“Don"t thank me just yet.” He carried a look of remorse.
Daniel nodded then slid his arm around my waist. It was time for us to leave. I nodded to Clayton Powers. His eyes were sad and my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. What had I gotten myself into? Am I supposed to expect some strange occurrence of events in the next two days? I feared the worse this time.
The tests that were to come would be of a natural occurrence. Our very will would be tested. Even our hearts and our love would not be exempt. Above all these things, we would have to make a choice. What kind of event would be as intense as this? Yes, I feared the worst.
At least I understood why no one could talk about the Rite and explain it in detail to us. You never knew what it was. There was no way to describe it. It was a series of events to test you beyond your comprehension. How could you describe it? There were no words. I could only hope we had the strength that everyone believed we had to endure this. Only time would tell.
Daniel and I returned to the house to find Heather and Jason still out shopping.
Both of us had decided to let Fate run its course, and we agreed not to worry unless we had reason.
We walked through the house into the living room. Daniel headed to the bathroom while I lingered. My mind was still in pretty much a whirl. There was so much going on around us. Sitting down on the sofa, I decided I needed something to take my mind off things. A movie would be nice.
Daniel came through the living room and paused behind me.
“I am going to run out for a bit.”
“For?” I said as I turned around to face him.
“Well, I really think it is time for another car. So…” He raised his eyebrows.
“No.” I said with a smirk on my face. “I don"t want to go with you.”
Daniel chuckled softly. “I did not think you would. I will be back soon. Promise.”
“Daniel, please don"t buy anything extreme.” I pleaded. My words almost came out in a whine.
Leaning over the sofa, he placed a kiss on my lips. “I will only pick out something safe for you and junior.”
“Junior?” I jumped back in surprise. “What makes you think it"s a boy?”
“Well,” he grinned. “It could be a girl.”
I grinned and shook my head. “Let"s just concentrate on one thing at a time shall we?”
“Car.” Daniel gave me another kiss. “Be back in a few.”
I suppose it was about time for a new car. I just hoped he wouldn"t buy something big, like some big boat of a car. Absolutely no way was I going to drive that. I loved my little car. But this was something Daniel wanted to do, and it was a task I needed to trust him with. I was sure he would do just fine.
I turned on the television wanting something to preoccupy my mind. My thoughts of a nice movie, however, were interrupted as the doorbell rang. I leaned forward then peered toward the front door. Oh dear Fate, it was Richard again. Does he just wait for Daniel to leave, then show up? How is it he always knows when I"m alone? Was he stalking me? Wearily I stood and walked to the door.
“Should I even bother asking?”
Richard"s expression was grim. The purplish circles under his eyes told me something was wrong. Even as beautiful as he was, Richard looked like crap. It took an average of two seconds before his presence stirred something inside of me. Damn it! I swore to myself. What was it about him? His build? His inhumanly beautiful features?
The way the soft blond and brown tones blended in those locks of hair? Was it the lean but strong muscular build? The kind of sex appeal that made a woman weak at the knees? Could it be those lips? The lips that was capable of such a powerful and sensual kiss. To deliver such a kiss that left you breathless and wanting more of him. The kind of kiss that could make a woman swoon in his arms. The kind of kiss that made you call out his name. The name of the vampire….
“Julie…” he began. “There are some things about me you do not understand.”
I hadn"t realized my thoughts had drifted so far. I gathered my thoughts and returned my full attention to him.
“You"re right, Richard.”
He looked up toward the top of the house. There was something more on his mind.
I could sense it. He was not acting like himself. Richard was always too in control. His attitude was confident. The confidence of knowing he could have anything he wanted and anyone.
“Should I take the chance and let you in?” I questioned his expression.
“Yes.” His voice was flat.
I stepped aside against my better judgment, allowing him to enter. This time I motioned for him to have a seat in the living room. There at least, I could keep him at a distance. “So what"s wrong, Richard? You look worse than the living dead.”
His eyes narrowed toward me. “Living dead, huh?” He forced out a small smile.
“The other day, when I was here…I,”
“You were going to bite me?” My eyes narrowed.
“Yes. I wanted to very badly. But when you swooned in my arms, I could not. You were so beautiful. Then when you came to my home…”
“Richard, why?” I wasn"t afraid just annoyed.
“I tried to tell you. I am drawn to you. There is something about you. Never before have I come across something like this. It is you, Julie. I cannot help how I feel. I only want you. Not just your blood, but all of you.” Richard"s tone was firm.
He was not pleading. No, not Richard. He was honest. Richard sat on the sofa and rested his elbows on his knees. His beautiful face was in torment. What did he expect I could do? What did he want me to say?
“Richard.” I began as I tried to gather my own thoughts. “If this is something you can"t control then why are you here?”
“Because I cannot stay away from you. My desire for you has driven me to the point …almost to the point I have to have you.” His eyes locked on mine.
Cold chills ran down my spine. What was he trying to say? Should I be afraid of him? At this point, I didn"t know what to think. My senses burned, warning me of him.
And that warning tolled like large church bells on Christmas Day.
“Is it because I remind you of Juliet?”
“No.” He frowned slightly, appearing insulted.
“What then?”
“I told you. I am drawn to you. The attraction for me is greater than you can imagine.” He stood up, turned and walked to the bar. “I know you are with Daniel. This makes it an even greater challenge for me. You are something I can"t stop thinking about.
You haunt me. “
“Richard, I can"t offer you anything. I"m going to marry Daniel. I told you this. I"m even pregnant.” I spoke softly. In a way, I felt sorry for him.
Richard turned. His eyes sadder than before. Hearing this news, he should know that I was truly Daniel"s. Maybe this would give him an incentive to try a bit harder to control himself.
He lowered his head and inhaled a deep breath, then nodded. “You can offer me one thing.” He spoke almost in a whisper.
“What would that be?” I wondered. Almost biting my tongue for asking a question to which I already knew the answer.
His eyes hopeful, he answered. “Your companionship.” He paused, contemplating his thoughts carefully. “At least if I am around you more, maybe it would help. When I am away from you… I long to be near you.”
I almost didn"t believe him. “Friendship? Is that what you are willing to accept?”
He nodded. Richard smiled gratefully. I motioned for him to sit back down. He returned to the sofa and his demeanor was less threatening. I could almost feel the peace flow over him. Richard was satisfied, at least for the moment. I could offer him friendship. At least I thought I could. It was worth a try. Still, I wondered if he knew the effect he had on me? Did he know I was drawn to him? Could he know about the feelings of desire that his mere presence evoked?
“I will have to warn you though. If you do try anything like that again, I may kill you. Nothin
g personal. It"s just a pregnancy thing.” I wrinkled my nose then smiled.
He laughed softly. “Nothing personal? Well, I guess if I were to bite you it would be a vampire thing? Nothing personal, of course.” His eyebrow rose.
“Let"s try not to think about that, shall we?” I teased.
“Deal.” He smiled broadly. It was good to see him smile. “But, of course, you know I am a vampire. I may not be trusted.”
“Richard, a deal"s a deal. I am holding you to it.” I stated firmly.
I was more curious than ever. He was satisfied with our masochistic friendship.
What would drive him to such levels of torture? Was he really that lonely after all those years? Did being a vampire make him half insane? Or did he have alternative reasons for this friendship? He was right. I couldn"t trust him, not completely. Fear him. Now that was what I could do. I tried to think on the brighter side. Maybe he was longing for companionship. This brought to my mind, Casey, my best friend.
“Have you heard from Casey and Nathaniel?” I asked hoping to hear good news.
His face brightened immediately. “Yes, I spoke with Nathaniel yesterday. He and Casey are still in France.”
“How"s she doing? I mean has she…” I was almost afraid to ask the question. I mean, how do you ask if your best friend has turned vamp?
Richard nodded. “Yes, Casey has made the change. I suppose you could say she is doing well.”
I couldn"t help myself from prying. My attention was immediately drawn to the way he spoke the words “I suppose”.
“What"s wrong? I mean is she okay?” My voice was filled with concern.
He laughed softly. “Yes. She is fine. She…” He frowned slightly. “Appears to be having a little problem.”
I wasn"t exactly sure what to expect. The humor on Richard"s face didn"t match the fear in my heart. I soon learned the truth. Within a few minutes, I found myself laughing loudly at Casey"s expense as Richard proceeded to share a few stories with me as told to him by Nathaniel.
One of which, Richard mentioned, occurred while he was on the phone with his brother. Nathaniel had taken Casey hunting, more for her benefit than his. He said Nathaniel was talking to him on the phone, and trying to talk to Casey at the same time while watching her hunt. Nathaniel would say a few words, then stop in mid-sentence and begin calling out a bevy of pleas to Casey to watch out. Richard said it was probably the most hilarious thing he had ever heard. Then all of a sudden, Nathaniel gasped a loud breath of air, and then dropped the phone. Richard said he could hear what sounded like a mountain lion in the background roaring loudly. Next came Casey screaming, followed by Nathaniel"s excited and very alarmed voice swearing loudly. He assured me the swearing was not at Casey. The animal she was trying to have for dinner didn"t seem to be particularly cooperative with her. From the sounds of it, the animal was trying to have Casey for dinner.
Tears were streaming down my face as I laughed. I could visualize the event as Richard told me the story. I reminded him that was pure Casey. Even as a vampire, she was never going to live down her natural blonde beauty. Richard assured me Casey would get the hang of it. I mentioned to him if anything ever happened to Nathaniel, I could only hope they would have a drive thru made for vampires. Casey wouldn"t stand a chance on her own. He laughed loudly. We both agreed that we hoped it would never come to such an end.
“I suppose I have taken enough of your time.” He spoke softly.
Glancing at my watch, I realized it was already four. No one had returned. I couldn"t understand why everyone had such a long afternoon. Smiling to myself, I, too, had a long evening. And I had enjoyed it with Richard.
“Richard, I did enjoy this afternoon.” I smiled as we both rose to our feet.
His smile broadened. “Julie, I did as well. It has been many years since I have enjoyed the company of a woman. A woman such as yourself.”
I walked him to the door and he lingered a moment. The uncomfortable feeling swept over me again. It was an awkward feeling, and I wasn"t sure how to approach this sudden situation. Under normal circumstances, I would have given him a hug. He looked as though he needed one. But I remained still. Inside of me, I could feel the caution ringing loudly. My heart mourned for him, but my senses warned me to be wary of this beautiful creature.
“Julie, again, it was a pleasure.” He finally spoke up.
“Yes, it was.” I smiled warmly.
He opened the door and stepped outside. My heart was somewhat saddened.
Richard, although he was a vampire would have really made someone a wonderful husband. He was beautiful, charming and very delightful.
“I hope to see you again.” A slight frown crossed his face. “Be careful. The werewolves are still growing in their numbers.”
“Have you ever found out what they are searching for?”
He glanced away, turning his attention to his car. “Not at the present time.” Slowly his gaze turned to meet mine. “I will find out what it is they are searching for. I promise.”
Richard was telling me the truth. He would find out. I realized for the moment, he was trying to be more human. At least I thought he was, showing me a softer side of him, a more human side. Maybe it was all that was left after all those centuries of being a vampire. Nevertheless, we gave what each of us could offer, a friendship.
“Thank you.” I spoke softly.
“Julie,” he paused, his expression firm and serious. “I will protect you and your unborn child. This feeling I have… I cannot deny it.”
“Richard…” I began and stopped as he raised his hand.
“You have given me your friendship. I shall regard this highly. I give you protection. You should do the same.”
“And is this the nature of a vampire to protect others?” I asked only because I was concerned. I didn"t want to give him the wrong impression.
“It is only the nature of a vampire to protect when it is something worth protecting.
Something he considers valuable.” He warned.
I nodded. Richard turned and walked off to his car. I folded my arms across my chest as I watched him drive off in his manly Mustang. He was truly an interesting person. My thoughts fluttered back to Casey, poor thing. She was lucky to have Nathaniel. I knew in my heart they were meant to be together. Casey, as dingy as she was, needed someone like Nathaniel, someone who was patient and loving. It took a vampire to win her heart. And I"m sure he saved her from a lifetime of pain. Many men could be caught up in her beauty, but how many of them would appreciate her heart? I was sure in that one dreadful night, it was Nathaniel. His eyes told me he loved her. He carried the same look as Daniel did. The unconditional love, the type of love you would die for. This was what she needed. I was happy for her that she found it, even if it did come with a price. She would make it. I was sure of it.
An hour after Richard left, I prepared dinner. It was around five when Heather returned via limousine with the trunk filled full of groceries. Daniel pulled into the driveway in my car followed by Jason driving a brand new sporty SUV. It was a Mercedes. Yes, he surprised me.
Daniel couldn"t resist showing off the new purchase. He stressed the importance of the safety features. Also, how easy it would be for me to access our little one. He even mentioned he special ordered a car seat for the baby. I have to say, I was a little more surprised about Daniel"s enthusiasm with the pregnancy. This child was already loved dearly by his or her father.
The long day had ended, and I was exhausted as I dragged myself to bed. Daniel was still chatting with Heather and Jason downstairs, but I couldn"t keep my eyes open another moment.
Climbing into bed, my eyes closed and I was already falling asleep before my head was even resting comfortably on the pillow. Tonight, I needed the rest. Tomorrow would be another day.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sunday, the day I had awaited with happiness and dread. The happiness, because I would spend the evening with the family I never knew. In a small way,
I felt the dread, because this night began the Rite. I made the decision to keep my focus on my family at this point. I wanted to learn about them, and their history, my history.
My current family, Heather and Jason included, were as excited as I was. We all spent the majority of the day on Saturday cooking and preparing the food we were going to take with us. Jason prepared his Irish Ham. Heather prepared the potato salad and deviled eggs. Daniel and I made cakes and pies. We ended up with six different pies altogether. Not to mention about three cakes. I was never so happy to have two ovens in my home as I was that day. Heather also got in on the deserts with a huge fruit salad.
We loaded up the new SUV. It took us two large coolers to manage this feat. I understood why this vehicle was so handy. We brought several cases of soft drinks, and at least three gallons of ice tea. Not to mention the bags of ice we packed nicely into one of the coolers for the tea and drinks.
Daniel drove as we all chatted about what to expect this evening. Jason thought it would be some elaborate pow-wow as he called it. I think he was looking forward to an evening complete with a huge bonfire, a traditional ceremony of Indians dancing around the fire. Daniel scoffed a laugh at his friend, reminding him that not everyone likes to dance around the fire. Jason threatened us all that if they did dance around the fire, then he was going to join in.
After an hour and a half of driving, we made it to the reservation. The map link in the car came in handy. At least Daniel didn"t get lost like Heather and me. We turned down the road to my grandfather"s promptly at five.
Daniel pulled the vehicle up to the front of the house. Willie and John were already loading his big pickup truck. There appeared to be some camping gear involved. That was something Daniel and I did not expect. We brought blankets and chairs for us, but nothing more. Willie looked up as we all got out of the car.
“Hey, there!” he shouted, his face bright with excitement. “I see you brought some friends.”
“Yes, I hope you don"t mind. This is Daniel Maxwell, my fiancé,” I said as Daniel moved forward to shake Willie"s hand.
“Nice to meet you, sir.” Daniel politely took Willie"s hand.
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