she said apologetically.
“Do you honestly think that I would allow her to be in the same town as him, in the same state, in the same damn country if I knew who he is?” he shouted. Rage took him over, he screamed. Denise gave a step back. “Why didn’t you tell her?”
“I thought it would be too much for her to handle. She was already dealing with learning that she is Elkavian, that her father had secrets from her... I was delivering the truth slowly, trying not to hurt her too much." Denise felt guilty and stupid for having allowed things to go that far.
“How much do you think it will hurt her to know that the man she loves is part of the family responsible for killing most Elkavians? You allowed her to fall for him when you chose not to tell her the truth! If he tries to murder her, she won’t be able to defend herself because she loves him. Do you hear me?” Ethan lost control of himself and broke Denise’s dining table. He was shouting his lungs out. “She loves him!” Those words hurt him even more now. He took his hand to his head in despair. He got his phone and called Alexis once, twice, several times. “She’s not answering,” he took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. “Do you know her mother?”
“Yes,” said Denise, her voice shaking.
“Call her and see if Alexis is there. Tell her to come here as fast as possible,” he said between his teeth.
Denise called Alexis’s house. She hoped Alexis herself answered.
“Hello,” said Anna.
“Hi, Anna. This is Denise. How are you doing?” she asked politely.
“I’m fine, Denise. And you?”
“I’m okay. Is Alexis in?” she asked tensely.
“Uh, she left town for a while,” said Anna sadly. She would have to break the news to everyone who asked about Alexis, and that would be a constant reminder of her incapacity to help her daughter when she needed her the most.